Which is harder, Oregon Coast Trail or Rae Lakes Loop?

Oregon Coast Trail is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (410 mi (659 km), 8,235 ft (2,510 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

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Oregon Coast 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

	Oregon Coast Trail	Rae Lakes Loop
Distance	410 mi659 km	37 mi60 km
Elevation gain	8,235 ft2,510 m	6,880 ft2,097 m
Typical duration	26 days	3 days
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Loop
Network	Regional	Regional
Country	United States	United States
Best time to hike	Best from July to August	Best from June to August
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

Oregon Coast Trail vs Rae Lakes Loop: which should you hike?

At 410 mi659 km, Oregon Coast Trail is the longer route — roughly 372 mi599 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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