East Coast Trails Climb 420 Feet Per Mile, Outpacing West Coast Routes With Fewer Switchbacks
Updated
Updated · islands.com · Jun 9
East Coast Trails Climb 420 Feet Per Mile, Outpacing West Coast Routes With Fewer Switchbacks
2 articles · Updated · islands.com · Jun 9
Summary
East Coast hiking trails are generally steeper and harder than West Coast routes, with one cited comparison putting the Appalachian Trail at 420 feet of gain per mile versus 310 feet on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Switchbacks are the main reason: many Western trails built in the 1880s were graded for pack animals, while Eastern trails often went straight uphill because they were laid out for recreation on limited mountain-hotel property.
Examples underscore the difference: New York's 22.5-mile Devil's Path gains more than 8,000 feet, and New Hampshire's 18.4-mile Presidential Traverse gains 8,200 feet.
West Coast trails can still be punishing—Mount St. Helens climbs 4,500 feet in 5 miles—but such severe verticality is presented as less typical than on Eastern routes.
Veteran hikers who have done both coasts say Western switchbacks make high-altitude miles easier, while Eastern trails add roots, rocks and repeated 'pointless ups and downs' that intensify the effort.