Which is harder, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail or John Muir 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 John Muir 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	John Muir Trail
Distance	2,923 mi4,705 km	214 mi344 km
Elevation gain	44,032 ft13,421 m	33,967 ft10,353 m
Typical duration	178 days	16 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 June to September
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs John Muir Trail: which should you hike?

At 2,923 mi4,705 km, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the longer route — roughly 2,710 mi4,361 km more than John Muir Trail (214 mi344 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, John Muir 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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