How long does it take to hike 4 miles: refresh your mind, body, and soul through hiking!

When people hear about hiking, they think this is an extremely strenuous activity of spending an enormous amount of time in the wood and ascending high mountains. But in fact, this is a fascinating sports activity where you can spend your time pleasantly.

Now, if you got interested in this topic, this blog post will answer the question of how long does it take to hike 4 miles and share some tips and tricks. We hope this post will be helpful in your future hikes.

How long does it take to hike 4 miles for the average person?

It takes 2 hours for the average person to have a 4-mile hike considering the pace of 2 miles an hour. This time includes breaks during the hike, taking photos, and admiring the views of nature. Because most obviously you won’t be just blindly hiking without enjoying your time.

However, you should also be considering factors like trail conditions, your fitness level, weather, and terrain type.

There might be additional questions like:

1. How long does a 5-mile hike take? If we estimate it as above, it would take 2 hours and 30 minutes.
2. How long does it take to hike 4 miles moderate? Actually, a moderate 4-mile hike would take the same amount of time. Maybe an additional 30 minutes if you have longer and more frequent breaks.

Is a 4-mile hike hard?

It is hard to give an answer to this question right away. The difficulty of the hike can vary due to various circumstances like trail conditions, terrain and elevation changes, etc.

Of course, if you are not in a good physical state, it will be not that easy. Even an experienced hiker might struggle on a hiking path. There is less oxygen in the steep mountains. For every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, the oxygen level will decrease to roughly 10%. As a beginner, you can choose popular and easier routes with good trail conditions.

But, it, for sure, would be worth your time. Looking at it from a different perspective, hiking is a nice activity to develop your general physique, have a good time, and appreciate nature.

Factors that slow down hiking time

Elevation gain

Hiking time is mostly impacted by the elevation gain. 4-mile hike in flat terrain and the same or even smaller distance of a steep hike feels totally different. It requires more physical strength and endurance.

Also, during the altitude change, there is a shortage of oxygen. The higher you get, the more your body will demand oxygen. This might slow down your speed a lot.

Temperature

Another factor that has a colossal influence on your hiking time is temperature. Whether you hike in the winter or the summer temperature plays a huge role. It might be hot at noon during the summer, and cold in the morning during the winter. So, it is important to find the right time.

If you are not sure about the temperature conditions, please, don’t force yourself to hike in extreme temperatures.

Hiking trail conditions

Let’s think about what happens to trails after a rainstorm. They will become swampy and hard to get through. You have to be extra careful taking every step in your 4-mile hike in this case. This means that it might not only slow down your hike but even make it impossible.

So, to prevent yourself from this kind of situation, it is important to check the trail conditions in advance. If there was certain weather that affected your potential route, try to find another one or postpone the hike for the next time.

How many calories can you burn during this hike?

During the 4-mile hike, you can burn 400 calories on average. These numbers can fluctuate depending on your weight, trip intensity, and hiking style.

The water amount for a four miles hike

The crucial part of hiking is staying hydrated. You should always take breaks, even to just drink water. But what is the exact amount of water you need?

Stick to a rule that says every hour of the hike will take a consumption of 1 liter of water. So, for the whole distance, you need to have at least 2 liters of water with you.

Tips to maintain a good hiking pace

Beginning time

The first thing you need to do is plan your hiking beforehand. Look for the weather and try to start early in case of the summer season. The reason for this is that the temperature will be optimal in the morning. You can finish your hiking early before the temperature will go up.

Day hikes in the summer are not the best option to start hiking. It might be optimal for winter hiking.

Brisk walk

Before starting the hike, take a time to have a brisk walk of around 5-10 minutes. Prepare your body and try to concentrate on your breathing.

Start slowly

In the beginning, try to start at a slow speed. After, you can gradually increase your pace and find your rhythm.

Take breaks

Breaks are important during hiking. Every experienced hiker knows this. It helps to catch your breath, drink water, get some snacks, and give a break to your legs.

For most people, the time, and the frequency of the breaks will be different. For instance, you can start by taking breaks every mile or every half an hour.

Hiking gear

On your hikes, try to wear convenient clothes and shoes. Remember, that you are doing a sports activity, not a fashion show!

Along with that, you need to have a light backpack with you. Otherwise, it will slow down your hike. For safety reasons, you should include there some medicals and take precautions.

Trail plan

Before starting hiking, try to find an appropriate hiking route at your level. Preferably, flat, well-known trail without much of an elevation for beginners. As you get better at this, you can complicate your trail.

Breathing

As we all know, breathing is an essential part of every physical activity. So, try to control and maintain a rhythm of your breathing. This will benefit you with your endurance and will help to maintain a good hiking pace.

Hiking partner

It doesn’t matter what you do if you do it with the right person. In our case, finding the right companion for a hike will make this activity even more fun.

If you find professional hikers that can hike with you, it would be super cool! You can grow and develop your skills and have fun with them at the same time.

Special Naismith’s rule

So, if you are ready to hike, there is also a general rule called Naismith’s rule that can help you. Naismith’s rule states that there is a main time and an extra time, which you add to it if you have an elevation.

The main time is approximately half an hour per mile hike for flat terrain. Additionally, you need to include time for ascending to a higher altitude. It is about 30 minutes for 1000 feet of elevation gain.

For instance, a rough estimated hiking time for a 4-mile hike might be:

• 2 hours with no elevation gain
• 2 hours and 15 minutes for 500 ft elevation gain
• 3 hours for 2000 ft elevation gain

You should always keep in mind this is just an approximation of the potential 4-mile hiking. As it was previously mentioned, it may vary according to factors like trail conditions, fitness level, weather, etc.

Final thoughts

Hiking is an amazing sports activity and the ability to estimate your hiking journey is an essential skill. You will have safer hikes as you will be able to estimate how long it will take to hike. Before having hikes, you can let your close people know this time and if you exceed it, they will start looking for you.

Generally, we found out that 4 miles of the hike take 2 hours and an additional time for an elevation gain. Also, this time might change due to trail conditions, fitness level, and so on.

We also have discovered some tips for a better hiking experience, the importance of water, and the number of calories burned during the 4-mile hike.

We hope this blog helped you and wish you to have unforgettable future hikes!

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