Which is harder, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail or Crystal Hills Trail?

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (2,923 mi (4,705 km), 44,032 ft (13,421 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

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Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs Crystal Hills 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

	Continental Divide National Scenic Trail	Crystal Hills Trail
Distance	2,923 mi4,705 km	50 mi80 km
Elevation gain	44,032 ft13,421 m	4,334 ft1,321 m
Typical duration	178 days	4 days
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Point-to-point
Network	National	Regional
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best months: June, July, September	Best from September to October
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs Crystal Hills Trail: which should you hike?

At 2,923 mi4,705 km, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the longer route — roughly 2,874 mi4,625 km more than Crystal Hills Trail (50 mi80 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, Crystal Hills 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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