Dixie Pass
~3 days · 11.6 mi · moderate · Point-to-point
Quick facts
What the Dixie Pass is known for
Wrangell-St. Elias's classic first backpack: roughly 11.5 miles one-way (shown here as the one-way line, hiked out-and-back for ~23 miles round trip) from the Kotsina Road up creek gravel and alpine tundra to Dixie Pass.
Elevation profile
Elevation ranges from 4,111 ft to 16,995 ft over 11.6 mi. Measured from OSM geometry (approximate).
- Uphill 11.1 mi · 96%
- Downhill 0.1 mi · 1%
- Flat 0.4 mi · 3%
Ridgefold breaks every route into uphill, downhill, and flat — see the full per-day breakdown in the app.
How hard is the Dixie Pass?
On the Ridgefold Difficulty Index, the Dixie Pass scores 26/100, a relative rating across the 1,243 trails we've mapped, blending distance, elevation gain, and steepness. It is a comparison within our set, not an official rating.
Frequently asked questions
How many days does the Dixie Pass take?
Most backpackers hike the Dixie Pass in about 3 days (2 nights out) over its 11.6 miles, though pace varies with fitness and conditions.
How much elevation gain is on the Dixie Pass?
The Dixie Pass climbs roughly 3,930 ft total — about 339 ft per mile, topping out near 5,180 ft.
Related trails
Sources & attribution
Route geometry from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 — source relation. Stats are approximate and may differ from official surveys; permit rules and conditions change — verify with the managing authority before your trip. Last reviewed July 2026.