Which is harder, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail or Mid-State 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 Mid-State 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	Mid-State Trail
Distance	2,923 mi4,705 km	319 mi513 km
Elevation gain	44,032 ft13,421 m	16,122 ft4,914 m
Typical duration	178 days	21 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 October to October
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs Mid-State Trail: which should you hike?

At 2,923 mi4,705 km, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the longer route — roughly 2,605 mi4,192 km more than Mid-State Trail (319 mi513 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, Mid-State 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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