The hardest hikes in Texas, by the numbers
Of the 84 trails in Texas in our dataset, 15 (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; all 15 are listed here, highest rating first.
Guadalupe Ridge Trail (GRT): Guadalupe NP Segment leads with 4,857 ft of gain over 26.3 miles, 185 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 29 percent.
Across the 15, gain runs from 1,945 to 4,857 ft and distance from 4.2 miles to 26.3 miles; the median gain is 2,565 ft and the median distance 11.5 miles.
10 of the 15 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (2) or out-and-back (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Ridge Trail (GRT): Guadalupe NP SegmentGuadalupe Mountains NP | 26.3 | 4,857 | 185 | 29% | 5,020 to 8,665 | 505.4 | |
| 2 | Chisos Mountain LoopBig Bend NP | 16.8 | 3,328 | 198 | 33% | 5,364 to 7,740 | 334.4 | |
| 3 | Bush Mountain TrailGuadalupe Mountains NP | 11.9 | 3,550 | 298 | 47% | 6,242 to 8,600 | 290.7 | |
| 4 | Guadalupe Ridge Trail (GRT): Lincoln NF SegmentGuadalupe Mountains NP | 20.1 | 2,054 | 102 | 26% | 5,860 to 7,397 | 287.4 | |
| 5 | McKittrick Canyon TrailGuadalupe Mountains NP | 11 | 3,200 | 291 | 51% | 5,011 to 7,813 | 265.3 | |
| 6 | Tejas TrailGuadalupe Mountains NP | 12.1 | 2,678 | 221 | 37% | 5,855 to 7,883 | 254.6 | |
| 7 | Marufo Vega TrailBig Bend NP | 13.2 | 2,315 | 175 | 47% | 1,801 to 2,819 | 247.2 | |
| 8 | Elephant Tusk TrailBig Bend NP | 9.7 | 2,491 | 257 | 16% | 2,543 to 4,880 | 219.8 | |
| 9 | Emory PeakBig Bend NP | 9.8 | 2,427 | 248 | 38% | 5,364 to 7,745 | 218.1 | |
| 10 | South Rim TrailBig Bend NP | 11.6 | 1,984 | 171 | 29% | 5,364 to 7,255 | 214.5 | |
| 11 | Dodson TrailBig Bend NP | 11.5 | 1,945 | 169 | 31% | 3,809 to 5,266 | 211.5 | |
| 12 | The Bowl LoopGuadalupe Mountains NP | 8.6 | 2,565 | 298 | 67% | 5,744 to 8,252 | 210 | |
| 13 | El Capitan TrailGuadalupe Mountains NP | 9.4 | 2,150 | 229 | 23% | 4,983 to 6,464 | 201 | |
| 14 | Blue Creek Canyon TrailBig Bend NP | 5.7 | 2,620 | 460 | 32% | 4,172 to 6,765 | 172.8 | |
| 15 | Guadalupe Peak TrailGuadalupe Mountains NP | 4.2 | 2,923 | 696 | 44% | 5,853 to 8,744 | 156.7 |
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 "Texas" here means the 84 trails in Texas in our dataset, not every trail in Texas.
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 Guadalupe Ridge Trail (GRT): Guadalupe NP Segment.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.