The easiest hikes in Hawaii, by the numbers
Of the 67 trails in Hawaii in our dataset, 12 (18 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 12 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Byron Ledge Trail has the lowest rating: 138 ft of gain over 1.3 miles, 106 ft per mile.
Across the 12, gain runs from 103 to 410 ft and distance from 1 mile to 5.3 miles; the median gain is 250 ft and the median distance 2.2 miles.
8 of the 12 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (1) or out-and-back (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Byron Ledge TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 1.3 | 138 | 106 | 18% | 3,548 to 3,695 | 18.9 | |
| 2 | Kīpukapuaulu TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 1.1 | 164 | 149 | 11% | 3,930 to 4,095 | 19 | |
| 3 | Ho'opi'i Falls TrailKauai and Niihau | 1 | 191 | 191 | 13% | 98 to 256 | 19.5 | |
| 4 | Footprints TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 1.9 | 103 | 54 | 4% | 2,922 to 3,042 | 19.8 | |
| 5 | Pololū ValleyThe Big Island (Hawaii) | 1.2 | 408 | 340 | 37% | 4 to 413 | 31.3 | |
| 6 | Mauna Ulu EruptionHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 3 | 214 | 71 | 24% | 3,207 to 3,421 | 35.8 | |
| 7 | Cabin TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 2.4 | 286 | 119 | 10% | 13,005 to 13,254 | 37.1 | |
| 8 | Maunawili Falls TrailOahu | 2.3 | 325 | 141 | 16% | 192 to 444 | 38.7 | |
| 9 | Ka'ena PointOahu | 5.3 | 158 | 30 | 13% | 3 to 58 | 40.9 | |
| 10 | Kileauea Iki TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 2.1 | 410 | 195 | 57% | 3,503 to 3,907 | 41.5 | |
| 11 | Crater Rim TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 2.9 | 304 | 105 | 8% | 3,660 to 3,913 | 42 | |
| 12 | Halema'uma'u TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 2.9 | 405 | 140 | 21% | 3,540 to 3,941 | 48.5 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Hawaii" here means the 67 trails in Hawaii in our dataset, not every trail in Hawaii.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Byron Ledge Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.