If you’re a diehard fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you might be wondering how far it would actually take to walk from The Shire to Mordor. According to TikTok user DonMarshall72, it’d be a long trek: 2,765.6 kilometers or 1,718.5 miles. And he notes that Frodo and Sam both walked the journey barefoot. For those looking to get motivated to walk like a Hobbit, there’s an app that can help. It’s called Conqueror Challenges and is based on the Middle-earth map in the LOTR trilogy. It’s a fitness challenge that encourages you to work up a sweat and reach certain goals while putting yourself on a virtual path to the end of Middle-earth.
As a land of almost un-scalable mountains, Mordor was an effective natural defense. The Ered Lithui ('Ash Mountains') defended the north, and the Ephel Duath and the arid Plateau of Gorgoroth defended the west and south. In the northwest corner of Mordor, the deep valley of Udun protected Sauron’s main fortress Barad-dur, and in front of that lay Dagorlad.
While it’s impossible to travel from The Shire to Mordor in real life, Tongariro National Park offers breathtaking scenery that serves as the basis for much of Mordor. Located in New Zealand, the park is a popular destination for Lord of the Rings fans who want to get a feel for the filming locations. The park also hosts events and activities inspired by Tolkien’s works.
