Elevation profiles for hiking in Oregon

Distance tells you how far; the profile tells you how hard. Draw any trail in Oregon and see its climb, descent and high point in feet, read from USGS 3DEP lidar.

Why elevation profiles matter for hiking

Two trails of the same length can be completely different days. A riverside walk along the Deschutes River Trail near Bend and a climb up the wall of the Columbia Gorge might cover similar distances, but the second one gains most of its height in a short, steep stretch. The profile shows that before you lace up.

• Effort: total climb, not distance, is what tires most hikers.
• Time: climbing slows everyone down, and steep descents do too.
• Where the hard part is: one long climb at the start, a steady grind or a steep finish to a summit each call for a different plan.
• Exposure: the high point tells you how far above the tree line and into the weather the route goes.

Made for Oregon’s trails

Oregon’s hiking runs from the Coast Range and the Columbia Gorge to the Cascade volcanoes, the high desert around Bend and the Wallowa Mountains near Joseph. Much of it is under dense forest, where GPS altitude is at its worst. The bare-earth lidar model reads the forest floor, so the profile shows the ground you walk on rather than the treetops.

How to create a hiking elevation profile

1. Open Elevation Profile and search for the trailhead or the peak.
2. Switch to the USGS Topo basemap to see the trail.
3. Tap along the trail from the trailhead, with points close together on switchbacks.
4. Finish the line and read the chart and the figures.

A line can be up to 15.5 miles long. For the full walkthrough, see how to create an elevation profile.

Understanding your hiking profile

Key figures for hikers

• Total climb: the best single measure of how hard the hike is.
• Total descent: the knees’ share. A long descent on a steep trail is hard work in its own right.
• High point: where the weather, snow and wind will be worst.
• Range: high point minus low point, the biggest single climb.

Reading the chart

Look for where the line is steepest: that is where you will slow down most. A route that climbs steadily is easier to pace than one with a steep wall in the middle. On an out-and-back, remember that the climb on the way in is the descent on the way out.

Oregon trails to profile

Long trails, a day at a time

The Timberline Trail around Mount Hood and the Oregon stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail are far longer than one line, so draw them day by day. Profiling each day’s stretch shows where the big climbs and the deep canyon crossings fall, so you can balance the days.

Regional favorites

• Forest Park in Portland: the Wildwood Trail rolls along the hillside through the forest; a profile shows how many small climbs add up.
• The McKenzie River Trail: follows the river through old lava flows and forest; draw the section you plan to walk.
• Saddle Mountain in the Coast Range: a short trail with a steep finish to the summit.
• Smith Rock: Misery Ridge climbs steeply out of the river canyon; draw it closely on the switchbacks.
• The Columbia Gorge: many trails climb from the river straight up the gorge walls, so the climbing comes early and hard.

Planning a hike with the profile

Estimating hiking time

A common rule of thumb hikers use, Naismith’s rule, allows one hour per 3 miles plus one hour per 2,000 ft of climb. It is a planning aid, not something the tool calculates. Treat it as a starting point and adjust for your own pace, the trail surface, a heavy pack and the descent.

Backpacking trips

Draw each day as its own line. Days with a similar climb are easier to manage than one huge day followed by an easy one, and the profile shows where a camp on a bench or a saddle would split the climbing well.

Gear and preparation

The high point decides how much warm and waterproof gear you carry and whether to expect snow early or late in the season. A long, steep descent is a reason to bring trekking poles.

Safety

• Check the weather for the high point, not just the trailhead.
• Plan a turnaround time, and know where the profile lets you bail out early.
• Carry water for the climbs; the profile shows how long they last.
• The profile is the bare ground. It does not show snow, washouts, closures or trail conditions; check with the land manager before you go.

Data quality for hiking

Ground elevations on this site come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) seamless bare-earth model: 3.3 ft per pixel where lidar has been flown and about 33 ft per pixel elsewhere, with elevations above NAVD 88. The data is in the public domain. Most of Oregon’s lidar was flown through the Oregon Lidar Consortium, run by DOGAMI, the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. DOGAMI reports about 99% of Oregon covered by at least one lidar project. The model is bare earth: footbridges show as a dip to the creek below. See the lidar coverage guide for how to check a place. More from the USGS 3D Elevation Program and DOGAMI’s lidar program.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Elevation profile generator
• Elevation profiles for running
• GPX elevation correction
• Topographic maps of Oregon
• About the Elevation Profile tool