Logo

What a view.

Women are posing topless while hiking on mountaintops in a social-media trend, all in the name of empowerment.

The movement, which has been around since 2015, has surged in recent months, according to a new report from The Denver Post.

After reaching the mountaintop, female hikers will strip down and look out on the vista, and have a friend take a shot of them from behind. It’s especially prevalent in the mountain-filled backdrops of Colorado, where going topless is legal.

“It feels fun, exciting and maybe a little risky to be naked in nature,” Kari Armstrong, who runs a women’s hiking club, told the Colorado-based news outlet. “When you have worked hard for your hike, or even if you haven’t, it is fun to do something a little silly and liberating to celebrate.”

“This was a big, important moment for me,” Kelli Schulte said, after climbing a 14,000-foot-high mountain while going through a breakup. “With every step, I felt empowered. Like I was taking control of my life. Like I could and would be me again.”

Women take off their shirts and pose at the top of South Arapahoe Peak in June 2016.Karen Jacot PhotographyWomen take off their shirts and pose at the top of South Arapahoe Peak in June 2016.Karen Jacot Photography

She asked her hiking companion to play photographer. “I … said, ‘I’m taking one of those topless pics, and I’m never giving up the things I love again.’ Then I snapped a couple of pics and I absolutely love them,” she said. Schulte framed the photo in her bathroom as inspiration.

Women go topless at Mirror Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness in August 2020.@yeahkaren via InstagramWomen go topless at Mirror Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness in August 2020.@yeahkaren via Instagram

“It’s freeing and exhilarating,” commented Donalyn White, who surprised herself by wanting to take a nature nude. “Men are out there hiking with their shirts off all the time.”

“It felt empowering,” she said.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy