Backcountry Hiking vs. Frontcountry Hiking: What's the difference?

Is this in the backcountry?

Contents

The Hiking Journey

Hiking is a pretty universal and accessible activity for all walks of life. There aren’t many barriers to entry to begin hiking, all you really need are some hiking boots, a backpack, some simple safety gear and a means of getting to the trailhead (many hikes only require public transit!). 

Most people tend to go through the same sort of process in terms of advancing their hiking ambitions, usually starting on simple trails not far from home, before advancing to more challenging, though still well defined trails, further afield. A lot of people stop here, happy in the knowledge they are getting outside, pushing themselves, getting some exercise and exploring some incredible scenery, all within a reasonably safe environment. 

For those that want to continue to advance their hiking passion, the next step is to begin moving beyond these well defined, frequently traveled trails, to lesser defined, infrequently traveled trails. The former is what’s generally known as frontcountry hiking and the latter is loosely defined as backcountry hiking. 

Where exactly is the line between the two? There isn’t exactly a clear definition of where the frontcountry stops and the backcountry begins, but I’m going to do my best to define what I consider to be the difference. 

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This is definitely a frontcountry hike

Frontcountry Hiking

Here are some indicators that the hike you are on, in my opinion, would be considered a frontcountry hike:

  • The hike is well traveled, you’ll probably see at least some, if not many people throughout the hike.
  • The trail is easy to follow, it’s well marked and managed by some sort of local authority
  • You’re only an hour or two hike time away from a well-traveled road (not an FSR) or a town/city.
  • You have cell service, even if it’s a bit spotty.
  • You have reasonable access to emergency services should you need it.
  • There are often some sort of facilities along the trail, such as outhouses or huts.
  • Accessing the trailhead is almost always straightforward and doesn’t involve any kind of off-roading.

Examples in BC

Pretty sure this is considered backcountry

Backcountry Hiking

Here are some indicators that the hike you are on, in my opinion, would be considered a backcountry hike:

  • The hike is not well traveled, you won’t see many people at all, if anyone.
  • The trail is challenging to follow, it’s poorly defined or not defined at all and it’s not managed by any authority.
  • You’re several hours or more from civilization.
  • Cell service is practically non-existent.
  • Emergency services will take a long-time to respond, usually many hours.
  • There are no facilities along the trail.
  • Accessing the trailhead can be challenging and may require some off-roading, but not always!

Examples in BC

Frontcountry? Backcountry? I mean you can literally see the city.

Now I am not saying that my definition is gospel, or that every factor must be met in order to be considered backcountry or frontcountry, but it gives you an idea. In fact, in true Canadian fashion there is another term used for describing a hike that borders on the edge of both, slackcountry. 

Slackcountry Hiking

To be brief, slackcountry is essentially just easily accessible backcountry, or a hike that kind of has some backcountry and frontcountry features. The hike may be fairly well traveled, with an easily accessible trailhead and an easy to follow trail, but it may not be managed by any authority, you may have no cell service and it could be many hours away from civilization. Oftentimes a hike may start in the frontcountry before entering the slackcountry if the hiker continues far enough. 

Examples in BC

BC has an abundance of hiking options to meet all definitions, but the most popular hikes almost always fall within the frontcountry and slackcountry. There is a good reason for this of course, many hikers simply don’t feel comfortable or safe in the backcountry, as the consequences of something going wrong can be drastically worse, particularly if you are not well prepared. 

That being said, as hiking gets more and more popular, the frontcountry in particular is getting so busy the whole purpose of hiking, for me at least, is losing its appeal. I hike to get away from crowds and enjoy nature for what it is. Following a trail with hoards of people and knocking elbows at a summit certainly doesn’t appeal to me, so off to the backcountry I go!