The easiest hikes in Arches National Park, by the numbers
Of the 22 trails in Arches National Park in our dataset, 13 (59 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.
Topspin Trail has the lowest rating: 98 ft of gain over 1.3 miles, 75 ft per mile.
Across the 13, gain runs from 98 to 467 ft and distance from 1 mile to 5.3 miles; the median gain is 206 ft and the median distance 1.6 miles.
9 of the 13 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (4).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topspin TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1.3 | 98 | 75 | 11% | 4,414 to 4,480 | 16 | |
| 2 | Windows LoopSoutheastern Utah | 1 | 162 | 162 | 17% | 5,175 to 5,308 | 18 | |
| 3 | VertiGo TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1 | 170 | 170 | 12% | 4,464 to 4,610 | 18.4 | |
| 4 | Cross Canyon TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1.3 | 137 | 105 | 10% | 4,508 to 4,632 | 18.9 | |
| 5 | Broken Arch Loop TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1.4 | 177 | 126 | 14% | 5,137 to 5,278 | 22.3 | |
| 6 | Houdini TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1.8 | 164 | 91 | 7% | 4,432 to 4,594 | 24.3 | |
| 7 | Wahoo TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1.6 | 206 | 129 | 10% | 4,598 to 4,807 | 25.7 | |
| 8 | Tower Arch TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1.6 | 289 | 181 | 29% | 4,971 to 5,236 | 30.4 | |
| 9 | Devils Garden Main TrailSoutheastern Utah | 2.1 | 321 | 153 | 36% | 5,204 to 5,495 | 36.7 | |
| 10 | Gravitron TrailSoutheastern Utah | 1.9 | 356 | 187 | 13% | 4,479 to 4,804 | 36.8 | |
| 11 | Devils Garden Primitive LoopSoutheastern Utah | 2.2 | 439 | 200 | 24% | 5,039 to 5,424 | 43.9 | |
| 12 | Slickrock | 2.1 | 467 | 222 | 39% | 4,159 to 4,673 | 44.3 | |
| 13 | Lower Courthouse WashSoutheastern Utah | 5.3 | 213 | 40 | 6% | 3,970 to 4,127 | 47.5 |
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 "Arches National Park" here means the 22 trails in Arches National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Arches National Park.
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 Topspin Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.