The hardest hikes in Virginia, by the numbers
Of the 346 trails in Virginia in our dataset, 59 (17 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 2,503 to 10,915 ft and distance from 8.5 miles to 27.1 miles; the median gain is 4,308 ft and the median distance 13.8 miles.
8 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (8) or out-and-back (1).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appalachian TrailShenandoah NP | 26 | 10,915 | 420 | 38% | 1,467 to 3,258 | 753.4 | |
| 2 | Appalachian TrailShenandoah NP | 22.1 | 10,137 | 459 | 44% | 1,392 to 3,317 | 669.4 | |
| 3 | Hazel Mountain TrailShenandoah NP | 21.1 | 8,641 | 410 | 32% | 1,030 to 3,281 | 603.9 | |
| 4 | Patterson Ridge TrailShenandoah NP | 19 | 9,104 | 479 | 40% | 1,369 to 2,922 | 588.2 | |
| 5 | Wild Oak TrailShenandoah Valley | 27.1 | 6,003 | 222 | 74% | 1,603 to 4,333 | 570.4 | |
| 6 | Brown Mountain TrailShenandoah NP | 17.5 | 8,188 | 468 | 45% | 1,114 to 2,906 | 535.3 | |
| 7 | Skyland Stable TrailShenandoah NP | 16.9 | 6,378 | 377 | 71% | 2,293 to 3,999 | 464.3 | |
| 8 | Springhouse TrailShenandoah NP | 15.6 | 5,552 | 356 | 39% | 1,469 to 2,472 | 416.2 | |
| 9 | Pine Hill Gap TrailShenandoah NP | 13.8 | 6,166 | 447 | 48% | 924 to 3,015 | 412.5 | |
| 10 | Skyland-Big Meadows Horse TrailShenandoah NP | 16 | 5,014 | 313 | 31% | 1,312 to 3,493 | 400.6 | |
| 11 | North Fork Moormans River TrailShenandoah NP | 12 | 4,308 | 359 | 51% | 979 to 2,706 | 321.5 | |
| 12 | Sugar Hollow LoopShenandoah NP | 18.5 | 2,709 | 146 | 34% | 1,057 to 3,124 | 316.6 | |
| 13 | Whiteoak CanyonShenandoah NP | 13.6 | 3,652 | 269 | 48% | 1,165 to 4,038 | 315.2 | |
| 14 | Rocky Branch TrailShenandoah NP | 13.3 | 3,702 | 278 | 28% | 1,281 to 2,851 | 313.8 | |
| 15 | Whiteoak Canyon TrailShenandoah NP | 10.1 | 4,821 | 477 | 38% | 1,031 to 3,462 | 312.1 | |
| 16 | Three Ridges Loop TrailShenandoah Valley | 13.4 | 3,565 | 266 | 38% | 1,876 to 3,970 | 309.1 | |
| 17 | Graves Mill TrailShenandoah NP | 12.2 | 3,774 | 309 | 38% | 928 to 3,362 | 303.5 | |
| 18 | Ramsey's Draft LoopShenandoah Valley | 16.3 | 2,633 | 162 | 25% | 2,299 to 4,124 | 293 | |
| 19 | South River Falls TrailShenandoah NP | 10.6 | 3,762 | 355 | 49% | 2,334 to 3,583 | 282.4 | |
| 20 | Appalachian TrailShenandoah NP | 8.5 | 4,429 | 521 | 56% | 1,611 to 3,114 | 274.4 | |
| 21 | North Mountain TrailSouthwestern Virginia | 13.7 | 2,696 | 197 | 31% | 1,750 to 3,051 | 271.8 | |
| 22 | Massanutten | 10.2 | 3,613 | 354 | 64% | 629 to 2,002 | 271.5 | |
| 23 | Neighbor MountainShenandoah NP | 14 | 2,503 | 179 | 36% | 1,143 to 2,790 | 264.7 | |
| 24 | Furnace MountainShenandoah NP | 13.2 | 2,586 | 196 | 27% | 1,425 to 3,204 | 261.3 | |
| 25 | Rose River Loop TrailShenandoah NP | 9.7 | 3,416 | 352 | 40% | 2,183 to 3,589 | 257.4 |
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 "Virginia" here means the 346 trails in Virginia in our dataset, not every trail in Virginia.
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 states in our dataset.