The easiest hikes in Kentucky, by the numbers
Of the 33 trails in Kentucky in our dataset, 13 (39 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 13 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Sinkhole Trail has the lowest rating: 49 ft of gain over 1 mile, 49 ft per mile.
Across the 13, gain runs from 46 to 459 ft and distance from 1 mile to 4.9 miles; the median gain is 140 ft and the median distance 1.4 miles.
12 of the 13 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinkhole TrailMammoth Cave NP | 1 | 49 | 49 | 13% | 551 to 793 | 9.9 | |
| 2 | Lost River Cave Greenway TrailCentral Kentucky | 1.1 | 46 | 42 | 4% | 521 to 566 | 10.1 | |
| 3 | Cedar Sink TrailMammoth Cave NP | 1 | 59 | 59 | 11% | 581 to 642 | 10.9 | |
| 4 | Echo River Springs TrailMammoth Cave NP | 1.1 | 83 | 75 | 19% | 491 to 583 | 13.5 | |
| 5 | Yahoo Falls LoopEastern TN | 1.1 | 176 | 160 | 33% | 902 to 1,041 | 19.7 | |
| 6 | White Oak TrailMammoth Cave NP | 2.4 | 103 | 43 | 13% | 569 to 892 | 22.2 | |
| 7 | Dog Slaughter Falls TrailSoutheastern Kentucky | 3.7 | 85 | 23 | 19% | 855 to 1,060 | 25.1 | |
| 8 | Dry Prong TrailMammoth Cave NP | 2.3 | 140 | 61 | 6% | 736 to 904 | 25.4 | |
| 9 | Tioga FallsCentral Kentucky | 1.1 | 381 | 346 | 30% | 456 to 736 | 29 | |
| 10 | Eagle Falls TrailSoutheastern Kentucky | 1.5 | 411 | 274 | 35% | 850 to 1,112 | 35.1 | |
| 11 | Green River Bluffs TrailMammoth Cave NP | 1.4 | 459 | 328 | 24% | 521 to 840 | 35.8 | |
| 12 | Mill Branch TrailMammoth Cave NP | 2.8 | 235 | 84 | 15% | 609 to 894 | 36.3 | |
| 13 | Big Hollow Trail North LoopMammoth Cave NP | 4.9 | 242 | 49 | 12% | 778 to 855 | 48.7 |
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 "Kentucky" here means the 33 trails in Kentucky in our dataset, not every trail in Kentucky.
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 Sinkhole Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.