Yorkshire Three Peaks named among most popular and busy hiking trails in the world beating hikes in France and Spain

The Yorkshire Three Peaks has been named one of the most popular and busy hikes in the world by travel experts surpassing hiking trails in France and Spain.

The three peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside are some of the most popular hills in the Yorkshire Dales National Park that attract thousands of visitors and hiking enthusiasts to reach the top of at least one or even challenge themselves to all three.

There are plenty of places with stunning views and walking opportunities for explorers as well as a rich history to learn from.

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Adventure tour operator Explore Worldwide has conducted a survey which analyses the length of popular walking routes and the number of associated Instagram posts, to find out which hikes around the world are the most congested and which trails offer a quieter trekking experience.

Two walkers, make their way along a stone track near Settle, heading for the summit of Penyghent.  (Pic credit: James Hardisty)Two walkers, make their way along a stone track near Settle, heading for the summit of Penyghent.  (Pic credit: James Hardisty)
Two walkers, make their way along a stone track near Settle, heading for the summit of Penyghent. (Pic credit: James Hardisty)

From the alpine crossings of Tongariro in New Zealand to coastal routes such as the West Coast Trail in Canada, the study has highlighted the most popular hikes worldwide and the Yorkshire Three Peaks has been placed in 10th place.

The top 20 list is based on the number of Instagram posts uploaded per kilometre of trail.

Top 20 busiest and most popular hikes in the world

1 - Mount Kinabalu

Location: Malaysia

Instagram posts per km of trail: 22,048

2 - Inca Trail

Location: Peru

Instagram posts per km of trail: 6,723

3 - Kalalau Trail

Location: USA

Instagram posts per km of trail: 3,684

4 - Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Location: New Zealand

Instagram posts per km of trail: 2,585

5 - Salkantay Trek

Location: Peru

Instagram posts per km of trail: 1,265

6 - Everest Base Camp Trek

Location: Nepal

Instagram posts per km of trail: 1,214

7 - Table Mountain Hike

Location: South Africa

Instagram posts per km of trail: 1,189

8 - Routeburn Track

Location: New Zealand

Instagram posts per km of trail: 1,085

9 - West Highland Way

Location: Scotland

Instagram posts per km of trail: 998

10 - The Yorkshire Three Peaks

Location: England

Instagram posts per km of trail: 991

11 - GR20

Location: France

Instagram posts per km of trail: 733

12 - Overland Track

Location: Australia

Instagram posts per km of trail: 638

13 - Berg Lake Trail

Location: Canada

Instagram posts per km of trail: 634

14 - Tour du Mont Blanc

Location: France/Italy/Switzerland

Instagram posts per km of trail: 566

15 - South Downs Way

Location: England

Instagram posts per km of trail: 560

16 - West Coast Trail

Location: Canada

Instagram posts per km of trail: 548

17 - Camino de Santiago - Camino Frances

Location: Spain

Instagram posts per km of trail: 537

18 - Milford Track

Location: New Zealand

Instagram posts per km of trail: 524

19 - The Three Capes Track

Location: Australia

Instagram posts per km of trail: 513

20 - Kepler Track

Location: New Zealand

Instagram posts per km of trail: 476

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