Suffering is what part of makes outdoor adventures worthwhile. By overcoming challenges, we prove to ourselves how resilient, strong, and capable we are. The moment when fit hits the shan leads to an adrenaline spike; our fight vs. flight instinct kicks in and we respond. Making it up a huge ascent or navigating a tricky situation results in a bit of a natural high.
Backpacking is a sure-fire way to experience type 2 fun. The physical and mental challenge is exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. We rounded up the most intense but rewarding trails, based on distance, elevation, weather, conditions, and more. If you’ve got substantial backpacking experience and are on the hunt for a challenge, consider this your bucket list for your type 2 fun fix.
Editor’s note: The hikes highlighted here are for experienced hikers only. As with any outdoor activity, if you’re unsure or unprepared, these trails can pose dangers to your safety.
Heysen Trail
This 745-mile hike spans from Cape Jervis to Parachilna Gorge in southern Australia. It presents several challenges; much of the trail is extremely remote, making resupplying tricky. The weather can change on a dime, with sunny skies turning into torrential rain at the drop of a hat.
The country’s National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) rates trails on a difficulty level from 1 to 5, with 5 being the hardest. All of the mileage on the Heysen Trail is either a 4 or 5, meaning that “tracks are likely to be very rough, very steep and unmarked,” according to the NPWS.
In return for all of your effort, you’ll get stunning seaside views, strolls through wine country, and the spectacular Flinders Ranges National Park.
Via de la Plata
There are many routes of the Camino de Santiago, the famed trail that leads to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. Of the 530,000 pilgrims that embarked on a Camino in 2025, only 9,000 did the 596-mile Via de la Plata (compared to 242,000 on the Camino Frances). This route, which begins in southern Spain in Seville, demands hikers endure long daily distances (over 20 miles a day) and hot temperatures. The average temperature in the South stays above 70 degrees almost year-round. Compared to popular routes like the Frances, there is much less trail infrastructure and fewer albergues (pilgrim hostels), limiting flexibility.
For all of its challenges, however, the Via de la Plata offers a true environment for contemplation and reflection, away from the tourist parade that routes like the Frances have become. It also allows you to explore the true diversity of Spanish landscapes, from the woodlands in the South to the mountains in the North. You’ll get to traverse through multiple distinct regions, including Andalucía, Extremadura, Castile/León, and Galicia.
Great Divide Trail
The 680-mile Great Divide Trail (GDT) across the Canadian Rockies reads like a laundry list of problems. Waymarking can be spotty to non-existent, snowstorms can descend even in the summer, and elevation changes can be extreme. The trail’s association’s website warns, “Occasionally the GDT is not always an actual trail, sometimes just a wilderness route so at some point, navigation will be a challenge.” And it’s Canada, so you’ve got to be mindful of grizzly and black bears.
The trail, however, is a true highlight reel. It passes through five national parks, eight Provincial Parks, three Wildland Provincial Parks, and two wilderness areas, showing off some of the country’s most stunning natural areas. You’ll get your fill of staggering peaks, stunningly clear glacial lakes, towering waterfalls, and wildflower-filled meadows.
Sierra High Route
The 195-mile Sierra High Route in California is the hard-core version of the John Muir Trail. It involves a series of 25 mountain passes, all ranging from 9,000 to 12,000 feet, with hard climbs on rocky, loose terrain. There’s no real designated “trail,” but more of a general direction connecting Kings Canyon and Yosemite national parks.
The High Sierras are one of the most remote, untouched places in California, and this hike allows you to explore this wilderness in peace and solitude. Stop mid-day for a quick dip in a pristine alpine lake, and then cowboy camp among the trees and marvel at the vast night sky, free from light pollution.
Hayduke Trail
With the challenges posed by heat and water access, deserts are one of the trickiest hiking environments, and you’ll get your fill of them on the 800-mile Hayduke Trail. Stretching across southern Utah and northern Arizona, this trail traverses sandstone canyons, wide deserts, and slickrock plateaus. The trail is not waymarked, and its elevation profile stretches from 1,800 feet to over 11,000 feet.
The trek reads as a greatest hits of the American West, with time in several iconic national parks, including Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion. These parks are major tourist hotspots, but the route allows hikers to explore them far away from the crowds.
