Which is harder, CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route or Pacific Northwest Trail 03 Washington?

Pacific Northwest Trail 03 Washington is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (855 mi (1,376 km), 45,787 ft (13,956 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

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CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route vs Pacific Northwest Trail 03 Washington

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

Units

	CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route	Pacific Northwest Trail 03 Washington
Distance	25 mi41 km	855 mi1,376 km
Elevation gain	4,849 ft1,478 m	45,787 ft13,956 m
Typical duration	2 days	55 days
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Point-to-point
Network	Regional	National
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best from June to August	Best months: June, July, September
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route vs Pacific Northwest Trail 03 Washington: which should you hike?

At 855 mi1,376 km, Pacific Northwest Trail 03 Washington is the longer route — roughly 830 mi1,335 km more than CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route (25 mi41 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route 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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