Accessibility Guidebook for Outdoor Recreation and Trails

Running Slope—The ascent or descent of a trail segment expressed as a percentage of its length. In other words, the slope is the difference in elevation from the beginning to the end of a part of a trail, outdoor recreation access route, or beach access route, measured in the direction of travel. This may be expressed as the percentage of change in elevation (grade) or as a ratio of vertical distance to horizontal distance (running slope). The percentage (grade) is shown in parentheses in these accessibility guidelines.