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Sep 13, 2023

Devil's Path is the Hardest Hiking Trail in the Hudson Valley, NY

Personally, I prefer a paved path with a gentle incline, but there's some psychos in the Hudson Valley that are just looking for torture. From the Catskills to the Hudson Highlands and everywhere in

Personally, I prefer a paved path with a gentle incline, but there's some psychos in the Hudson Valley that are just looking for torture.

From the Catskills to the Hudson Highlands and everywhere in between, it's easy to find beautiful trails of all skill levels. Mount Beacon is a short but very steep hike that begins with an inhumanely-long staircase. The lemon squeeze at Mohonk is a claustrophobic's nightmare that makes you contort your body to fit through narrow crevasses. But neither is the toughest.

First, some runners-up. Funnily enough, many of the Hudson Valley's hardest hikes are named appropriately. Breakneck Ridge in Philipstown, NY, for example, tells hikers exactly what they could be facing if they take a wrong step on the way to the top of the trail.

Slide Mountain in Shandaken, NY also sounds a bit ominous. A hike that often flies under the radar, Slide Mountain is the highest peak in the Catskills with a prominence of 3,300 ft. Its elevation gain is also over 500 feet greater than Breakneck Ridge and has a 4.5-star rating on AllTrails.com. But there's one trail that locals agree can put even the most seasoned hiker to the test.

Far and away, the most-nominated trail for difficulty was Devil's Path. Described by one local hiker as "24 grueling miles with a ton of elevation gain and loss and lots of scrambles", most adventurers take multiple days to conquer this trail, although the nearly 16-hour hike can be done all at once. Are you up for the challenge?

Safe travels and good luck if you're ready to attempt any of the challenging hikes in the Hudson Valley. If you're looking for something slightly more moderate, check out 30 beautiful (and not death-defying) options below.