Strava introduces new hiking features as trail sports surge in popularity

June 11, 2026

Strava has launched a comprehensive update to its hiking features, responding to a surge in popularity for trail sports like hiking, trail running, and mountain biking—which are now growing twice as fast as traditional road running and cycling. The new tools cover every stage of the trail experience, from route planning and navigation to social sharing, aiming to make outdoor activities more discoverable and legible for its rapidly expanding international trail community.

Key additions include a specialized Route Builder that lets users plan custom hikes with live feedback on distance, elevation, and surface type, plus a Route Saves feature to bookmark paths from across the app. For real-time navigation, Off-Route Alerts (Premium-only) notify subscribers when they stray from a planned path, helping them course-correct before getting lost. Premium users can also download routes offline for low-signal areas and access an updated Route Builder with dedicated trail features.

The update also enhances Strava’s social sharing capabilities. Hikes now appear as detailed topographical 3D Activity Maps in the user feed, and Activity Replays (Premium) auto-animate completed routes from start to finish. Additionally, Strava introduced new sport types—including “Hikes,” “Trail Run,” “Mountain Biking,” and “Gravel Biking”—allowing users to toggle their personal heatmap to view specific trail activities. Trail routes now display difficulty ratings (easy/moderate/difficult), community completion times, and data on the busiest times of day and seasonality. Most features are available now, with style improvements to Strava’s maps rolling out later this summer for both free and Premium users. Endurance Biz