Strava introduces new hiking features as trail sports surge in popularity

Strava has announced a wide range of new and updated hiking features designed to support its growing international community. The updates span route planning, navigation, and social sharing, aiming to assist trail walkers across every stage of the outdoor experience.

According to the company, hiking is becoming increasingly social. The platform’s internal data revealed a 5.8x increase in hiking clubs globally during the 2025 season. To assist with route discovery and mapping, Strava will introduce map style improvements later this summer. These updates will allow walkers to view richer trail surface data and identify clear points of interest, such as trailheads, picnic areas, and campgrounds.

Subscribers will also gain access to Route Discovery, which surfaces popular paths based on a global heatmap of activity data. A specialized Route Builder tool allows users to plan custom hikes with live distance, elevation, and surface feedback. Additionally, a new Route Saves feature allows users to save paths from multiple areas within the application.

The update improves device integration, enabling direct Route Following on Apple Watch alongside automated Smart Watch Route Sync for compatible Garmin, Apple Watch, and Coros devices. During activities, users can access a full–screen Mobile Record Map with a single tap, alongside Live Elevation data to monitor real–time pacing on climbs.