The hardest hikes in Yosemite National Park, by the numbers
Of the 252 trails in Yosemite National Park in our dataset, 55 (22 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.
Hetch Hetchy Loop leads with 5,499 ft of gain over 27.7 miles, 199 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 52 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 2,547 to 7,587 ft and distance from 6.6 miles to 27.7 miles; the median gain is 3,990 ft and the median distance 12.9 miles.
18 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (1) or out-and-back (5).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hetch Hetchy LoopHigh Sierra | 27.7 | 5,499 | 199 | 52% | 3,777 to 7,615 | 551.9 | |
| 2 | Happy Isles to Tuolomne MeadowsHigh Sierra | 22.5 | 6,717 | 299 | 46% | 4,055 to 9,915 | 549.8 | |
| 3 | John Muir Trail | 18.9 | 7,587 | 401 | 58% | 6,112 to 10,311 | 535.5 | |
| 4 | Pacific Crest Trail | 20.4 | 5,707 | 280 | 48% | 8,578 to 11,660 | 482.5 | |
| 5 | Happy Isles to Clouds RestHigh Sierra | 18.3 | 5,782 | 316 | 62% | 4,047 to 9,729 | 460 | |
| 6 | Rancheria Falls TrailHigh Sierra | 17.9 | 5,903 | 330 | 40% | 4,655 to 9,477 | 459.7 | |
| 7 | Kibbie Ridge TrailHigh Sierra | 20 | 3,770 | 189 | 42% | 5,007 to 7,903 | 388.3 | |
| 8 | North DomeHigh Sierra | 15.5 | 4,760 | 307 | 53% | 4,030 to 7,600 | 384.1 | |
| 9 | Half DomeHigh Sierra | 14.5 | 4,457 | 307 | 54% | 4,083 to 8,476 | 359.5 | |
| 10 | Grand Canyon of the TuolumneHigh Sierra | 16.5 | 3,905 | 237 | 51% | 4,248 to 7,482 | 359 | |
| 11 | Pohono TrailHigh Sierra | 12.9 | 4,736 | 367 | 36% | 4,424 to 7,753 | 349.6 | |
| 12 | Yosemite Valley TraverseHigh Sierra | 13.1 | 3,990 | 305 | 52% | 3,988 to 7,255 | 323.3 | |
| 13 | Isberg Pass | 11.1 | 4,648 | 419 | 55% | 8,669 to 10,981 | 321.2 | |
| 14 | High Sierra CampHigh Sierra | 19.8 | 2,547 | 129 | 29% | 7,897 to 9,376 | 317.6 | |
| 15 | Pleasant Valley TrailHigh Sierra | 9.7 | 4,876 | 503 | 47% | 4,365 to 8,055 | 307.6 | |
| 16 | Red Peak Pass | 11.4 | 3,862 | 339 | 56% | 8,942 to 11,223 | 296.7 | |
| 17 | Eagle PeakHigh Sierra | 11 | 3,840 | 349 | 53% | 4,035 to 7,704 | 290.7 | |
| 18 | Mule Pass TrailHigh Sierra | 12.2 | 3,256 | 267 | 53% | 8,500 to 10,640 | 281.9 | |
| 19 | Tuolumne Peak TrailHigh Sierra | 12 | 3,294 | 275 | 34% | 8,338 to 9,891 | 281.2 | |
| 20 | Buena Vista TrailHigh Sierra | 11.1 | 3,255 | 293 | 33% | 6,086 to 9,022 | 268.8 | |
| 21 | Merced River ShelfHigh Sierra | 10.4 | 3,085 | 297 | 40% | 8,729 to 10,032 | 253.3 | |
| 22 | Merced River ValleyHigh Sierra | 11.8 | 2,686 | 228 | 36% | 7,298 to 9,893 | 251.8 | |
| 23 | Red Peak PassHigh Sierra | 11.1 | 2,637 | 238 | 50% | 8,928 to 11,155 | 242 | |
| 24 | Valley Loop Trail | 6.6 | 4,109 | 623 | 64% | 3,954 to 7,354 | 232.9 | |
| 25 | Upper Yosemite FallsHigh Sierra | 8 | 3,374 | 422 | 51% | 4,035 to 6,939 | 232.3 |
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 "Yosemite National Park" here means the 252 trails in Yosemite National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Yosemite 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 Hetch Hetchy Loop.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.