The easiest hikes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, by the numbers
Of the 29 trails in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in our dataset, 11 (38 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 11 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 11, gain runs from 39 to 421 ft and distance from 1.1 miles to 4.2 miles; the median gain is 234 ft and the median distance 2.8 miles.
10 of the 11 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 SpurWestern N. Dakota | 1.7 | 39 | 23 | 4% | 2,354 to 2,430 | 11.5 | |
| 2 | Ekblom TrailWestern N. Dakota | 1.7 | 48 | 28 | 2% | 2,241 to 2,283 | 12.8 | |
| 3 | Petrified Forest Loop TrailWestern N. Dakota | 2.8 | 62 | 22 | 2% | 2,659 to 2,701 | 18.6 | |
| 4 | Painted CanyonWestern N. Dakota | 1.1 | 262 | 238 | 20% | 2,533 to 2,780 | 24 | |
| 5 | Lower Paddock Creek TrailWestern N. Dakota | 3.7 | 165 | 45 | 8% | 2,271 to 2,341 | 34.9 | |
| 6 | Big Plateau TrailWestern N. Dakota | 1.9 | 421 | 222 | 13% | 2,258 to 2,692 | 40 | |
| 7 | Painted Canyon TrailWestern N. Dakota | 2.1 | 388 | 185 | 28% | 2,464 to 2,779 | 40.4 | |
| 8 | Jones Creek TrailWestern N. Dakota | 3.6 | 234 | 65 | 7% | 2,261 to 2,459 | 41 | |
| 9 | Lower Talkington TrailWestern N. Dakota | 4.2 | 224 | 53 | 9% | 2,367 to 2,496 | 43.4 | |
| 10 | South Petrified Forest TrailWestern N. Dakota | 4 | 254 | 64 | 8% | 2,553 to 2,719 | 45.1 | |
| 11 | Roundup TrailWestern N. Dakota | 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 "Theodore Roosevelt National Park" here means the 29 trails in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Theodore Roosevelt 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 Badlands Spur.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.