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 Mississippi with a measurable elevation-gain tag — out of the 972 entries OutsideAtlas tracks here — and ranked them by total vertical. The result is a roster of climbs that punch above their mileage.
Mississippi is mostly low-elevation pine flatwoods, blackwater bayous, and Mississippi River bottomland — gentle, humid, and quietly biodiverse. Woodall Mountain (807 ft) is the state high; vertical-gain rankings flag Tishomingo State Park and Tombigbee NF routes. Cottonmouths and copperheads in lowlands; alligators on river-corridor trails; brutal humidity and heat.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 972 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Mississippi — 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 #2. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Bradley BackTrails
Bradley BackTrails ranks #1 for vertical gain, sitting near Millry in Washington County. Expect ground surface on a genuinely demanding grade. 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. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. 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 Bradley BackTrails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. BoneYard Trail
BoneYard Trail ranks #2 for vertical gain, sitting near Millry in Washington County. Expect dirt surface on a genuinely demanding grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. 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 BoneYard Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Mississippi trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Mississippi. October through April is the practical window; summer humidity and mosquitoes make midday hiking unappealing. Cottonmouths and copperheads in lowlands; alligators on river-corridor trails; brutal humidity and heat.
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 Mississippi hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Mississippi coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Mississippi — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Best beginner hikes in Mississippi — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Mississippi — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Mississippi — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Mississippi — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Mississippi — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Mississippi — 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 Mississippi 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.
