Walking step challenges on real famous trails. Walk the Distance turns your everyday steps into an adventure on 20+ iconic hiking trails — from the Appalachian Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail, Camino de Santiago, and beyond. No treadmill or special device needed — just walk, and watch your progress come to life on a real trail map.
WALK ICONIC TRAILS
- Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles)
- Pacific Crest Trail (2,650 miles)
- Continental Divide Trail (3,100 miles)
- John Muir Trail
- Camino de Santiago
- Marathons, city walks, and national park routes
STEP CHALLENGES THAT KEEP YOU MOVING
Works automatically with Apple Health — no extra hardware required. Also syncs with Fitbit and Garmin so every step counts, whether you're walking the dog, commuting, or hitting the trails. Your steps sync all day, every day, and fuel your progress on the trail.
STAY MOTIVATED WITH CHECKPOINTS
Unlock real waypoints as you progress — trail shelters, scenic overlooks, and landmarks. Each checkpoint keeps you moving toward the next milestone.
WALK WITH FRIENDS & COMPETE
Add friends and walk the same trail together. See who's ahead on the leaderboard, get notified when someone passes you, and join group step challenges to stay accountable.
BUILT FOR YOUR HEALTH GOALS
Whether you want to lose weight, build a daily walking habit, burn more calories, or just get moving — step challenges on famous trails make fitness fun and meaningful.
CORPORATE WELLNESS
Companies use Walk the Distance for employee step challenges with team leaderboards and admin dashboards. Tap "Send to HR" to get your workplace started.
SET IT AND FORGET IT
The app runs quietly in the background, pulling your distance from Apple Health once per hour. When you reach a checkpoint or a friend passes you, you'll get a notification.
BETTER THAN A PEDOMETER
A pedometer counts steps — Walk the Distance gives them meaning. Step challenges on real trails turn your daily walking into an adventure, keeping you motivated every step of the way.
Free trails in every category, with additional routes available for $0.99 each or with a premium membership.
I have been hiking the Appalachian Trail for almost two years now. Walking the distance virtually in 6 months was never in the books for me. I have store bought knees and a store bought hip. Speed just isn’t my thing but consistency is. Whether I’m hiking with my grandson, Salim, along one of the many beautiful trails in Connecticut or just walking down the street, I enjoy checking my Walk the Distance app to see where I would be or had been on the trail. It motivates this 71 year old man to get out there and move! Recently the app was updated and for some reason almost all the data In my history was lost. I was about 20 miles into Massachusetts when that happened. I was pretty bummed out but figured I would just restart from the beginning of Massachusetts and go on from there. It bothered me though. Coincidentally, the proverbial how do you like this app banner popped up a couple of days later. Generally I just tap not now and forget it. This time I decided to vent my frustration a bit. I tapped the middle star and explained how disappointed I was that my information was lost. Honestly, I thought that would be the end of it. I was shocked a couple of hours later when I received an email from John Z. Of Walk the Distance explaining what had happened and that he would restore my data. Shortly thereafter I received another email telling me that my data had been restored and asked if it was to my satisfaction. John’s service was incredibly fast and excellent. I went from feeling sorry that my history was missing each time I looked at my app to feeling really good thinking my history, my, history, was still there. It’s important. Thank you John. Walk the Distance is my favorite app. I use it frequently and look forward to completing the Appalachian Trail and then I’m thinking maybe the PCT or a city or a marathon. Choices, choices, choices.Peter Stred
Developer Response
Thank you for your review! I’m sorry for the temporary blip, but I’m glad I was able to get you back. Good luck with the rest of the virtual Appalachian Trail!John Z
Love this app
MrsHerb
My husband and I live in a senior community and the Appalachian Trail runs nearby. We walk daily and have really enjoyed the app, which we have used daily for nearly a year. It’s a great motivator, especially as we started to complete sections. We started in Georgia in late April 2020. Now it’s February 2021, we’re in Virginia and it’s near home so we’re virtually walking through familiar parts of Loudoun County. The app is fun and motivating. The developer is responsive when I provide feedback. And I’ve learned a lot about the Appalachian Trail and the Appalachian Trail festival in Round Hill, VA. HOPEFULLY, COVID will be history and the festival can happen next year.I have shared this app with friends, our fitness director at ASHBY Ponds, and a few doctors. It’s really fun and I recommend it.
It’s like Zoom for thru hiking
Leia Norwalker
So I may never walk any of these trails in real life, but I can live with that. I still have a sense of accomplishment! The app works well and allows you to walk with friends which didn’t seem important last October when I bought it. But then along came 2020 and the only way to walk with friends is virtually. I foresee that in the post COVID world, doing something virtually, will start to be recognized as an actual accomplishment not just ‘with a sense of accomplishment’. “So” the interviewer asks the job applicant, “what did you do during the lockdown, after you lost your job?” “Well” answers applicant, “ I hiked the Appalachian Trail virtually and am working on the PCT!” Now that’s a go getter we should hire!
Developer Response
Ha! I’d hire that person... but I’m biased :)
Great app. Totally worth installing
upset in maine
Fantastic app. I’m really glad I found it while searching for virtual hikes/runs. All of my distance auto uploads from my Apple Heath, which gets its data from my Garmin Connect app. Every day or so, I see a a new notification saying I’ve reached “Xxx shelter” or whatever and I click into the app to see my progress. The prices on the longer hikes are totally worth it and I didn’t have any issues with paying for them. I reached out to the developer with a couple quick questions and he was super responsive. If looking for an app to help with a little motivation with a monthly or yearly mileage goal, this is your app.
- Fix map labeling so near me is not mistaken for a leaderboard
- Fix a crash related to tooltips
- Private groups support passcodes and joining from links, with simpler sharing options
- Stability improvements
Version 6.3.2
The developer, Virtual Walk LLC, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
Contact Info
Identifiers
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Health & Fitness
Purchases
Contact Info
Contacts
User Content
Search History
Identifiers
Usage Data
Diagnostics
Other Data
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Virtual Walk LLC
Size
84.5 MB
Category
Health & Fitness
Compatibility
Requires iOS 16.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 16.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 16.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.