Calories Burned Hiking: The Ultimate Guide

Last Updated on July 27, 2026 by Daniel Globe

Hiking can burn a meaningful number of calories because your body must move over uneven ground, climb grades, control descents, and sometimes carry a pack. It also supports cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, balance, and time outdoors. The exact calorie total, though, is never one fixed number. Your body weight, pace, elevation gain, trail surface, pack weight, and moving time all change the estimate.

How Many Calories Does Hiking Burn?

There is no universal “calories burned hiking” number. The CDC estimates that a 154-pound person burns about 370 calories per hour hiking. That is a useful baseline, not a promise.

A 154-pound hiker may burn roughly 280 calories per hour at a slow hiking effort, about 390 at a normal pace through fields and hills, and more than 500 on a sustained 6%–10% uphill grade.

The newer 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities gives more detail by assigning different MET values to different hiking conditions. Using the standard MET calorie formula, the examples below show how much the estimate can shift for the same 154-pound person.

Factors That Affect Calories Burned While Hiking

Body Weight

Body weight has a direct effect on a MET-based calorie estimate because moving a larger body generally requires more energy. At the same 5.3-MET hiking intensity for one hour, the standard formula gives roughly 330 calories for a 130-pound person, 390 for a 154-pound person, 450 for a 180-pound person, and 505 for a 200-pound person.

Uphill Grade and Terrain

Elevation gain is one of the clearest ways hiking becomes more demanding. The 2024 Adult Compendium assigns 5.3 METs to moderate-to-brisk hill walking on a 1%–5% grade, 7.0 METs on a 6%–10% grade, and 8.8 METs on an 11%–20% grade at a slow-to-moderate pace. Loose rock, sand, mud, roots, and uneven footing can also make a trail harder than a smooth path, although there is no single reliable calorie multiplier for every surface.

Pace and Duration

A faster pace usually raises energy use per minute, while a longer hike increases total energy use simply because you are active longer. For calorie estimates, use actual moving time when possible. A four-hour outing with long photo, lunch, or rest stops should not be calculated as four continuous hours at the same MET level.

Backpack Weight and Trekking Poles

Carrying a pack increases the work your body must do, especially uphill. The Compendium lists backpacking at 7.0 METs and backpacking or hiking with a daypack at 7.8 METs. That supports the general idea that load carriage can raise energy cost, but it does not support a universal claim that adding 10% of body weight always increases calorie burn by 10%–15%.

Trekking poles can improve stability and bring the upper body into the movement when used actively. However, poles should not be assigned a fixed calorie bonus. Energy cost depends on technique, speed, grade, and how much force you put through the poles.

Heat, Cold, and Altitude

Extreme weather and altitude can make a hike feel much harder, but they are poor variables for a simple calorie formula. At altitude, focus first on acclimatization and hydration rather than trying to add a calorie percentage. The National Park Service recommends acclimating to higher elevations, checking weather and alerts, carrying the 10 Essentials, and planning enough food and water.

How to Calculate Calories Burned While Hiking

A practical way to estimate hiking calories is to use a MET value that best matches your hike. A common equation is:

Calories burned = MET × 3.5 × body weight in kilograms ÷ 200 × minutes of activity

1. Convert your weight to kilograms. Divide pounds by 2.205.
2. Choose a realistic MET value. Use 3.8 for slow hiking, 5.3 for normal hiking through fields and hills, 6.0 for cross-country hiking, or a higher hill/backpacking value when those conditions truly match.
3. Use moving time. Exclude long breaks when you were sitting or standing still.
4. Run the formula. Keep the result as an estimate, not an exact measurement.

Example: A 154-pound hiker is about 70 kg. Hiking at 5.3 METs for two hours gives: 5.3 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 × 120 = about 779 calories.

What About Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches?

Wearables can be helpful for logging heart rate, route, pace, elevation, and repeated trends. Their calorie totals should still be treated cautiously. A systematic review of wrist-worn trackers found that energy-expenditure error was high across devices, so a watch is not necessarily “more precise” than a well-chosen MET estimate. For practical use, compare similar hikes on the same device rather than treating the calorie number as laboratory-grade data.

Tips for Maximizing Calorie Burn While Hiking

You can increase hiking intensity without turning every trip into an all-out workout. The safest approach is to progress one variable at a time and keep trail conditions, footing, weather, and your own fitness in mind.

Different Types of Hiking and Their Calorie Burn

Different hiking styles can have very different energy costs. For a 154-pound person, the same standard MET formula gives about 280 calories per hour for slow hiking, 390 for normal hiking through fields and hills, 440 for cross-country hiking, 510 for a sustained 6%–10% uphill grade, and 570 for the Compendium category of backpacking or hiking with a daypack.

More intense outdoor activities can be higher. The 2024 Compendium lists rock or mountain climbing at 8.0 METs and cross-country running at 9.3 METs. For a 154-pound person, those values work out to roughly 590 and 680 calories per hour, respectively. Real-world mountaineering and trail running can fall above or below those examples depending on speed, grade, technical difficulty, stopping time, and carried equipment.

Uphill vs. Downhill Hiking

Uphill hiking normally costs more energy than downhill walking at the same speed because you are lifting your body against gravity. The Compendium lists walking 2.5 mph downhill at 3.3 METs, while moderate-to-brisk hill climbing starts at 5.3 METs and rises as grade increases. Descents still load the legs heavily and can be technically demanding, but “hard on the quads” does not automatically mean “more calories than uphill.”

Choosing Hiking Trails for a Higher Calorie Burn

The best trail for a higher calorie burn is not necessarily the most famous one. Look for a route that matches your experience while offering more sustained climbing, a longer moving time, or moderately technical terrain. Elevation gain and duration are easier to compare than a trail’s reputation.

For example, Angels Landing in Zion National Park is a 5.4-mile round trip with about 1,488 feet of elevation gain, and the exposed chain section requires a permit. Half Dome in Yosemite National Park is a much longer, strenuous hike, and a permit is required when the cables are up. These are not beginner calorie-burning workouts; they are serious hikes with exposure, weather, and route-specific hazards.

The Pacific Crest Trail is another example of varied hiking rather than one single intensity level. It runs about 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington, crossing desert, the Sierra Nevada, forests, and the Cascades. It is not a coastal-cliff-and-beach trail. Shorter PCT sections can range from gentle to extremely demanding depending on the location.

Urban hiking can also raise effort. Steep streets, public stairways, and hilly parks can create meaningful elevation gain without requiring a backcountry trip. The same rule applies: choose a route you can complete safely and consistently.

The Importance of Nutrition for Hiking and Calorie Burn

Food and hydration support safe hiking performance, but you do not need to “eat back” every calorie shown by a watch or calculator. For a short, easy hike, your normal meals may be enough. For longer or more strenuous outings, start well fueled, carry easy-to-eat food, and bring enough water for the route and conditions.

Carbohydrate-rich foods such as fruit, oats, bread, rice, or an energy bar can provide convenient fuel, while foods with protein and fat can help make meals and snacks more satisfying. There is no single ideal hiking menu for everyone, so choose familiar foods that tolerate heat, pack well, and sit comfortably in your stomach.

Hydration needs vary with heat, humidity, altitude, effort, body size, and sweat rate. The National Park Service advises hikers to plan ahead for water, drink during the hike, and carry extra food and water when conditions or route length demand it. In hot conditions or during long, sweaty efforts, electrolytes may also be useful. Do not rely on a universal ounces-per-hour rule without considering the environment and your own needs.

Incorporating Hiking Into Your Fitness Routine for Maximum Calorie Burn

Hiking works well as part of a broader fitness routine because it can provide moderate or vigorous aerobic activity while training the legs and improving balance on uneven ground. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week for adults, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days per week.

One simple approach is to schedule one longer hike each week and use shorter walks, strength training, or other cardio on non-hiking days. Over time, increase distance, elevation gain, or pace gradually rather than raising all three at once. This helps you build fitness without making every outing a maximum-effort session.

If weight loss is your goal, remember that hiking is only one part of the equation. Physical activity increases energy use, but the CDC notes that weight loss comes from an overall calorie deficit and that eating patterns remain important. A hike can support that goal; it does not guarantee weight loss by itself.

In summary, hiking can be an effective way to burn calories while also building endurance, strength, balance, and outdoor confidence. The most useful estimate comes from matching your body weight and moving time to a realistic intensity or MET value, then treating the result as a range rather than an exact score. Choose safe progression, stay fueled and hydrated, and let consistency matter more than the biggest possible calorie number.

If you’re interested in hiking and outdoor activities, you may also want to check out this article on 5 Amazing Tent Camping Spots Near You This Spring 2025. It provides recommendations for camping locations that could pair well with a future hiking trip.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What factors affect the number of calories burned while hiking?

The biggest factors are body weight, pace, uphill grade, trail surface, pack weight, and moving time. Heat and altitude can increase physiological strain, but they do not have a simple universal calorie multiplier.

How can I calculate the number of calories burned while hiking?

Choose a MET value that matches the hike, convert your body weight to kilograms, and use: MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 × minutes. Use moving time rather than total elapsed trip time when long stops are involved.

How many calories does the average person burn while hiking?

The CDC gives about 370 calories per hour for a 154-pound person hiking. A realistic range can be much wider: roughly 280 calories per hour for slow hiking to more than 500 per hour for sustained steep uphill hiking or backpacking at the same body weight.

Does hiking uphill burn more calories than hiking on flat terrain?

Usually, yes. Climbing raises the energy cost because you are moving your body against gravity. The 2024 Adult Compendium assigns higher MET values as hill grade increases.

Is hiking a good way to burn calories and lose weight?

Hiking can be an effective form of aerobic activity and can increase daily energy expenditure. Weight loss still depends on maintaining an overall calorie deficit, so food intake and other lifestyle factors matter too.

Does carrying a backpack burn more calories while hiking?

Generally, yes. Carrying a load increases the work required, particularly on climbs. However, there is no dependable rule that a certain percentage of added pack weight creates the same percentage increase in calories for every person and trail.

Are smartwatch calorie estimates accurate for hiking?

They are useful as rough estimates and for comparing your own similar hikes, but they are not exact. Research reviews have found substantial error in wearable estimates of energy expenditure, so avoid treating the displayed calorie number as a precise measurement.

Sources

1. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities — Walking — hiking, hill walking, backpacking, downhill walking, and Nordic-walking MET values.
2. CDC — Physical Activity and Your Weight and Health — hiking calorie example, weight management, and adult activity targets.
3. National Park Service — Hike Smart — altitude acclimatization, food, water, weather, trip planning, and hiking safety.
4. Zion National Park — Angels Landing Permits & Hiking — current route distance, elevation gain, preparation, and permit requirements.
5. Yosemite National Park — Permits & Reservations — Half Dome permit requirements.
6. JMIR systematic review — Accuracy and Acceptability of Wrist-Wearable Activity-Tracking Devices — limitations of wearable energy-expenditure estimates.