What slope ratio is 30 degrees?

Okay, so you want me to explain what a 30-degree slope is like I’m talking to a friend, right? No problem, I can totally do that!

So, you’re wondering about a 30-degree slope, huh? Like, what does that actually mean in terms of how steep it is? Well, imagine you’re building a ramp or something. For a 30-degree angle, it basically works out to a ratio of about 1:1.73.

What does that even mean, right? Okay, picture this: for every one foot (or meter, or inch – whatever unit you’re using!) you go up (that’s the “1” part), you have to go about 1.73 feet out horizontally. So, it’s not super steep, but it’s definitely not flat either. Think of it like… hmm… maybe a gently sloping hill you might walk up?

I remember hiking in the Smoky Mountains once, and some of those trails felt like a constant 30-degree climb. Not killer, but you definitely felt it in your legs after a while!

Oh, and you might also hear it called a “58% grade.” Which is just another way of saying the same thing. It’s all about the ratio of vertical rise to horizontal run, just expressed a bit differently. Honestly, the 1:1.73 ratio makes more sense to me visually, but hey, that’s just me! I get confused easily with percentages, haha.