America's 10 Most Dangerous Hikes

The list is missing "the Goat Trail" in Wrangell St Elias National Park in Alaska. Having been on many of the others on this list, I say that the Goat Trail beats them all. But then, it is so scary that many people just turn around . . .

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We just finished the Buckskin Gultch and it was amazing! We only met one other group on the trail; a far cry from the throngs doing the Narrows in Zion. If you want to hike in the desert and only see occasional glimpses of the sun, then try the gulch. Warning - it was nearly dry. Lots of dried up pools. A tiny stream appeared just up from the Confluence. Without more rain the Gultch will likely be dry.

Abrams Falls is only dangerous if one is stupid. Another far more dangerous hike is the Knife Edge trail to Mt. Katahdin. With part of the trail only being 2' wide in places and a fall of thousands of feet if you misstep, it is one scary trail.

I'd add the Skyline Trail in Palm Springs to that list. 8000 vertical feet to the Palm Springs Tramway and no exit if things go bad. We've already had one death this year and several rescues. You can start in the early morning before the temperatures get into the triple digits but you can't turn back if things don't go well. The further down you go, the hotter it gets.

Other times of the year aren't much better than summer. In the winter the upper reaches of the trail are chocked with ice and snow and people have fallen to their deaths.

It's best to do in the fall. That way it's only the 8000 vertical feet to deal with.

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I'm a Colorado native and my parents and I hiked to the peak of Long's Peak when I was 10 years old, All the hiking I do in Kodiak, Alaska is way crazier than this mostly because of the critters i'm hiking with:)

one day i was playing with my dog and a bear came out of my garbage can and it ran at me it grab joejoe my dog i grab my green beret knive that i had in vietnam i went out side and the bear threw mydog a side i ran after stab it and he bit my hand off so i started hitting it and the bear started crying and ran in the woods and evere since that day call me daniel boone jr know every day i do 5 million push ups with one hand

Hiking is dangerous

I hear 6 people have died at Yosemite this year already. How do rank that?

This is just silly journalism. Obviously, as has been pointed out, these trails are very popular, so they have more incidents. I try to stay away from trails, especially popular ones. I don't go backpacking to see other people. Bright Angel isn't a trail, it's a wide tourist path full of non-hikers. This is the problem with Backpacker, that it continues to be a newbies' magazine.

South Kaibab Trail is worse than the Bright Angel Trail because the South Kaibab doesn;t have any water

After hiking part of the Whittenberg trail in the Catskills region of New York I gained a new respect for the areas environment and beauty. I plan to take a trip to return to the Devil's Path, a trail which I would think should be on the list. Some very rugged terrain and even more challenges expected when visiting the Adirondacks. Keep on chooglin!

have been on some of teh mentioned hikes. if those are the most dangerous, then i am disapointed at the tame wilderness. haah - i know several harder!http://www.bbtix.com/new-york-yankees-tickets.php

Surprised Tenaya Canyon from the Valley to Tuolomme wasn't listed instead of Half Dome

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Are these hikes really the most dangerous or are they just easier for inexperienced/under-prepared hikers to get to? There are many hazards in a mountaineering trip to the top of Rainier, but with enough time and water hiking the grand canyon is fairly moderate. I would argue there is much more rugged terrain throughout the US, but there's just fewer people going there.

I haven't hiked all of "Your Ten Most Dangerous Hikes" but having hiked five of them, I would suggest you rename the list to ""10 Hikes with Great Opportunity for Danger"". I agree with the readers writing they were surpised to not see Longs Peak on your list. I have soloed Longs Peak and Half Dome but didn't even leave the Longs Peak trailhead this year on July 30th due to heavy rains. Dry conditions on Longs Peak or Half Dome; be careful and it is a great hike. Wet conditions and Danger Danger. As for the Grand Canyon Bright Angel trail, once again it has great opportunity to become a dangerous hike in the summer if unprepared. Any other time of the year, for those prepared, it is one of if not the easiest hike in Grand Canyon.

I have been to Zion several times; while I have not gone up Angel's Landing, I have hiked the Hidden Canyon Trail, including a slickrock ledge that tilts perilously towards a long drop. Yes, there is a chain to hold on to (at least for part of this section) - just be sure to keep a tight grip on it. I did this trail once on a rainy day - but wisely turned around when I reached the worst spots. Some folks don't know when to turn around.

Lightning is a risk anytime you're above treeline in the summer, and the example just proves that there's often no warning. But I wouldn't consider Pikes Peak any more dangerous than other mountains.

im really surprise capitol peak isnt on the list. my reasons. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPtpo-PdoN0

I'm surprised Long's Peak isn't on the list as well, given the constant exposure past the Keyhole and threat of lightning/bad weather. Summiting Rainier isn't as dangerous if you hire a guide. Otherwise, you really shouldn't be on that mountain. Bright Angel trail was easy this year in the spring - knew it would be a good day when there was snow on the rim, not too hot at the river. If it's August, don't hike it.

I've done Mt. Washington, Half Dome, and Longs Peak. Longs is by far the most dangerous and is surprising it's not on this list.

hey thanks Backpacker for all your hard work intrying to let everyone know whats going on.

I've hiked Half Dome several times and there's nothing out of the ordinary "dangerous" about it. Each time I've done it, I've seen the stupid people climbing outside of the cables, the out of shape people that have no business hiking in sandals, and the people wading too far out into the rivers. If you are in decent shape and have common sense, there isn't anything dangerous about doing it.

Long's Peak being a higher altitude and not having a road all the way to the top, I would say make it a much more difficult hike than Pike's Peak.

I have hiked Mt Washington numerous times, mostly in the fall and have experianced the fury of it's well deserved reputation. What about Vancouver Island's West Coast Trail? Surely it should be up in the top 5...

Abrams Falls? Seriously?? Ok, the danger is in *swimming* at the Falls, not *hiking to* the Falls. Easy hike, really easy.

What's with the Angels Landing talk? Buckskin Gulch is far more arduous and presents more life threatening possibilities and Angels Landing. My wife who suffers from firbomyalgia did Angels Landing with nary a problem.

I hiked the Kalalau Trail last August with my wife and daughter. Most of the trail is just spectacular views but the "Crawlers Ledge " part will test you. The Mt Washington summit can be reached from several different routes. If you have the time , try the southern route from Rt 302. Then go over the nortehrn peaks to rt 2 and avoid the crowds on the Tuckermans Ravine. Just use common sense on both of these trails.

I did some of the Kalalau Trail in Feb 2009. There is alot of trail erosion, alot of it is caused by the wild pigs that roam the island. Even though there are controlled hunts, the pigs are prolific and dig up the trails which then erode when the heavy rains come. You need your poles and good boots, and raingear.

Just attempted a hike of the Skookum Volcano area in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park this summer. It's not a trail per se (it's a route... you follow sheep trails, basically), but it is by far the most dangerous hike I've ever seen. Loose footing, steep inclines, sudden drop-offs, hard-to-find trails... yeah, definitely incredibly dangerous. Beautiful, but dangerous.

Lame. Most of the scrambling hikes in Red Rock Canyon (20 miles west of Las Vegas, NV) are much more dangerous than any of the hikes listed. They make Angel's Landing look like a walk in the park.

And nothing from Alaska...really? I have an idea for an article...how about the 10 best magazines that feature a 10 best article in every issue. I like BP mag and certainly mean no disrespect, but they'd definitely make the list.

Having hiked seven of the listed trails and areas solo, I can agree that the Maze may be the most dangerous. Few trails, scarce water, heat, and steep narrow canyons make prior experience and planning definite prerequisites. However, the hazards of all these trips can be minimized by checking weather reports, trail guidebooks, experience, the right equipment, and common sense. Many would agree that doing them solo increases the hazard - very true, but that is a very personal decision and can add so much to the experience.

The Chilkoot's not especially dangerous. Has some tricky areas, and I wouldn't recommend hiking it in wet or damp conditions, as some crossings are high, narrow and get slippery. The Golden Stairs is the worst part; steep and on loose boulders. Hiking poles recommended.

A little hard to believe Longs Peak wasn't listed

I've hiked abrams fall n the smokies n found it an easy, safe hike. Am I missing somthing far I'm planning to hike it again this week. My email; amconrod@gmail.com

I have hiked in the Maze and Angles Landing. Both have risks and rewards. I do not think that it is easy to fall at Angles Landings, but if you do you die. The reward at Angles Landings is maybe the best view in the world. Angles Landings takes no planing. Just show up and hike it. The Maze on the other hand will kill you if you are not well prepared. Hiking the Maze solo is just nuts. Way to many ways that a small mistake or mishap can lead to really bad outcomes. The reward from hiking the Maze is metaphysical. A oneness with nature that I have not found anywhere else.

I have hiked 4 of these hikes on the list but the most dangerous hike I did was the HuaShan plank path in China. Here's a good good video link I found of the Plank Path hike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nq0vtU-LVc

the chilkoot is fairly easy, well, intermittent. i hiked it with a a family with 4 young teens, and 2 older women, all non-hikers for the most part. there is one part... i have been on some of teh mentioned hikes. if those are the most dangerous, then i am disapointed at the tame wilderness. haah - i know several harder!

So is it the Mist Trail or Half Dome that's so dangerous? I've done the Mist Trail many times and Half Dome once, and I'd have to say that lightning and stupidity are what make that hike particularly dangerous. Granted I haven't been on any of the others listed but I'd imagine that they are inherently more unsafe.

Sitting on my deck looking at Mt. Washington, NH right now covered in snow. The temp at the top is -9 degrees with a wind chill of near -40 below. Just another average December day on "The Rock Pile" Yeah, it's dangerous!!

The two on this list that I've done, Buckskin Gulch and Bright Angel, were tip-toes through the tulips next to the last couple of hundred yards of Angels Landing.

I've hiked angel's landing twice, and to me it's not bad at all! I've hiked stuff in Red Rock Canyon (just outside Las Vegas) that was just as gnarly without any aid of chains or ropes (Bridge Mt. being one of them). However, for a popular hike (one that families and people of all levels have access to and do each week) then yes, it is 'treacherous'. I'd just be careful in saying it's "extremely dangerous" or one of the "10 most dangerous hikes", b/c that might skew the description of some of these others.

I have hiked 3 of the 10 on this list and totally agree with Michael...Angels Landing is extremely dangerous...like nothing I have ever experienced before or since.

Any 10 most dangerous list without Angels Landing in Zion is a bit suspect!

How about the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska?