How to plan your hiking route
Regardless of if you are looking for an epic backpacking weekend along the Appalachian Trail or just planning a day hike in your local park, having a plan for your hiking route is essential. Very rarely do we want to just meander through forest, deserts, or mountains not having an idea of where we are going. Plus, you want to let loved ones have some idea of where you are going to be.
Planning your hiking route and sharing it with others not only allows for you to be more easily found in case of emergency but, if planned accurately, can also provide an ETA for those looking for your safe return.
If you are new to hiking or have always let someone else do the planning and now you are looking to take the helm, but you don’t know where to start, then read on! This article is for you!
First, I will go over some basic terminology regarding trail routes. Additionally, I’ll provide you with information and tools to help you plan your route and estimate distance and time more accurately.
Let us get started.
What is a point-to-point trail?
A point-to-point trail is the most basic trail route where you simply hike from point A to point B. When mileage is listed for the trail, it only pertains to one way. To get back to point A, you will have to double the mileage.
Logistically, a point-to-point trail will be more difficult to plan if the trail is long. You parked your car at point A, and you have hiked 30 miles to point B. Now you need to get back to your vehicle. The simplest way to do this if hiking solo, is to park your vehicle at point B, the end of the trail, and have someone drop you off at point A, the beginning. This could be a friend or family member who follows you to your end point or maybe a shuttle service can be arranged.
While you can park your vehicle at point A and arrange for a ride to pick you up at point B, it is usually better to park your vehicle at the end of the trail. This is because estimating how long it will take you to finish your hike can be tricky. You can finish early and be stuck waiting for your shuttle … or you can finish late and your shuttle may have to wait for you, possibly leading to a larger fee, or worse, your shuttle may leave without you. However, if the area you are hiking in has cellular service, shuttle arrangements can sometimes be made with little notice, especially if someone is expecting your call.
If hiking with a partner, the best idea is to take two vehicles. You can leave one vehicle at the end of the trail, then take the other vehicle to the beginning. When you finish the trail, hop if the vehicle you left parked at the end and drive back to the vehicle left parked at the start. Easy-peasy.
You can also turn your point-to-point trail into an out and back trail if you decide to backtrack to point A, but this may be unreasonable if the trail is long.
What is an out and back trail?
An out and back trail, sometimes referred to as an in-and-out trail, goes from point A, to point B, and back to point A. Mileage described for an out and back trail covers all mileage from your start point, to the end of the trail, and back to where you began.
Out and back trails are very common, especially when it comes to points of interest like waterfalls or a fantastic view on top of a mountain. You simply hike to your prize and come back the way you came.
Essentially, you can turn any trail into an out and back trail, with or without a prize, especially if your main goal is simply to get some exercise or clear your mind. Just hike until you are ready to turn around and head back to where you started.
A possible disadvantage of an out and back trail is the repeat scenery, but that depends on your taste. I personally don’t mind seeing an awesome view a second time, but if the trail isn’t very scenic and I’m not hiking to a prize, I usually try to avoid an out and back. That is my own personal preference though. You hike your own hike.
What is a loop trail?
With a loop trail, you hike until you arrive back where you started. Some loops are day hikes, others can be a week-long backpacking trip. While a loop can be a single trail, often you will find that loops are created by hiking a system of trails that can be used to return to your original starting point.
A big plus for hiking a loop trail is that the logistics are very simple. You park your car and eventually hike you way back to it. There is no need for multiple cars or to arrange for a shuttle.
Another great thing about loop trails is that you never have to see the same scenery twice, or at least not from the same perspective! You might spend some of the loop hiking on a mountain ridgeline and then make your way back to your car by hiking alongside a gorgeous stream.
For the reasons listed above, I usually try to plan my backpacking trips hiking in a loop. However, doing this can take some careful planning by studying the area you plan to hike. As mentioned before, many loops are created by hiking various point-to-point trails. In fact, if you are trying to find a trail to hike that is a loop, you might find the choices are slim. But it can be easy to plan your own loop by using trail maps and other resources and tools you can find online, which I will discuss further below.
Combining trail routes
Different trails can be combined to form loops as previously mentioned, but other trail routes can be configured.
For example, add a loop trail to the end of a point-to-point trail and you have created what is called a “lollipop” route. Another example is when two loops share a point where they intersect and can be hiked in a “figure 8”. Or if you have two loops that are joined together by a point-to-point trail, it creates a route that resembles a dumbbell.
With exception to the distance you are willing the hike, the combinations can be endless, so study some trail maps and use your imagination.
Planning your hiking trail route
So, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, planning your hiking trail route. As I already mentioned, using trail maps is the best way to plan your weekend backpacking adventure or even your short day hike.
Study the trail maps
Paper maps are a great resource because not only can you study them to help plan your hike, you can also carry them with you on the trail in case of emergency. Paper maps, like these printed by the National Geographic Society, will contain virtually every trail available to the public within the specified area the map is for, something online maps usually fall short on. So, it is highly likely you can find additional trails on a paper map that have not yet been added to an online database, such as hikingproject.com or alltrails.com.
Online maps are also a valuable tool when it comes to planning your hiking trail route. Hikingproject.com not only provides you with a map of a trail, but it also includes the distance and elevation profile to help gauge how difficult a trail might be. This is my tool of choice when it comes to planning my backpacking trips.
The trails on hikingproject.com are submitted by users who record their GPS data while on trail so you can get a fairly accurate picture on the distance of a trail and how difficult the terrain may be. Plus, being able to zoom in on the map allows you to follow the exact footsteps that the user who submitted the trail took. No paper map will offer you this kind of detail!
You can also use the HikingProject app and download the maps onto your phone to carry them with you on the go, which is awesome when it comes to tricky trail systems inside wildernesses where often times signs and trail blazes are absent. You just keep an eye on your location and whether you are still on the trail you are supposed to be on. Make sure the maps are downloaded on your phone! Do not rely on having cell service while on trail!
Factors in choosing your hiking route
Once you know the area you want to hike in, you can view a map to locate trailheads and parking locations. While paper maps are great, they may not provide a distance for a trail which is a huge variable in planning your route.
Again, this is where hikingproject.com helps a lot as it tells you how long every trail in its database is. Plus, you can check out the elevation gain and/or decline and get an idea how tough a trail might be. This is also a key variable in planning your hiking route.
Knowing how much time you have to hike will play into the equation of determining what route to take. If you only have two full days of hiking in your schedule, planning a 50-mile hiking route is beyond what most of us can do. To determine what is reasonable, you must be familiar with how you (and anyone else hiking with you) hike. Plan to hike what you think the slowest hiker in your group can do comfortably.
Also consider how difficult a trail may be. Sure, you might can easily knock out a 16-mile hike in a day, but can you do it with significant elevation gain? If you are unsure, plan on hiking fewer miles to be on the safe side at least until you have a better feel for the terrain.
If you are a novice hiker, an out and back route may be the best choice since you can hike any trail and always turn back when you feel like you are about at your limit. Just remember that every mile you hike in, you have to hike back out.
Depending on how long you hiking trip is, you may need to consider a route with water sources. Most maps will display sizable creeks and streams, so if you are going to need to collect water during your trip, choose a route that has a couple of water sources at minimum. Some water sources are seasonal and dependent on rainfall, so having options is a good idea.
With that said, you can also purchase maps for some trails that detail verified water sources and other features of a trail, such as campsites. Available campsites should also be considered when choosing your hiking route. If you are unsure if campsites are available along a trail, you can always contact the local ranger station for more information.
Lastly, if you are hoping for breathtaking views or other prizes for your labor, plan a route that offers sights. Hikingproject.com often has user-submitted photographs of awesome views, creeks, waterfalls, and more to give you an idea of what you will see along a particular trail.
Once you consider all the above, you are ready to figure out a hiking route. Depending on the route you choose, you may now need to plan for how to get to and from the trailhead(s). Do you need an additional vehicle or a shuttle, or are you planning an out and back route or a custom loop of your own? If a second vehicle or shuttle is not available, this will ultimately play into the route you choose.
Estimating the distance of your hiking route
Some maps have enough details to give you an approximate distance of a trail, plus how difficult it may be. But what happens if your route does not include hiking the entire 10-mile trail? What if you have to turn onto another trail somewhere within that 10-mile trail and how do you estimate how far of a distance it is before you make that turn? Most paper maps will not help you with this.
Hikingproject.com and its app can, and these tools are the best method I have found for estimating how long my planned hiking route will be, and I have used these with very accurate results.
With hikingproject.com (and the app), you can select a point on the map and see how many miles into the trail that point is. Select where the junction is where you want to turn onto another trail and note the distance. Do this as many times as you need along the route you are considering and add all the sections together to get a pretty close mileage estimate of what you can expect to be hiking along that route. To be as accurate as possible, zoom in very closely to the junctions.
Estimating how long a route will take to hike
Trying to estimate how long it will take to hike a route can be very difficult. There are so many variables that need to be weighed. However, the more experienced of a hiker you are, the easier it will be.
Obviously, the first variable is how fast you hike, but the weight of your gear plus how difficult the route may be can slow you down. On average, a person can hike two to three miles per hour, so I will usually allow one hour for every two miles unless the trail is flat or a moderate downhill trek.
You may be able to hike faster than two miles per hour, even with significant elevation gain, but when you factor in time for rest, meals, and admiring the scenery, two miles per hour is a very reasonable expectation. Even if there is extreme elevation gain where you might only knock out one mile in an hour, many times you can make that time back up when the terrain levels out.
But since estimating time to complete your route is difficult, and things like rain, muddy conditions, and injuries can slow you down, I never plan for someone to pick me up at the end of the trail. I will always opt to be picked up at the finish line and driven to my starting point to begin my hike. This allows for time to not be as much as a factor and won’t cause me to push myself to the point of injury by trying to reach a certain point by a certain time. Of course, this is a non-factor if you are planning an out and back or loop trail.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the information and tools detailed above will help you plan an awesome and appropriate route for your next hike or backpacking trip. Be sure to study the map as you plan your route and to have one available during your hike and always make sure to share your route with others so you can more easily be found in case of emergency.
With proper planning, not only will you be able to treat yourself to a great hike, but you will also be ready to lead a group of your friends or family along a hiking route that works for everyone.
