Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT)

Dogs Unknown

Features Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · Geological Significance · Lake · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) is one of the most significant trail systems in the world. Established by Congress in 1978, it spans 3,100 miles between Mexico and Canada, traverses five states and connects countless communities along its spine.

Over the past 30 years, it has gradually assumed a marked physical shape; and preserves and celebrates an opportunity for adventure and history with one of the most significant features on our planet.

Picture yourself on one of the CDTs longest roadless sections, right in the middle of the half-million acre Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado, where the trail tracks through high glacial valleys and offers views of the craggy Needle Mountains or out on the trail in central New Mexico, where the desert meets the mountains. The span of one days outings offers an immense diversity of landscapes. Extending 3,100 miles from Canada to Mexico, the CDT encounters a multitude of ecosystems from tundra to desert, hosts a rich variety of wildlife, and preserves nearly two thousand natural, cultural, and historical treasures.

Considered one of the greatest long-distance trails in the world, it is the highest, most challenging, and most remote of our National Scenic Trails. Ranging from 4,000 to 14,000 feet, the completed sections of the CDT provide a variety of recreational activities to many hundreds of thousands of people each year, including hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife viewing, fishing, hunting, and sightseeing. For the long-distance hiking community, the CDT is one-third of the Triple Crown, and annually, while the number is growing, approximately 150 ambitious travelers attempt to complete an end-to-end trek.

• CDT: Mexico Border to New Mexico State Highway 81 (NM Sec. 1)
• CDT: NM Hwy 81 AP (NM Sec. 2)
• CDT: NM Hwy 9 AP (NM Sec. 3)
• CDT: NM Hwy 113 AP (NM Sec. 4)
• CDT: NM Hwy 494 (Shakespeare AP) (NM Sec. 5)
• CDT: Burro Peak TH (NM Sec. 6)
• CDT: Silver City AP (US Hwy 180) (NM Sec. 7)
• CDT: NM Hwy 15 (Arrastra Site TH) (NM Sec. 8)
• CDT: NM Hwy 35 AP (NM Sec. 9)
• CDT: Rocky Point AP (FR 150) (NM Sec. 10)
• CDT: FR 226 AP (NM Sec. 11)
• CDT: NM Hwy 59 TH (NM Sec. 12)
• CDT: NM Hwy 163 AP (NM Sec. 13)
• CDT: Coyote Stock Tank AP (County Rd. 16) (NM Sec. 14)
• CDT: FR 3070 AP (NM Sec. 15)
• CDT: NM Hwy 12 TH (NM Sec. 16)
• CDT: US Hwy 60 (NM Sec. 17)
• CDT: NM Hwy 36 & 117 Jnct AP (NM Sec. 18)
• CDT: NM Hwy 117 AP (NM Sec. 19)
• CDT: Zuni-Acoma TH (NM Hwy 117) (NM Sec. 20)
• CDT: Mt. Taylor TH (NM Sec. 21)
• CDT: FR 239 AP (NM Sec. 22)
• CDT: FR 239A TH (NM Sec. 23)
• CDT: Cerro Colorado AP (NM Sec. 24)
• CDT: Los Pinos TH (NM Sec. 25)
• CDT: NM Hwy 96 AP (NM Sec. 26)
• CDT: Skull Bridge TH (NM Sec. 27)
• CDT: US Hwy 84 AP (NM Sec. 28)
• CDT: NM Hwy 110 AP (NM Sec. 29)
• CDT: Hopewell Lake AP (US Hwy 64) (NM Sec. 30)
• CDT: Lagunitas CG AP (NM Sec. 31)
• CDT: New Mexico Border to Blue Lake (CO Sec. 1)
• CDT: Blue Lake to Elwood Pass (CO Sec. 2)
• CDT: Elwood Pass to Wolf Creek Pass (CO Sec. 3)
• CDT: Wolf Creek Pass to South River Peak (CO Sec. 4)
• CDT: South River Peak to Squaw Pass (CO Sec. 5)
• CDT: Squaw Pass to Weminuche Pass (CO Sec. 6)
• CDT: Weminuche Pass to Twin Lakes (CO Sec. 7)
• CDT: Twin Lakes to Beartown (CO Sec. 8)
• CDT: Beartown to Stony Pass (CO Sec. 9)
• CDT: Stony Pass to Carson Saddle (CO Sec. 10)
• CDT: Carson Saddle to Spring Creek Pass (CO Sec. 11)
• CDT: Spring Creek Pass to San Luis Pass (CO Sec. 12)
• CDT: San Luis Pass to Eddiesville (CO Sec. 13)
• CDT: Eddiesville to Saguache Park Road (CO Sec. 14)
• CDT: Saguache Park Road to Highway 114 (CO Sec. 15)
• CDT: Highway 114 to Sargents Mesa (CO Sec. 16)
• CDT: Sargents Mesa to Marshall Pass (CO Sec. 17)
• CDT: Marshall Pass to Monarch Pass (CO Sec. 18)
• CDT: Monarch Pass to Hancock (CO Sec. 19)
• CDT: Hancock to Tincup Pass Road (CO Sec. 20)
• CDT: Tincup Pass Road to Cottonwood Pass Road (CO Sec. 21)
• CDT: Cottonwood Pass Road to Sheep Gulch (CO Sec. 22)
• CDT: Sheep Gulch to Halfmoon Creek (CO Sec. 23)
• CDT: Halfmoon Creek to Timberline Lake (CO Sec. 24)
• CDT: Timberline Lake to Tennessee Pass (CO Sec. 25)
• CDT: Tennessee Pass to Copper Mountain (CO Sec. 26)
• CDT: Copper Mountain to Gold Hill (CO Sec. 27)
• CDT: Gold Hill to Georgia Pass (CO Sec. 28)
• CDT: Georgia Pass to Argentine Pass (CO Sec. 29)
• CDT: Argentine Pass to Herman Gulch (CO Sec. 30)
• CDT: Herman Gulch to Berthoud Pass (CO Sec. 31)
• CDT: Berthoud Pass to Rainbow Road (CO Sec. 32)
• CDT: Rainbow Road to Rollins Pass (CO Sec. 33)
• CDT: Rollins Pass to Monarch Lake (CO Sec. 34)
• CDT: Monarch Lake to Grand Lake (CO Sec. 35)
• CDT: Grand Lake to Bowen Gulch (CO Sec. 37)
• CDT: Bowen Gulch to Willow Creek Pass (CO Sec. 38)
• CDT: Willow Creek Pass to Troublesome Pass (CO Sec. 39)
• CDT: Troublesome Pass to FR 104 (CO Sec. 40)
• CDT: FR 104 to Rabbit Ears Pass
• CDT: Rabbit Ears Pass to Buffalo Pass (CO Sec. 41)
• CDT: Buffalo Pass to North Lake
• CDT: North Lake to Wyoming Border (CO Sec. 44)
• CDT: Colorado Border to Battle Pass TH (WY Sec. 1)
• CDT: Battle Pass to CR 401 (WY Sec. 2)
• CDT: CR 401 to BLM 3328 (WY Sec. 3)
• CDT: BLM 3328 to Bridger Pass Rd Access (WY Sec. 4)
• CDT: Bridger Pass Rd Access to US 287 (WY Sec. 5)
• CDT: US287 to CR 63 (WY Sec. 6)
• CDT: CR 63 to CR 22 (WY Sec. 7)
• CDT: CR 22 AP to Bison Basin Rd (WY Sec. 8)
• CDT: Bison Basin Rd to Sweetwater Bridge (WY Sec. 9)
• CDT: Sweetwater Bridge to South Pass City (WY Sec. 10)
• CDT: South Pass City to Sweetwater Guard Station (WY Sec. 11)
• CDT: Sweetwater Guard Station to Big Sandy (WY Sec. 12)
• CDT: Big Sandy to North Fork Lake (WY Sec. 13)
• CDT: North Fork Lake to Summit Lake (WY Sec. 14)
• CDT: Summit Lake to Union Pass (WY Sec. 15)
• CDT: Union Pass to Sheridan Pass (WY Sec. 16)
• CDT: Sheridan Pass to Brooks Lake TH (WY Sec. 17)
• CDT: Brooks Lake TH to N. Fork Buffalo River (WY Sec. 18)
• CDT: N. Fork Buffalo River to Fox Park (WY Sec. 19)
• CDT: Fox Park to Heart Lake TH (Hwy 287) (WY Sec. 20)
• CDT: Heart Lake TH (Hwy 287) to Howard Eaton TH (WY Sec. 21)
• CDT: Howard Eaton TH to Idaho Border (WY Sec. 22)
• CDT: Idaho border to Targhee Pass (MT Sec. 1)
• CDT: Targhee Pass to Red Rock Pass (MT Sec. 2)
• CDT: Red Rock Pass to Aldous Lake TH (MT Sec. 3)
• CDT: Aldous Lake TH to Interstate 15 (MT Sec. 4)
• CDT: Interstate 15 to Bannack Pass (MT Sec. 5)
• CDT: Bannack Pass to Morrison Lake (MT Sec. 6)
• CDT: Morrison Lake to Bannock Pass (MT Sec. 7)
• CDT: Bannock Pass to Lemhi Pass (MT Sec. 8)
• CDT: Lemhi Pass to Goldstone Pass (MT Sec. 9)
• CDT: Goldstone Pass to Miner Lakes TH (MT Sec. 10)
• CDT: Miner Lakes TH to Big Hole Pass (MT Sec. 11)
• CDT: Big Hole Pass to Chief Joseph Pass (MT Sec. 12)
• CDT: Chief Joseph Pass to Schultz Saddle (MT Sec. 13)
• CDT: Schultz Saddle to Johnson Lake (MT Sec. 14)
• CDT: Johnson Lake to Lower Seymour Lake (MT Sec. 15)
• CDT: Lower Seymour Lake to Interstate 15 (MT Sec. 16)
• CDT: Interstate 15 to Homestake Pass (MT Sec. 17)
• CDT: Homestake Pass to I-15/Elk Park (MT Sec. 18)
• CDT: I-15/Elk Park to MacDonald Pass (MT Sec. 19)
• CDT: MacDonald Pass to Dana Spring (MT Sec. 20)
• CDT: Dana Spring to Stemple Pass (MT Sec. 21)
• CDT: Stemple Pass to Rogers Pass (MT Sec. 22)
• CDT: Rogers Pass to Benchmark (MT Sec. 23)
• CDT: Benchmark to Badger Pass (MT Sec. 24)
• CDT: Badger Pass to Marias Pass (MT Sec. 25)
• CDT: Marias Pass to East Glacier (MT Sec. 26)
• CDT: East Glacier to Two Medicine CG (MT Sec. 27)
• CDT: Two Medicine CG to GTTS Road (MT Sec. 28)
• CDT: GTTS Road to Many Glacier (MT Sec. 29)
• CDT: Many Glacier to Goat Haunt (MT Sec. 30)
• CDT: Goat Haunt to Waterton Townsite (MT Sec. 30C - Lakeshore Trail)

Congress designated the CDT on November 10, 1978 and recognized the valuable contributions that volunteer and private, non-profit trail groups have made to the development and maintenance of the Nation's trails. In recognition of those contributions, Congress further recognized that it was critical to encourage and assist volunteer citizen involvement in the planning, development and management, where appropriate, of these trails.

National Scenic Trails are created to provide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities of the areas through which such trails may pass.

The vision of the Interagency Leadership Council for the CDT is to complete the trail to connect people and communities to the Continental Divide by providing scenic, high-quality, primitive hiking and horseback riding experiences, while preserving the significant natural, historic, and cultural resources along the trail.

The CDT is one of the most significant Trail Systems in the world, and its 3,100 mile length provides access to some of the most wild and scenic places left in the world while promoting conservation of the environment and physical health and well being.

The CDTC estimates that as of December 2015, 85 % of the trail is completed. The official route starts at the Canadian Border in Glacier National Park and ends in the Big Hatchets Wilderness Study Area on the Mexican Border, and is mapped and usable.

Estimated Miles in each state and miles to "complete":
Montana/Idaho – 980 estimated miles, 250 miles to be completed
Wyoming – 550 estimated miles, 55 miles to be completed
Colorado – 800 estimated miles, 75 miles to be completed
New Mexico – 775 estimated miles, 80 miles to be completed

Along its national extent, the CDT travels through 25 National Forests, 21 Wilderness Areas, 3 National Parks, 1 National Monument, 8 BLM Resource Areas and through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Some segments of the CDT remain open to motorized use, many of these segments make up some of the trail locations we seek to relocate.

The lead federal agency responsible for completing the CDT is the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). They work with the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the nonprofit partners to complete, maintain, and manage the CDT.

The highest point on the CDT is Grays Peak in Colorado (14,270 feet) and the lowest is along Waterton Lake in Glacier National Park in Montana (4,200 feet)