The hardest hikes in Hawaii, by the numbers
Of the 67 trails in Hawaii in our dataset, 12 (18 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 12 are listed here, highest rating first.
Mauna Loa Trail leads with 6,360 ft of gain over 15.9 miles, 400 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 21 percent.
Across the 12, gain runs from 1,752 to 6,360 ft and distance from 6.8 miles to 23.5 miles; the median gain is 3,460 ft and the median distance 8.1 miles.
9 of the 12 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (2) or loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mauna Loa TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 15.9 | 6,360 | 400 | 21% | 6,675 to 13,029 | 449.7 | |
| 2 | Kalalau TrailKauai and Niihau | 19.3 | 4,950 | 256 | 41% | 30 to 743 | 437.1 | |
| 3 | Hilina Pali TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 23.5 | 3,630 | 154 | 29% | 13 to 2,282 | 413 | |
| 4 | Haleakala CraterHaleakala NP | 11.4 | 3,510 | 308 | 38% | 6,605 to 9,771 | 282.9 | |
| 5 | Ka'u Desert TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 18.2 | 2,197 | 121 | 9% | 1,723 to 3,829 | 282.8 | |
| 6 | Kaupo TrailHaleakala NP | 6.9 | 5,406 | 783 | 51% | 968 to 6,373 | 273.1 | |
| 7 | Mauna Kea-Humu'ula TrailThe Big Island (Hawaii) | 7 | 4,636 | 662 | 42% | 9,153 to 13,728 | 254.8 | |
| 8 | Mount Ka'alaOahu | 6.8 | 3,410 | 501 | 60% | 579 to 3,989 | 215.4 | |
| 9 | Keauhou TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 8 | 2,135 | 267 | 19% | 811 to 2,924 | 184.8 | |
| 10 | Hilina Pali Overlook LoopHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 8.1 | 2,070 | 256 | 59% | 218 to 2,258 | 183.1 | |
| 11 | Ka'aha TrailHawai'i Volcanoes NP | 7.8 | 1,752 | 225 | 39% | 35 to 1,745 | 165.3 | |
| 12 | Kalapana Trail (unmaintained)Hawai'i Volcanoes NP | 7.5 | 1,755 | 234 | 17% | 1,151 to 2,906 | 162.2 |
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 "Hawaii" here means the 67 trails in Hawaii in our dataset, not every trail in Hawaii.
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 Mauna Loa Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.