Distance is one measure of a hike. Elevation gain is the one that decides how your legs feel the next morning. We pulled every trail in Indiana with a measurable elevation-gain tag — out of the 4,447 entries OutsideAtlas tracks here — and ranked them by total vertical. The result is a roster of climbs that punch above their mileage.
Indiana's southern hills (Hoosier National Forest, Brown County) offer surprisingly steep terrain; the north is mostly flat farmland and Lake Michigan dunes. Hoosier Hill (1,257 ft) is the state high; vertical-gain rankings here flag southern-hills routes like Hemlock Cliffs and Pate Hollow. Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes in southern hills; ticks and mosquitoes statewide.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 4,447 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Indiana — but the data has limits worth being honest about. Elevation-gain figures depend on the surveyor and the digital-elevation model used. Some trails are missing this tag entirely and are excluded from the list. Treat numbers as approximate but directionally reliable.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #1. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Dunes Long Trail Alternates
Dunes Long Trail Alternates ranks #1 for vertical gain, sitting near Chesterton in Porter County. Tagged hard in OpenStreetMap. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Climbing fitness — not raw mileage — is the gating factor. Trekking poles and an early start pay off. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Dunes Long Trail Alternates trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Indiana trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Indiana. Spring and fall are prime; summer humidity is significant; winter trails are quiet but ice-prone in ravines. Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes in southern hills; ticks and mosquitoes statewide.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Indiana hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Indiana coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Indiana — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Best beginner hikes in Indiana — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Indiana — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Indiana — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Indiana — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Indiana — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Indiana — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Indiana last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
