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Hiking Trails Under 5 km in United States

6,055 routes in United States qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 2.0 km and 63 m (207 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 5.0 km.

That is 64 percent of the 9,390 routes we map in United States. They are shorter than the local average, 2.0 km against 14.0 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 63 m (207 ft) against 281 m (922 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Short routes for a spare couple of hours, an evening walk, or a day when the weather only gives you a window. The mix is broad: 4365 are rated easy and 6 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

View south along Interstate 83 (Jones Falls Expressway) just north of Old Pimlico Road in Pikesville, Baltimore County, Maryland
Easy

Orange Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Waterfall
  • River
  • Mountain
Ouray, CO, USA Historic Court House from 1888 at the South East corner of 4th Street and 6th Avenue, as seen from the 4th Street
Moderate

Upper Cascade Falls Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
784 m
Typical duration
2 hr 12 min
  • Waterfall
  • Mountain
Kawuneeche Valley, Rocky Mountains, Colorado River, USA
Moderate

Timber Lake Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
443 m
Typical duration
1 hr 38 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Whitestone Cliffs Trail. Blue-Blazed CFPA "loop" foot path in Mattatuck State Forest. Whitestone Cliffs Trail. Blue-Blazed CFPA "loop" foot path in Mattatuck State Forest. Whitestone Cliffs Trail head sign on Spruce Brook Road / Mt Tobe.
Moderate

Whitestone Cliffs Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
84 m
Typical duration
35 min
  • Coastal
  • Waymarked route
Lock 33 along the en:Chesapeake Ohio Canal near en:Harpers Ferry, West Virginia .
Moderate

Overlook Cliff Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Coastal
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Case Brothers Historic District
Moderate

Lookout Mountain Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
84 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Thursday, April 3, 2014 -- Governor Dannel P. Malloy, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Rob Klee, and Mayor Scott Jackson joined first and fifth graders from Hamden’s Helen Street and Ridge Hill Schools f
Moderate

North Summit Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Waymarked route
Adult fox yawning in Acadia National Park in Maine, US.
Moderate

Valley Peak Trail

Maine · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
222 m
Typical duration
50 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
This little pocket in the rock is supporting several types of plant life. It was a treat to be here in the spring, got to see lots of plant life in bloom From the west side of the Toroweap overlook. sw2 560
Moderate

Lava Falls Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
52 m
Typical duration
33 min
  • Waterfall
  • Mountain
Jericho Blue-Blazed Trail. Ruins of Bridge at end of Sheffield Street, Waterbury. Trailhead for Hancock Brook Trail.
Moderate

Hancock Brook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
212 m
Typical duration
1 hr 11 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Up Mount Washington
Moderate

Hungtington Ravine Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
859 m
Typical duration
1 hr 56 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
Looking west over Flagstaff from Mt. Elden Lookout. Taken 7-17-13 by Brady Smith. Credit: U.S. Forest Service, Coconino National Forest.
Moderate

Elden Lookout Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
764 m
Typical duration
2 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Ouray, CO, USA Historic Court House from 1888 at the South East corner of 4th Street and 6th Avenue, as seen from the 4th Street
Moderate

Lower Cascade Falls Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
38 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Waterfall
  • Mountain
View north up the Trail Canyon Trail in the Mount Charleston Wilderness, Nevada from about 1.0 miles north of the trailhead
Moderate

Trail Canyon

Nevada · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
471 m
Typical duration
1 hr 22 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
Marmota flaviventris - yellow bellied marmot Location: Top of Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, USA
Moderate

Half Dome Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
653 m
Typical duration
1 hr 39 min
  • Mountain
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 38.
Moderate

Summit Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
117 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Passing a steam train
Moderate

Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
704 m
Typical duration
1 hr 46 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
Aspen Trail, Payson, AZ 85541, USA
Moderate

See Canyon Trail #184

Arizona · United States

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
585 m
Typical duration
1 hr 53 min
  • Lake
  • Canyon and gorge
Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, Ovis canadensis sierrae, Mt. Langley Herd. Listed as threatened under California Endangered Speciaes Act since 1974. Uplisted to endangered in 1999 by Califonia Fish and Game Commission. Listed as endangered by
Moderate

Soldier Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
556 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Snowshoeing in RMNP to Mills Lake
Moderate

Black Lake Trail

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
This image was taken at the Minarets observation site ( Minaret Summit ). Most of the Minarets (peaks) have been informally named. The largest and tallest (Clyde Minaret) is identified in this image. Michael Minaret is where Norman Clyde fo
Moderate

Starkweather Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
52 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Heavy snow remained at stations along Metro-North Railroad's Waterbury Branch, preventing normal service the morning of Monday, Feb. 11, 2013.
Moderate

Beacon Falls Yellow Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
153 m
Typical duration
49 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 43.
Moderate

Bald Mountain Red Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
192 m
Typical duration
1 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Cunningham Falls State Park : hand-stand
Moderate

Cliff Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Coastal
  • Waymarked route
(1 in a multiple picture album) If you have seen the Colorado River where it carves the Grand Canyon, or where it cascades down towards Lake Mead near Las Vegas, you might have a hard time believing that this is the same river in the pictur
Moderate

Ditch Road

Colorado · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
457 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Mountain
Целостное видение, представление о совершенстве
Easy

Falls Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
Remains of a hydroelectric power plant foundation
Moderate

Falls Trail

Georgia · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
56 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
The abandoned railbed of the Middletown–Middlefield streetcar line, seen in Marzalek Park in Middletown in March 2023
Easy

Little Falls Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
Daniel and Esther Bartlett House
Easy

Turkington Falls Loop

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
Sunset Palisades, Pismo Beach, CA, USA
Easy

California Coastal Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Coastal
Computer science researcher Neil Immerman of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst at the Open Source Quality retreat, in the Seaside View room of the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, California.
Moderate

Coastal Rail Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
1 hr 2 min
  • Coastal
Stone foundation south of Gay City Pond, west of Yellow Trail and Blackledge River in Connecticut's Gay City State Park.
Easy

Gay City Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
96 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Cloudy Pass Trail

Washington · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
69 m
Typical duration
46 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • River
Temple Crag, seen from the Big Pine Lakes region to the north.
Moderate

Black Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
47 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Sign to the Visitor Center of Catoctin Mountain Park
Moderate

Blue Ridge Summit Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
38 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Adams, MA, USA
Moderate

Cheshire Harbor Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
159 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Geranium carolinianum, taken at the Kentucky River Palisades, Mercer County, KY, May 21 2016.
Moderate

Palisades Loop

Kentucky · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
31 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Waterfall
  • River
  • Long-distance path
Boiling mudpot located near Little Hot Springs Valley in Lassen Volcanic National Park
Moderate

Ridge Lakes Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
302 m
Typical duration
49 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Summit of the 2nd most or perhaps 3rd most frequently climbed mountain on the planet.
Moderate

Smith Summit Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
234 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Trees of Castle Rock (2)
Moderate

Summit Rock Loop Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
228 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Blue Lake in the morning Location: Inyo National Forest, about 2.5 miles from the lake Sabrina trail head.
Moderate

Baboon Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
213 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Coronado National Memorial
Moderate

Coronado Peak Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
89 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Orange TrailMaryland0.8 km25 m12 minEasyApril to October
Upper Cascade Falls TrailColorado4.9 km784 m2 hr 12 minModerateJuly to September
Timber Lake TrailColorado4.7 km443 m1 hr 38 minModerateJuly to September
Whitestone Cliffs TrailConnecticut2.2 km84 m35 minModerateApril to October
Overlook Cliff TrailMaryland1.1 km36 m17 minModerateApril to October
Lookout Mountain TrailConnecticut1.7 km84 m29 minModerateApril to October
North Summit TrailConnecticut1.3 km10 m17 minModerateApril to October
Valley Peak TrailMaine2.4 km222 m50 minModerateApril to October
Lava Falls TrailArizona2.3 km52 m33 minModerateApril to October
Hancock Brook TrailConnecticut4.2 km212 m1 hr 11 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Upper Cascade Falls Trail, Orange Trail, Timber Lake Trail. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

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