Hiking Calories Burned Calculator
Calculate calories burned during hiking using official MET values from exercise science research and the Compendium of Physical Activities.
How Many Calories Does Hiking Burn? 🥾
Hiking burns between 240-540 calories per hour, making it an exceptional low-cost intervention for promoting physical and mental health benefits. According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, hiking ranges from 3.5-9.0 METs depending on terrain, pack weight, and intensity. For a 150-pound person, mountain hiking can burn approximately 400-540 calories per hour while providing significant cardiovascular conditioning, stress reduction, and connection with nature.
Hiking Intensity Levels & Calorie Expenditure
Based on research from the Compendium of Physical Activities and metabolic equivalent (MET) values, here are the different hiking intensity levels:
- Leisurely Nature Walk (3.5 METs): Gentle walking on flat terrain with minimal elevation gain, perfect for beginners and stress relief
- General Cross-Country Hiking (4.8 METs): Moderate terrain with rolling hills, sustained walking pace, and light pack weight
- Hiking with Load (6.0-8.3 METs): Backpacking with varying pack weights from 10-42+ pounds, significantly increasing energy demands
- Mountain/Steep Terrain (6.5-9.0 METs): Challenging inclines, technical terrain, and sustained cardiovascular effort requiring excellent fitness
According to research published in PMC, hiking provides immediate health benefits including decreased blood pressure, reduced stress levels, enhanced immune function, and restored attention, while long-term benefits include weight loss, decreased depression, and overall wellness improvement!
Hiking Calorie Burn Chart
| Duration | Nature Walk (3.5 MET) |
General Hiking (4.8 MET) |
With Pack (6.0-7.3 MET) |
Mountain Hiking (8.3-9.0 MET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 105-140 calories | 145-195 calories | 180-275 calories | 250-340 calories |
| 60 minutes | 210-280 calories | 290-390 calories | 360-550 calories | 500-680 calories |
| 90 minutes | 315-420 calories | 435-585 calories | 540-825 calories | 750-1020 calories |
| 2 hours | 420-560 calories | 580-780 calories | 720-1100 calories | 1000-1360 calories |
Calories Burned by Body Weight (60 minutes of hiking)
| Body Weight | Nature Walk | General Hiking | With Pack | Mountain Hiking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs (57 kg) | 200 calories | 274 calories | 342-416 calories | 473-513 calories |
| 150 lbs (68 kg) | 238 calories | 326 calories | 408-496 calories | 565-612 calories |
| 175 lbs (79 kg) | 277 calories | 380 calories | 474-579 calories | 658-714 calories |
| 200 lbs (91 kg) | 318 calories | 437 calories | 546-664 calories | 756-819 calories |
Formula for Calculating Hiking Calories Burned
Calories Burned = MET × Weight(kg) × Duration(hours)
- MET Value: 3.5-9.0 (based on hiking terrain and pack weight)
- Weight: Your body weight in kilograms
- Duration: Hiking time in hours
- Note: Tool applies adjustment factors for terrain, experience, pack weight, and environment
Calorie Burn by Hiking Type & Terrain
According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, different hiking terrains and styles offer varying calorie-burning potential:
- Flat Trail Walking (3.5 METs): Paved or well-maintained trails with minimal elevation change, accessible for all fitness levels and perfect for beginners
- Hill Walking (5.3 METs): Rolling terrain with moderate inclines and declines, providing cardiovascular challenge while building leg strength
- Cross-Country Hiking (4.8 METs): Natural terrain with varied surfaces, obstacles, and moderate elevation changes requiring balance and coordination
- Backpacking (6.0-8.3 METs): Multi-day hiking with substantial pack weight, combining endurance training with practical outdoor skills development
Hiking Health & Mental Wellness Benefits
According to research published in PMC, hiking provides exceptional physical and psychological benefits:
- Immediate Physical Benefits: Decreased blood pressure, reduced stress hormone levels, enhanced immune system functioning, and improved cardiovascular efficiency within minutes of starting
- Mental Health Restoration: Significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and negative rumination through nature exposure, fresh air, and rhythmic walking patterns
- Long-term Wellness: Sustainable weight management, improved bone density, enhanced muscular endurance, and reduced risk of chronic diseases through regular hiking practice
- Cognitive Enhancement: Restored attention capacity, improved focus, enhanced creativity, and better problem-solving abilities through natural environment exposure
According to ResearchGate studies, hiking provides unique psychological benefits including enhanced self-esteem, reduced symptoms of ADHD, and improved social connections when done in groups!
Nature Connection & Therapeutic Benefits
Research from PMC Environmental Health reveals the profound therapeutic effects of hiking in natural environments:
- Stress Reduction: Natural environments significantly reduce cortisol levels, lower heart rate variability, and activate parasympathetic nervous system responses more effectively than urban exercise
- Attention Restoration: Nature exposure during hiking restores directed attention capacity, reduces mental fatigue, and improves cognitive performance through effortless fascination with natural stimuli
- Mood Enhancement: Forest environments and natural landscapes trigger positive emotional responses, increase serotonin production, and reduce symptoms of seasonal affective disorder
- Social Connection: Group hiking activities strengthen social bonds, improve communication skills, and provide supportive community experiences that enhance overall well-being
According to ScienceDirect research, hiking in natural environments provides measurably greater psychological benefits than equivalent exercise in urban or indoor settings, making it a unique therapeutic intervention!
Hiking vs. Other Outdoor Activities & Exercise
Comparing hiking to other popular outdoor activities and exercises (calories burned per hour for 150 lb person):
- Mountain Hiking (9.0 METs): 612 calories/hour – Excellent cardiovascular conditioning with mental health and nature connection benefits
- Rock Climbing (8.0 METs): 544 calories/hour – High intensity but requires technical skills and specialized equipment
- Cycling – Moderate (6.8 METs): 462 calories/hour – Good cardiovascular exercise but limited mental health benefits compared to nature hiking
- Walking – Brisk (4.3 METs): 292 calories/hour – Lower intensity but lacks the terrain variety and nature exposure of hiking
Unlike gym-based exercise, hiking combines physical activity with proven mental health benefits from nature exposure, social interaction opportunities, and vitamin D synthesis from sunlight. It’s also completely free and provides practical outdoor skills! Visit Fit Health Regimen for more outdoor fitness insights.
References
- Mitten, D., Overholt, J. R., Haynes, F. I., & Ady, J. C. (2016). Hiking: A Low-Cost, Accessible Intervention to Promote Health Benefits. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 12(4), 302.
- Kang, J. (2014). Trekking exercise promotes cardiovascular health and fitness benefits in older obese women. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 10(4), 225.
- Mayer, K., & Lukács, A. (2021). Motivation and mental well-being of long-distance hikers: A quantitative and qualitative approach. Heliyon, 7(5), e06960.
- Wolf, I. D., & Wohlfart, T. (2014). Walking, hiking and running in parks: A multidisciplinary assessment of health and well-being benefits. Landscape and Urban Planning, 130, 89-103.
