How this works
The formula.Naismith’s rule says 600 m (about 2,000 ft) of climb takes as long as 5 km (about 3 miles) of flat walking. So we add the climb to the distance as extra flat distance, then divide by your pace:
moving time = (distance + climb × 5 km ÷ 600 m) ÷ pace
| Pace | Speed on the flat | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk | 5 km/h (3.1 mph) | Naismith's own pace |
| Steady (the default) | 4 km/h (2.5 mph) | Langmuir's group pace |
| Relaxed | 3.2 km/h (2.0 mph) | our assumption, for an easygoing pace |
| Easy | 2.4 km/h (1.5 mph) | our assumption, for little kids and lots of stops |
Breaks. With short breaks on, we add 10 minutes for every full hour of moving. Totals round up to the next 5 minutes.
Back before dark. We plan for you to be back 30 minutes before sunset. The turnaround time is halfway between your start and that back-by time, rounded down. It assumes the way back takes as long as the way out; when the way out climbs, the descent is usually quicker, which adds margin.
The limits.Naismith’s rule leaves out descents, so steep downhills can take longer than it says. Rough, rocky, or snowy trail, heat, altitude, and bigger groups all slow you down. Sunset assumes an open horizon, so it gets dark sooner in forests and valleys. The Relaxed and Easy paces are our own assumptions, not published figures.
Sources & last checked
- Wikipedia: Naismith's rule (and Langmuir's group pace) (opens in a new tab)
The hiking-time formula and the Brisk and Steady paces
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- National Park Service: the Ten Essentials (opens in a new tab)
Illumination (a headlamp) is one of the Ten Essentials
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- SunCalc 2.0.2 (BSD-2-Clause license) (opens in a new tab)
Sunrise and sunset, worked out in your browser (the same math as the golden-hour tool)
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Source: Wikipedia: Naismith's rule (and Langmuir's group pace), National Park Service: the Ten Essentials, SunCalc 2.0.2 (BSD-2-Clause license)last checked
Every source we use is on the Credits page.
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About this tool
How long will this hike take? Enter the round-trip distance, the total climb, and your usual pace, and this tool estimates your hiking time with short breaks included. Add your start time and where you’re going, and it works out when the sun sets there, when to be back with light to spare, and a turnaround time: the moment to head back even if you haven’t reached your goal. The estimate uses Naismith’s rule, a hiking formula from 1892, adjusted for your pace, and every step of the math is shown below. It’s built for real people: families with small kids, hikers who stop for photos, and fast movers alike. It’s an estimate, not a promise. Steep, rough, snowy, or crowded trail takes longer, and it gets dark sooner under trees and in valleys. Your pace settings can be saved on this device, and once you’ve opened the tool here, it’s built to keep working when you lose signal.