The easiest hikes in Hot Springs National Park, by the numbers
Of the 21 trails in Hot Springs National Park in our dataset, 10 (48 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 10 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Oak Trail has the lowest rating: 171 ft of gain over 1 mile, 171 ft per mile.
Across the 10, gain runs from 171 to 375 ft and distance from 1 mile to 3.7 miles; the median gain is 228 ft and the median distance 1.3 miles.
8 of the 10 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oak TrailWest-Central AR | 1 | 171 | 171 | 9% | 633 to 804 | 18.5 | |
| 2 | Upper Dogwood TrailWest-Central AR | 1.2 | 179 | 149 | 6% | 887 to 1,050 | 20.7 | |
| 3 | ValkyrieWest-Central AR | 1 | 237 | 237 | 14% | 606 to 843 | 21.8 | |
| 4 | Trash ZombinoWest-Central AR | 1.1 | 220 | 200 | 12% | 507 to 672 | 22 | |
| 5 | Hot Springs Mountain TrailWest-Central AR | 1.5 | 201 | 134 | 23% | 831 to 971 | 24.6 | |
| 6 | West Mountain TrailWest-Central AR | 1.3 | 236 | 182 | 15% | 773 to 956 | 24.8 | |
| 7 | Hot Springs Mountain LoopWest-Central AR | 1.7 | 205 | 121 | 24% | 833 to 966 | 26.4 | |
| 8 | Mountain Top TrailWest-Central AR | 1.3 | 353 | 272 | 27% | 680 to 1,075 | 30.3 | |
| 9 | Dead Chief TrailWest-Central AR | 1.6 | 375 | 234 | 25% | 536 to 799 | 34.6 | |
| 10 | FreemanWest-Central AR | 3.7 | 241 | 65 | 10% | 636 to 793 | 42.2 |
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 "Hot Springs National Park" here means the 21 trails in Hot Springs National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Hot Springs 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 Oak Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.