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Hard Hiking Trails near Los Angeles

The directory currently contains 13 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Los Angeles. Their average mapped distance is 65.9 km and average recorded ascent is 1,616 m (5,302 ft); the longest route in the set is 176 km.

This subset represents 31% of the 42 quality-checked routes near Los Angeles. Its average distance is 65.9 km, compared with 22.7 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 1,616 m (5,302 ft), versus 574 m (1,883 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, 13 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) 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

43.9 km

High Desert National Recreation Trail

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

220 m

California Mission Trail - stage 03 San Juan Capistrano to Mission San Gabriel Arcangel

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

Ski area at Mount Waterman in the San Gabriel Mountains (Los Angeles Count), California.
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
Expert

Silver Moccasin Trail (NRT)

California · United States

Distance
95.3 km
/ 59.2 mi
Elevation gain
4,451 m
Typical duration
28 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Gabrielino Trail

California · United States

Distance
52.7 km
/ 32.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,498 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Expert

Backbone Trail

California · United States

Distance
108 km
/ 67.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,914 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Hard

Mount Wilson Toll Road

California · United States

Distance
24.9 km
/ 15.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,113 m
Typical duration
7 hr 9 min
  • Mountain
Expert

San Gabriel River Trail

California · United States

Distance
57.0 km
/ 35.4 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
Expert

Schabarum-Skyline Trail

California · United States

Distance
47.3 km
/ 29.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,056 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park San Dimas, CA 91773
Hard

Bonelli Trail

California · United States

Distance
15.2 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
451 m
Typical duration
3 hr 50 min
Hard

Park to Playa Trail

California · United States

Distance
18.1 km
/ 11.3 mi
Elevation gain
257 m
Typical duration
4 hr 16 min
  • Coastal

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
PCT - California Section DCalifornia176 km4,010 m47 hrExpertJuly to September
Silver Moccasin Trail (NRT)California95.3 km4,451 m28 hrExpertJuly to September
Gabrielino TrailCalifornia52.7 km2,498 m15 hrExpertApril to October
Backbone TrailCalifornia108 km2,914 m29 hrExpertApril to October
California Mission Trail - stage 03 San Juan Capistrano to Mission San Gabriel ArcangelCalifornia120 km220 m28 hrExpertApril to October
High Desert National Recreation TrailCalifornia43.9 km2,056 m13 hrExpertJune to October
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic TrailCalifornia51.8 km1,783 m14 hrExpertApril to October
California Mission Trail - stage 04 Mission San Gabriel Arcangel to Mission San Fernando, Rey de EspanaCalifornia45.5 km183 m10 hrExpertApril to October
Mount Wilson Toll RoadCalifornia24.9 km1,113 m7 hr 9 minHardJune to October
San Gabriel River TrailCalifornia57.0 km11 m13 hrExpertApril to October

PCT - California Section D, Silver Moccasin Trail (NRT), Gabrielino Trail 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.

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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.

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