The hardest hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, by the numbers
Of the 207 trails in Rocky Mountain National Park in our dataset, 41 (20 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.
Grand Lake to Bowen Gulch leads with 4,411 ft of gain over 28.3 miles, 156 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 33 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 2,231 to 7,004 ft and distance from 5.4 miles to 28.3 miles; the median gain is 4,100 ft and the median distance 9.9 miles.
17 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (5) or out-and-back (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Lake to Bowen GulchCentral Rockies | 28.3 | 4,411 | 156 | 33% | 8,377 to 12,209 | 499.7 | |
| 2 | Longs Peak Valley LoopFront Range | 23.2 | 5,129 | 221 | 71% | 8,551 to 12,060 | 487.8 | |
| 3 | Mummy Kill RouteFront Range | 16.7 | 7,004 | 419 | 51% | 8,568 to 13,350 | 483.7 | |
| 4 | North Inlet / Tonohutu Creek LoopCentral Rockies | 26.6 | 3,911 | 147 | 34% | 8,485 to 12,208 | 456.1 | |
| 5 | Baker Gulch to Bowen LakeFront Range | 19.9 | 4,483 | 225 | 41% | 8,844 to 12,113 | 422.4 | |
| 6 | Bowen Gulch to Willow Creek PassFront Range | 19.7 | 4,207 | 214 | 29% | 8,764 to 11,435 | 407.1 | |
| 7 | Longs Peak - Keyhole RouteFront Range | 14 | 5,241 | 374 | 61% | 9,404 to 14,196 | 383.1 | |
| 8 | Lower Cow Creek Trail | 8.3 | 6,679 | 805 | 75% | 7,838 to 11,823 | 333 | |
| 9 | Old Entrance Livery Trails | 12.4 | 4,114 | 332 | 38% | 8,394 to 11,148 | 319.4 | |
| 10 | Tonohutu Creek TrailCentral Rockies | 13.8 | 3,681 | 267 | 28% | 8,569 to 12,207 | 318.7 | |
| 11 | Dream Lake - Lake Haiyaha Trail | 10.5 | 4,773 | 455 | 49% | 8,545 to 10,810 | 316.6 | |
| 12 | North Inlet TrailCentral Rockies | 12.7 | 3,749 | 295 | 35% | 8,485 to 12,139 | 308.6 | |
| 13 | Upper Crystal Lake Trail | 7.5 | 5,703 | 760 | 89% | 8,532 to 13,290 | 292.5 | |
| 14 | Watanga Lake | 9.9 | 4,252 | 429 | 86% | 8,276 to 11,034 | 290.2 | |
| 15 | Beaver Meadows | 8.2 | 5,010 | 611 | 8,140 to 11,672 | 286.6 | ||
| 16 | North Boundary, Upper | 8.9 | 3,941 | 443 | 65% | 7,605 to 9,921 | 264.9 | |
| 17 | Lion Lake Junction | 9.7 | 3,556 | 367 | 57% | 9,063 to 11,781 | 262.7 | |
| 18 | Mount Ida | 8.1 | 4,100 | 506 | 75% | 10,597 to 12,468 | 257.7 | |
| 19 | Mount AliceFront Range | 9.2 | 3,387 | 368 | 73% | 10,029 to 13,228 | 249.6 | |
| 20 | Black Canyon TrailFront Range | 8.2 | 3,354 | 409 | 29% | 7,780 to 10,998 | 234.5 | |
| 21 | Lumpy Ridge LoopFront Range | 10.7 | 2,361 | 221 | 26% | 7,778 to 9,231 | 224.8 | |
| 22 | Lower East Inlet Trail | 8 | 3,063 | 383 | 39% | 8,475 to 10,676 | 221.4 | |
| 23 | Chasm LakeFront Range | 8.2 | 2,766 | 337 | 50% | 9,430 to 11,675 | 213 | |
| 24 | Mount IdaFront Range | 9.5 | 2,231 | 235 | 35% | 10,758 to 12,825 | 205.9 | |
| 25 | Eugenia Mine Trail | 5.4 | 3,534 | 654 | 54% | 9,640 to 12,834 | 195.4 |
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 "Rocky Mountain National Park" here means the 207 trails in Rocky Mountain National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Rocky Mountain 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 Grand Lake to Bowen Gulch.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.