Which is harder, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail or Ouachita National Recreation 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.

Home › Trails › Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs Ouachita National Recreation Trail

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs Ouachita National Recreation 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	Ouachita National Recreation Trail
Distance	2,923 mi4,705 km	216 mi348 km
Elevation gain	44,032 ft13,421 m	10,180 ft3,103 m
Typical duration	178 days	14 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 months: February, March, October, November, December
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs Ouachita National Recreation Trail: which should you hike?

At 2,923 mi4,705 km, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the longer route — roughly 2,707 mi4,357 km more than Ouachita National Recreation Trail (216 mi348 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, Ouachita National Recreation 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.

More comparisons