Trail Compass

Expert hiking trails

100 trails rated expert across the Trail Compass directory

Expert trails go beyond a typical day hike. Expect long mileage, big elevation, exposure, and sometimes route-finding or scrambling. These routes are most safely attempted by experienced backcountry travelers who plan carefully, watch the forecast, and know how to bail out. Many expert trails benefit from an alpine start — well before sunrise — and an honest assessment of the group's slowest member. Carry the Ten Essentials, file a plan with someone at home, and respect every closure or weather advisory.

All expert trails

TrailParkStateLengthElevation
Precipice Trail Acadia National Park Maine 2.1 mi 1,000 ft
Under-the-Rim Trail Bryce Canyon National Park Utah 23 mi 3,500 ft
Pitamakan-Dawson Loop Glacier National Park Montana 18.8 mi 3,300 ft
North Kaibab Trail to Roaring Springs Grand Canyon National Park Arizona 9.4 mi 3,050 ft
Rim-to-Rim Grand Canyon National Park Arizona 23.5 mi 5,800 ft
Death Canyon to Static Peak Grand Teton National Park Wyoming 16.5 mi 5,100 ft
Wonderland Trail (full circuit) Mount Rainier National Park Washington 93 mi 22,000 ft
Longs Peak via Keyhole Route Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado 14.5 mi 5,100 ft
Mount Whitney Trail Sequoia National Park California 22 mi 6,100 ft
Bechler River Trail Yellowstone National Park Wyoming 31 mi 1,800 ft
Half Dome via Mist Trail Yosemite National Park California 14.2 mi 4,800 ft
West Rim Trail Zion National Park Utah 14.5 mi 3,300 ft
Los Trancos Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.8 mi 1,604 ft
Hansville Greenway Point No Point Loop OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.9 mi 1,487 ft
Sid Knutson Puget Sound to Hood Canal Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.4 mi 2,234 ft
Lake Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.3 mi 1,463 ft
Quinnipiac Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.8 mi 603 ft
Long Pond Nature Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18 mi 2,275 ft
Bear Hill Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.4 mi 777 ft
Bay Circuit Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.8 mi 1,121 ft
Cross Fells Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.1 mi 1,190 ft
Panther Cave Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.8 mi 2,101 ft
Fells Path OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.7 mi 1,718 ft
Long Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 271.97 mi 775 ft
Tailrace Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.5 mi 1,959 ft
Metacomet Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12 mi 365 ft
Siamese Twins Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16 mi 288 ft
Konza Prairie Nature Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.2 mi 2,139 ft
Long Path OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 215.77 mi 227 ft
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 3,099.4 mi 1,443 ft
CDT hjf Sweetwater River Route OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.4 mi 990 ft
Mid-State Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 318.76 mi 1,871 ft
Bear Meadows Loop OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.5 mi 1,283 ft
Greenwood Spur OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.6 mi 2,456 ft
Historic Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.9 mi 2,296 ft
Crystal Spring Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.8 mi 671 ft
Chilkoot Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 32.93 mi 1,509 ft
Pine Grove Path OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.1 mi 1,182 ft
John Muir Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 213.69 mi 2,138 ft
PCT - California Section A OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.7 mi 1,280 ft
PCT - Oregon Section C OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.6 mi 1,638 ft
PCT - Oregon Section D OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.5 mi 2,454 ft
PCT - Oregon Section F OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.9 mi 1,493 ft
Columbus People Trails OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.4 mi 1,977 ft
PCT - Washington Section H OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 15.3 mi 2,430 ft
Sheridan - Two Ocean - Togwotee CDT Alternate OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.2 mi 2,470 ft
CDT hje Riverview Road Alternate OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.4 mi 527 ft
Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.1 mi 739 ft
Mountains-to-Sea Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17 mi 1,258 ft
Sierra Vista Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.4 mi 1,545 ft
Rim Trail (105) OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.4 mi 678 ft
Shut-in Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.9 mi 535 ft
Horse-Shoe Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 142.92 mi 2,459 ft
Superior Hiking Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 170.88 mi 1,975 ft
Snake Bight Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.4 mi 2,030 ft
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (right bank) OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.6 mi 2,407 ft
Rainbow Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.6 mi 1,751 ft
Pinhoti Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 15.9 mi 1,346 ft
Gerber Green Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16 mi 1,988 ft
Seneca Creek Greenway OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.9 mi 790 ft
Swan Creek Greenway Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.2 mi 1,058 ft
Crescent Trail (Yellow Blazes) OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.1 mi 2,206 ft
Crescent Trail (White Blazes) OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.3 mi 1,889 ft
Crescent Trail (Blue Blazes) OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.8 mi 2,480 ft
Crescent Trail (Red Blazes) OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.7 mi 520 ft
Crescent Trail (Blue Blazes) OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 15 mi 278 ft
Traverler Mountain Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.1 mi 2,073 ft
Hamburg Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.8 mi 1,363 ft
Hiking Club Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.3 mi 686 ft
Mason-Dixon Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.7 mi 1,561 ft
Camp OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.3 mi 2,054 ft
Lime Creek Conservation Area Trail Network OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.6 mi 892 ft
East Coast Greenway OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.5 mi 368 ft
Appalachian Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.2 mi 1,260 ft
Nature Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.6 mi 977 ft
Lynx Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.5 mi 684 ft
Chatfield Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.9 mi 993 ft
Stansbury Island Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.3 mi 2,357 ft
Riverwalk OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.4 mi 344 ft
Willmar Walks OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.5 mi 214 ft
Wadleigh Brook Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.2 mi 885 ft
Rockburn Branch Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 18.9 mi 233 ft
Morning Choice Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.8 mi 978 ft
4T Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.3 mi 2,120 ft
Robert Frost Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13.2 mi 569 ft
East Coast Greenway OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.6 mi 926 ft
Nature Loop Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 19.8 mi 2,231 ft
Bizz Johnson Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 15.8 mi 1,137 ft
South Sister Climber Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.7 mi 524 ft
Lake Loop OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 15.6 mi 424 ft
Town of Bethlehem Water Pipeline Path OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 16.2 mi 2,143 ft
Horse Mountain Creek Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 20 mi 2,150 ft
High Country Pathway OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 13 mi 802 ft
Blue Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.3 mi 1,889 ft
Purple Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.8 mi 668 ft
Yellow Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.9 mi 1,121 ft
Red Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 17.7 mi 1,939 ft
Sierra Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 14.2 mi 688 ft
White Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 12.8 mi 1,930 ft
Orange Trail OpenStreetMap Hiking Routes (US) National 15.7 mi 1,181 ft