The hardest hikes in Grand Canyon National Park, by the numbers
Of the 89 trails in Grand Canyon National Park in our dataset, 22 (25 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 22 are listed here, highest rating first.
East Tonto leads with 16,635 ft of gain over 23.6 miles, 705 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 75 percent.
Across the 22, gain runs from 1,517 to 16,635 ft and distance from 4.6 miles to 23.6 miles; the median gain is 4,334 ft and the median distance 9.9 miles.
15 of the 22 are out-and-back routes; the rest are loop (1) or point-to-point (6).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Tonto | 23.6 | 16,635 | 705 | 75% | 2,438 to 7,212 | 886.1 | |
| 2 | Escalante | 18.9 | 10,013 | 530 | 92% | 2,628 to 7,385 | 615.2 | |
| 3 | Saddle Mountain | 11 | 11,675 | 1,061 | 2,866 to 8,555 | 506.8 | ||
| 4 | South Kaibab / Bright Angel LoopFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 21.6 | 4,968 | 230 | 42% | 2,455 to 7,200 | 463.3 | |
| 5 | Bright Angel Trail Out-and-BackFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 16 | 4,366 | 273 | 38% | 2,458 to 6,825 | 373.8 | |
| 6 | Bright Angel | 11 | 5,751 | 523 | 2,403 to 4,113 | 355.7 | ||
| 7 | Francois Matthes | 11.5 | 4,311 | 375 | 5,663 to 8,483 | 314.9 | ||
| 8 | Hermit | 7.4 | 6,423 | 868 | 2,338 to 5,623 | 308.3 | ||
| 9 | Ken Patrick | 7.8 | 5,306 | 680 | 73% | 4,527 to 8,654 | 287.7 | |
| 10 | Ken Patrick | 8.8 | 4,680 | 532 | 78% | 7,360 to 8,890 | 287 | |
| 11 | West Tonto | 9.6 | 4,215 | 439 | 82% | 2,877 to 3,843 | 284.5 | |
| 12 | Plateau Point From South RimFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 12.4 | 3,208 | 259 | 40% | 3,699 to 6,820 | 282.1 | |
| 13 | Ribbon Falls | 5.6 | 6,841 | 1,222 | 2,676 to 4,773 | 276.8 | ||
| 14 | Phantom Ranch Area | 9.1 | 4,094 | 450 | 86% | 2,544 to 4,406 | 273 | |
| 15 | Bright Angel TrailFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 8.1 | 4,357 | 538 | 41% | 2,412 to 6,821 | 265.7 | |
| 16 | Rainbow Rim TrailFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 17.8 | 1,517 | 85 | 14% | 7,493 to 7,807 | 232.4 | |
| 17 | EscalanteFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 11.3 | 2,156 | 191 | 62% | 2,583 to 3,885 | 220.7 | |
| 18 | Clear CreekFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 8.8 | 2,716 | 309 | 87% | 2,651 to 4,246 | 218.6 | |
| 19 | Grandview | 5.6 | 3,376 | 603 | 91% | 3,281 to 5,525 | 194.5 | |
| 20 | Ken PatrickFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 9.9 | 1,872 | 189 | 48% | 8,110 to 8,815 | 192.5 | |
| 21 | BeamerFlagstaff and Northern AZ | 9.9 | 1,692 | 171 | 43% | 2,685 to 3,203 | 183 | |
| 22 | Dripping Springs | 4.6 | 2,448 | 532 | 79% | 4,447 to 6,575 | 150.1 |
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 "Grand Canyon National Park" here means the 89 trails in Grand Canyon National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Grand Canyon 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 East Tonto.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.