The hardest hikes in Alaska, by the numbers
Of the 80 trails in Alaska in our dataset, 21 (26 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; all 21 are listed here, highest rating first.
Kesugi Ridge Trail leads with 5,968 ft of gain over 30 miles, 199 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 58 percent.
Across the 21, gain runs from 1,673 to 7,207 ft and distance from 3.7 miles to 30 miles; the median gain is 4,058 ft and the median distance 9.4 miles.
12 of the 21 are out-and-back routes; the rest are point-to-point (8) or loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kesugi Ridge TrailInterior Alaska and Denali | 30 | 5,968 | 199 | 58% | 766 to 3,507 | 598.4 | |
| 2 | Temptation Peak via the DomeSouthcentral Alaska | 18.3 | 7,078 | 387 | 70% | 921 to 5,263 | 509 | |
| 3 | Chilkoot Trail | 24.6 | 4,334 | 176 | 41% | 251 to 3,583 | 461.8 | |
| 4 | South Pioneer Peak HikeSouthcentral Alaska | 14.2 | 7,207 | 508 | 74% | 97 to 6,299 | 452.4 | |
| 5 | Tikishla Peak LoopSouthcentral Alaska | 14.1 | 5,022 | 356 | 88% | 905 to 5,136 | 376.3 | |
| 6 | Matanuska Peak RouteSouthcentral Alaska | 9.8 | 5,348 | 546 | 115% | 548 to 5,896 | 323.8 | |
| 7 | Johnson Pass TrailKenai Peninsula | 23.7 | 1,974 | 83 | 31% | 519 to 1,515 | 305.9 | |
| 8 | Bonanza PeakWrangell-St. Elias NP | 9.6 | 4,749 | 495 | 62% | 2,019 to 6,780 | 302 | |
| 9 | McHugh Peak - South Flank TrailSouthcentral Alaska | 8.5 | 4,143 | 487 | 118% | 172 to 4,221 | 265.4 | |
| 10 | Wolverine PeakSouthcentral Alaska | 9.7 | 3,542 | 365 | 56% | 973 to 4,395 | 262.1 | |
| 11 | Triple LakesDenali NP | 15 | 2,172 | 145 | 32% | 1,669 to 2,793 | 255.3 | |
| 12 | Matanuska Peak TrailSouthcentral Alaska | 5.5 | 5,614 | 1,021 | 115% | 547 to 5,902 | 248.5 | |
| 13 | Mount Healy from Bison GulchDenali NP | 6.9 | 4,058 | 588 | 71% | 1,701 to 5,577 | 236.6 | |
| 14 | Harding IcefieldKenai Fjords NP | 8.3 | 3,073 | 370 | 50% | 462 to 3,506 | 225.9 | |
| 15 | O'Malley PeakSouthcentral Alaska | 7.9 | 3,193 | 404 | 79% | 2,019 to 5,010 | 224.6 | |
| 16 | Bold Peak RouteSouthcentral Alaska | 3.7 | 6,534 | 1,766 | 102% | 1,126 to 7,635 | 219.9 | |
| 17 | Mount Roberts TrailSoutheast Alaska | 4.9 | 3,839 | 783 | 49% | 308 to 3,769 | 194 | |
| 18 | Reed Lakes TrailSouthcentral Alaska | 8.9 | 2,027 | 228 | 51% | 2,330 to 4,262 | 189.9 | |
| 19 | Turnagain Arm TrailSouthcentral Alaska | 9.4 | 1,673 | 178 | 35% | 60 to 871 | 177.3 | |
| 20 | Bonanza Mine TrailWrangell-St. Elias NP | 3.9 | 3,694 | 947 | 42% | 2,177 to 5,871 | 169.7 | |
| 21 | Harding Icefield TrailKenai Fjords NP | 3.8 | 3,011 | 792 | 49% | 505 to 3,504 | 151.3 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Alaska" here means the 80 trails in Alaska in our dataset, not every trail in Alaska.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Kesugi Ridge Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.