If you've already worked your way through the Utah 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 9,456 mapped Utah 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.
Utah compresses red-rock canyon country, the Colorado Plateau, the Wasatch and Uinta alpine ranges, and Great Basin desert into one state — the densest concentration of national parks per capita in the US. The Angels Landing chain section, the Subway top-down, the Zion Traverse, and a Hayduke thru-attempt are Utah's defining tests. Flash floods in slot canyons, dehydration in the desert, and extreme exposure on routes like Angels Landing and the Subway.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 9,456 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Utah — 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. Angels Landing Trail
Angels Landing Trail sits near Springdale in Washington County and is rated expert — our pick for the toughest trail on the list. Expect ground surface on a expert-only 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. 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 Angels Landing Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Angels Landing Trail--West Rim Trail
Angels Landing Trail--West Rim Trail sits near Springdale in Washington 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 Angels Landing Trail--West Rim Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Beirdneau Trail
Beirdneau Trail sits near Hyde Park in Cache County and is rated expert — the #3 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt surface on a expert-only 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 Beirdneau Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Black Mountain Trail
Black Mountain Trail sits near North Salt Lake in Salt Lake County and is rated expert — the #4 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground surface on a expert-only grade. Compared to similar trails in Utah, 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 Black Mountain Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Black Mountain Trail
Black Mountain Trail sits near Bountiful in Salt Lake County and is rated expert — the #5 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground 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. 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 Black Mountain Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Black Mountain Trail
Black Mountain Trail sits near North Salt Lake in Salt Lake County and is rated expert — the #6 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground surface on a expert-only 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. 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 Black Mountain Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Black Mountain Trail
Black Mountain Trail sits near North Salt Lake in Salt Lake County and is rated expert — the #7 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground surface on a expert-only 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. 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 Black Mountain Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Boardman Spring Trail
Boardman Spring Trail sits near Springville in Utah County and is rated expert — the #8 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect ground surface on a expert-only 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 Boardman Spring Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Bottom Up Approach for All Forks of Leprechanun Canyon
Bottom Up Approach for All Forks of Leprechanun Canyon sits near Hanksville in Garfield County and is rated expert — the #9 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect rock surface on a expert-only grade. Compared to similar trails in Utah, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Rocky tread punishes thin-soled shoes; bring stiff hikers and pace yourself on the descents to spare your knees. 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 Bottom Up Approach for All Forks of Leprechanun Canyon trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Chute and Crack Canyon Connector Trail
Chute and Crack Canyon Connector Trail sits near Hanksville in Emery County and is rated expert — the #10 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 Chute and Crack Canyon Connector Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Utah trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Utah. Spring and fall are prime in canyon country; summer for high Wasatch and Uintas; winter low desert hiking remains possible. Flash floods in slot canyons, dehydration in the desert, and extreme exposure on routes like Angels Landing and the Subway.
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 Utah hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Utah coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Utah — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Utah — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Utah — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Best national parks in Utah — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Utah — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Utah — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Utah — 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 Utah 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.
