Why East Coast Trails Are So Much Harder To Hike Than West Coast Trails

Key Points:

• The West Coast's Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges feature higher peaks and trails with switchbacks, making climbs more gradual, while the East Coast's Appalachian and Adirondack trails are generally steeper and more challenging due to fewer switchbacks.
• East Coast trails were often built for recreational purposes on limited land, resulting in steeper, more direct routes, whereas West Coast trails were designed in the 1880s for pack animals, incorporating switchbacks for easier ascents.
• Notorious East Coast hikes like New York's Devil's Path and New Hampshire's Presidential Traverse have significant elevation gains over shorter distances, contributing to their difficulty, while some West Coast trails like Mount St. Helens' boulder field present exceptions to the generally less steep terrain.
• Experienced hikers and thru-hikers note that the Appalachian Trail (AT) is more physically demanding than the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), citing the AT's frequent steep climbs and "pointless ups and downs" (PUDs) as key challenges compared to the PCT's more gradual elevation gains.
• Despite the differences, many hikers appreciate the unique challenges of both coasts, with some East Coast hikers finding West Coast switchbacks more manageable, while still valuing the ruggedness and difficulty of Eastern trails.