Check Terrain
hiking terrain Use a detailed topographic map to understand the difficulty of your hike. It may just be a 6 mile loop on the map, but that may be flat or include 4000 feet of elevation change.
Learn how to read a map before going hiking. When you are in the field, your map and compass will be your most important tools to stay on track. Also make sure your map is current - trails change, magnetic declination changes, areas open and close.
Checking with the agency responsible for managing your planned hike area is a good idea.