The hardest hikes in Glacier National Park, by the numbers
Of the 187 trails in Glacier National Park in our dataset, 63 (34 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; these are the 25 with the highest rating.
Gunsight Pass leads with 17,163 ft of gain over 23.8 miles, 721 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 78 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 2,528 to 18,255 ft and distance from 6.5 miles to 23.9 miles; the median gain is 3,825 ft and the median distance 16.6 miles.
12 of the 25 are out-and-back routes; the rest are point-to-point (12) or loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunsight Pass | 23.8 | 17,163 | 721 | 78% | 4,116 to 9,923 | 903.9 | |
| 2 | Boulder Pass | 20.4 | 18,255 | 895 | 4,032 to 8,005 | 863 | ||
| 3 | Highline | 18.4 | 17,401 | 946 | 5,324 to 8,209 | 800.2 | ||
| 4 | Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail | 23.9 | 13,187 | 552 | 68% | 3,513 to 7,106 | 793.9 | |
| 5 | Stoney Indian Pass | 23.2 | 12,688 | 547 | 98% | 4,197 to 8,247 | 767.3 | |
| 6 | Piegan Pass | 17.7 | 16,601 | 938 | 4,490 to 9,156 | 766.6 | ||
| 7 | Grant Ridge | 9.5 | 8,298 | 873 | 3,443 to 6,921 | 397.1 | ||
| 8 | Gunsight PassNorthwestern Montana | 20.2 | 3,711 | 184 | 45% | 3,232 to 7,027 | 387.2 | |
| 9 | Gunsight Pass TrailNorthwestern Montana | 19 | 3,670 | 193 | 47% | 3,237 to 7,022 | 373.4 | |
| 10 | Highline TrailNorthwestern Montana | 19.9 | 3,408 | 171 | 34% | 5,849 to 7,402 | 368.3 | |
| 11 | Ole Creek TrailNorthwestern Montana | 16.6 | 3,923 | 236 | 58% | 3,999 to 6,929 | 360.9 | |
| 12 | Highline | 6.7 | 9,710 | 1,449 | 5,565 to 8,557 | 360.7 | ||
| 13 | Boulder Pass | 8.2 | 7,757 | 946 | 4,565 to 7,510 | 356.7 | ||
| 14 | Piegan Pass TrailNorthwestern Montana | 17.7 | 3,506 | 198 | 36% | 4,536 to 7,573 | 352.3 | |
| 15 | Coal-Fielding TrailNorthwestern Montana | 15.8 | 3,803 | 241 | 34% | 3,919 to 5,828 | 346.7 | |
| 16 | Pitamakan / Dawson LoopNorthwestern Montana | 17.9 | 3,320 | 185 | 36% | 5,181 to 8,010 | 344.8 | |
| 17 | Red Gap PassNorthwestern Montana | 15.1 | 3,522 | 233 | 35% | 4,914 to 7,520 | 326.1 | |
| 18 | Pitamakan Pass TrailNorthwestern Montana | 17.7 | 2,870 | 162 | 26% | 5,170 to 7,625 | 318.7 | |
| 19 | Dawson Pass | 6.5 | 7,094 | 1,091 | 5,319 to 8,617 | 303.7 | ||
| 20 | Flattop MountainNorthwestern Montana | 12 | 3,825 | 319 | 45% | 3,652 to 6,840 | 303 | |
| 21 | Mount Brown LookoutNorthwestern Montana | 10.3 | 4,203 | 408 | 42% | 3,225 to 7,428 | 294.2 | |
| 22 | Coal Creek TrailNorthwestern Montana | 15 | 2,711 | 181 | 20% | 3,444 to 5,533 | 285.2 | |
| 23 | West Lakes TrailNorthwestern Montana | 10.7 | 3,564 | 333 | 36% | 3,219 to 5,145 | 276.2 | |
| 24 | Quartz Lake | 10.6 | 3,546 | 335 | 56% | 3,440 to 5,216 | 274.2 | |
| 25 | Ptarmigan TrailNorthwestern Montana | 13.9 | 2,528 | 182 | 38% | 4,689 to 7,266 | 265.1 |
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 "Glacier National Park" here means the 187 trails in Glacier National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Glacier National Park.
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 Gunsight Pass.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.