Did you know the mileage—approximately and even only as the crow flies—of the following treks? Remember: the Hobbits are barefoot! Middle Earth—as depicted on existing maps and based on Tolkien's given leagues and other distances—is, from Mordor to Eriador and from the sea to the Lonely Mountain, approximately the size of the western United States from Denver to San Francisco (putting Barad-dur somewhere near Gallup, New Mexico, hehehe).
Consider the following estimates based on Tolkien maps and scales:
| Hobbiton to Rivendale | 500+ miles | Bilbo, Frodo, Samwise, Meriadoc, Peregrin |
| Hobbiton to Erebor (the Lonely Mountain) | 1000+ miles | Bilbo |
| Hobbiton to Grey Havens | 150 miles | Bilbo, Frodo, Samwise |
| Rivendale to Durin's Gate (Moria) | 150 miles | Frodo et al. |
| Durin's Gate to Lothlorien | 100 miles (!) | ibid, Gollum |
| Lorien on Anduin to the falls of Rauros | 300 miles | ibid |
| The falls of Rauros to the nearest approaches to Fanghorn |
150 miles | Meriadoc, Peregrin |
| The crossing of Emyn Muil and the Dead Marshes |
who knows? at least 150 miles plus backtracking |
Frodo, Samwise, Gollum |
| Edoras to Helm's Deep | 60 miles | Meriadoc, Peregrin |
| Isengard to Helm's Deep | 75 miles | Orc's march—for reference |
| Edoras to Minas Tirith | 300 miles | Meriadoc, Peregrin |
| Minas Tirith to Minas Ithil (Morgul) | 50 miles | perspective for reference |
| Morannon to Minas Morgul | 110+ miles | Frodo, Samwise, Smeagol |
| Minas Tirith to Morannon | 160+ miles | Peregrin |
| Minas Morgul to Barad-dur by way of the Isenmouthe |
nearly 200 miles | Frodo, Sam, Gollum |
| Barad-dur to Orodruin | 30-50 miles | Frodo, Samwise, probably Gollum |
My feet ache for these poor little Hobbitses!