Ethics Statement

At HikingPA, trust is our most valuable asset. Our readers rely on us for honest, accurate, and unbiased information to plan their outdoor adventures.

Editorial Independence

Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers, sponsors, or affiliate partnerships. We only recommend trails, products, or services that we genuinely believe are of high quality and relevant to our audience.

Gear Reviews

When we review gear, we disclose how we acquired it:

  • Purchased by us: We bought the item with our own funds.
  • Provided by brand: A brand provided the item for testing purposes.

Providing an item does not guarantee a positive review. We test gear rigorously and highlight both the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision. We do not accept paid reviews.

Some links on HikingPA may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

We only use affiliate links for products or services we use and stand behind. This revenue helps keep the site running and allows us to continue creating free content.

If a post is sponsored by a brand or tourism board, it will be clearly labeled as “Sponsored Content.” We carefully vet sponsors to ensure their values align with the HikingPA community.

AI and Content Creation

While we may use AI tools for research, outlining, or editing, the core insights, opinions, and firsthand trail experiences are always human-generated. We believe the nuance of the outdoors requires human perspective.