The hardest hikes in Yellowstone National Park, by the numbers
Of the 328 trails in Yellowstone National Park in our dataset, 61 (19 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.
Specimen Ridge Trail leads with 7,069 ft of gain over 17.4 miles, 406 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 53 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 1,950 to 7,069 ft and distance from 7.6 miles to 25.3 miles; the median gain is 3,071 ft and the median distance 17.4 miles.
15 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (9) or loop (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specimen Ridge Trail | 17.4 | 7,069 | 406 | 53% | 6,229 to 9,241 | 496 | |
| 2 | Heart Lake / Mount SheridanNorthwestern Wyoming | 23.7 | 3,933 | 166 | 45% | 7,459 to 10,262 | 431.8 | |
| 3 | Sky Rim - WestSouthwestern Montana | 19.4 | 4,313 | 222 | 51% | 6,750 to 9,906 | 409.1 | |
| 4 | Buffalo Fork TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 22.8 | 3,566 | 156 | 30% | 6,461 to 9,639 | 403.2 | |
| 5 | Electric PeakNorthwestern Wyoming | 19 | 3,808 | 200 | 61% | 7,279 to 10,868 | 380.4 | |
| 6 | Slough Creek TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 25.3 | 2,676 | 106 | 21% | 6,281 to 8,514 | 368 | |
| 7 | Specimen RidgeNorthwestern Wyoming | 17.7 | 3,681 | 208 | 42% | 6,253 to 9,583 | 361 | |
| 8 | Cache Creek TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 16.7 | 3,713 | 222 | 37% | 6,859 to 9,982 | 352.2 | |
| 9 | Bliss PassNorthwestern Wyoming | 19.9 | 2,939 | 148 | 60% | 6,280 to 9,360 | 342 | |
| 10 | Sky Rim - EastSouthwestern Montana | 17.6 | 3,261 | 185 | 64% | 6,837 to 9,907 | 338.8 | |
| 11 | Mary Mountain-Nez Perce Trail | 20.1 | 2,281 | 113 | 29% | 7,264 to 8,423 | 302.8 | |
| 12 | Sportsman Lake TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 16 | 2,643 | 165 | 67% | 7,153 to 9,781 | 290.8 | |
| 13 | Bighorn Pass Trail | 13.7 | 3,071 | 224 | 44% | 7,284 to 9,351 | 290.1 | |
| 14 | Pelican Creek Trail | 16.9 | 2,396 | 142 | 33% | 7,843 to 9,301 | 284.6 | |
| 15 | Bighorn PassNorthwestern Wyoming | 20.1 | 1,950 | 97 | 26% | 7,218 to 9,075 | 280 | |
| 16 | South Boundary Trail: Harebell-Fox Creek Trail | 12.8 | 3,034 | 237 | 32% | 7,582 to 10,020 | 278.7 | |
| 17 | Fawn Pass TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 19.3 | 2,010 | 104 | 26% | 7,117 to 9,123 | 278.5 | |
| 18 | Lewis River Channel Trail | 15.4 | 2,488 | 162 | 24% | 7,781 to 8,525 | 276.8 | |
| 19 | Sky Rim Trail | 7.6 | 5,026 | 661 | 93% | 8,341 to 9,785 | 276.4 | |
| 20 | Sky Rim TrailSouthwestern Montana | 10.7 | 3,386 | 316 | 43% | 8,181 to 10,041 | 269.2 | |
| 21 | Hoodoo Basin TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 10 | 3,616 | 362 | 33% | 7,678 to 10,462 | 268.9 | |
| 22 | Hellroaring Creek TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 17.4 | 2,044 | 117 | 28% | 5,838 to 7,336 | 266.7 | |
| 23 | Mount Holmes-Winter Creek TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 11.2 | 3,154 | 282 | 27% | 7,324 to 10,329 | 265.8 | |
| 24 | Lamar River TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 16 | 2,170 | 136 | 26% | 6,680 to 7,327 | 263.5 | |
| 25 | Wapiti Lake TrailNorthwestern Wyoming | 17 | 1,959 | 115 | 22% | 7,732 to 8,992 | 258.1 |
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 "Yellowstone National Park" here means the 328 trails in Yellowstone National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Yellowstone 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 Specimen Ridge Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.