The easiest hikes in North Dakota, by the numbers
Of the 35 trails in North Dakota in our dataset, 12 (34 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.
Badlands Spur has the lowest rating: 39 ft of gain over 1.7 miles, 23 ft per mile.
Across the 12, gain runs from 39 to 421 ft and distance from 1.1 miles to 4.2 miles; the median gain is 244 ft and the median distance 3.0 miles.
11 of the 12 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badlands SpurTheodore Roosevelt NP | 1.7 | 39 | 23 | 4% | 2,354 to 2,430 | 11.5 | |
| 2 | Ekblom TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 1.7 | 48 | 28 | 2% | 2,241 to 2,283 | 12.8 | |
| 3 | Petrified Forest Loop TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 2.8 | 62 | 22 | 2% | 2,659 to 2,701 | 18.6 | |
| 4 | Painted CanyonTheodore Roosevelt NP | 1.1 | 262 | 238 | 20% | 2,533 to 2,780 | 24 | |
| 5 | Lower Paddock Creek TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 3.7 | 165 | 45 | 8% | 2,271 to 2,341 | 34.9 | |
| 6 | Bennett TrailWestern N. Dakota | 3.1 | 257 | 83 | 11% | 2,095 to 2,250 | 39.9 | |
| 7 | Big Plateau TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 1.9 | 421 | 222 | 13% | 2,258 to 2,692 | 40 | |
| 8 | Painted Canyon TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 2.1 | 388 | 185 | 28% | 2,464 to 2,779 | 40.4 | |
| 9 | Jones Creek TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 3.6 | 234 | 65 | 7% | 2,261 to 2,459 | 41 | |
| 10 | Lower Talkington TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 4.2 | 224 | 53 | 9% | 2,367 to 2,496 | 43.4 | |
| 11 | South Petrified Forest TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 4 | 254 | 64 | 8% | 2,553 to 2,719 | 45.1 | |
| 12 | Roundup TrailTheodore Roosevelt NP | 3.4 | 341 | 100 | 13% | 2,329 to 2,497 | 48.2 |
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 "North Dakota" here means the 35 trails in North Dakota in our dataset, not every trail in North Dakota.
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 Badlands Spur.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.