Trail grades in Australia are not standardised across different parks and apps. Parks NSW uses a five-level system. AllTrails uses its own scale. Some local guides use easy, medium, and hard with no further definition. Before you pick a walk based on a grade, it is worth understanding what the grade actually means for the specific source you are using.
The Parks NSW System
Parks NSW grades tracks from 1 to 6. Grade 1 and 2 are short, flat, and accessible for nearly anyone. Grade 3 involves uneven terrain and some real distance but is manageable for most reasonably fit people who walk regularly. Grade 4 requires walking experience and solid fitness. Grade 5 is for experienced bushwalkers with navigation skills. Grade 6 covers technical terrain that usually involves scrambling or route-finding in genuinely remote areas.
What Grade Does Not Tell You
Grade says nothing useful about distance. A grade 3 walk can be 4km or 20km. Elevation gain is not always reflected either. A short steep climb can be significantly harder than a long flat track at the same nominal grade. Always check total distance and elevation change alongside the grade rather than instead of it.
Matching Grade to Your Group
For a mixed-fitness group, pick a walk one grade below what your fittest people could handle comfortably. A group walk only moves at the pace of the slowest person. A well-matched grade 3 where everyone finishes feeling good is worth more than a grade 4 that leaves half the group struggling through the second half.
Building a Picture Over Time
Logging your walks in LogsKeptSimple over time builds a real picture of what your group handles well. The actual time, distance, and elevation data from completed walks is far more useful for future planning than any grade description on a park website.
