If you've already worked your way through the Nevada day-hike checklist, this is the list for what comes next. We ranked the state's hardest trails using a composite of difficulty tag (hard or expert), distance, and elevation gain, drawing from the 6,359 mapped Nevada trails in our database. These ten routes are reserved for hikers with the gear, the navigation skills, and the honesty about their own limits to tackle them safely.
Nevada is the most mountainous state in the US by count of named ranges — basin-and-range geography of north-south desert ranges separated by sagebrush valleys. Ruby Crest Trail, Wheeler Peak summit, and Boundary Peak from Trail Canyon are Nevada's defining tests. Heat, water scarcity, lightning on exposed peaks, and rattlesnakes are the state's recurring hazards.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 6,359 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Nevada — but the data has limits worth being honest about. A composite score weights expert and hard difficulty tags alongside total mileage and elevation gain. The result favors long, vertically aggressive routes with documented technical sections — there are surely tougher off-trail objectives in the state, but those are outside the scope of a trail directory.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. After Six Scramble Descent
After Six Scramble Descent sits near Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County and is rated expert — our pick for the toughest trail on the list. Tagged expert 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. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the After Six Scramble Descent trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Bear Creek Alternate Crossing Route
Bear Creek Alternate Crossing Route sits near Lakeshore in Fresno County and is rated expert — the #2 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged expert in OpenStreetMap. 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. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Bear Creek Alternate Crossing Route trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Big Arroyo Trail
Big Arroyo Trail sits near Sequoia National Park in Tulare County and is rated expert — the #3 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged expert in OpenStreetMap. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Big Arroyo Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Big Arroyo Trail
Big Arroyo Trail sits near Sequoia National Park in Tulare County and is rated expert — the #4 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged expert in OpenStreetMap. Compared to similar trails in Nevada, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Big Arroyo Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Bullfrog Lake Trail
Bullfrog Lake Trail sits near Mono Hot Springs in Fresno County and is rated expert — the #5 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged expert in OpenStreetMap. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Bullfrog Lake Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Cattle Creek Route
Cattle Creek Route sits near Bridgeport in Mono County and is rated expert — the #6 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged expert 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. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cattle Creek Route trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Climber's Approach
Climber's Approach sits near Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County and is rated expert — the #7 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged expert in OpenStreetMap. 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. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Climber's Approach trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Dale Lake Trail
Dale Lake Trail sits near Lakeshore in Fresno County and is rated expert — the #8 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged expert in OpenStreetMap. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Dale Lake Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Davis Meadow
Davis Meadow sits near Incline Village in Washoe County and is rated expert — the #9 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect earth surface on a expert-only grade. Compared to similar trails in Nevada, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Davis Meadow trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Davis Meadow
Davis Meadow sits near Floriston in Washoe County and is rated expert — the #10 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect earth surface on a expert-only grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Best attempted by hikers comfortable with long days, route-finding when the path gets faint, and weather that can turn fast. Not a casual outing. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Davis Meadow trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Nevada trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Nevada. Spring and fall are prime; summer is brutal at low elevation; high-country (Rubies, Snake Range) opens late June through October. Heat, water scarcity, lightning on exposed peaks, and rattlesnakes are the state's recurring hazards.
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 Nevada hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Nevada coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Nevada — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Nevada — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Nevada — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Best national parks in Nevada — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Nevada — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Nevada — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Nevada — 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 Nevada 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.
