US hiking
Plan great hikes and enjoy every mile
Practical help for American hikers, from your first trail to a National Park bucket list or a long trail: how long a hike will take, what to pack, and where to go next.
Free tool
How long will my hike take?
Based on Naismith’s rule: time on the flat, plus 30 minutes for every 1,000 feet you climb. Allow longer at altitude, in heat, on rough ground or with kids. How the calculator works.
Free tool
Miles and kilometers
Type in either box. One mile is 1.609 km, and 1,000 feet is about 305 meters. Handy for trail races and maps from abroad.
Free printables
Print it, check it off, take it
No sign-up. Each one opens as a US Letter PDF you can print or save. To print, use your browser’s Print option; on an iPhone or iPad, tap Share, then Print.
Day hike checklist
The Ten Essentials, plus what to wear and do before you go.
Open the PDF (free) ►
National Parks checklist
All 64 parks on one page, with a date column.
Open the PDF (free) ►
52 hikes in a year
Color in a square for every hike, plus 100 miles in a month.
Open the PDF (free) ►
Hiking with your dog
What to pack for your dog and the trail rules to remember.
Open the PDF (free) ►
Long trail section planner
Plan any long trail section by section, with permits and resupply.
Open the PDF (free) ►
Hiking time calculator
How long a hike will take, with elevation gain and breaks.
Open the calculator ►Long-distance hiking
Long trail guides
America’s best-known long trails: where they run, how long they take, permits, seasons and a free section planner to print.
Trail guide
Appalachian Trail
2,190 miles, Georgia to Maine. ►
Trail guide
Colorado Trail
486 miles, Denver to Durango. ►
Trail guide
John Muir Trail
211 miles, Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney. ►
Trail guide
Pacific Crest Trail
2,650 miles, Mexico to Canada through CA, OR and WA. ►
All 14 trails
US long trails at a glance
Lengths and where they run, from the Natchez Trace to the North Country Trail. ►
Bucket list
All 64 US National Parks
The full list by state, how passes work, and a free checklist. ►
Guides
Start here
Your first hike, step by step
Picking a trail, what to wear, trail blazes, Leave No Trace and staying safe. ►
Gear
The Ten Essentials for day hikes
What to carry on every hike, and what’s worth buying. ►
Dogs
Hiking with your dog
Where dogs can go, what to pack and the BARK rules. ►
Challenge
52 hikes in a year
How to hike once a week for a year, with a free tracker. ►
Tool
How long will a hike take?
Naismith’s rule in miles and feet, with worked examples. ►
Long trails
14 US long trails
The National Scenic Trails and three classics, with lengths. ►
Google Sheets template
The US Hiking Log & Planner
- Log each hike once: date, miles, time, feet climbed and who came
- Totals for every month and year, a miles chart and personal bests
- A 52 hikes in a year board that fills in as you go
- All 64 National Parks, checked off as you hike them
- 14 US long trails, tracked section by section
- Your dog’s hikes, a hike planner and a packing list
Free tools or the planner? The calculator and printables help with one hike. The planner keeps all your hikes and adds them up for you.
Made for Google Sheets: you’ll need a free Google account. It works in a web browser or the Google Sheets app. Sold through our Etsy shop, DeclutterAndSell, which King’s Head Press also runs.
Plan the hike, then put your feet up
On the Trail is part of King’s Head Press, a small independent publisher of practical guides, puzzles and planners. Everything on this site is free to use, with no sign-up and no tracking.
Always check the weather, trail conditions and closures before you set off, and tell someone where you’re going.