Hiking Trail Difficulty Ratings
Choosing the right hiking trail can make all the difference between a memorable adventure and an unexpectedly challenging day. To ensure every hiker can confidently select a route that matches their skill level and fitness for the routes listed here, we have developed our own OK Which Way’s Trail Difficulty Ratings guide. This system is tailored to the trails featured on our site, simplifying your planning by clearly outlining what you can expect from each trail based on its distance, elevation gain, and overall technicality.
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⚪ Easy
Beginner/Family Friendly
- Short, flat, and paved or well-maintained trail
- Little to no steep terrain or difficult sections
- Distance: 0.1 – 3 miles
- Elevation Gain: Less than 400 feet
🟢 Moderate
General Fitness Required
- Likely an unpaved trail with moderate terrain
- May include moderate inclines
- Distance: 3 – 5 miles
- Elevation Gain: 400 – 1000 feet
🟦 Intermediate
Good Endurance Necessary
- Longer length with substantial elevation gain and/or difficult terrain
- Challenging sections are typically spread out
- Distance: 5 – 7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1000 – 1600 feet
⟡ Challenging
Advanced skills and stamina
- Likely a long unpaved trail with sections of rough terrain
- Requires significant endurance due to substantial elevation gain
- Distance: 7 – 10 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1600 – 3000 feet
♦ Hard
Expert navigation and high commitment
- A long and rugged route likely in a remote area
- Requires a large part of the day with steep sections and rough terrain
- Distance: 10+ miles
- Elevation Gain: More than 3000 feet
LEAVE NO TRACE
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Featured Hikes
These ratings are based on Jennifer’s experience. Hike at your own risk with the understanding that individual scenarios in a natural environment will be variable.
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