Hiking difficulty is highly subjective. An "Easy" hike for one person could be a "Hard" hike for someone else. The hikes on this index are structured as follows:

• ★☆☆☆☆
  This is a hike any cub scout should be able to do. These hikes are relatively flat with generally easy trails or paved pathways.
• ★★☆☆☆
  These hikes are a little bit longer with some small amount of elevation gain. They should still be suitable for all cubs.
• ★★★☆☆
  These hikes are either a little longer or as short with more elevation. These are the hikes you can do with packs that have hiked a bit and are comfortable with regular trails.
• ★★★★☆
  These hikes are all on the longer side and almost all of them have some elevation. These hikes are more suitable to older cubs and won't favor lions or tigers. This is where you start getting towards good candidates for Webelos and Arrow of Light den hikes.
• ★★★★★
  These hikes are the maximum difficultly that packs are capable of. These are for older scouts only and may challenge parents as well. Not recommended for younger scouts at all.