If you've already worked your way through the Wisconsin 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 10,109 mapped Wisconsin 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.
Wisconsin's driftless area in the southwest (escaped glaciation), the Door Peninsula, the Apostle Islands, and the Northwoods produce surprising topographic variety. A full Ice Age Trail thru-hike (one of the country's most committed single-state objectives) is Wisconsin's defining endurance test. Ticks (Lyme present), bears in the Northwoods, and rapid Great Lakes weather along the Apostle Islands.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 10,109 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Wisconsin — 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. Ferry Rock Trail
Ferry Rock Trail sits near Brownsville in Houston County and is rated expert — our pick for the toughest trail on the list. Expect dirt 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 Ferry Rock Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Mitchell Red Cloud Trail
Mitchell Red Cloud Trail sits near La Crosse in La Crosse County and is rated expert — the #2 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt 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 Mitchell Red Cloud Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Nerfherder DH
Nerfherder DH sits near La Crosse in La Crosse 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 Nerfherder DH trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Reno south
Reno south sits near Brownsville in Houston County and is rated expert — the #4 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt surface on a expert-only grade. Compared to similar trails in Wisconsin, 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 Reno south trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Ridge Link
Ridge Link sits near Millston in Jackson County and is rated expert — the #5 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt 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 Ridge Link trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Table Rock Quarry
Table Rock Quarry sits near La Crosse in La Crosse County and is rated expert — the #6 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect dirt 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 Table Rock Quarry trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Cedar Interpretive Trail
Cedar Interpretive Trail sits near Grantsburg in Burnett County and is rated hard — the #7 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. 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. 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 Cedar Interpretive Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. County Road OH
County Road OH sits near Skandia in Marquette County and is rated hard — the #8 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Tagged hard 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 County Road OH trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Former Lakeshore Boulevard
Former Lakeshore Boulevard sits near Marquette in Marquette County and is rated hard — the #9 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect unpaved surface on a genuinely demanding grade. Compared to similar trails in Wisconsin, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. 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 Former Lakeshore Boulevard trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Humfield Summit Trail
Humfield Summit Trail sits near Onalaska in La Crosse County and is rated hard — the #10 entry in a roster of hikes you don't take lightly. Expect grass 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. 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 Humfield Summit Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Wisconsin trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Wisconsin. May-October is the practical window; winters are severe; spring blackflies and summer ticks are seasonally significant. Ticks (Lyme present), bears in the Northwoods, and rapid Great Lakes weather along the Apostle Islands.
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 Wisconsin hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Wisconsin coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Wisconsin — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Wisconsin — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Wisconsin — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Best national parks in Wisconsin — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Wisconsin — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Wisconsin — 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 Wisconsin 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.
