The hardest hikes in North Cascades National Park, by the numbers
Of the 46 trails in North Cascades National Park in our dataset, 20 (43 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 20 are listed here, highest rating first.
Devils Ridge Trail leads with 6,796 ft of gain over 19.4 miles, 350 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 42 percent.
Across the 20, gain runs from 1,906 to 6,796 ft and distance from 4 miles to 19.4 miles; the median gain is 3,904 ft and the median distance 9 miles.
17 of the 20 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Devils Ridge TrailNorth Cascades | 19.4 | 6,796 | 350 | 42% | 1,922 to 6,936 | 513.5 | |
| 2 | Thunder Creek TrailNorth Cascades | 18.9 | 5,811 | 307 | 43% | 1,230 to 6,102 | 468.7 | |
| 3 | Chelan Lake ShoreNorth Cascades | 17.2 | 3,259 | 189 | 45% | 1,114 to 1,753 | 334.8 | |
| 4 | Sourdough Mountain TrailNorth Cascades | 9.2 | 5,199 | 565 | 61% | 896 to 5,971 | 309.3 | |
| 5 | Purple CreekNorth Cascades | 8.1 | 5,626 | 695 | 30% | 1,355 to 6,951 | 301.9 | |
| 6 | Cascade Pass to Sahale ArmNorth Cascades | 11.5 | 3,873 | 337 | 63% | 3,669 to 7,541 | 298.5 | |
| 7 | Fisher Creek TrailNorth Cascades | 10.3 | 3,736 | 363 | 41% | 3,068 to 6,563 | 277.4 | |
| 8 | Rainbow CreekNorth Cascades | 8.2 | 4,414 | 538 | 32% | 2,154 to 5,989 | 269.1 | |
| 9 | Baker Lake TrailNorth Cascades | 12.4 | 2,424 | 195 | 49% | 733 to 1,545 | 245.2 | |
| 10 | Cascade Pass TrailNorth Cascades | 15.4 | 1,906 | 124 | 25% | 2,133 to 5,366 | 242.3 | |
| 11 | Thornton LakesNorth Cascades | 9.5 | 3,067 | 323 | 58% | 2,499 to 5,018 | 241.4 | |
| 12 | Hannegan Pass TrailNorth Cascades | 11.8 | 2,427 | 206 | 25% | 2,555 to 5,046 | 239.3 | |
| 13 | McGregor MountainNorth Cascades | 5 | 5,533 | 1,107 | 86% | 2,144 to 7,660 | 235.2 | |
| 14 | Fourth of July-Panther CreekNorth Cascades | 8.8 | 2,998 | 341 | 54% | 1,457 to 3,630 | 229.7 | |
| 15 | Desolation Peak TrailNorth Cascades | 4.6 | 4,528 | 984 | 50% | 1,660 to 6,084 | 204.1 | |
| 16 | Lookout Mountain TrailNorth Cascades | 4.4 | 4,378 | 995 | 51% | 1,308 to 5,683 | 196.3 | |
| 17 | Monogram LakeNorth Cascades | 4.6 | 3,982 | 866 | 63% | 1,330 to 5,306 | 191.4 | |
| 18 | Little Jack Mountain TrailNorth Cascades | 4 | 3,935 | 984 | 45% | 2,010 to 5,896 | 177.4 | |
| 19 | Depot Creek Trail | 4.7 | 2,949 | 627 | 68% | 2,724 to 5,726 | 166.5 | |
| 20 | McAlester CreekNorth Cascades | 5.5 | 2,448 | 445 | 30% | 3,746 to 5,976 | 164.1 |
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 "North Cascades National Park" here means the 46 trails in North Cascades National Park in our dataset, not every trail in North Cascades 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 Devils Ridge Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.