How Long Should A Day Hike Be?
Day hiking is a hike that can be completed within one day and does not require extensive planning or planned overnight stays in a tent or shelter. Day hiking is a great experience for both experts and beginners. These day hikes provide you with an outlet to quench your itch to get outdoors, even if it’s just for a day.
Most hikers will plan for 3-12 miles for their day hike. Consider these 7 factors to help you determine how many miles are suitable for a day hike.
Your overall physical condition
Your experience level with hiking
The weight of your gear
How fast you can hike per hour on average
The topography of the trail (elevation gain)
Your familiarity with the trail
The amount of sunlight you have
Your Overall Physical Condition
Physical condition is important when determining your mileage for a day hike. If you are new to hiking and rarely workout then you will want to plan for a shorter trek, somewhere in the 1 to3 mile range. If you are a seasoned hiker then a 5 to 10-mile day hike may be suitable for your skill level. Likewise, if you are in terrific shape in regards to cardio then a longer hike may not be as challenging even if you are a beginner. Start slow with minimal mileage and work your way up to more advanced distances and terrain. You do not want to risk over-exerting yourself and finding yourself in an undesirable position on the trail. There is plenty of time to master your hiking skills.
Your Experience Level With Hiking
As the frequency of your hiking increases, you will be able to tackle longer hikes with more difficult terrain. Again, if you are an inexperienced hiker then your hike should be relatively short; in the 1 to 3-mile range. The more experience you have the better you understand your strengths and weaknesses and how to overcome those weaknesses on the trail. You will also understand how to dial in your gear to ensure the best experience possible while hiking. You will know how to pack your bag appropriately, what shoes, and how to tie and lace your shoes for the best experience. You will have an understanding of when to take a break and consume meals or snacks. These skills come with time and experience.
The Weight Of Your Gear
This really goes without saying, the lighter your backpack, the easier it will be to traverse the trails. It is important you bring the 11 essentials and a few other hiking items but make sure you pack wisely. Check out the post regarding the items you shouldn’t bring on a hike. A day hike backpack should only be about 10 percent of your body weight. If you weigh 160 pounds then your day pack should be at most, 16 pounds. Keep this in mind when packing. Read the ultra day hike checklist for summer here.
How Fast Can You Hike Per Hour
Your day hike mileage should definitely be based on how fast you can hike per hour. The average person hikes about 2 miles per hour. A 10-mile hike will take the average person 5 hours to complete. To get an idea of how fast you hike, choose a loop or an up and back trail and time yourself. Take the number of miles you hike and divide it by the number of hours it took to complete the journey. Remember when doing the math that every 5 minutes is 1/12 an hour. This will give you a rough idea of how fast you can hike and will allow you to plan accordingly.
Tip: Keep in mind that your pace will probably decrease when dealing with more difficult terrain.
Moreover, if you have a Garmin or apple smartwatch device you can use the built-in GPS to determine your pace
The Topography Of The Trail
Depending on the topography of your hike you may want to plan to hike fewer miles. For example, if you have a 10-mile hike that averages 100 feet of elevation gain per mile for a total of 1000 feet in elevation gain you have a moderately strenuous hike on your hands. How did we calculate this? Well, we used a tool provided by The National Park Services website. They have a great way to calculate hiking difficulty based on topography and mileage. You take the total elevation gain across the entire hike X 2 X the total miles and then take the square root of that product. The scores and their respective difficulty categorization are outlined below:
0 - 50 = Easy
50 - 100 = Moderate
100 - 150 = Moderately Strenuous
150 - 200 = Strenuous
>200 = Very Strenuous
Your Familiarity With The Trail
The more familiar you are with the trail and terrain the faster you will hike. You will spend less time reviewing the map and trail to determine if you are headed in the correct direction. If it’s a trail you are not familiar with then you may not be able to hike as many miles because you will undoubtedly spend time reviewing maps and tracking your location. Not to mention, there may be unforeseen hazards in the path that could divert your path significantly such as a flood.
The Amount Of Sunlight Available
The amount of daylight available will also determine how long your day hike should be. If you are hiking in the summer you have about 14 hours of sunlight whereas in the winter you may only have 9 hours. Be aware of when the sun rises and sets on the day of your hike and make note of the time you start your hike to ensure you have plenty of daylight to complete the trek.
Tip: To get an idea of how much sun is left you can extend your arm with your palm facing you. Extend your fingers so they are parallel with the horizon. From your index finger to your pinky represents one hour of daylight with each finger representing about 15 minutes of daylight. This can prove to be beneficial when trying to make decisions while on trail.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many variables to consider when determining how long a day hike should be. It is prudent to review these variables and determine the hike that is most optimal given these variables and how they correlate to you and the others that will be hiking with you. Remember, the majority of hikers that search and rescue are called upon to rescue were actually just out for a day hike. If you are concerned as to why that happens read the article on why people get lost hiking and how to get rescued here.
Are there any other variables you consider when planning your day hike? Share your approach below in the comments!
