Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a 4,988 km point-to-point trail in the United States, climbing roughly 137,000 m of cumulative elevation over about 150 days. Rated expert, it follows the Rocky Mountain crest from the Mexican border to Canada across five states, making it the wildest and most remote of America's three long-distance Triple Crown trails.

About the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) traces the spine of the Rocky Mountains for roughly 4,988 km, though the Continental Divide Trail Coalition lists the official corridor at about 4,873 km (3,028 miles). Because the route is still only around 70 percent complete dedicated trail, actual hiking distances vary between 2,700 and 3,150 miles depending on the alternates a hiker chooses. The path runs through five states — New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana — and crosses public land for roughly 95 percent of its length. Major ranges along the way include the San Juan Mountains, the Wind River Range, the Absaroka Range, the Centennial Mountains and the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, each adding its own character to the traverse.

Congress designated the CDT as a National Scenic Trail in 1978, placing it alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Completing all three earns the coveted "Triple Crown" of American long-distance hiking; as of late 2025 only 837 hikers had ever done so. The CDT is by far the least travelled of the three: in 2019 around 150 thru-hikers finished it, against more than 1,000 on each of the other two. That scarcity is the trail's signature — long stretches of high-alpine solitude, weak signage and genuine navigation demands define the experience.

The trail follows the hydrological Continental Divide itself, the ridgeline that separates water flowing to the Atlantic from water flowing to the Pacific. It tops out on Grays Peak in Colorado at 4,352 m (14,278 ft) and drops as low as about 1,300 m near Lordsburg, New Mexico. Belonging to the National Walking Network of major US scenic trails, the CDT is managed jointly by the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the volunteer-driven Continental Divide Trail Coalition.

Route Overview & Stages

Most thru-hikers walk northbound (NOBO), starting at the Mexican border in spring and chasing the snowmelt north. The five state segments below break the route into its natural sections. Distances are approximate and shift with alternates and reroutes.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Crazy Cook Monument, New Mexico — the southern terminus at the US–Mexico border in the Big Hatchet Mountains, reached only by a long shuttle ride across the desert.
• Gila Wilderness, New Mexico — America's first designated wilderness (1924), where the popular Gila River alternate threads through a canyon with dozens of river fords and cliff dwellings.
• San Juan Mountains, Colorado — the most demanding alpine stretch, holding the trail above 3,650 m for days and notorious for late-lying snow and afternoon lightning.
• Grays Peak, Colorado — at 4,352 m (14,278 ft) the highest point on the entire CDT and the highest summit on the Continental Divide in North America.
• Wind River Range, Wyoming — granite peaks, glacial lakes and the high Cirque of the Towers alternate, widely considered the scenic crown of the trail.
• Great Divide Basin, Wyoming — a flat, waterless desert where the Divide splits and there is effectively no continental watershed; a test of water management and mileage.
• Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming — geothermal basins, bison herds and a permit-controlled corridor through the world's first national park.
• Glacier National Park, Montana — the spectacular northern finale, where the route climbs past glaciers and turquoise lakes to the Canadian border at Waterton.

Best Time to Hike the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

A northbound CDT thru-hike runs from mid-April to early September — roughly five months. The timing is dictated entirely by snow: leave New Mexico too early and the desert water sources are dry, but arrive in the Colorado San Juans before the snowpack consolidates and you face dangerous post-holing and avalanche terrain above 3,650 m. The standard NOBO window starts at Crazy Cook in mid-to-late April so hikers reach southern Colorado around mid-June, when most of the high snow has melted out.

The single best month to be on the trail is July. By then Colorado's high country is largely clear, Wyoming's Wind River Range is at its flowery peak, and the long daylight hours allow big mileage before afternoon thunderstorms build over the Divide. Those storms are the chief July hazard — start alpine climbs at dawn and be off exposed ridgelines by early afternoon. As of 2026, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition continues to publish a recommended departure-window calculator, and recent low-snow years have nudged many hikers' start dates slightly earlier. Southbound (SOBO) hikers instead start in Glacier National Park from mid-June once Montana's passes open, finishing New Mexico in autumn; this direction sees far fewer hikers and demands faster acclimatisation to altitude from day one.

Shoulder-season section-hikes are possible but tightly weather-bound. New Mexico's desert stretches are pleasant from late March into early May and again in October, while Colorado's high sections rarely clear before late June and can hold snow at the highest passes into July. By September, early storms regularly close Glacier's passes, so the northern terminus has a hard practical deadline that shapes the entire NOBO schedule.

Practical Information

Accommodation

The CDT is overwhelmingly a camping trail — expect to sleep in a tent or tarp the vast majority of nights, dispersed-camping for free across National Forest and BLM land. Plan to resupply and occasionally rest in trail towns such as Silver City, Pagosa Springs, Salida, Lander, Dubois and East Glacier. Budget roughly €30–€90 per night for a basic motel or hostel bunk in these towns; hiker hostels at the lower end often include a shower and laundry. Designated campgrounds inside national parks cost about €18–€28 per night. Many hikers average two to four town nights per state, so a realistic lodging budget for the full hike is €1,500–€2,500 on top of food.

Getting There & Back

For a northbound start, fly into El Paso International Airport (ELP) in Texas, the closest major hub to the southern terminus, then arrange a CDTC-coordinated shuttle from Lordsburg, New Mexico to Crazy Cook Monument — a remote three-hour drive each way. From the northern finish at Waterton Lakes, the nearest gateway is Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) near Kalispell, Montana, about a two-to-three-hour drive from the East Glacier trailhead. Amtrak's Empire Builder line stops at East Glacier Park and Whitefish, making rail a practical way to reach or leave the Montana end. Internal travel between trail towns relies on hitchhiking, hiker shuttles and limited rural bus services.

Permits & Fees

There is no single permit for the whole CDT, but several agencies require their own. A free long-distance permit covers travel through Rocky Mountain National Park, while Glacier National Park requires a backcountry permit (around €7 per night plus a reservation fee) and Yellowstone requires a backcountry camping permit. Hikers crossing into Canada at the northern terminus must enter through an official port of entry with valid documents, as the Waterton boundary crossing is not staffed — most exit via Waterton townsite. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition consolidates current permit links each season, and most through-permits are free or nominal, so the real cost of the CDT lies in time, transport and resupply rather than entry fees.

Gear & Packing List

Five months of exposure across desert, alpine and glacier terrain make gear choices critical. The CDT punishes weight: every gram is carried over an estimated 137,000 m of cumulative climbing, so most finishers run an ultralight base weight under 5 kg. A frameless or lightweight-frame pack in the 50–60 litre range handles long food carries through Wyoming's Great Divide Basin — proven options include the Arc Haul Ultra 60L and the 3400 Windrider, while faster hikers carrying less between resupplies favour the smaller 2400 Windrider. For shorter section-hikes a do-everything pack like the Atmos AG 50 adds comfort at a modest weight penalty.

Beyond the pack, prioritise a reliable shelter rated for high-alpine wind, a 0–-7 °C sleeping quilt for July nights above 3,000 m, sun protection for New Mexico's open desert, and a robust navigation setup — paper maps plus a GPS app, since the CDT's signage is sparse and reroutes are common. Our guide to the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 compares seven tested packs in detail. Because daily mileage and climbing are so high, fuelling correctly matters as much as gear; see how to estimate how many calories you need hiking a full day before planning resupply boxes.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the CDT's scale appeals, several other US mountain trails make logical training objectives or future goals — from the other long Triple Crown route to classic high-altitude day climbs. For Europeans drawn to long-distance walking, our write-up on how to hike the Theth to Valbona trail in Albania offers a far shorter alpine taste of the same crest-walking style.

• Pacific Crest Trail — the CDT's western sibling and another Triple Crown route, generally graded gentler and busier.
• Uinta Highline Trail — a sustained high-elevation traverse in Utah, ideal as a CDT shakedown.
• Mount Whitney Trail — the highest summit in the contiguous US, a benchmark for altitude tolerance.
• Half Dome Trail — Yosemite's iconic cable route for exposure practice.
• Angels Landing Trail / West Rim Trail — a short, dramatic Zion climb testing nerve on narrow ground.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the Continental Divide Trail?
July is the single best month, when Colorado's San Juans have largely melted out and Wyoming's Wind River Range peaks for wildflowers. Northbound thru-hikers start at the Mexican border in mid-to-late April to time the high country, finishing in Glacier National Park by early September before autumn snow returns.

How difficult is the Continental Divide Trail?
It is rated expert and is the hardest of America's three long trails. Roughly 137,000 m of cumulative climbing, sustained altitude above 3,000 m, weak signage, long waterless stretches and only about 70 percent dedicated trail demand strong navigation and self-sufficiency. In 2019 only around 150 hikers completed it, against over 1,000 on the PCT.

How many kilometres per day do hikers cover on the CDT?
To finish the roughly 4,988 km route in about five months, thru-hikers average 30–40 km (19–25 miles) per day. Mileage is lower in Colorado's steep San Juans and higher across Wyoming's flat Great Divide Basin, where hikers often push 45 km or more to manage long water carries between sources.

Where do you sleep on the Continental Divide Trail?
The CDT is mostly a camping trail, with free dispersed camping across National Forest and BLM land for the majority of nights. Hikers resupply and rest in trail towns such as Silver City, Salida and Lander, where motels and hostels cost roughly €30–€90 per night. National park campgrounds run about €18–€28 per night.

What permits do you need for the CDT?
No single permit covers the whole trail, but individual agencies require their own. Rocky Mountain National Park issues a free long-distance permit, while Glacier and Yellowstone require paid backcountry permits of roughly €7 per night plus fees. Hikers crossing into Canada must use an official port of entry; the Continental Divide Trail Coalition lists current permit links each season.

For authoritative, up-to-date planning information, consult the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and the US Forest Service Continental Divide National Scenic Trail pages before you set out.