Looking for the perfect gift for the woman who feels most alive on the trail? Whether she’s scaling peaks, wandering through forests, or logging miles on her favorite local path, she deserves gear that’s as strong, adventurous, and trail-ready as she is.
This guide to the best gifts for women hikers is packed with smart, stylish, and seriously useful items she’ll actually take on her next hike. From must-have gear to thoughtful extras that make the journey even better, these gifts are perfect for celebrating her love of the great outdoors.
Let’s find something she’ll carry with pride – mile after mile.
Table of Contents
1. Waterproof Jacket
This may not be the most glamorous gift, but it is one of the best hiking gifts because no matter where you hike, protection from the elements is key and hikers will really appreciate this.
It’s hard to go wrong with the Columbia Sportswear EvaPOURation Jacket. The Omni-Tech fabric is waterproof, wicking and breathable (which helps reduce sweat). It comes in six colors and multiple sizes.
2. Hiking Pants
Hiking pants are another of our top picks for hiker gifts. Hiking pants are especially designed for outdoor activities, so they are water repellent, light, quick drying and durable. The hiker in your life will love getting these practical presents.
3. Hiking Shoes
There is nothing more important to hikers than a good pair of hiking shoes, so they are a great gift idea for hikers. If you are giving a gift, you will want them to have the very best.
The best hiking shoes on the market are the Salomon X Ultra Gore Tex. They are ergonomically designed for maximum comfort, support, cushioning, stabilization and traction. Their special descent design technology makes them great for technical hikes, but they are also ideal for casual hikers.
4. Hiking Sandals
Give your hiker something different that they may not have tried before. Hiking sandals are a great alternative to heavy hiking shoes and boots and make great gifts for a hiker. They are comfortable, light and airy, but still have the traction, stability and arch support needed for hiking. These are especially great for hot weather or water hiking.
5. Waterproof Pocket Blanket
This 60 x 56 inch blanket literally fits in your hand! It is perfect for breaks during hikes, but also for picnics, a day at the beach (it’s sand proof) and camping trips. It comes in its own bag and takes up almost no space in a hiking pack and is super lightweight. It’s waterproof and tear proof, so protects hikers from rocks, twigs, etc.
Practical and fun, it’s size also makes it a good stocking stuffer.
6. GPS Locator for Hikers
Get you hiker some unique hiking gear with a handheld GPS navigator. They will never risk getting lost again!
The Garmin 66i has an altimeter (so they can tell their height above sea level) and compass and comes preloaded with typographical maps for hikes that indicate natural features and points of interest. It is water resistant and durable. As soon as your hiker has used this, they will be unable to imagine how they ever got by without it.
This is my top pick for best handheld GPS for hiking.
7. Fingerless Flashlight Gloves
Another cool gift is this pair of fingerless LED flashlight gloves. They are great for any activities they need to do with their hands in the dark and are perfect if your hiker ends up out after dark, or is camping or fishing. There are two lights in each glove – one in the index finger and one in the thumb.
Your hiker/ camper can do a task without needing to hold a flashlight; the light shines exactly where their hands are! They are one size fits all. Possibly the coolest gift ever!
8. Garmin GPS Watch
When hiking on harder-to-follow trails, hikers should always have some kind of GPS device. These Garmin GPS watches make great gifts for people who like to hike. The watch actually has not one but three navigation satellite systems (GPS, Glonass and Galileo) to help ensure hikers can always track their location even in places GPS alone doesn’t cover.
It also has a built-in compass. It is designed for all temperatures, and is shock proof and water resistant. It also monitors your heart rate, activity and stress. In addition, it works as a smart watch and connects to most smart phones.
9. Portable Blue Tooth Speaker
This is a fun choice so that your hiker can listen to music on their hike – either while they are hiking or when they are resting. These SANAG portable Bluetooth speakers are small, lightweight and waterproof, anti-shock and anti-damage, making them perfect for hiking. They also have great sound quality and a long battery life.
10. Hiking Day Pack
No matter how casual a hiker your loved one is, they will need a good pack to take with them. Good quality hiking day packs are especially designed for maximum comfort and are great gifts for hikers as they will help make even the most casual hiker happier.
The Osprey packs have an integrated rain cover (so the contents won’t get wet if it rains) and a side pocket for keeping a water bottle handy.
The zippered hip belt helps support the weight of the pack on their hips rather than just their shoulders (so they won’t have neck and shoulder pain) and the pockets in them are handy for keeping small items they want to access easily like a camera phone.
The pack also has a mesh back panel, which helps creates padding at the back and absorbs sweat.
11. Water Bottle
One of the golden rules of hiking is that no hiker should set out on any hike, even short walks in nice weather, without water. A water bottle is up there with hiking shoes and a backpack as one of the absolute hiking essentials and is one of the top gifts for hikers.
The insulated Hydro Flask Water Bottle keeps hot and cold liquids at their temperature for hours. It is stainless steel, so it is super durable, which is perfect for hiking. It comes in multiple sizes and colors
12. Winter Hiking Boots
Chances are your avid hiker is not going to stop hiking in the winter. So they will need winter hiking boots, especially designed for cold weather conditions. Winter hiking boots have extra insulation to keep their feet warm and extra grip for snowy conditions.
13. Headlamp
Another of our favorite gift ideas for hikers is a headlamp flashlight. It’s possible that a hike will start early to get to a viewpoint for sunrise, leave form a viewpoint after sunset, or just take longer than planned. A headlamp flashlight solves this problem.
The Foxelli headlamp is light and comfortable with an adjustable headband and 5 different light modes/ brightness settings.
14. Trekking Poles
Hiking poles make a great gift for hikers. On hard hikes, they are a life saver, but even on simpler hikes, hiking poles can make hikes easier. Hiking poles are not all equal though, and you will want to make sure you get some good ones. Ones that are too heavy, for example, can make long hikes harder rather than easier.
These Leki Jannu trekking poles for women are collapsible (so they are easier to carry when not being used); lightweight (to avoid arm strain); shock absorbent (which helps prevent jarring); have quick locks (so they can be adjusted easily); and have natural cork grips (which are easy to hold). You can read my detailed review here.
➡️ Check prices on Amazon here or on REI here
15. Binoculars
It is very common when hiking to see animal, birds or natural features in the distance that you want to see in more detail. This is why taking binoculars on hikes is such a great idea.
These Vortex Optics Diamondback 10×42 Roof Prism Binoculars are the best binoculars for the money. They have 10 x 42 magnification and are waterproof and fog proof.
These are my pick for the best binoculars for the money.
16. Hiking Socks
Socks may be an old boring standby in general, but they are actually some of the best – and most practical – Christmas presents for hikers. Having the right socks can make the difference between an awesome fun hike and an uncomfortable one, so your hiker will love getting socks especially designed for hiking.
These Danish Endurance merino wool hiking socks are naturally moisture wicking and insulating, and will keep their feet warm in winter and cool in summer. Plus, the cushioning effect helps provide additional comfort. They come in a handy three-pack and will still fit into their stocking!
17. Beanie
If you are looking for Christmas gift ideas for hikers who like to hit the trails in colder weather, then stuff their stocking with a beanie.
This unisex Botack knitted Slouchy Beanie is super comfy, stylish and will keep them warm when hiking (or skiing). It has a double layer of acrylic fabric, so it is super warm and soft. It comes in three different color combinations.
More gift ideas
🎁 20 Camping Gift for Women
🎁 100 Gift Ideas for National Parks Lovers
🎁 21 Gifts for Outdoors Women
🎁 35 Best Gifts for Nature Lovers
🎁 75 Road Trip Gift Ideas
I hope your hiker loves their gifts!
About the Author
James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.
He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.
Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for many of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, and other resources will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Newsweek, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.
I’m a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.