Hike Difficulty Comparison

Hike Name

Location

Total Distance (miles)

Elevation Change (feet)

Times Elevation Change Hiked Per Distance

Elevation Change/ Distance

Average Grade

Advertised Difficulty

Distance Difficulty

Elevation Gradient Difficulty

Average Calculated Difficulty

Kathy's Difficulty Factor

Thunderbird Park Main Trail

Phoenix

0.8

80

2

200.0

3.8%

Easy

1

2

Easy

136.0

(max road grade)

N/A

1.0

317

1

317.0

6.0%

N/A

1

3

Easy/Mod

203.5

Thunderbird Park--West

Phoenix

2.0

230

2

230.0

4.4%

Easy

1

2

Easy

205.0

North Trail Loop

McDowell Mountain Park

3.4

200

2

117.6

2.2%

Easy

2

1

Easy

211.8

Lousley Hill Trail

McDowell Mountain Park

1.3

270

2

415.4

7.9%

Easy

1

4

Easy/Mod

266.2

Hidden Valley

South Mountain

4.0

410

2

205.0

3.9%

Easy

2

2

Easy/Mod

282.5

Secret Canyon

Sedona

5.0

300

2

120.0

2.3%

Easy

2

2

Easy/Mod

285.0

Parker Pass

Superstition Wilderness

4.6

360

2

156.5

3.0%

Easy

2

2

Easy/Mod

285.3

West Fork Trail FS#108

Oak Creek Canyon (Sedona)

6.0

200

2

66.7

1.3%

Easy

2

1

Easy

303.3

Cave Creek Trail (FS#4)

18 miles NE of Carefree

5.0

400

2

160.0

3.0%

Easy

2

2

Easy/Mod

305.0

Thunderbird Park--East

Phoenix

1.5

380

2

506.7

9.6%

Easy

1

5

Moderate

320.8

Banning Creek Trail

Bradshaws (Prescott)

5.6

400

2

142.9

2.7%

Easy/Mod

2

2

Easy/Mod

323.4

Seven Falls (taking shuttle to/from Visitor Center)

Sabino Canyon (Tucson)

5.0

500

2

200.0

3.8%

Easy/Mod

2

2

Easy/Mod

325.0

Garden Valley

Superstition Wilderness

5.4

454

2

168.1

3.2%

Easy/Mod

2

2

Easy/Mod

327.1

Dutchman's Trail Wildflower Hike

Superstition Wilderness

6.0

400

2

133.3

2.5%

Easy

2

2

Easy/Mod

336.7

Hieroglyphic Trail

Superstition Wilderness

5.4

710

2

263.0

5.0%

Easy

2

3

Easy/Mod

374.5

Shaw Butte 100/306 Loop

Phoenix

4.5

800

2

355.6

6.7%

Moderate

2

3

Easy/Mod

380.3

Shaw Butte (up and down summit road)

Phoenix

2.7

800

2

592.6

11.2%

Moderate

1

5

Moderate

417.8

Romero Pools

Santa Catalina Mtns (Tucson area)

6.0

1000

2

333.3

6.3%

Moderate

2

3

Easy/Mod

436.7

Sabino Canyon (to Hutch's Pool and back)

Near Tucson

8.2

570

2

139.0

2.6%

Moderate

3

2

Easy/Mod

438.5

West Clear Creek Trail #17

13 miles east of Camp Verde

9.0

400

2

88.9

1.7%

Easy/Mod

3

1

Easy/Mod

449.4

Massacre Grounds Trail

Superstition Wilderness

3.0

980

2

653.3

12.4%

Easy/Mod

1

5

Moderate

461.7

East Webber Creek Trail FS#289

North of Payson

7.6

960

2

252.6

4.8%

Moderate

3

3

Moderate

468.3

Lower La Barge Creek Loop

Superstition Wilderness

5.6

1220

2

435.7

8.3%

Moderate

2

4

Moderate

469.9

Escudilla Trail #308

Blue Range (near Alpine)

6.0

1277

2

425.7

8.1%

Moderate

2

4

Moderate

482.8

Rock Knob

White Tanks

6.0

1350

2

450.0

8.5%

Moderate

2

4

Moderate

495.0

Picacho Peak (up Sunset, down Hunter Trail)

Between Phoenix and Tucson

5.0

1374

2

549.6

10.4%

Mod/Stren

2

5

Moderate

499.8

Lower La Barge Narrows

Superstitions

8.0

1220

2

305.0

5.8%

Moderate

3

3

Moderate

512.5

Florida Canyon

Tucson

6.0

1500

2

500.0

9.5%

Moderate

2

5

Moderate

520.0

Picacho Peak (up and down Hunter Trail)

between Phoenix and Tucson

4.0

1374

2

687.0

13.0%

Moderate

2

5

Moderate

523.5

North Mountain (up and down road twice)

Phoenix

3.5

650

4

742.9

14.1%

Moderate

2

5

Moderate

528.9

Barnhardt Trail FS#43 to waterfall

17 miles south of Payson

6.6

1600

2

484.8

9.2%

Moderate

3

5

Mod/Stren

539.4

Havasu Canyon (Hualapai Hilltop to campground)

Grand Canyon

10.0

1800

1

180.0

3.4%

Moderate

4

2

Moderate

540.0

Groom Creek Loop Trail #307

Prescott NF

8.7

1300

2

298.9

5.7%

Moderate

3

3

Moderate

540.9

Deer Creek Trail FS#45

Mazatzal Wilderness

9.5

2240

1

235.8

4.5%

Moderate

3

2

Easy/Mod

545.4

Bluff Spring Loop

Superstitions

9.1

1400

2

307.7

5.8%

Moderate

3

3

Moderate

563.3

Wilderness of Rocks

near Tucson

10.4

1000

2

192.3

3.6%

Moderate

4

2

Moderate

564.2

Kachina Trail

12 miles north of Flagstaff

12.0

500

2

83.3

1.6%

Moderate

4

1

Easy/Mod

581.7

Sycamore Rim Trail #45

30 minutes from Williams

11.0

1000

2

181.8

3.4%

Easy/Mod

4

2

Moderate

585.9

Rainbow Valley

Sierra Estrellas (SW of Phx)

12.5

300

2

48.0

0.9%

Moderate

4

1

Easy/Mod

586.5

Abineau-Bear Jaw Loop

Mount Humphreys (Flagstaff)

6.6

2000

2

606.1

11.5%

Mod/Stren

3

5

Mod/Stren

600.0

Squaw Peak

Phoenix

2.4

1190

2

991.7

18.8%

1

5

Moderate

603.8

Bright Angel Trail to Phantom Ranch

Grand Canyon

9.3

4300

1

462.4

8.8%

3

4

Moderate

649.7

Camelback Mountain Trail

Phoenix

2.3

1300

2

1130.4

21.4%

1

5

Moderate

668.7

Granite Mountain

Prescott

9.0

2046

2

454.7

8.6%

3

Kendrick Mountain FS#22 Trail

Flagstaff

9.0

2438

2

541.8

10.3%

Moderate

3

5

Mod/Stren

675.9

Kendrick Loop from Bull Basin

Flagstaff

11.0

2438

2

443.3

8.4%

Moderate

4

4

Mod/Stren

716.6

Sheep Crossing #94 and Phelps Trail #95 w/shuttle

Mount Baldy, White Mountains

13.0

2000

2

307.7

5.8%

Mod/Stren

5

3

Mod/Stren

738.8

Black Canyon

Mingus Mountain (near Jerome)

12.0

2400

2

400.0

7.6%

Mod/Stren

4

4

Mod/Stren

740.0

Bright Angel Trail to Indian Garden and back

Grand Canyon

9.2

3060

2

665.2

12.6%

3

5

Mod/Stren

746.6

Humphreys Trail

Flagstaff

9.0

3143

2

698.4

13.2%

Strenuous

3

5

Mod/Stren

754.2

East Boulder-Needle Canyon Loop

Superstition Wilderness

12.4

2646

2

426.8

8.1%

Moderate

4

4

Mod/Stren

771.4

Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point and back

Grand Canyon

12.2

3079

2

504.8

9.6%

4

5

Mod/Stren

801.4

Superstition Mountain Ridge Line

Superstition Wilderness

10.5

4220

2

803.8

15.2%

Very difficult

4

5

Mod/Stren

874.4

Mount Wrightson Loop

Santa Rita Mtns (Tucson area)

13.0

4053

2

623.5

11.8%

Mod/Stren

5

5

Strenuous

896.8

South Bass Trail

Grand Canyon

14.0

4416

2

630.9

11.9%

5

5

Strenuous

945.4

Bright Angel Trail to river (near Pipe Springs) and back

Grand Canyon

15.0

4440

2

592.0

11.2%

Strenuous

5

5

Strenuous

971.0

Hermit Trail (rim to river and back)

Grand Canyon

17.0

4240

2

498.8

9.4%

5

5

Strenuous

1014.4

Tanner Trail

Grand Canyon

18.0

4630

2

514.4

9.7%

STRENUOUS

5

5

Strenuous

1067.2