The easiest hikes in Kings Canyon National Park, by the numbers
Of the 42 trails in Kings Canyon National Park in our dataset, 8 (19 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 8 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Charlotte Lake Trail has the lowest rating: 7 ft of gain over 1.1 miles, 6 ft per mile.
Across the 8, gain runs from 7 to 478 ft and distance from 1.1 miles to 2.3 miles; the median gain is 262 ft and the median distance 1.6 miles.
4 of the 8 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (1) or out-and-back (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte Lake TrailHigh Sierra | 1.1 | 7 | 6 | 19% | 10,392 to 10,708 | 3.9 | |
| 2 | Bullfrog Lake TrailHigh Sierra | 2.3 | 12 | 5 | 28% | 10,511 to 11,356 | 7.4 | |
| 3 | Zumwalt Meadows Loop TrailHigh Sierra | 1.3 | 104 | 80 | 7% | 4,976 to 5,048 | 16.4 | |
| 4 | Crystal Springs TrailHigh Sierra | 1.1 | 286 | 260 | 16% | 6,600 to 6,866 | 25.1 | |
| 5 | Big Stump LoopHigh Sierra | 1.5 | 237 | 158 | 17% | 6,140 to 6,370 | 26.7 | |
| 6 | Dead Giant Loop via Sunset TrailHigh Sierra | 1.8 | 315 | 175 | 15% | 6,063 to 6,297 | 33.7 | |
| 7 | Charlotte Lake | 1.7 | 478 | 281 | 27% | 10,254 to 10,763 | 40.3 | |
| 8 | Silliman Pass North | 2.1 | 446 | 212 | 20% | 8,829 to 9,189 | 43.3 |
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 "Kings Canyon National Park" here means the 42 trails in Kings Canyon National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Kings Canyon 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 Charlotte Lake Trail.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.