If you're among the nearly 60 million people participating in America's most popular recreational activity this summer, chances are you're getting a lot more out of the experience than quality family time, beautiful vistas, and a breath of fresh air. 

Hiking provides a host of mental and physical health advantages including improved cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, better balance and coordination, and mental health improvements unmatched by other forms of exercise. 

"Hiking is an amazing way to get outside and explore, reconnect with feelings of wonder and awe, and reap countless benefits such as decreased anxiety and depression and reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity," says Alyson Chun, assistant director of the Adventure Sports and Recreation Adventure programs at Stanford University. 

Such benefits are especially encouraging considering that hiking has been shown to be accessible to all and less dangerous than other popular mountain summer activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, or mountaineering.

"Whether it's a local path or a challenging mountain hike, there's a trail for everyone—each offering a customizable adventure for any fitness level and schedule," says Rami Hashish, a physical therapist and body performance consultant at the National Biomechanics Institute in Los Angeles.