Which is harder, 4C National Recreation Trail or Mount Pilchuck Trail?

4C National Recreation Trail is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (20 mi (32 km), 581 ft (177 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

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4C National Recreation Trail vs Mount Pilchuck Trail

A side-by-side look at distance, elevation, difficulty and the best time to hike each — so you can pick the right route.

Units

	4C National Recreation Trail	Mount Pilchuck Trail
Distance	20 mi32 km	2.6 mi4 km
Elevation gain	581 ft177 m	2,100 ft640 m
Typical duration	2 days	1 day
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Point-to-point
Network	Regional	Local
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best months: February, October, November, December	Best from July to July
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

4C National Recreation Trail vs Mount Pilchuck Trail: which should you hike?

At 20 mi32 km, 4C National Recreation Trail is the longer route — roughly 17 mi28 km more than Mount Pilchuck Trail (2.6 mi4 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, Mount Pilchuck Trail is the gentler pick. Check the elevation and best-season rows above, then open each route for the full guide and a free GPX download.

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