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Sports and recreation

Day hiking (established trails)

Estimated acute risk associated with a day hike on established, well-marked trails.

Base risk estimate

0.003 micromorts per hours

Population-level estimate. Not a personal prediction.

Assumptions

Assumes a day hike on established, maintained trails with appropriate equipment and reasonable fitness.

Limitations

Risk varies by trail difficulty, elevation gain, weather, party size, navigation skill, and physical condition.

Source notes

Placeholder value for development only. See hiking-hour source guidance. NPS search-and-rescue statistics distinguish between trail difficulty levels and may support differentiation between day hiking and backcountry hiking estimates. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine journal is the primary peer-reviewed source for wilderness recreation fatality epidemiology.

Last reviewed

6/10/2026

RiskLens is an educational tool. It uses population-level estimates to help explain relative risk. It is not a prediction of your personal risk and should not be used as medical, legal, financial, or safety advice.