Hard is in. But to hell with obstacle races and manufactured difficulty (50 miles in a day! Barefoot! Backwards!). These 9 hard hikes offer true challenges of all types — grueling, really scary, and tricky to plan—and payoffs you can only get one way. Go forth and conquer—if you dare.

Wrangell Plateau to Dixie Pass, Alaska Navigate your own route through grizzly terrain in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, all to access seldom-seen panoramas of the 16,000-foot Wrangell Mountains. Read more. 1 / 9