| Route | Same trail out and back |
| Pros | Simple, easy to bail |
| Cons | Same scenery twice |
| Difficulty | Beginner-friendly |
An out-and-back is a hike that follows the same trail to a destination and then returns by the identical route, retracing your steps. It’s the simplest hike type — easy to navigate and to turn around on — though you see the same scenery twice, unlike a loop.
Pros and cons
Easy to follow and to bail on at any point, but repetitive. The alternatives are a loop or a lollipop loop — see out-and-back vs loop.
Frequently asked questions
What is an out-and-back hike?
An out-and-back follows a trail to a destination — a summit, lake, or viewpoint — and then returns by the exact same path. It's the most straightforward route type, since you simply turn around and retrace your steps.
Out-and-back or loop — which is better?
Out-and-backs are simpler to navigate, easy to shorten or bail on, and let you judge the return since you've seen it; loops offer fresh scenery the whole way but are harder to navigate and to cut short. Each suits different goals.
How do you measure out-and-back distance?
The listed distance for an out-and-back is usually the round trip — out and back combined. If a source gives the one-way distance to the destination, double it to get the total you'll walk.
Sources
- Trip planning — National Park Service