The hardest hikes in Washington, by the numbers
Of the 548 trails in Washington in our dataset, 179 (33 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.
North Fork Skokomish River Trail leads with 12,852 ft of gain over 16.9 miles, 760 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 77 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 3,796 to 12,852 ft and distance from 10.1 miles to 26.7 miles; the median gain is 6,777 ft and the median distance 16.9 miles.
14 of the 25 are out-and-back routes; the rest are point-to-point (11).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Fork Skokomish River TrailOlympic NP | 16.9 | 12,852 | 760 | 77% | 1,402 to 5,932 | 659.1 | |
| 2 | Elwha River TrailOlympic NP | 17.1 | 12,635 | 739 | 93% | 1,430 to 5,247 | 657.4 | |
| 3 | Bogachiel River TrailOlympic NP | 14.5 | 12,135 | 837 | 74% | 812 to 4,371 | 593.2 | |
| 4 | WonderlandMount Rainier NP | 13.7 | 11,915 | 870 | 96% | 3,600 to 7,208 | 571.4 | |
| 5 | Barnes Creek TrailOlympic NP | 14.7 | 9,849 | 670 | 584 to 4,683 | 538.1 | ||
| 6 | WonderlandMount Rainier NP | 13.7 | 10,195 | 744 | 93% | 4,868 to 7,597 | 528.5 | |
| 7 | Bogachiel River TrailOlympic Peninsula | 23.9 | 5,643 | 236 | 25% | 411 to 4,267 | 519.4 | |
| 8 | Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail | 23.3 | 5,688 | 244 | 35% | 56 to 1,631 | 514.8 | |
| 9 | Devils Ridge TrailNorth Cascades NP | 19.4 | 6,796 | 350 | 42% | 1,922 to 6,936 | 513.5 | |
| 10 | Gray Wolf TrailOlympic Peninsula | 21.1 | 6,116 | 290 | 50% | 977 to 6,131 | 508 | |
| 11 | Skyline Ridge TrailOlympic NP | 20.3 | 6,267 | 309 | 59% | 3,134 to 5,296 | 504.4 | |
| 12 | Grand Pass TrailOlympic NP | 11.7 | 10,864 | 929 | 95% | 3,844 to 6,684 | 504.2 | |
| 13 | Thunder Creek TrailNorth Cascades NP | 18.9 | 5,811 | 307 | 43% | 1,230 to 6,102 | 468.7 | |
| 14 | Northern LoopMount Rainier NP | 16 | 6,777 | 424 | 73% | 2,913 to 6,403 | 465.7 | |
| 15 | Elwha River TrailOlympic NP | 26.7 | 3,922 | 147 | 32% | 1,104 to 3,638 | 457.6 | |
| 16 | Upper Little Jack Trail | 13.6 | 7,681 | 565 | 1,553 to 6,308 | 457.1 | ||
| 17 | Jackita Ridge TrailNorth Cascades | 14.1 | 7,159 | 508 | 72% | 2,013 to 6,845 | 449.3 | |
| 18 | Olympic Discovery Trail Adventure Route (aka the OAT)Olympic Peninsula | 25.9 | 3,796 | 147 | 33% | 421 to 1,448 | 443.4 | |
| 19 | Enchantments TraverseNorth Cascades | 19.1 | 4,556 | 239 | 50% | 1,319 to 7,795 | 417.2 | |
| 20 | Mount Zion | 12.3 | 6,946 | 565 | 58% | 1,591 to 4,244 | 413.4 | |
| 21 | Hoh River TrailOlympic NP | 17.1 | 4,897 | 286 | 32% | 681 to 5,089 | 409.2 | |
| 22 | Thompson Lake via Mount DefianceNorth Cascades | 16.1 | 5,068 | 315 | 52% | 2,209 to 5,491 | 404 | |
| 23 | Klapatche ParkMount Rainier NP | 17.8 | 4,505 | 253 | 43% | 2,904 to 5,966 | 400.5 | |
| 24 | Mount Adams South Climb (Lunch Counter Approach)Southwest Washington | 11.8 | 6,687 | 567 | 96% | 5,563 to 12,237 | 397.3 | |
| 25 | Sourdough Mountain Trail | 10.1 | 7,602 | 753 | 82% | 881 to 6,009 | 391.9 |
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 "Washington" here means the 548 trails in Washington in our dataset, not every trail in Washington.
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 North Fork Skokomish River Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.