The hardest hikes in Mount Rainier National Park, by the numbers
Of the 102 trails in Mount Rainier National Park in our dataset, 30 (29 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.
Northern Loop leads with 6,777 ft of gain over 16 miles, 424 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 73 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 1,790 to 6,777 ft and distance from 3.7 miles to 17.8 miles; the median gain is 3,472 ft and the median distance 10.7 miles.
12 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (12) or loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern LoopSouthwest Washington | 16 | 6,777 | 424 | 73% | 2,913 to 6,403 | 465.7 | |
| 2 | Klapatche ParkSouthwest Washington | 17.8 | 4,505 | 253 | 43% | 2,904 to 5,966 | 400.5 | |
| 3 | Spray Park LoopSouthwest Washington | 15.9 | 4,688 | 295 | 52% | 2,474 to 6,364 | 386.1 | |
| 4 | Indian BarSouthwest Washington | 14.4 | 4,080 | 283 | 44% | 3,064 to 5,868 | 342.8 | |
| 5 | Echo Rock and Observation RockSouthwest Washington | 12.4 | 4,289 | 346 | 59% | 4,727 to 8,322 | 326.1 | |
| 6 | Emerald RidgeSouthwest Washington | 13.8 | 3,314 | 240 | 48% | 2,905 to 5,615 | 302.4 | |
| 7 | Wonderland | 13.7 | 3,314 | 242 | 93% | 4,578 to 6,734 | 301.3 | |
| 8 | Wonderland | 13.7 | 3,221 | 235 | 96% | 3,870 to 6,798 | 297.1 | |
| 9 | Indian Henry's Hunting GroundSouthwest Washington | 13.2 | 3,316 | 251 | 33% | 2,796 to 5,356 | 295.9 | |
| 10 | Camp MuirSouthwest Washington | 8.8 | 4,594 | 522 | 38% | 5,460 to 10,054 | 284.3 | |
| 11 | Wonderland | 7.7 | 5,119 | 665 | 47% | 2,525 to 6,561 | 280.8 | |
| 12 | Indian Henry's Hunting GroundSouthwest Washington | 11.1 | 3,472 | 313 | 45% | 2,416 to 5,596 | 277.6 | |
| 13 | Three LakesSouthwest Washington | 12.1 | 3,031 | 250 | 39% | 2,079 to 4,851 | 270.8 | |
| 14 | Carbon GlacierSouthwest Washington | 17.2 | 1,790 | 104 | 23% | 1,773 to 3,474 | 248.1 | |
| 15 | Spray-Seattle Park Trail | 6.8 | 4,483 | 659 | 2,829 to 6,653 | 246.9 | ||
| 16 | Dewey Lake Way | 7.9 | 3,692 | 467 | 70% | 3,625 to 5,807 | 241.5 | |
| 17 | Laughingwater Creek TrailSouthwest Washington | 7.5 | 3,888 | 518 | 46% | 2,091 to 5,668 | 241.5 | |
| 18 | Gobblers Knob / Lake GeorgeSouthwest Washington | 10.7 | 2,466 | 230 | 45% | 2,899 to 5,340 | 229.7 | |
| 19 | Shriner PeakSouthwest Washington | 7.9 | 3,258 | 412 | 38% | 2,484 to 5,742 | 226.9 | |
| 20 | Spray-Seattle ParkSouthwest Washington | 7.2 | 3,423 | 475 | 48% | 3,233 to 6,369 | 222 | |
| 21 | Kautz Creek | 5.3 | 3,989 | 753 | 2,307 to 5,983 | 205.6 | ||
| 22 | Owyhigh Lakes TrailSouthwest Washington | 8.4 | 2,458 | 293 | 37% | 2,930 to 5,353 | 203.2 | |
| 23 | Eagle PeakSouthwest Washington | 6.7 | 2,880 | 430 | 42% | 2,818 to 5,689 | 196.4 | |
| 24 | Wonderland | 3.7 | 4,887 | 1,321 | 2,954 to 6,592 | 190.2 | ||
| 25 | Westside RoadSouthwest Washington | 8.8 | 1,876 | 213 | 14% | 2,886 to 4,106 | 181.7 |
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 "Mount Rainier National Park" here means the 102 trails in Mount Rainier National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Mount Rainier 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 Northern Loop.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.