The hardest hikes in Grand Teton National Park, by the numbers
Of the 131 trails in Grand Teton National Park in our dataset, 24 (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 24 are listed here, highest rating first.
Owl Creek Trail leads with 9,673 ft of gain over 23.3 miles, 415 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 47 percent.
Across the 24, gain runs from 1,810 to 9,673 ft and distance from 4.1 miles to 23.3 miles; the median gain is 3,335 ft and the median distance 8.9 miles.
18 of the 24 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (2) or out-and-back (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owl Creek Trail | 23.3 | 9,673 | 415 | 47% | 6,770 to 9,769 | 671.4 | |
| 2 | Valley Trail | 22.9 | 4,925 | 215 | 62% | 6,526 to 10,508 | 474.9 | |
| 3 | Death Canyon to Teton CanyonNorthwestern Wyoming | 19.6 | 4,383 | 224 | 35% | 6,768 to 10,788 | 414.5 | |
| 4 | Paintbrush DivideNorthwestern Wyoming | 19.6 | 3,932 | 201 | 33% | 6,802 to 10,665 | 392.6 | |
| 5 | Open Canyon Trail | 9 | 7,121 | 791 | 88% | 6,630 to 9,743 | 358 | |
| 6 | Berry Creek LoopNorthwestern Wyoming | 20.8 | 1,989 | 96 | 22% | 6,784 to 7,615 | 287.6 | |
| 7 | Pilgrim-Middle Pilrim Creek | 8.9 | 4,120 | 463 | 69% | 6,982 to 9,688 | 270.8 | |
| 8 | Paintbrush Canyon Trail | 7.1 | 5,066 | 714 | 8,000 to 10,710 | 268.2 | ||
| 9 | South Teton TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 10.2 | 3,408 | 334 | 32% | 6,964 to 10,337 | 263.7 | |
| 10 | Webb Canyon TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 10 | 3,262 | 326 | 26% | 6,793 to 9,788 | 255.4 | |
| 11 | Lake SolitudeNorthwestern Wyoming | 14.2 | 2,246 | 158 | 29% | 6,808 to 9,049 | 252.6 | |
| 12 | Death Canyon TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 9.8 | 3,150 | 321 | 38% | 6,767 to 9,573 | 248.5 | |
| 13 | Amphitheater LakeNorthwestern Wyoming | 9.9 | 2,949 | 298 | 22% | 6,741 to 9,690 | 241.6 | |
| 14 | Rendevous Mountain Trail | 7.4 | 3,527 | 477 | 69% | 8,025 to 10,011 | 228.5 | |
| 15 | Alaska Basin Trail | 5.3 | 4,756 | 897 | 7,823 to 11,752 | 224.5 | ||
| 16 | Paintbrush CanyonNorthwestern Wyoming | 7 | 3,578 | 511 | 31% | 7,121 to 10,675 | 223.8 | |
| 17 | Middle Pilgrim CreekNorthwestern Wyoming | 12.4 | 1,810 | 146 | 19% | 7,013 to 8,705 | 211.9 | |
| 18 | Granite CanyonNorthwestern Wyoming | 8.8 | 2,550 | 290 | 24% | 6,396 to 8,878 | 211.8 | |
| 19 | Open CanyonNorthwestern Wyoming | 8.4 | 2,510 | 299 | 28% | 7,419 to 9,697 | 205.3 | |
| 20 | String Lake Loop Trail | 6 | 3,486 | 581 | 42% | 6,886 to 9,750 | 204.5 | |
| 21 | Arizona Creek TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 7.7 | 2,533 | 329 | 39% | 6,904 to 9,184 | 197.5 | |
| 22 | Static Peak DivideNorthwestern Wyoming | 5.6 | 2,921 | 522 | 34% | 7,876 to 10,792 | 180.9 | |
| 23 | North Fork Cascade CanyonNorthwestern Wyoming | 4.9 | 2,775 | 566 | 42% | 7,857 to 10,626 | 164.9 | |
| 24 | Garnet Canyon Trail | 4.1 | 2,804 | 684 | 56% | 6,724 to 9,091 | 151.6 |
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 Teton National Park" here means the 131 trails in Grand Teton National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Grand Teton 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 Owl Creek Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.