# Walk the Distance — Step Challenge Walking Tracker

> Virtual walking step challenges on famous global trails using your phone's health data. (iPhone/iPad app by Virtual Walk LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/walk-the-distance/id634548793 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Virtual Walk LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/634548796)
- Category: Health & Fitness, Entertainment
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 1,257 App Store ratings · 108 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 82 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2013-04-29
- Data updated: 2026-08-26
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/walk-the-distance/id634548793/reviews.md

## What is Walk the Distance?

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.

## Key features

- Walk iconic virtual trails
- Syncs with Apple Health, Fitbit, Garmin
- Unlock real waypoints and landmarks
- Compete with friends on leaderboards
- Group step challenges
- Corporate wellness programs

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Membership (yearly) | $29.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yellowstone National Park | $0.99 | one-time |
| London | $0.99 | one-time |
| Paris | $0.99 | one-time |
| Appalachian Trail Part 3 ~ Smoky Mountains | $0.99 | one-time |
| Appalachian Trail Part 4 ~ NC/TN Border | $0.99 | one-time |
| Appalachian Trail All | $4.99 | one-time |
| PCT CA-B | $0.99 | one-time |
| PCT All Sections | $9.99 | one-time |
| San Francisco | $0.99 | one-time |
| Barcelona | $0.99 | one-time |
| Central Park | $0.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Walk the Distance?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Motivating and engaging
- 🌳 Informative about trail landmarks
- 👥 Ability to track friends' progress
- 💪 Keeps users active and walking
- 🌐 Virtual hiking experience

**Cons**

- 🐛 Data loss when upgrading devices
- 💰 Paid content required for full experience
- 🧭 Lacking satellite map view
- 📱 Compatibility issues with some devices
- 🔄 Difficulty resuming previous walks

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes after recent iOS update
- Unable to create custom password

**Most requested features**

- More trail options (e.g. PCT, Ireland, Australia)
- Ability to send messages to friends on the trail
- Elevation and weather information for trails
- Panoramic views of trail landmarks
- One-time purchase option for all trails

## Recent user reviews (10 of 108)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/walk-the-distance/id634548793/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Can’t enable notifications

*2026-06-14, version 6.4.1*

Downloaded the app but can’t enable notifications. When trying to turn them on from the app, it creates a pop up indicating I must give permission before enabling. Takes me to iPhone settings, where the app doesn’t display because it hasn’t requested permission for notifications. So I can’t enable. So it won’t request. So I can’t enable…

### 5/5 — Fun, easy and educational!

*2026-06-06, version 6.4.0*

I’m currently walking my third walk and enjoying it just as much as the others. The walks teach me about new regions. They are inspirational for those of us who love hiking. And they are super fun to do with friends. So find a new walk and hit the trail!

### 5/5 — Walk the Distance

*2026-03-19, version 6.1.9*

Applicazione che permette di fare lunghe camminate virtuali, su percosi iconici. Io e mia moglie siamo partiti con il Cammino di Santiago e procediamo spediti! L'interfaccia è ben fatta e i percorsi sono pieni di tappe con curiosità e foto. I contenuti gratuiti sono tantissimi, ma lo sviluppatore si merita supporto e a breve acquisterò qualcosa. 🙂
An app that lets you take long virtual walks along iconic routes. My wife and I started with the Camino de Santiago and we're making great progress! The interface is well designed, and the routes are full of stops with fun facts and photos. There’s plenty of free content, but the developer truly deserves support, and I’ll be purchasing something soon. 🙂

### 5/5 — Love!

*2026-03-04, version 6.1.5*

Love this app!  It helps keep me accountable and motivated.  Love the different checkpoints!

### 5/5 — 9 to 11 miles per day

*2026-01-13, version 6.0.18*

I love this app! I typically walk about 9 to 11 miles per day and this app makes it so much more fun. I love the information at each checkpoint—I’ve learned A LOT—and I’m an extremely competitive person so being able to see and pass other people on the maps is really motivating. So far, I’ve completed Central Park, Arches National Park, Barcelona, Rome, National Mall, San Francisco, Paris, London, Beverly Hills, and Yellowstone. I’m currently walking Arlington National Cemetery. I’d LOVE to see a map for Ireland or Scotland added, and maybe Australia! If you’re looking for something to motivate you in your health journey, this is it!

### 1/5 — Loved it until the new update

*2025-12-02, version 6.0.13*

I really loved the old interface and found it bright and cheerful and super easy to navigate.  The new is super boring looking and would agree with another reviewer that it seems cold.   It is not as user friendly as the old.  I have a harder time seeing where my friends are at and it seems like I have less access to things in the past.  Several Steps in the wrong direction.  Please bring back the old.

### 2/5 — Was great before the latest update

*2025-11-27, version 6.0.13*

I used to love, love, LOVE this app.  The user interface was so easy to use and easy on the eyes, and it was fun to revisit locations of completed journeys.  But ever since the latest update, the interface looks and feels so cold.  Also the super long challenges used to be split up into sections, so at least you could complete them in parts, feeling a sense of accomplishment along the way. Now with the update, they’re all lumped into one long journey that seems overwhelming to finish.  I also can’t revisit the locations of the completed journeys anymore, I can only see the latest stop of the current journey I’m on.  Why did you fee the need to “fix” something that wasn’t broken??  I’ll give it another month’s try, but please bring back the old features that made this app enjoyable.

### 1/5 — New update made the app unusable

*2025-11-22, version 6.0.12*

Once the update occurred I have lost a massive amount of data. Interface completely changed and the app now consistently crashes as it attempts to log any distance. Please fix this.

### 5/5 — Such great motivation!

*2025-11-22, version 6.0.12*

Absolutely love the newest update! I’ve been using this app for a while, and it consistently keeps me motivated to walk every day. The checkpoints make it fun and give you something to look forward to. Highly recommend!

### 5/5 — Excellent app!

*2025-03-31, version 5.2.4*

I originally had difficulty accessing content, but the developer very quickly responded with a fix and I’m so happy I gave it a second try. There are tons of hikes around the globe ranging from just a few miles to hundreds of miles long. It’s very motivating when you see your progress along the trail and the landmarks and other facts they include are interesting and keep me engaged. I strongly recommend this app!

## Frequently asked questions about Walk the Distance

### What does Walk the Distance do?

Walk the Distance transforms your everyday steps into a virtual adventure by allowing you to walk famous hiking trails from around the world. It uses your phone's health data to track your progress on real trail maps, making fitness more engaging and meaningful.

### How does the app track my steps?

The app automatically syncs with Apple Health to pull your step data. It also supports syncing with Fitbit and Garmin devices. Your steps are synced throughout the day and contribute to your progress on the chosen virtual trail.

### Is Walk the Distance free to use?

The app offers free trails in various categories. Additional routes can be purchased individually for $0.99 each, or you can opt for a premium membership for access to more content.

### Can I walk with friends on this app?

Yes, you can add friends and walk the same trail together. The app features leaderboards where you can see who is ahead and receive notifications if someone passes you. You can also join group step challenges for added accountability.

### What kind of health goals can this app help with?

This app is designed to help with various health goals, such as losing weight, building a consistent daily walking habit, burning more calories, or simply encouraging more physical activity. The gamified approach of walking famous trails makes achieving these goals more enjoyable.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.6.4 — 2026-08-22

- Fix a partial day appearing at the edge of your history
- Removed permission requests the app no longer needs
- Customizable group sizes

### 6.6.3 — 2026-08-18

- Improve onboarding experience for new users
- Fix time shown on the trail in shared messages

### 6.6.2 — 2026-08-11

- varius bug fixes

### 6.6.1 — 2026-07-28

- Added a route guide and section previews on route pages
- UI theming and responsiveness improvements
- Fixed an issue where the notification popup sometimes didn't appear

### 6.5.0 — 2026-07-10

- New and improved onboarding experience
- React to messages with emoji
- Improved team name layout and spacing
- Various bug fixes and improvements

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*