Posts on this site may contain affiliate links. This means that whenever you buy or book something through those links, we may earn a small commission – without any extra cost to you at all! You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.
Hiking can be a calming, meditative experience. Just think about hiking lazily through a wildflower meadow or trekking deep into the wilderness. It is the perfect way to experience some quiet and the peace of Mother Nature.
But hiking can be a blood-pumping adventure, too. You just need to find the right trails, the ones that will test your every skill, try your determination with every step, and will remind you of how fun and thrilling life actually is. These seven dangerous trails are the world’s best for getting your adrenaline flowing.
Contents
- 7 Dangerous Trails That Will Get Your Adrenaline Flowing
- 1. Angel’s Landing, Zion National Park, Utah, USA
- 2. Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
- 3. El Caminito del Rey, Malaga, Spain
- 4. Leukerbad Via Ferrata, Leukerbad, Switzerland
- 5. Aonach Eagach Ridge, Glencoe, Scottland
- 6. Kokoda Trail, Papua New Guinea
- 7. The Subway, Zion National Park, Utah, USA
7 Dangerous Trails That Will Get Your Adrenaline Flowing
1. Angel’s Landing, Zion National Park, Utah, USA
If heights make you nervous, this might be a hike to skip. Located in southern Utah’s Zion National Park, this trail takes you far above the floor of the canyon to overlook stunning red rock formations, deep river beds, and wilderness for miles. While the trail is only about 5 miles (8 kilometers) long, it’s extremely strenuous and climbs almost 1,500 feet from the bottom of the canyon to the top of a massive stone fin. The trail is paved at first, but by the time you get to the top it’s all rock – with 1,000-foot drop offs on either side. This is one of the most popular, challenging and downright best hikes in Zion National Park.
2. Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
For more high-up thrill seeking, there’s no better spot than Yosemite, one of the greatest U.S. national parks. This park is home to some of the most incredible vertical rock in the world, and the Half Dome is no different. The trail takes you 8 miles (13 kilometers) up to the top of the peak that makes up the North Face logo. This hike doesn’t lack breathtaking views, and it doesn’t lack exposure, either. The final ascent of the trail is guided by metal cables up sheer granite after almost 4,500 feet of elevation gain. Beyond the exposure, hikers have to worry about altitude sickness, slippery rocks, and lightning. For those who can handle the risk, and the strenuous 16-mile (26-kilometer) round trip, this hike is well worth it.
3. El Caminito del Rey, Malaga, Spain
In the remote region of Andalusia sits El Caminito del Rey, the King’s Little Pathway. This 2-mile (3-kilometer) hike is a concrete pathway that sits 300 feet off the ground and transverses a sheer stone wall. Over 100 years old, the path was known as one of the most dangerous trails in the world due to the elevated number of hiker deaths and crumbling state of the walkway. In 2015, the pathway was restored and opened to the public, but it remains an adrenaline-pumping experience. Hikers can expect plenty of vertigo as they scale the walls of this massive gorge.
4. Leukerbad Via Ferrata, Leukerbad, Switzerland
Via Ferrata is Italian for “iron road” and designates a series of protected climbs around Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and other parts of Europe. One of the most demanding of these treks is the Leukerbad Via Ferrata, located in the Swiss Alps. Hikers can expect to clip in with ropes to a series of cables as they ascend steep, exposed ladders up large stone faces. The Leukerbad is rated K5-K6 (one of the most difficult via feratta ratings) and even has a few spots for an early descent for hikers who get too tired or freaked out. Besides the exposure, this route holds the risk of severe rainstorms, lightning, altitude sickness, and major scariness.
5. Aonach Eagach Ridge, Glencoe, Scottland
If you haven’t had enough exposure yet, here’s one more for you. The Aonach Eagach Ridge is a route that follows a high mountain ridge through the Glencoe area of the Scottish Highlands. More than 6 miles (10 kilometers) long, this ridge is long and strenuous, with death-defying heights and steep scree slopes on both sides. The ridge is well known for being difficult to descend – meaning once you start, you’ve gotta commit to the end. Like all mountain ridges, lightning poses a serious risk here, so since getting down can be tricky, hikers need to be prepared to get across the ridge quickly.
6. Kokoda Trail, Papua New Guinea
This next hike is much nicer for those with a fear of heights, but it’s far from tame. The Kokoda Trail was designated during World War II as Australian forces attempted to fight Japanese forces in the Owen Stanley mountain range. Long thought impassable, the Kokoda winds 60 miles (almost 100 kilometers) through the mountains, far removed from civilization and marked by dense jungle. While the trail is established, the risk of getting lost is severe and hikers may want to invest in either a guide or the best GPS watch on the market. Hikers must be prepared for wet, strenuous conditions as well as the wildlife of Papua New Guinea.
7. The Subway, Zion National Park, Utah, USA
For the claustrophobic among us, you may want to stick to the mountain ridges. The Subway is a slot canyon in Zion National Park, one of the five national parks in Utah, and is one of the most famous canyon adventures in the world. The spectacular views, rock formations, and bright blue pools are the hallmark to Utah’s desert scenery, but they do take some work to get to. The entrance to the Subway can only be accessed by a slick rock scramble and really good route finding skills. The canyon itself is semi-technical, and even in the desert heat the water in the bottom can be frigid. Hikers must navigate their way down waterfalls and up rockfalls before a several-mile exit up a sandy gorge. In true desert fashion, both heat and cold can be dangerous here.
And there you have it, seven incredible and dangerous trails to get your blood pumping and adrenaline flowing. Again, these hiking locations are not for the faint of heart or certainly not the best initiation hike for beginners.
Have you hiked any of these dangerous trails? I’d love to hear about your experience!
Author Bio
Rebecca lives in USA, but loves hiking all over the world. Her favorite is Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal. It usually takes 16 days, but she likes to slow down, enjoy mountains, company of other adventurers and take more pictures, so it took her 28 days last time. Another of her passion is the ocean, so all short and long hikes along the ocean shore bring a lot of joy. She also writes for http://hikingmastery.com/.