Which is harder, Clouds Rest Trail or South Rim Trail?

Clouds Rest Trail is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (9.1 mi (15 km), 2,156 ft (657 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

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Clouds Rest Trail vs South Rim 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

	Clouds Rest Trail	South Rim Trail
Distance	9.1 mi15 km	1.6 mi3 km
Elevation gain	2,156 ft657 m	541 ft165 m
Typical duration	1 day	1 day
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Point-to-point
Network	Local	Local
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best from June to September	Best from September to October
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Clouds Rest Trail vs South Rim Trail: which should you hike?

At 9.1 mi15 km, Clouds Rest Trail is the longer route — roughly 7.4 mi12 km more than South Rim Trail (1.6 mi3 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, South Rim 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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