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Hard Hiking Trails near Los Angeles

There are 13 hikes near Los Angeles in our database that fit. They average 65.9 km and 1,616 m (5,302 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 176 km.

That is 30 percent of the 44 routes we map near Los Angeles. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 65.9 km against 21.7 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,616 m (5,302 ft) on average versus 549 m (1,801 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

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
Ski area at Mount Waterman in the San Gabriel Mountains (Los Angeles Count), California.
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
One of several piles of rock and plant debris being removed by the California Highway Patrol on the w:Angeles Crest Highway , five days after a light rain.
Expert

Gabrielino Trail

California · United States

Distance
52.7 km
/ 32.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,498 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Rock Store
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
Castro Peak Fire Lookout Tower" This used to be in the Santa Monica Mtns. from 1925 to 1971 and it was moved here to Henninger Flats DSCN0477
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
California, USA - May-June 2016 Los Angeles
Expert

San Gabriel River Trail

California · United States

Distance
57.0 km
/ 35.4 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • River
After introducing the Genesis in the US in mid-2008, Hyundai stepped up its luxury car game. The Equus luxury flagship, formerly a badge-engineered front-wheel-drive Mitsubishi, was completely redesigned as a larger version of the rear-whee
Expert

Schabarum-Skyline Trail

California · United States

Distance
47.3 km
/ 29.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,056 m
Typical duration
12 hr
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
Ladera Heights, CA, USA
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
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
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic TrailCalifornia51.8 km1,783 m14 hrExpertApril to October
San Gabriel River TrailCalifornia57.0 km11 m13 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with PCT - California Section D, Silver Moccasin Trail (NRT), Gabrielino Trail. 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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