Getting started is sometimes the hardest part. I’m collecting lists of beginner / low-effort SOTA summits here. Whether you are a tyro or just looking for an easy activation, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re looking at a summit and wondering whether it is easy, look to see how many times it has been activated. If it has been activated more times than nearby summits with similar points, it is probably easy. If it has been activated once or twice by a crazy man, it may be only marginally do-able!

Note: My definition of a beginner summit is that it should:

  • Be reachable in most weather by a 2WD passenger sedan
  • Have a hike of a 1.5 miles or less on an apparent trail
  • Have no bushwhacking
  • Have no complicating factors on the summit.
  • Be on public land or have documented all-ham permission from the land owner.
  • Have well-documented drive/hike information.
  • Pass the ‘red face’ test – Would you send a first-timer up this hill?
  • Have some characteristic(s) which justify sending a beginner (e.g. particularly easy, something to see, all paved roads to the trailhead, VHF activity nearby, etc.)

This is a list of lists page. Click on any of the links below to find lists of beginner summits by association.