Hiking Time Calculator
A free tool to estimate how long a hike will take based on your GPX route and optional pack weight and rest breaks.
The Hiking Time Calculator estimates moving time and total hiking time for any route based on a GPX file, with optional adjustments for a loaded pack and rest breaks. It is free, requires no account, and runs entirely in your browser.
Trip Planner vs this tool: Both use Naismith for moving time. This calculator pre-fills 12 kg pack and offers rest breaks and route character when elevation is missing. The Trip Planner uses linked list weight or 0 kg, no rest breaks, and a fixed 5% gradient fallback — see Day stats.
What it is for
- Estimating how many hours a route will take before committing to it
- Splitting a long-distance route into realistic daily stages
- Comparing pace scenarios (light pack vs. heavy resupply load)
- Getting a day-range estimate for multi-day routes at different daily targets
Step 1 — Upload your GPX file
Drag a .gpx file onto the upload zone, or click Browse files to select one. Once uploaded, the tool displays:
- Distance (km)
- Elevation gain (m) — from the file, or estimated when elevation is missing
- Elevation data status — whether climb comes from the file or from a route-character estimate (Flat / Typical / Alpine)
The estimate updates immediately after upload. When elevation is missing, choose Route character before refining weights — Typical is selected by default.
Step 2 — Refine your estimate (optional)
When the GPX has no elevation, Route character appears at the top of this step:
| Preset | Climb estimate |
|---|---|
| Flat | No invented climb |
| Typical | Mild trail (~5% average incline) — default |
| Alpine | Steeper mountain route (~10% average incline) |
Two optional inputs adjust the calculation:
| Input | Effect |
|---|---|
| Pack weight (kg or lbs) | +1% to moving time per kg (pre-filled 12 kg / 26 lbs; enter 0 for no pack) |
| Rest breaks (minutes per hour) | Adds break time on top of moving time — minutes of rest per hour hiking, not clock time |
Pack weight starts at 12 kg (typical loaded overnight pack). Change it to match your load, or enter 0 for a day pack or no load.
Reading the result
The result panel shows up to four figures, depending on the route length and inputs:
| Figure | Shown when |
|---|---|
| Moving time | Always — the core estimate excluding stops |
| With breaks | When rest break minutes are entered |
| Day range at 8 hr/day | Moving time exceeds 8 hours |
| Day range at 6 hr/day | Moving time exceeds 8 hours |
Day-range estimates use moving time only. Your daily target (6h or 8h of walking) determines the number of camps — adjust to match your actual pace and daily goal.
How the calculation works
The tool uses Naismith's Rule (1892), the standard planning formula for hiking:
- Base pace: 5 km/h on flat ground
- Ascent penalty: +1 hour per 600 m of elevation gain
- Pack load adjustment: +1% to moving time per kg of pack weight
Naismith's Rule gives a minimum estimate for a fit hiker on a good trail. It does not account for rough terrain, river crossings, poor conditions, altitude, or fatigue on consecutive days. Add a buffer — typically 20–30% on technical routes or when going unsupported.
Naismith's Rule does not include a descent penalty for typical gradients. Steep or technical descents — scree, scrambling, exposed ridges — take significantly longer than the formula suggests. Use your judgement on routes with major technical descents.
No elevation data in the file
If the GPX does not contain elevation data, choose Route character — Flat, Typical, or Alpine — to estimate climb from distance. Typical (mild ~5% incline) is the default. For accurate results, use a GPX file that includes elevation (most exports from AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin Connect, and Komoot include it).
No account required
The calculator works without a Trailkeep account. All processing happens in your browser — your GPX file is never uploaded to a server.
The tool does not save state between sessions. Closing or refreshing the page clears everything. Save any results you need before closing.
Related tools
- Hiking Calorie Calculator — estimate on-trail burn from the same GPX route (Pandolf equation)
- GPX Distance Calculator — measure distance and elevation between two points on a track
Using it alongside the Trip Planner
Once you know how long the route takes, use the Trailkeep Trip Planner to build the full day-by-day itinerary: split your route into days, add waypoints, attach a gear list, and share one link with your emergency contacts.