System and methods for efficiently distributing data packets in a multi-path network having a plurality of equal cost paths each having the same number of hops are provided. In one aspect, a system and method includes reordering the entries in the routing table of one or more peer routing devices, such that succeeding equal cost next hop routing devices that are interconnected in a Clos formation to the peer routing devices received unbiased traffic from each of the peer routing devices, thus enabling the succeeding next hop routing devices to distribute data traffic evenly over additional equal cost multiple hops further into the network.