The hardest hikes in Australia, by the numbers
Of the 233 trails in Australia in our dataset, 21 (9 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.
Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk leads with 4,599 ft of gain over 28.2 miles, 163 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 26 percent.
Across the 21, gain runs from 1,536 to 5,157 ft and distance from 4.6 miles to 28.2 miles; the median gain is 2,536 ft and the median distance 9.3 miles.
10 of the 21 are out-and-back routes; the rest are point-to-point (7) or loop (4).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold Coast Hinterland Great WalkWollumbin NP | 28.2 | 4,599 | 163 | 26% | 381 to 3,940 | 509.3 | |
| 2 | Mount Buller SkyRun 35K | 21.8 | 4,862 | 223 | 22% | 2,192 to 5,814 | 460.4 | |
| 3 | Six Foot Track | 26.4 | 3,956 | 150 | 40% | 909 to 3,993 | 457 | |
| 4 | Snowies Alpine WalkKosciuszko NP | 23 | 3,280 | 143 | 17% | 5,200 to 7,116 | 388.4 | |
| 5 | Wilsons Promontory Southern CircuitWilsons Promontory NP | 20.1 | 2,667 | 133 | 19% | 16 to 1,125 | 327.4 | |
| 6 | Bartle Frere TrailWooroonooran NP | 9.3 | 5,157 | 555 | 47% | 377 to 5,279 | 309.7 | |
| 7 | Coast TrackRoyal NP | 17.8 | 2,285 | 128 | 32% | 13 to 840 | 285.2 | |
| 8 | Mount Buller SkyRun 22K | 13.7 | 2,688 | 196 | 24% | 4,570 to 5,814 | 271.4 | |
| 9 | Thorsborne TrailHinchinbrook Island NP | 17.9 | 1,658 | 93 | 19% | 3 to 781 | 243.6 | |
| 10 | Kattamordo Heritage Trail | 18.8 | 1,542 | 82 | 16% | 269 to 1,319 | 240.8 | |
| 11 | Moroka River Track | 8.4 | 3,247 | 387 | 35% | 1,440 to 4,662 | 233.6 | |
| 12 | Delatite River Trail | 7.5 | 2,832 | 378 | 28% | 2,224 to 5,020 | 206.1 | |
| 13 | Mount Wellington TrackAlpine NP | 9.6 | 1,926 | 201 | 19% | 3,898 to 5,344 | 192.3 | |
| 14 | Mount Solitary TrackBlue Mountains NP | 7.1 | 2,536 | 357 | 44% | 570 to 3,134 | 189.8 | |
| 15 | Mount AnneSouthwest NP | 4.6 | 3,726 | 810 | 57% | 1,106 to 4,531 | 185.1 | |
| 16 | Pyrenees Endurance Trail | 8.9 | 1,834 | 206 | 34% | 1,529 to 2,431 | 180.7 | |
| 17 | Cathedral Range Northern Circuit | 7.7 | 1,889 | 245 | 41% | 1,060 to 2,769 | 170.6 | |
| 18 | Walls of Jerusalem TrackWalls of Jerusalem NP | 6 | 2,164 | 361 | 28% | 2,352 to 4,403 | 161.1 | |
| 19 | Prince Henry Cliff WalkBlue Mountains NP | 6 | 2,153 | 359 | 65% | 2,691 to 3,150 | 160.7 | |
| 20 | Grand High Tops CircuitWarrumbungle NP | 7.9 | 1,536 | 194 | 39% | 1,662 to 3,143 | 155.8 | |
| 21 | Cathedral Range Southern Circuit | 6.5 | 1,826 | 281 | 47% | 1,217 to 3,038 | 154.1 |
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 "Australia" here means the 233 trails in Australia in our dataset, not every trail in Australia.
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 Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.