Continental Divide Trail

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, usually called the CDT, follows the Continental Divide through the Rocky Mountains of the western United States. Its official length is 3,028 miles, or 4,873 km. It begins at the Crazy Cook Monument on the Mexican border in New Mexico and ends at the Canadian border in Montana, with many hikers continuing a few miles to Waterton Lakes in Alberta.

The trail was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1978. It crosses five states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The US Forest Service manages about 70 percent of the route, and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, formed in 2012, coordinates work with land agencies and volunteers.

The route passes through desert in southern New Mexico, the high peaks of the Colorado Rockies, the Wind River Range and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and Glacier National Park in Montana. Its highest point is Grays Peak in Colorado at 14,278 feet. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition describes the trail as about 95 percent complete, and the remaining gaps use dirt and paved roads, so the distance actually walked ranges from about 2,700 to 3,150 miles depending on route choices.

The CDT is the least travelled of the three long trails that make up the Triple Crown of Hiking, alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Around 150 people completed it in 2019. Hazards include snow at high altitude, wildfires, long dry stretches, lightning and bears.

A thru-hike takes about five months, and most hikers start northbound from New Mexico in April. Day and section hikes are possible in many places, especially in Colorado and Glacier National Park. Some sections need permits, and a passport is required to finish at Waterton Lakes in Canada.

Which permits do CDT hikers need?

A full-length hiker needs at least three: a Blackfeet Nation Fish and Wildlife Recreation Permit for the few miles the trail runs through the Blackfeet Reservation at the southern end of Glacier National Park, and backcountry camping permits for Glacier and for Yellowstone. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition lists these on its thru-hiking pages.

In Glacier, a permit is required for every overnight stay in the backcountry, all year. Advance reservations are made through Recreation.gov, and a share of campsites is held back for walk-up permits issued at ranger stations such as St. Mary and Two Medicine, which suits thru-hikers whose arrival date is uncertain. Up to four people can share a single permit. Other agencies along the route, including Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, have their own rules for overnight stays.