Hiking Departure Time Planner
Find a departure time from your route-duration estimate, breaks and a buffer before sunset, civil dusk or an entered return time.
Starts with an editable example. Replace the dates and rules with your own.
Your calculation
Ready when you are
Choose your dates.
Select your counting rules and calculate.
Calculation details
| Step | Value |
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How to use this calculator
Choose a date and location, enter route and stop minutes, then select the return boundary and buffer. Review any time outside daylight or civil light.
Allowances subtract elapsed minutes from the boundary. The light check covers the complete route interval, including previous dates. Missing polar events require an entered return time.
A worked example
In New York on November 6, 2026, sunset is around 16:47. A four-hour route, one hour of stops and a thirty-minute buffer give a departure around 11:17.
Does the result establish a safe departure?
No. Route timing, terrain, weather, equipment and changing conditions require your judgment. Astronomy assumes a level horizon at sea level; local obstructions can reduce useful light.
Which calendar and years are supported?
Use Gregorian dates from 1900 through 2100, with results in that range. Daily plans allow up to 366 dates; dark-sky searches allow 31 nights. Durations, capacities and policy rules are supplied by you. Astronomy uses the bundled Astronomy Engine, sea-level geometry and browser time-zone rules. Timed exports use UTC instants; date-only events do not assign a clock time. Copy, CSV and print include calculation assumptions. Nothing is booked or scheduled outside this page.
What happens to my dates?
Calculations run on your device. Saving a calculation is optional and keeps it in this browser. A setup link contains the dates and settings you entered; anyone with the link can read them. Use one tab per saved calculator. Clear saved data from Privacy & settings.