The hardest hikes in Shenandoah National Park, by the numbers
Of the 221 trails in Shenandoah National Park in our dataset, 39 (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; these are the 25 with the highest rating.
Appalachian Trail leads with 10,915 ft of gain over 26 miles, 420 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 38 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 2,092 to 10,915 ft and distance from 6.5 miles to 26 miles; the median gain is 3,774 ft and the median distance 13.3 miles.
8 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (5) or out-and-back (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appalachian Trail | 26 | 10,915 | 420 | 38% | 1,467 to 3,258 | 753.4 | |
| 2 | Appalachian Trail | 22.1 | 10,137 | 459 | 44% | 1,392 to 3,317 | 669.4 | |
| 3 | Hazel Mountain Trail | 21.1 | 8,641 | 410 | 32% | 1,030 to 3,281 | 603.9 | |
| 4 | Patterson Ridge Trail | 19 | 9,104 | 479 | 40% | 1,369 to 2,922 | 588.2 | |
| 5 | Brown Mountain Trail | 17.5 | 8,188 | 468 | 45% | 1,114 to 2,906 | 535.3 | |
| 6 | Skyland Stable Trail | 16.9 | 6,378 | 377 | 71% | 2,293 to 3,999 | 464.3 | |
| 7 | Springhouse Trail | 15.6 | 5,552 | 356 | 39% | 1,469 to 2,472 | 416.2 | |
| 8 | Pine Hill Gap Trail | 13.8 | 6,166 | 447 | 48% | 924 to 3,015 | 412.5 | |
| 9 | Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail | 16 | 5,014 | 313 | 31% | 1,312 to 3,493 | 400.6 | |
| 10 | North Fork Moormans River Trail | 12 | 4,308 | 359 | 51% | 979 to 2,706 | 321.5 | |
| 11 | Sugar Hollow LoopCentral VA | 18.5 | 2,709 | 146 | 34% | 1,057 to 3,124 | 316.6 | |
| 12 | Whiteoak CanyonShenandoah Valley | 13.6 | 3,652 | 269 | 48% | 1,165 to 4,038 | 315.2 | |
| 13 | Rocky Branch Trail | 13.3 | 3,702 | 278 | 28% | 1,281 to 2,851 | 313.8 | |
| 14 | Whiteoak Canyon Trail | 10.1 | 4,821 | 477 | 38% | 1,031 to 3,462 | 312.1 | |
| 15 | Graves Mill Trail | 12.2 | 3,774 | 309 | 38% | 928 to 3,362 | 303.5 | |
| 16 | South River Falls Trail | 10.6 | 3,762 | 355 | 49% | 2,334 to 3,583 | 282.4 | |
| 17 | Appalachian Trail | 8.5 | 4,429 | 521 | 56% | 1,611 to 3,114 | 274.4 | |
| 18 | Neighbor MountainShenandoah Valley | 14 | 2,503 | 179 | 36% | 1,143 to 2,790 | 264.7 | |
| 19 | Furnace MountainShenandoah Valley | 13.2 | 2,586 | 196 | 27% | 1,425 to 3,204 | 261.3 | |
| 20 | Rose River Loop Trail | 9.7 | 3,416 | 352 | 40% | 2,183 to 3,589 | 257.4 | |
| 21 | Bluff Trail | 9.1 | 2,909 | 320 | 35% | 1,234 to 2,692 | 230.1 | |
| 22 | Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail | 8.7 | 2,796 | 321 | 71% | 2,693 to 3,975 | 220.6 | |
| 23 | Nicholson HollowShenandoah Valley | 11.6 | 2,092 | 180 | 23% | 993 to 3,083 | 220.3 | |
| 24 | Dickey Ridge TrailShenandoah Valley | 9.2 | 2,599 | 283 | 22% | 610 to 2,570 | 218.7 | |
| 25 | Broad Hollow Trail | 6.5 | 3,380 | 520 | 34% | 1,051 to 2,713 | 209.6 |
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 "Shenandoah National Park" here means the 221 trails in Shenandoah National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Shenandoah 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 Appalachian Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.