Which is harder, Chief Pontiac Trail Conventional Hike or Trans-Catalina Trail?

Trans-Catalina Trail is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (41 mi (66 km), 6,250 ft (1,905 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

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Chief Pontiac Trail Conventional Hike vs Trans-Catalina 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

	Chief Pontiac Trail Conventional Hike	Trans-Catalina Trail
Distance	16 mi26 km	41 mi66 km
Elevation gain	482 ft147 m	6,250 ft1,905 m
Typical duration	2 days	3 days
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Point-to-point
Network	Regional	Local
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best from September to October	Best months: April, May, June, July, August, October
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Chief Pontiac Trail Conventional Hike vs Trans-Catalina Trail: which should you hike?

At 41 mi66 km, Trans-Catalina Trail is the longer route — roughly 25 mi39 km more than Chief Pontiac Trail Conventional Hike (16 mi26 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, Chief Pontiac Trail Conventional Hike 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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