Skip to content

Hard Hiking Trails in Indiana

The directory currently contains 21 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Indiana. Their average mapped distance is 81.9 km and average recorded ascent is 468 m (1,535 ft); the longest route in the set is 274 km.

This subset represents 10% of the 204 quality-checked routes in Indiana. Its average distance is 81.9 km, compared with 11.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 468 m (1,535 ft), versus 97 m (318 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

This set contains routes rated hard or expert from their available distance and elevation measurements. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 21 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 1 (5%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

67.5 km

ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 3

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

232 m

ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 5

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Expert

ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 5

Indiana · United States

Distance
96.6 km
/ 60.0 mi
Elevation gain
232 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

ADT - Ohio E - Seg 11

Indiana · United States

Distance
95.9 km
/ 59.6 mi
Elevation gain
491 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Hoosier Heritage Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
274 km
/ 170 mi
Elevation gain
1,415 m
Typical duration
67 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Old Barn Shelter along the Adventure Hiking Trail at Harrison-Crawford State Forest
Expert

Adventure Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
39.3 km
/ 24.4 mi
Elevation gain
826 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Tecumseh Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
69.8 km
/ 43.4 mi
Elevation gain
797 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Knobstone Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
82.6 km
/ 51.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,358 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Hard

Wolf Creek Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
17.7 km
/ 11.0 mi
Elevation gain
402 m
Typical duration
4 hr 22 min
  • River
Looking eastward on Main Street toward the Huntington Street ( State Road 13 ) intersection, the central intersection of Syracuse , Indiana , United States .
Hard

Syracuse-Wawasee Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
20.2 km
/ 12.6 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
4 hr 26 min
Hard

Three Lakes Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
15.6 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
364 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Columbus North HS PE Building
Hard

Columbus People Trails

Indiana · United States

Distance
31.4 km
/ 19.5 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
7 hr 6 min
Hard

Shirley Creek Trail

Indiana · United States

Distance
16.5 km
/ 10.3 mi
Elevation gain
329 m
Typical duration
3 hr 59 min
  • River
  • Forest

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 2Indiana93.7 km747 m23 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 1Indiana113 km514 m27 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 5Indiana96.6 km232 m22 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 3Indiana67.5 km307 m16 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 4Indiana157 km1,142 m38 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Ohio E - Seg 11Indiana95.9 km491 m23 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Illinois (South) - J - Seg 1Indiana60.5 km123 m14 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Indiana (North) - G - Seg 1Indiana138 km294 m32 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Indiana (North) - G - Seg 2Indiana104 km112 m24 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Indiana (North) - G - Seg 3Indiana155 km74 m36 hrExpertApril to October

ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 2, ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 1, ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 5 currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for