Tool 26/54·Calculators
Find out how many calories you burn on the trail — based on your weight, terrain, elevation gain, and pack weight.
Terrain Type
Readout
Awaiting input
– – –
Enter your weight to start
Results update in real time as you adjust terrain, elevation, and pack weight.
Computed in your browser · nothing stored
Hiking is one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to burn calories. Unlike running or cycling, hiking keeps you outdoors for hours at a time, building up meaningful total calorie expenditure even at a moderate effort level. A 180 lb person hiking hilly terrain for two hours burns roughly 800–1,000 calories — without it feeling like a traditional workout.
How We Calculate It
This calculator uses MET values (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) from the Compendium of Physical Activities. The formula is: Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours), then adjusted upward for pack weight (treated as additional carried mass) and elevation gain (vertical work against gravity costs approximately 0.1 kcal per meter per kilogram carried).
Elevation is the single biggest variable in hiking calorie burn beyond weight and duration. Ascending 1,000 feet (305 m) requires your legs to lift your entire body mass against gravity repeatedly — a huge energy cost. A hiker who gains 3,000 feet of elevation over a 4-hour trail will burn substantially more than someone covering the same distance on flat ground. This is why mountain hikes feel so much harder than flatland walks even at the same pace: your cardiovascular system and leg muscles are doing far more work. Caloria lets you log these hikes with elevation data for accurate calorie tracking.
01
Hiking burns roughly 300–600 calories per hour depending on your body weight, terrain, pack load, and elevation gain. A 180 lb person on hilly terrain burns approximately 400–500 calories per hour. Mountainous trails with heavy packs can push that well above 600 calories per hour.
02
Yes, significantly. Climbing vertically requires extra muscular effort to lift your body weight against gravity. Research shows that ascending 1,000 feet (300 m) burns an additional 200–400 calories above baseline hiking, depending on your weight and pace. This calculator accounts for elevation gain as an additive bonus on top of the terrain-based MET value.
03
Carrying extra weight increases the energy cost of every step. A 20 lb (9 kg) pack on a 180 lb hiker adds roughly 11% more calories burned compared to hiking without a pack. The heavier the load, the greater the calorie increase — ultra-light backpackers and heavily laden expedition hikers can see 20–40% differences in total burn.
04
Hiking is an excellent exercise for weight loss. It burns a meaningful number of calories, is low-impact on joints, and can be sustained for hours — making total calorie expenditure higher than shorter high-intensity workouts for many people. A 3-hour mountain hike can burn 900–1,500+ calories, equivalent to running 10–15 miles. The key is consistency and pairing it with appropriate nutrition.
05
Hiking burns substantially more calories than flat walking because of uneven terrain, elevation changes, and the need for stabilizing muscles. The MET value for flat hiking (3.5) is similar to brisk walking, but hilly (5.3) and mountainous (6.5) hiking outpace even fast walking. Add a pack and significant elevation gain and hiking can rival jogging for calorie burn.
06
This calculator uses MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities and a research-backed formula for elevation calorie cost. Results are estimates within 10–20% for most people. Individual factors like hiking efficiency, fitness level, trail conditions, altitude, and temperature affect actual burn. For best accuracy, enter your actual body weight and be honest about terrain and pack weight.