TRAILSandTREAD.com's Trail Rating Definitions

NOTE: Trail ratings provided by TRAILSandTREAD.com are subjective and should only be considered guidelines. The individual skills and abilities of each person will determine the true ratings for each trail. However, every effort has been made to maintain an accurate relative rating scale.

Trail Uses To aid in trail selection, the primary intended use of each trail is provided, along with supplementary information that may be useful when hiking or biking.     Primarily a mountain bike trail.   Primarily a hiking trail.   Camping permitted in area.   Tent only camping permitted.   No fires are permitted at campsites.   Park facilities in area.   Boating is permitted in area.

Aerobic, Technical, and Scenic Ratings Each trail is assigned ratings based on its aerobic difficulty, technical difficulty, and scenic beauty. The categories are independently ranked from one (lowest) to five (highest) as described below. Least ... to Most ... aerobically difficult aerobically difficult technically difficult technically difficult scenically beautiful scenically beautiful   Aerobic Rating The aerobic rating reflects the overall difficulty of the ride in terms of the physical effort required to complete the trail. The rating is most highly dependent on the overall length, elevation gain, and the steepness of the trail. Each person should judge their own fitness level against the provided rating before attempting any trail. An individual's fitness level will determine which trails should be attempted. Technical Rating The technical rating reflects the level of technical skills needed to complete the trail. Lower ratings are given to trails that can be completed by beginners or anyone else meeting the aerobic rating (see above) assigned to the trail. Trails with higher ratings require more advanced skills. Mountain Biking Trails primarily intended for mountain biking are generally given more difficult ratings when the trail has narrow or steep sections, switch backs, extended rocky sections, or creek crossings. Less advanced riders may need to walk or carry their bikes through the more difficult sections along the trail. Hiking Trails primarily intended for hiking are generally given more difficult ratings when climbs or descents requiring the use of both hands and feet is required. Please see the note below for multi-use trails. Multi-Use Trails Trails that are intended for use by both hikers and mountain bikers will be given the rating for mountain bikes. It can be assumed that a trail that can be biked is not extremely difficult for hikers. Scenic Rating The scenic rating reflects the overall beauty of the ride. This rating is undoubtedly the most subjective, as one man's art is another man's trash. However, this rating should give a general idea of a trail's aesthetic qualities, with trails having more scenic overlooks and vistas scoring higher. Remember, the beauty of an area may vary significantly by season.

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