The easiest hikes in Michigan, by the numbers
Of the 46 trails in Michigan in our dataset, 12 (26 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.
Nichols Arboretum Loop has the lowest rating: 178 ft of gain over 1.3 miles, 137 ft per mile.
Across the 12, gain runs from 121 to 467 ft and distance from 1.3 miles to 5.5 miles; the median gain is 234 ft and the median distance 2.8 miles.
6 of the 12 are loop routes; the rest are point-to-point (6).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nichols Arboretum LoopEastern Michigan | 1.3 | 178 | 137 | 22% | 764 to 928 | 21.5 | |
| 2 | Orchard Beach State ParkCentral Wisconsin | 2 | 208 | 104 | 20% | 657 to 763 | 28.8 | |
| 3 | Chickenbone EastIsle Royale NP | 1.7 | 259 | 152 | 22% | 615 to 766 | 29.7 | |
| 4 | Daisy Farm TrailIsle Royale NP | 1.7 | 283 | 166 | 7% | 695 to 975 | 31 | |
| 5 | West Huginnin Cove TrailIsle Royale NP | 2.9 | 175 | 60 | 7% | 656 to 782 | 31.9 | |
| 6 | Reeds Lake TrailWestern Michigan | 4.5 | 130 | 29 | 5% | 733 to 794 | 34.2 | |
| 7 | Big Fumee Lake LoopUpper Peninsula | 5.5 | 121 | 22 | 4% | 1,074 to 1,126 | 36.5 | |
| 8 | Lake Ann Trail | 3.3 | 260 | 79 | 12% | 790 to 889 | 41.4 | |
| 9 | East Huginnin Cove TrailIsle Royale NP | 3.2 | 271 | 85 | 13% | 622 to 839 | 41.6 | |
| 10 | Mount Franklin TrailIsle Royale NP | 1.9 | 467 | 246 | 20% | 615 to 1,054 | 42.1 | |
| 11 | Green Lake LoopEastern Michigan | 5.4 | 192 | 36 | 6% | 952 to 999 | 45.5 | |
| 12 | Hatchet Lake TrailIsle Royale NP | 2.6 | 465 | 179 | 26% | 690 to 1,043 | 49.2 |
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 "Michigan" here means the 46 trails in Michigan in our dataset, not every trail in Michigan.
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 Nichols Arboretum Loop.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.