About

What Allie Rambles Is About

Welcome to my corner of the internet where I create around my passion for hiking. You’ll find informative guides to the 100s of trails across the United States I’ve explored, a shop (coming soon) full of outdoorsy tees, totes and gear room posters and hiking how-to advise from a women in her 50s to all of you in your later years.

AllieRambles Beginnings: How an Older Woman Found Herself

From Runner to Hiker in My 40s

Way back in 2017 I found out something about myself I never knew – I loved being outdoors, especially on trail hiking.

I never thought of myself as an outdoorsy person until my mid-40s. At this time I had taken up running to deal with stress after a messy divorce. I loved running! It made my body stronger and my mind free. Over the span of a couple of years I went from couch to 1/2 marathon, but this is as far as my running journey would go.

It was during my first 1/2 marathon, the longest I had ever run, that became too injured to run. Eleven miles in a sharp pain struck my right thigh and I had to walk the last 2 miles. And I had to stop running forever.

I was devastated. Running had become my core personality, my rock and how I vented excess negative emotions. Every time I ran the pain shot straight up my leg. Yet I didn’t feel the pain when I walked.

I stopped running. But I needed to do something to help me deal with the stress and emotions I was still working with.

That’s when I remembered nearby trails my running group would jog at times, I figured if I couldn’t run I’d at least walk some pretty trails.

Walking the trail was slow but I enjoyed it. The quiet was refreshing and calm. Soon I realized my body and mind really liked being outside on the dirt. I began to hike further and seek out hills. And then I got hooked.

Obsessed Older Hiker Takes on Trails All Over the United States

Fortunate to live in a place where hiking trails were plentiful, I began seeking out trails further and further from home. Deserts, mountains, and beaches were all my playgrounds.

Watch Hiking the Waterfalls Loop – Mt Diablo State Park

In time I began to plan short weekend trips revolving around hiking. I’d visit National Parks like Yosemite or Joshua Tree so I could hike.

When I moved to Arizona from California I found even more hiking fun! Kingman (Route 66), Flagstaff and Lake Havasu were some favorite places I hit the trail. But my trail journey really ramped up when I backpacked part of the Arizona Trail. That’s when I found out backpacking was awesome!!

In 2020 I began to live in my RV for the next 4 years and I can bet you know what I did during those years – HIKE!! Trails all over the United States called to me. The public lands and trails in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Oregon, Washington and so many more became my home.

It’s been well over a decade since I began my hiking journey. I’m proud to say that I’ve covered 1000s of miles on trail and so many more are to come.

Taking My Hikes and AllieRambles into My 50s

In 2025 I moved from the Western United States to New York. I found myself in a little village just outside of the Adirondacks where I get to explore a whole new world of trail adventures! Trails are different here, peaks don’t have switchbacks and trees dominate the landscape. Trails change depending on the season, which means I’ve taken up snowshoeing when there’s snow on the ground.

Read my New York hiking trail guides.

Hiking and being outdoors is my core now. I can’t imagine not being on trail.

How did you discover your love for the outdoors? Do you hike? Backpack? Or other? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Trails!

~Allie

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Come for the trail guides. Stay for the community.

Updated October 2026

Thank You for Stopping By!

Hi, I’m Allie, obsessed hiker, explorer of our world and reinventor of my life in my 50s.

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