Which is harder, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail or The Great North Cascades Traverse?

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 The Great North Cascades Traverse

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	The Great North Cascades Traverse
Distance	2,923 mi4,705 km	61 mi99 km
Elevation gain	44,032 ft13,421 m	11,010 ft3,356 m
Typical duration	178 days	5 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: July, September
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs The Great North Cascades Traverse: which should you hike?

At 2,923 mi4,705 km, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the longer route — roughly 2,862 mi4,606 km more than The Great North Cascades Traverse (61 mi99 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, The Great North Cascades Traverse 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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