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Hard Hiking Trails in United States

There are 1,320 hikes in United States in our database that fit. They average 77.3 km and 1,381 m (4,531 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 1872 km.

That is 14 percent of the 9,390 routes we map in United States. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 77.3 km against 14.0 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,381 m (4,531 ft) on average versus 281 m (922 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Panorama showing Mt Liberty, Mt Flume, parts of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, and parts of Franconia Notch State Park
Expert

Appalachian Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
234 km
/ 146 mi
Elevation gain
8,313 m
Typical duration
67 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Expert

Pacific Northwest Trail 02 Idaho

Idaho · United States

Distance
156 km
/ 97.1 mi
Elevation gain
5,148 m
Typical duration
44 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Expert

Appalachian Trail

Maine · United States

Distance
414 km
/ 257 mi
Elevation gain
8,667 m
Typical duration
111 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
View of the south summit of Mount Jefferson, Nevada from the northwest
Expert

ADT - Nevada - S - Seg 5

Nevada · United States

Distance
62.5 km
/ 38.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,619 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
The former Lenoxdale station was located behind today's post office in Lenox, Massachusetts. View is looking north-northwest. The post office is the building on the near left.
Expert

Appalachian Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
140 km
/ 87.2 mi
Elevation gain
3,455 m
Typical duration
38 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Rest stop Sunset Point along I-17 north of Phoenix, United States
Expert

Black Canyon Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
153 km
/ 94.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,892 m
Typical duration
40 hr
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Long-distance path
Ebenezer Gay House , Sharon, Connecticut.
Expert

Appalachian Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
80.6 km
/ 50.1 mi
Elevation gain
2,207 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Unconventional view, but it works. Bolinas Lagoon Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch, California. The coastal subspecies of Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus californicus , lacks the yellow band of median coverts, so we see only a red
Expert

ADT - California - T - Seg 9

California · United States

Distance
70.3 km
/ 43.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,539 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Coastal
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
View of Lake Trahlyta in Vogel State Park
Expert

Appalachian Trail

Georgia · United States

Distance
121 km
/ 75.2 mi
Elevation gain
3,249 m
Typical duration
33 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
(Colocasia propinquilinea) Pleasant Walk Road, Frederick County, Maryland. May 28, 2016. At UV light.
Expert

Appalachian Trail

Maryland · United States

Distance
64.0 km
/ 39.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,488 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Photo pair shows glacial retreat on both sides of Chilkoot Pass. View of Crater Lake and glaciers on both sides of the United States-Canada boundary. Top photo is composed of five photos made in 1906 by George R. White-Fraser of the Interna
Expert

Chilkoot Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
50.1 km
/ 31.2 mi
Elevation gain
798 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 56.
Expert

ADT - Iowa - K - Seg 3

Iowa · United States

Distance
128 km
/ 79.5 mi
Elevation gain
125 m
Typical duration
30 hr
  • Waterfall
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Along the spine that divides North and South Bowls at Keystone. Tenmile Range is seen in the distance.
Expert

ADT - Colorado C - Q - Seg 4

Colorado · United States

Distance
350 km
/ 217 mi
Elevation gain
7,273 m
Typical duration
93 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Cathedral Peak, elevation 13,943 ft (4,250 m), viewed from the southeast. It is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness within the White River National Forest.
Expert

ADT - Colorado C - Q - Seg 5

Colorado · United States

Distance
148 km
/ 92.0 mi
Elevation gain
2,535 m
Typical duration
38 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Plateau Creek in Mesa County, Colorado. The creek flows through the Plateau Valley.
Expert

ADT - Colorado C - Q - Seg 6

Colorado · United States

Distance
297 km
/ 185 mi
Elevation gain
5,858 m
Typical duration
79 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Old ranch at Wilson Commons Park with Slide Mountain in the background. AKA Twaddle-Pedroli Ranch This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America . Its refer
Expert

ADT - Nevada - S - Seg 9

Nevada · United States

Distance
78.6 km
/ 48.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,341 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Label view of ant Hypoponera inexorata specimen casent0065779 .
Expert

Arizona Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
1259 km
/ 782 mi
Elevation gain
10,884 m
Typical duration
315 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Warm Springs State Hospital, Warm Springs, Montana
Expert

CDT - Idaho & Montana Section

Idaho · United States

Distance
1558 km
/ 968 mi
Elevation gain
12,077 m
Typical duration
388 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Habronattus ustulatus in habitat, open pebble barren in chamise + redshanks chaparral. Riverside, California, USA
Expert

PCT - California Section B

California · United States

Distance
158 km
/ 98.4 mi
Elevation gain
3,340 m
Typical duration
42 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Morning after a good night of snow.
Expert

PCT - California Section C

California · United States

Distance
207 km
/ 128 mi
Elevation gain
3,624 m
Typical duration
54 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Moonlit Path
Expert

PCT - California Section D

California · United States

Distance
176 km
/ 110 mi
Elevation gain
4,010 m
Typical duration
47 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Kings County; Hauling Wheat from Tulare Lake Country
Expert

PCT - California Section G

California · United States

Distance
182 km
/ 113 mi
Elevation gain
5,122 m
Typical duration
50 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Mount Humphreys , in the Sierra Nevada , California , USA
Expert

PCT - California Section H

California · United States

Distance
287 km
/ 178 mi
Elevation gain
7,332 m
Typical duration
79 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Lush vegetation around Summit Lake, with a fallen log lying at the front.
Expert

PCT - California Section N

California · United States

Distance
210 km
/ 131 mi
Elevation gain
3,417 m
Typical duration
54 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 44.
Expert

PCT - California Section P

California · United States

Distance
157 km
/ 97.5 mi
Elevation gain
3,446 m
Typical duration
42 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Lovers Camp, Campsite #1
Expert

PCT - California Section Q

California · United States

Distance
90.3 km
/ 56.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,262 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
looking at Mount Ashland from Jackson gap (LJ)
Expert

PCT - California Section R

California · United States

Distance
98.4 km
/ 61.1 mi
Elevation gain
3,142 m
Typical duration
27 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
View west along West Virginia State Route 9 between Short Road and West Virginia State Route 115 (Opequon Connector) in Baker Heights, Berkeley County, West Virginia
Expert

ADT - Maryland - Seg 4

District of Columbia · United States

Distance
268 km
/ 167 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
63 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Photo by Kari Greer Credit US Forest Service Gila National Forest
Expert

Grand Enchantment Trail

Arizona · United States

Distance
1225 km
/ 761 mi
Elevation gain
15,002 m
Typical duration
314 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Tahoe National Forest, Foresthill, United States, September 2017
Expert

ADT - California - T - Seg 3

California · United States

Distance
73.6 km
/ 45.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,688 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Ute Pass, U.S. Highway 24, Colorado
Expert

ADT - Colorado B - P - Seg 2

Colorado · United States

Distance
264 km
/ 164 mi
Elevation gain
2,733 m
Typical duration
66 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Mount Belford, United States
Expert

CDT - Colorado Section

Colorado · United States

Distance
1175 km
/ 730 mi
Elevation gain
11,798 m
Typical duration
297 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 50.
Expert

Great Western Trail - Arizona

Arizona · United States

Distance
309 km
/ 192 mi
Elevation gain
2,575 m
Typical duration
77 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_State_Route_128
Expert

ADT - Utah - R - Seg 1

Colorado · United States

Distance
178 km
/ 111 mi
Elevation gain
2,690 m
Typical duration
45 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
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

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
Appalachian TrailNew Hampshire234 km8,313 m67 hrExpertJune to October
Pacific Northwest Trail 02 IdahoIdaho156 km5,148 m44 hrExpertJune to October
Appalachian TrailMaine414 km8,667 m111 hrExpertApril to October
ADT - Nevada - S - Seg 5Nevada62.5 km1,619 m16 hrExpertJuly to September
Appalachian TrailMassachusetts140 km3,455 m38 hrExpertApril to October
Black Canyon National Recreation TrailArizona162 km2,443 m41 hrExpertApril to October
Black Canyon TrailArizona153 km2,892 m40 hrExpertApril to October
Palouse to Cascades State Park TrailIdaho400 km2,018 m97 hrExpertApril to October
Appalachian TrailConnecticut80.6 km2,207 m22 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 2, Appalachian Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail 02 Idaho. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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