Which is harder, CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route or Pinhoti Trail?

Pinhoti Trail is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (313 mi (504 km), 13,510 ft (4,118 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

Home › Trails › CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route vs Pinhoti Trail

CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route vs Pinhoti 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

	CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route	Pinhoti Trail
Distance	25 mi41 km	313 mi504 km
Elevation gain	4,849 ft1,478 m	13,510 ft4,118 m
Typical duration	2 days	20 days
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Point-to-point
Network	Regional	Regional
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best from June to August	Best from October to November
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

CDT hfqCT Cirque of the Towers Route vs Pinhoti Trail: which should you hike?

At 313 mi504 km, Pinhoti Trail is the longer route — roughly 288 mi463 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.

More comparisons