Which is harder, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail or Rae Lakes Loop?

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 Rae Lakes Loop

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	Rae Lakes Loop
Distance	2,923 mi4,705 km	37 mi60 km
Elevation gain	44,032 ft13,421 m	6,880 ft2,097 m
Typical duration	178 days	3 days
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Loop
Network	National	Regional
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best months: June, July, September	Best from June to August
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs Rae Lakes Loop: which should you hike?

At 2,923 mi4,705 km, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the longer route — roughly 2,886 mi4,645 km more than Rae Lakes Loop (37 mi60 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, Rae Lakes Loop 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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