AllTrails offers four difficulty ratings to help you filter trail searches: Easy, Moderate, Hard, and Strenuous.
Easy trails are typically short, with clearly marked paths and fairly level terrain.
Moderate trails often feature gradual climbs or obstacles like rocks or roots
Hard trails usually cover longer distances and may have long or steep climbs or difficult obstacles
Strenuous trails are for advanced adventurers who are prepared for highly technical terrain, exposure, and scrambling.
These ratings are assigned based on several factors to provide a clear understanding of what to expect on a trail.
How difficulty ratings are determined:
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User-Generated Difficulty Ratings:
- AllTrails members have the ability to rate and designate the difficulty rating for trails on our platform. You can rate a trail's difficulty after completing an activity and leaving a review in the AllTrails mobile app or by visiting the trail page.
- Community rating: Trail rating information is compiled and reflected on the trail page for others to see. In some cases, this may differ from what the actual trail is rated. It is essential to acknowledge that each member's skill set is unique, and what may be easy for one hiker could be moderate or difficult for another.
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Additional Considerations:
- There are other factors besides distance that affect how challenging a trail will be. Features such as scrambles, rock climbing, obstacles, uneven ground, or trails that require orienteering skills will affect the difficulty level of a trail. It is important to consider these factors when choosing a trail.
Personalization of ratings:
- Subjectivity: Difficulty ratings are designed for a broad audience, so a trail deemed easy by one person might be moderate for another.
- Context: To better understand a trail's difficulty, scroll down the trail page to read the description from our team and trail reviews from other hikers.
Customizing your search:
- Filter by distance and elevation: Adjust your search filters to find a trail that matches your desired level of adventure.
- Learn more: Discover how to use filters to locate the perfect trail for you.