Longest Hiking Trails in The World

The longest hiking trails in the world are the Trans Canada Trail at about 28,000 km, the Great Western Loop in the American West at roughly 11,000 km, the European E4 at more than 10,000 km and the American Discovery Trail at close to 11,000 km. Below them sit the classic thru-hikes that most people actually finish: the Continental Divide Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail and New Zealand's Te Araroa. Each one takes months on foot, and each one asks something different of the person walking it.

This guide ranks twelve of the longest named routes on the planet, from the network trails that cross whole countries to the single-path classics that draw thousands of thru-hikers every year. For each trail you get the real distance, where it starts and ends, how long a walk takes, the best season and the honest catch the brochures skip. If you are planning the trip from abroad, start with the flight search for the gateway city and check the visa guides early, because a five-month hike outlasts many tourist visas.

How we built this list: We ranked named, waymarked or officially recognised long-distance routes by their published length, then checked each one for how it is walked in practice: continuous footpath, multi-use network, or a linked chain of other trails. Lengths are rounded, because every trail association re-measures after reroutes. We left out informal "connect the dots" routes with no managing body, except the Great Western Loop, which has become a reference point for long-distance hikers.

• Trans Canada Trail network: 28,000 km
• Pacific Crest Trail: 4,265 km
• States on the Appalachian Trail: 14
• Months for a typical thru-hike: 5–7

Longest hiking trails in the world compared

The Trans Canada Trail is the longest at about 28,000 km, though few walk it end to end. The Great Western Loop, the American Discovery Trail and Europe's E4 each run past 10,000 km, and the true thru-hikes take five to twelve months. The table puts the twelve trails side by side by length, countries and the time a walk usually takes. Tap a trail name in the guide below for the full details.

The 12 longest hiking trails in the world, trail by trail

Trans Canada Trail (The Great Trail)

The Trans Canada Trail is the longest recreational trail network in the world, at roughly 28,000 km. It links the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans and passes through every province and territory, which no other route on this list can match. The network was declared connected in 2017, the year Canada marked 150 years since Confederation.

The catch is in the word network. Large parts are rail trails, greenways, quiet roadsides and even water routes where you paddle in place of walking. Very few people try to cover the whole thing in one go; most people hike or cycle a province at a time. The best walking sections for visitors are the rail trails of Newfoundland, the Kettle Valley stretch in British Columbia and the wooded paths around Ottawa and Montreal. Plan around the Canadian winter, and read our Canada travel guide for the entry side of the trip.

• Start / end: St. John's (Atlantic) to Victoria (Pacific) and Tuktoyaktuk (Arctic)
• Length: about 28,000 km incl. water routes
• Best time: June to September for most sections
• Suits: Section hikers, cyclists, paddlers

Best for: walking one province at a time. Tip: pick a rail-trail section for gentle grades and easy resupply in towns.

Great Western Loop

The Great Western Loop is the hardest linked route on this list, a giant circuit of about 11,000 km through the western United States that joins five trails and suits experts only. It strings together the Pacific Crest Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, the Grand Enchantment Trail and the Hayduke Trail, passing through a dozen national parks on the way. Andrew Skurka completed the first known full loop in 2007, in a little over 200 days.

This is a route for people who have already finished at least one long trail. Several sections, the Hayduke above all, have no clear tread and demand map and compass skills, desert water planning and a tolerance for scrambling in slot canyons. Snow in the northern Rockies and heat in Arizona squeeze the calendar, so anyone attempting it in one season walks very long days. For most hikers the loop works better as a lifetime project, ticking off one component trail per year.

• Start / end: A loop: start at any point, most begin in the southwest in spring
• Length: about 11,000 km
• Best time: March to November in one push
• Suits: Experienced thru-hikers with navigation skills

Best for: hikers who have done the PCT or CDT. Tip: walk the Hayduke and Grand Enchantment as separate trips first.

American Discovery Trail

The American Discovery Trail is the only non-motorised trail that crosses the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific, at about 10,900 km across 15 states. It begins at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware and ends at Point Reyes National Seashore in California, passing through Washington DC, the Ohio farm belt, the Colorado Rockies and the Nevada basin country. In the Midwest it splits into a northern and a southern route.

Long stretches follow country roads, towpaths and town streets, so it feels closer to a walk across America than a wilderness hike. That has upsides: resupply is easy, small towns are welcoming and you see the country as it lives. The Nevada and Utah deserts are the hard part, with long gaps between water. Fewer than a few dozen people are known to have completed it end to end, so expect solitude and little trail community.

• Start / end: Cape Henlopen, Delaware to Point Reyes, California
• Length: about 10,900 km
• Best time: Start in spring from the east coast
• Suits: Walkers who enjoy towns and long road miles

Best for: a cultural crossing of the USA. Tip: carry extra water capacity for the Great Basin stretch in Nevada.

E4 European long-distance path

The E4 is the longest of the European long-distance paths, at more than 10,000 km. It runs from Tarifa at the southern tip of Spain through France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, then jumps to Crete and Cyprus. The route is coordinated by the European Ramblers' Association and waymarked by national hiking clubs, which explains why the signs and the quality change at each border.

For a visitor, the E4 is a menu of famous walks: the Swiss Jura, the Hungarian Blue Trail, the Rila and Pirin mountains in Bulgaria and the E4 across Crete, which many hikers rate as the toughest and most beautiful stretch. Accommodation is simple, from mountain huts to village rooms. Visa rules differ along the route because not every country on it is in the Schengen area, so check each one against your passport.

• Start / end: Tarifa, Spain to Cyprus
• Length: more than 10,000 km
• Best time: May to June and September to October
• Suits: Section hikers who like villages and huts

Best for: Crete in spring. Tip: buy national hiking maps locally, because E4 signage changes country by country.

North Country National Scenic Trail

Among single national trails in the United States, the North Country Trail is the longest, a footpath of roughly 7,700 km through eight states. Its eastern end sits at the New York and Vermont border, and a 2019 act of Congress authorised an extension to meet the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, still being planned on the ground. From the east it heads west across the Adirondacks, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota to its western end in North Dakota. Its Great Lakes stretches make it the wettest-feeling long trail on this list, with lake views for weeks at a time.

For a global hiker, the appeal is how much of the northern Midwest it shows that tourists never see. The trade-off: unfinished links still send you along gravel county roads between forest sections. June brings mosquitoes and black flies thick enough to drive many walkers to late-summer starts. Visitors with only two weeks often pick the Minnesota portion, which follows the ridge above Lake Superior.

• Start / end: New York and Vermont border to North Dakota
• Length: about 7,700 km
• Best time: Late summer and autumn for fewer bugs
• Suits: Lake-shore and forest lovers

Best for: Pictured Rocks in September. Tip: pack a head net for June and July in the northern states.

Eastern Continental Trail

Running from Florida to Newfoundland through the USA and Canada, the Eastern Continental Trail links several trails: it joins the Florida Trail, a road and trail section through Alabama and Georgia, the full Appalachian Trail and the International Appalachian Trail into Canada. The result is a route of roughly 7,100 km of hiking from Key West at the bottom of Florida to Belle Isle off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. It covers subtropical swamp, the whole Appalachian range and the windy coastal barrens of Atlantic Canada.

Most people who attempt it start in Florida in winter, reach the Appalachian Trail in spring and walk into Canada in late summer. The Florida section involves wading through cypress swamp in Big Cypress National Preserve, while the Canadian end is remote and wet. Two border crossings on foot need planning: carry your passport and check the land-border rules for your nationality before you leave home.

• Start / end: Key West, Florida to Belle Isle, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Length: about 7,100 km plus water gaps
• Best time: Start January in Florida
• Suits: AT veterans wanting a longer line

Best for: a winter start in the sun. Tip: plan the Canada border crossing at a staffed land port before you set off.

E1 European long-distance path

The E1 runs the length of western Europe, through six countries from Nordkapp in arctic Norway to Capo Passero at the southern tip of Sicily, a little over 7,100 km in total since its southern extension to Sicily in 2018. It crosses Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, which means you walk from the midnight sun to the Mediterranean on one line. The northern part through Scandinavia was added later and is the wildest stretch, with long days through fell country and few services.

The German and Swiss sections are the most walked, with good signs, guesthouses every day and train stations nearby for getting on and off. In Italy the route follows the Apennines and parts of the Grande Escursione Appenninica, which is quiet and less polished. Hikers who walk it end to end usually spread it over several summers. For trip ideas in the south, see our Italy guide.

• Start / end: Nordkapp, Norway to Capo Passero, Sicily
• Length: about 7,100 km
• Best time: July to August in Scandinavia, spring or autumn in Italy
• Suits: Hikers who want trains and guesthouses nearby

Best for: Switzerland and the Black Forest. Tip: use the rail network to skip urban stretches and keep your days on trail.

Continental Divide Trail

The Continental Divide Trail follows the spine of the Rocky Mountains for about 5,000 km, from the Mexican border at Crazy Cook in New Mexico to Waterton Lakes on the Canadian border. It passes through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, including Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Colorado has the highest point, Grays Peak, at over 4,300 m.

The CDT is the wildest of the Triple Crown trails (with the Pacific Crest and Appalachian). Parts are unfinished, so hikers choose between alternate routes, and navigation is a daily task. Snow in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado shapes the whole season: start too early and you posthole for weeks, start too late and you race the Montana snow in late September. Grizzly bears live along the northern third, so bear spray and food storage are mandatory habits.

• Start / end: Crazy Cook, New Mexico to Waterton Lakes, Canada border
• Length: about 5,000 km
• Best time: Start April to early May northbound
• Suits: Self-reliant hikers who navigate well

Best for: wild Rocky Mountain scenery. Tip: carry bear spray from Wyoming north and learn how to use it.

Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail is 4,265 km (2,650 miles) of footpath from Campo on the Mexican border to Manning Park in British Columbia. It crosses California, Oregon and Washington, climbing through the Mojave Desert, the High Sierra, the volcanic Cascades and the North Cascades. The highest point is Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada at about 4,009 m.

Hikers walking 500 miles or more apply for the free long-distance permit through the Pacific Crest Trail Association, which releases a limited number of start dates for the Mexican border each year. Wildfire closures in California and Oregon have become a regular summer problem, and many hikers now skip around closed sections. The desert start demands carrying several litres of water between sources. Typical northbound hikers finish in four and a half to five and a half months.

• Start / end: Campo, California to Manning Park, Canada
• Length: 4,265 km
• Best time: Start late March to early May northbound
• Suits: First thru-hike with strong fitness

Best for: the High Sierra in July. Tip: check fire closure maps daily in August and September.

Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail runs about 3,500 km from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, through 14 states. It is the original American long trail, completed in 1937, and it has the biggest thru-hiking culture in the world: shelters every day or so, trail towns that welcome hikers and a strong volunteer network that maintains the path.

Do not let the modest elevation fool you. The AT climbs and drops constantly, and the total elevation gain over the whole trail is often compared to climbing Everest from sea level many times over. The rocks of Pennsylvania, the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the roots and bogs of southern Maine are the hardest parts. Most northbound hikers start in March or April and reach Baxter State Park before it closes Katahdin for the season in October.

• Start / end: Springer Mountain, Georgia to Katahdin, Maine
• Length: about 3,500 km
• Best time: Start March to April northbound
• Suits: Social first-time thru-hikers

Best for: trail community and easy resupply. Tip: register your start date on the ATC voluntary thru-hiker registration to avoid crowds.

Te Araroa (New Zealand)

Te Araroa, meaning "the long pathway" in Māori, runs about 3,000 km coast to coast from Cape Reinga at the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. It opened officially in 2011. The route mixes beach walks (including the long Ninety Mile Beach at the very start), farmland, volcanic plateau on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, city streets in Auckland and Wellington and remote alpine valleys in the South Island.

Most thru-hikers walk southbound, starting between September and November and finishing by March or April. River crossings in the South Island are the biggest risk, and the Te Araroa Trust strongly advises waiting out high water. There is a kayak or canoe leg on the Whanganui River and a ferry across Cook Strait. Huts on the South Island are run by the Department of Conservation, and many hikers buy a backcountry hut pass. Read more in our New Zealand guide.

• Start / end: Cape Reinga to Bluff
• Length: about 3,000 km
• Best time: Start September to November southbound
• Suits: Hikers who want variety and towns

Best for: the South Island alpine sections. Tip: never cross a swollen river; wait a day for the level to drop.

Great Himalaya Trail (Nepal section)

The highest trail on this list, the Great Himalaya Trail is a concept for a route along the entire Himalayan range, and some areas require a guide. The Nepal section is the one people walk: about 1,700 km on the high route from Kanchenjunga in the east to Hilsa on the Tibet border in the far west, crossing several passes above 6,000 m. A lower "cultural route" through mid-hills villages is longer and easier, and many people mix the two.

This is serious mountaineering country. The high route passes Makalu, Everest, Rolwaling, Manaslu, Dolpo and Humla, and many of these areas are restricted zones that need special permits and a registered guide or agency. Lodges disappear in the far west, so camping support is normal. The trail rewards experienced trekkers with a side of Nepal very few outsiders see. Start planning with our Nepal travel guide.

• Start / end: Kanchenjunga region to Hilsa, far west Nepal
• Length: about 1,700 km (high route)
• Best time: Pre-monsoon, March to May; post-monsoon, October to November
• Suits: Experienced high-altitude trekkers

Best for: remote Dolpo and Humla. Tip: book restricted-area permits through a licensed Nepali agency well before you fly.

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How to choose a long-distance hiking trail

Pick the trail that matches your experience first and your dream second. A first long walk works best on a route with a clear footpath, regular resupply towns and other hikers around, which is why the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail produce so many first-time finishers. The Continental Divide Trail, the Great Western Loop and the Great Himalaya Trail assume you already know how to navigate, ration water and handle bad weather alone.

Then look at your calendar. A full thru-hike of a 3,000 to 5,000 km trail takes four to seven months, and the season decides when you start. Desert trails need a spring start before the heat, while alpine routes need the snow to melt. If you cannot take half a year off, the networks such as the E1, E4 and Trans Canada Trail suit section hiking better than any other trail here, because trains and towns make it easy to walk two weeks and come back next year.

Finally, think about paperwork. A long hike in another country can run longer than the stay your passport allows on arrival. Check the official immigration portal of each country on your route, and look at whether a longer visitor visa or an extension is possible before you book a one-way flight.

Tips for planning a thru-hike on a long trail

Plan a thru-hike backwards from the weather: pick your finish date by the closing season (Katahdin closes in October and snow reaches Montana in late September), then count back at a realistic daily distance. Mail resupply boxes only to remote stops, since most towns on the AT and PCT have shops.

• Work backwards from the weather. Decide your finish date by the closing season (Katahdin closes in October, Montana snow arrives late September), then count back at a realistic daily distance.
• Plan resupply in rough lines. Mail boxes only to remote stops. Most towns on the AT and PCT have shops, and over-planning boxes wastes money when your appetite changes.
• Start slow for two weeks. Most injuries happen in the first month. Keep early days short and let your feet and knees adapt before you push the distance.
• Carry offline maps and a backup. Download the trail maps for offline use and carry a battery pack. On the CDT and Great Western Loop, add a paper map and compass.
• Check visa length early. Many tourist entries allow less time than a full thru-hike. Read the official rules for your passport months ahead.
• Insure for evacuation. Choose travel insurance that covers hiking at altitude and helicopter rescue, especially in Nepal and on remote US trails.

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