How long does it take to hike 5 miles?

The short answer is that 5 miles takes around 2 to 2.5 hours if you are a beginner.

However, there are many factors that can influence how long your hike will take. These factors are good to know for pre-hike planning but also for your safety. As you will see below, there are a lot of different things that can make a 5-mile hike from 2 hours up to 4 hours, and potentially longer.

How far can a beginner hike in a day?

One of the most important parts of hiking is being prepared and knowing what you are getting yourself into. This is important both for overall enjoyment but also for safety reasons! If you are a beginner hiker, it is good to understand how many miles and how much elevation you feel comfortable hiking before you embark on some big hikes. 

The “how long does it take” question is dependent on a few factors – your fitness level, your comfort in the outdoors, and the environment.

Fitness level

First, you should gauge your fitness level. For hiking, although some strength is involved with carrying a backpack, I think cardio is more important here. Are you able to run a few miles? Bike? How do you feel on the treadmill?

Comfort in the outdoors

How comfortable are you in the outdoors? Have you hiked on rocky terrain before? Will your feet adjust?

Just because you are fit in a gym setting doesn’t mean you will be able to be at the same pace outdoors. Hiking on rocks for example can slow you down if you are not used to rock hopping. The difference between a beginner and someone more experienced with rock hopping can be as much as 1 hour for a 4 mile hike.

The environment

How large is your group? Are you hiking in extreme conditions like snow or 100+ degree heat?

The more extreme your hike, the harder it will be. Even as someone who hikes almost every week, I always consider the weather and the environment in general when I am planning a hike.

Ok so what’s the verdict?

When answering these questions, if you find yourself in a tougher spot you may want to decrease the amount of miles you are hiking.

Some examples:

• If you go to the gym a couple times a week, have never been hiking before but you are hiking on a nice day with 1,000 ft elevation, 3-5 miles may be doable
• If you don’t go to the gym at all, have been hiking once, but you are hiking on very rocky terrain in potentially rainy weather, you may want to take it a little easier and try 2 miles or so.

So how long does it take to hike 5 miles?

Let’s take 5 miles as an example. The average hiking time for a beginner is 1.5 – 2 miles per hour. For every 1000 ft of ascent, you should add 30 minutes. 

There are really nice hiking calculators online that will help you understand the distance required to hike 5 miles. But remember to consider your own fitness, your comfort in the outdoors, and the environment.

Here are some examples and estimated times for how long it takes to hike 5 miles:

• 2 hours: Hiking on a nice day on a flat, well-maintained trail. You’ve been hiking a few times and can run 2 miles comfortably.
• 3 hours: Hiking on a nice day on a rough trail with 1,000 ft elevation. The trail has a few boulders and larger rocks that will require careful treading. You’ve been hiking a few times and feel pretty fit
• 4 hours: Hiking on a good weather day on a rough trail with 1,000 ft elevation. You’ve never been hiking before and you aren’t in the best shape of your life.

What else should I know for beginner hiker safety?

Hiking safety is really important if you are a beginner hiker. The most important part of safety is to understand how long you can hike, which was summarized above.

Beyond that, it is also important to be comfortable with navigation and packing the right gear.

Hiking and trail Navigation

Navigation is crucial because even if you think your 5 mile hike will take you 3 hours, if you take the wrong turn – or miss a turn – that can easily turn into longer and more importantly put yourself in danger.

For additional safety reading, read up on navigation (how to read trail markers and/or cairns) and packing the right gear, which includes food and water.

Packing the right hiking gear

Packing the right gear is crucial for your hike. Whether you are hiking 2 miles, 5 miles, or 10+ miles – you want to make sure you are comfortable and most of all safe.

Here are recommendations for hiking gear based on years of trial and error!

Hiking Boots / Shoes

Having the right shoes is super important. Whether you like lighter shoes like I do or a sturdier hiking boot, Hoka One One and Salomon are my go-to products.

Sun Protection

Sun protection is super important! I put on SPF everyday but also started to wear more wide brim hats to protect my face.

Protein Bars from Level Foods

Level Foods has been my new go-to bar. I found that their bars have been better on my stomach. They are Gluten free, Dairy free, Non-GMO.

Water Storage

I personally prefer using an MSR Drom Bag because I’m fairly lazy to take water bottles out of my bag, but both options are great. Make sure to bring plenty of water on your hikes!

A Good Backpack

Having a good backpack with the right support is important to hiking longevity. My least favorite feeling is having really sore shoulders or traps because I didn’t use my waist belt on my backpack correctly.

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