The hardest hikes in Shenandoah National Park, by the numbers
Of the 169 trails in Shenandoah National Park in our dataset, 19 (11 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 19 are listed here, highest rating first.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail leads with 10,915 ft of gain over 26 miles, 420 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 38 percent.
Across the 19, gain runs from 1,816 to 10,915 ft and distance from 7.1 miles to 26 miles; the median gain is 2,586 ft and the median distance 10.3 miles.
10 of the 19 are loop routes; the rest are point-to-point (2) or out-and-back (7).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appalachian National Scenic Trail | 26 | 10,915 | 420 | 38% | 1,467 to 3,258 | 753.4 | |
| 2 | Appalachian National Scenic Trail | 22.1 | 10,137 | 459 | 44% | 1,392 to 3,317 | 669.4 | |
| 3 | Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail | 16 | 5,014 | 313 | 31% | 1,312 to 3,493 | 400.6 | |
| 4 | Sugar Hollow LoopCentral VA | 18.5 | 2,709 | 146 | 34% | 1,057 to 3,124 | 316.6 | |
| 5 | Whiteoak Canyon - Hawksbill Summit LoopShenandoah Valley | 13.6 | 3,652 | 269 | 48% | 1,165 to 4,038 | 315.2 | |
| 6 | Graves Mill Trail | 12.2 | 3,774 | 309 | 38% | 928 to 3,362 | 303.5 | |
| 7 | Appalachian National Scenic Trail | 8.5 | 4,429 | 521 | 56% | 1,611 to 3,114 | 274.4 | |
| 8 | Neighbor Mountain - Jeremys Run LoopShenandoah Valley | 14 | 2,503 | 179 | 36% | 1,143 to 2,790 | 264.7 | |
| 9 | Furnace Mountain-Austin Mountain LoopShenandoah Valley | 13.2 | 2,586 | 196 | 27% | 1,425 to 3,204 | 261.3 | |
| 10 | Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail | 8.7 | 2,796 | 321 | 71% | 2,693 to 3,975 | 220.6 | |
| 11 | Nicholson HollowShenandoah Valley | 11.6 | 2,092 | 180 | 23% | 993 to 3,083 | 220.3 | |
| 12 | Dickey Ridge TrailShenandoah Valley | 9.2 | 2,599 | 283 | 22% | 610 to 2,570 | 218.7 | |
| 13 | Trayfoot / Blackrock Mountain LoopShenandoah Valley | 10.3 | 2,075 | 201 | 31% | 1,453 to 3,370 | 206.7 | |
| 14 | Old Rag LoopShenandoah Valley | 8.9 | 2,362 | 265 | 27% | 859 to 3,221 | 205 | |
| 15 | Big Run PortalShenandoah Valley | 9.8 | 2,110 | 215 | 36% | 1,283 to 2,839 | 203.4 | |
| 16 | Riprap HollowShenandoah Valley | 9.7 | 1,949 | 201 | 18% | 1,695 to 3,012 | 194.4 | |
| 17 | Whiteoak Canyon to Cedar Run LoopShenandoah Valley | 8.2 | 2,255 | 275 | 47% | 1,191 to 3,385 | 192.3 | |
| 18 | Doyles and Jones Falls LoopShenandoah Valley | 9.6 | 1,816 | 189 | 68% | 1,577 to 2,939 | 186.7 | |
| 19 | Appalachian National Scenic Trail | 7.1 | 2,427 | 342 | 44% | 2,344 to 3,421 | 185.6 |
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 169 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 National Scenic Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.