If you've already worked your way through the Michigan 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 20,752 mapped Michigan 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.
Michigan is two distinct halves — a glacially flat Lower Peninsula and the rugged Porcupine Mountains, Hurons, and Pictured Rocks shoreline of the Upper Peninsula. Isle Royale thru-hike, full Pictured Rocks NS traverse, and serious NCT-Michigan sections are the state's defining tests. Wolves and bears in the UP wilderness, brutal Great Lakes shoreline weather, and ticks/blackflies seasonally.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 20,752 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Michigan — 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 #6. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Hunter's Point Hiking Trail
Hunter's Point Hiking Trail sits near Mohawk in Keweenaw County and is rated easy — our pick for the toughest trail on the list. Expect 16 ft of gain on a forgiving 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. 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 Hunter's Point Hiking Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Ma Maki (hiking)
Ma Maki (hiking) sits near Mohawk in Keweenaw County and is rated easy — the #2 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect 46 ft of gain on a forgiving 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. 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 Ma Maki (hiking) trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Canadian Shield Trail
Canadian Shield Trail sits near Grand Marais in Cook County and is rated hard — the #3 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground surface on a genuinely demanding grade. 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. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. 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 Canadian Shield Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Mt Arvon Summit Trail
Mt Arvon Summit Trail sits near Skanee in Baraga County and is rated hard — the #4 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground surface on a genuinely demanding grade. Compared to similar trails in Michigan, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. 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 Mt Arvon Summit Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. PCT Cut
PCT Cut sits near Rochester in Oakland County and is rated hard — the #5 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt surface on a genuinely demanding 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. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. 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 PCT Cut trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Summit Trail
Summit Trail sits near Weidman in Isabella County and is rated hard — the #6 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. 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. 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 Summit Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Michigan trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Michigan. May-October is the practical window; winters are severe in the UP; spring brings blackflies in the north. Wolves and bears in the UP wilderness, brutal Great Lakes shoreline weather, and ticks/blackflies seasonally.
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 Michigan hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Michigan coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Michigan — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Michigan — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Michigan — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Best national parks in Michigan — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Michigan — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Michigan — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Michigan — 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 Michigan 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.
