| What it is | Grading of a trail's difficulty |
| Based on | Distance, vert, steepness, technicality |
| Forms | Agency systems, color scales, app scores |
| Helps you | Match trails to fitness & skill |
A trail rating is a system for grading a trail’s difficulty based on factors like distance, elevation gain, steepness, and how technical the terrain is. Ratings — whether official agency systems, color-coded scales, or app-based difficulty scores — help runners and hikers choose trails that match their fitness and skill, and set expectations for pace and effort.
Know before you go
Captures how technical a trail is and its vert for trail running; for scrambling difficulty see the class rating.
Frequently asked questions
What is a trail rating?
A trail rating is a way of describing how difficult a trail is, usually accounting for its length, elevation gain, steepness, and how rough or technical the footing is. Ratings can be official (from land agencies), color-coded like ski runs, or generated by trail apps, and they give you a quick sense of a trail's challenge before you go.
How are trails rated for difficulty?
There's no single universal system, but ratings generally combine distance, total elevation gain (vert), maximum steepness, and technicality (rocks, roots, exposure). Some systems use easy/moderate/difficult labels or colors; apps may compute a numeric difficulty score. Because systems vary and are somewhat relative, it's wise to read details, not just the label.
Why do trail ratings matter for runners?
They help you choose runs suited to your fitness and skill and set realistic expectations for pace and time — a short but very technical, steep trail can be far harder and slower than a longer easy one. Checking the rating (and the actual distance, vert, and technicality) helps you plan effort, gear, and safety.
Sources
- Trail difficulty — American Trail Running Association
- Trail systems — American Hiking Society