The easiest hikes in Big Bend National Park, by the numbers
Of the 50 trails in Big Bend National Park in our dataset, 13 (26 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.
Dog Canyon Trail has the lowest rating: 32 ft of gain over 2.3 miles, 14 ft per mile.
Across the 13, gain runs from 32 to 472 ft and distance from 1 mile to 2.8 miles; the median gain is 236 ft and the median distance 1.4 miles.
9 of the 13 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (4).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dog Canyon TrailWest Texas | 2.3 | 32 | 14 | 7% | 2,512 to 2,578 | 12.1 | |
| 2 | Ernst TinajaWest Texas | 1.3 | 114 | 88 | 6% | 2,177 to 2,291 | 17.2 | |
| 3 | Boquillas Canyon TrailWest Texas | 1.3 | 121 | 93 | 21% | 1,798 to 1,882 | 17.7 | |
| 4 | Santa Elena Canyon TrailWest Texas | 1 | 167 | 167 | 23% | 2,163 to 2,314 | 18.3 | |
| 5 | Cattail FallsWest Texas | 1 | 235 | 235 | 28% | 3,934 to 4,150 | 21.7 | |
| 6 | Grapevine Hills TrailWest Texas | 1 | 248 | 248 | 31% | 3,234 to 3,482 | 22.3 | |
| 7 | Lower Straw House TrailWest Texas | 1.4 | 225 | 161 | 11% | 1,954 to 2,150 | 25.1 | |
| 8 | Balanced RockWest Texas | 2 | 236 | 118 | 31% | 3,234 to 3,470 | 30.7 | |
| 9 | Southeast Rim TrailWest Texas | 1.2 | 409 | 341 | 26% | 7,237 to 7,445 | 31.3 | |
| 10 | Ward Spring TrailWest Texas | 1.5 | 465 | 310 | 10% | 3,945 to 4,409 | 37.3 | |
| 11 | Southwest Rim TrailWest Texas | 2.1 | 344 | 164 | 20% | 7,031 to 7,280 | 38 | |
| 12 | Hot Springs Canyon TrailWest Texas | 2.8 | 375 | 134 | 26% | 1,848 to 2,176 | 45.8 | |
| 13 | Boot Canyon TrailWest Texas | 2.5 | 472 | 189 | 16% | 6,801 to 7,270 | 48.6 |
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 "Big Bend National Park" here means the 50 trails in Big Bend National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Big Bend 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 Dog Canyon Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.