Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a 4,988-km point-to-point trail in the United States, following the Rocky Mountains from Mexico to Canada and gaining roughly 50,000 m of cumulative elevation over five months. Rated expert, it is the wildest and most remote of America's three great long-distance trails, peaking at 4,352 m on Grays Peak.

About the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) traces the hydrological spine of North America, the line where rain either drains toward the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic. Officially measured at 3,028 miles (4,873 km), with on-the-ground hiking distances ranging from 4,345 km to 5,069 km depending on alternate routes, the CDT crosses five US states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. It is one third of the "Triple Crown" of American long-distance hiking, alongside the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail.

Congress designated the CDT as a National Scenic Trail in 1978, following the National Trails System Act of 1968 that President Lyndon Johnson set in motion in 1965. That same year, Appalachian Trail veteran Jim Wolf founded the Continental Divide Trail Society to advocate for and document the route. Decades later the trail remains a work in progress: as of 2021 it was roughly 70 percent complete as dedicated singletrack, with the remainder stitched together from dirt and paved roads, jeep tracks and cross-country navigation.

That incompleteness defines its character. The US Forest Service manages about 2,170 miles (3,492 km) of the corridor, the Bureau of Land Management around 372 miles (599 km) and the National Park Service some 310 miles (499 km). Where the Pacific Crest Trail offers continuous, graded tread, the CDT demands route-finding, map reading and decision-making. In 2019 only about 150 hikers completed a CDT thru-hike, against more than 1,000 each on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails — a measure of its remoteness, altitude and self-reliance demands.

The reward for that difficulty is solitude almost unmatched among major trails. The CDT spends weeks above 3,000 m, crossing alpine tundra where the horizon is nothing but mountains and the nearest road may be two days away. It passes through the homelands of grizzly bears, pronghorn and bighorn sheep, and threads three of America's most storied national parks. The 2019 hiker survey put the median thru-hiker age at 31, with roughly two thirds identifying as male — though those demographics are shifting as the trail's reputation grows. Completing it earns a place in a small fraternity: as of late 2025, just 837 people had finished all three Triple Crown trails since record-keeping began in 1994.

Route Overview & Stages

The CDT is most usefully broken into its five state sections. Northbound (NOBO) hikers start at the Mexican border in spring; southbound (SOBO) hikers start at the Canadian border in summer. The table below shows the classic state-by-state breakdown with the official mileage and approximate cumulative climb for each section.

Section distances are approximate because the CDT offers dozens of sanctioned alternates — including the Gila River route in New Mexico and the popular Cirque of the Towers variant in Wyoming — that trade official mileage for scenery or water access. Most hikers treat "the" distance as a moving target somewhere between 4,345 km and 5,069 km. New Mexico opens with deceptively gentle desert before the trail climbs steadily north; Colorado is the high-altitude crux, holding the route above treeline for days at a time; Wyoming swings from the granite splendour of the Wind River Range to the waterless Great Divide Basin; the Idaho–Montana border delivers lonely, exposed ridge-walking along the Bitterroot crest; and Montana finishes with the wild Bob Marshall Wilderness and the alpine spectacle of Glacier National Park.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Crazy Cook Monument, New Mexico — the lonely southern terminus in the Big Hatchet Mountains, reached only by a long shuttle across the Chihuahuan Desert at roughly 1,300 m.
• Gila River, New Mexico — a green oasis where the alternate route fords the river dozens of times through a cottonwood canyon, a relief from the high desert.
• San Juan Mountains, Colorado — the trail's most sustained high-alpine stretch, holding the route above 3,650 m for days through rugged volcanic peaks.
• Grays Peak, Colorado — at 4,352 m the highest point on the entire CDT and one of the few 14,000-foot summits the official route crosses directly.
• Wind River Range, Wyoming — granite cirques, glacial lakes and the optional Cirque of the Towers, widely rated the single most beautiful section of the trail.
• Great Divide Basin, Wyoming — a stark high-desert bowl where the Continental Divide splits and water is scarce, demanding careful planning across long dry stretches.
• Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana — over 4,000 km² of roadless backcountry, including the dramatic Chinese Wall escarpment, with grizzly bears present.
• Glacier National Park, Montana — the spectacular northern finale, ending at Waterton Lakes on the Canadian border amid alpine lakes and hanging glaciers.

Best Time to Hike the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

The hiking window is dictated by snowpack in the Colorado high country and by grizzly-bear and weather conditions in Montana. Northbound thru-hikers typically leave Crazy Cook Monument in mid-to-late April, aiming to reach southern Colorado after the worst of the San Juan snow has consolidated in June, then ride the seasonal sweet spot north to finish in Glacier National Park in August or September before autumn storms arrive.

For a NOBO start, late April is the single best month to begin: New Mexico is still cool enough to manage water carries before summer heat builds, and the timing positions you correctly for the rest of the divide. Southbound hikers instead start in mid-June once Glacier's high passes melt out, finishing New Mexico in October or November. As of 2026, persistent late-season snow in the San Juans remains the most common reason hikers flip-flop their itinerary, and afternoon lightning above treeline in Colorado and Wyoming is a daily July hazard — early starts and treeline discipline are non-negotiable. Always check current snowpack and fire-closure data before committing to dates.

Practical Information

Accommodation

The CDT is overwhelmingly a wild-camping trail: the vast majority of nights are spent in a tent on Forest Service, BLM or wilderness land, where dispersed backcountry camping is free. Budget for trail-town resupply stops every five to eight days, where motels and hostels typically cost €55–€110 per night and hiker hostels or bunkrooms run €25–€45. Designated campgrounds in the national parks charge roughly €18–€28 per pitch. In Glacier National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, backcountry camping is restricted to assigned sites that must be reserved or permitted in advance — factor those bookings into your schedule well ahead of arrival.

Getting There & Back

For a northbound hike, the practical gateway is El Paso International Airport (ELP) in Texas, about a 2-hour drive from the trail; CDT Coalition shuttles ferry hikers the remaining 4–5 hours to the remote Crazy Cook Monument. The northern terminus at Waterton Lakes is reached via Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) near Kalispell, Montana, roughly a 1.5–2 hour drive away, with onward bus links from East Glacier. For SOBO hikes, simply reverse this. Within the corridor, Amtrak's Empire Builder line stops at East Glacier and Essex, offering rare rail access directly beside the trail.

Permits & Fees

There is no single through-permit for the CDT, but several segments require their own. Glacier National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park both require backcountry permits with advance reservation, and the New Mexico segment crossing tribal land near Ghost Ranch and other parcels can require local permission. Long-distance hikers should also carry an interagency pass for entry fees. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition publishes the current, authoritative permit checklist and recommends arranging park backcountry permits months in advance. You can review the official requirements at the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and check land-manager rules through the National Park Service Glacier backcountry office.

Gear & Packing List

A five-month, 4,988-km hike across desert, alpine tundra and grizzly country rewards a disciplined ultralight setup. The 2018 hiker survey recorded an average base weight of 16.4 pounds (7.4 kg) — and lighter is generally better given the relentless climbing. A frameless or lightweight-frame pack in the 50–60 litre range handles the long food carries between resupplies; the Arc Haul Ultra 60L and the 3400 Windrider are both proven CDT workhorses, while the 2400 Windrider suits hikers who resupply more frequently with a lighter load. Our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 compares these head to head.

Beyond the pack, the essentials are a three-season shelter rated for snow flurries, a sub-zero-capable quilt or bag for high-altitude nights, microspikes and possibly an ice axe for early Colorado snow, a bear-resistant food canister or hang system for Montana, and a reliable filter for the Great Divide Basin's scarce water. Calorie planning matters enormously over five months — read how many calories you need hiking a full day before building your resupply boxes.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the scale and altitude of the CDT appeal to you, these American trails share its mountain character, from multi-month thru-hikes to demanding single-day classics. Each rewards careful planning and strong legs.

• Pacific Crest Trail — the CDT's Triple Crown sibling, 4,265 km from Mexico to Canada with smoother tread.
• Mount Whitney Trail — the climb to the highest summit in the contiguous US at 4,421 m.
• Half Dome Trail — Yosemite's iconic cable-route ascent of a granite dome.
• Angels Landing Trail--West Rim Trail — Zion's exposed chain-assisted ridge walk.
• Enchantments Traverse — a strenuous alpine lakes traverse in Washington's Cascades.

Looking further afield, the Theth to Valbona hike in Albania offers a far shorter but equally rugged alpine crossing if you want a taste of high-mountain hiking before committing to a Triple Crown trail.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the Continental Divide Trail?
For a northbound thru-hike, late April is the best time to start at the Mexican border, putting you in Colorado's San Juan Mountains after the snow consolidates in June and finishing in Glacier National Park by September. Southbound hikers start in mid-June once Montana's passes melt. The overall window runs April through October.

How difficult is the Continental Divide Trail?
It is rated expert and is widely considered the hardest of the Triple Crown trails. Roughly 30 percent is unbuilt, requiring navigation across roads and open country, and the route holds high altitude for weeks, climbing to 4,352 m at Grays Peak. In 2019 only about 150 hikers completed it, reflecting its remoteness and self-reliance demands.

How many kilometres per day do CDT hikers walk?
Completing the roughly 4,988 km in five months requires averaging about 32–40 km (20–25 miles) per day, including resupply stops. Strong hikers push 45 km daily across the flat Great Divide Basin, while the high San Juan Mountains and Glacier National Park slow the pace to 25–30 km with their sustained climbing and altitude.

Where do you sleep on the Continental Divide Trail?
Most nights are spent wild camping for free in a tent on Forest Service, BLM and wilderness land. Trail towns every five to eight days offer hostels at €25–€45 and motels at €55–€110. National park sections such as Glacier and Rocky Mountain require staying at assigned, permitted backcountry sites reserved in advance.

Do you need a permit to hike the CDT?
There is no single through-permit, but individual segments require their own. Glacier National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park both mandate advance-reserved backcountry permits, some New Mexico tribal and private parcels need local permission, and an interagency pass covers park entry fees. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition publishes the current, authoritative permit checklist for hikers.