Continental Divide Trail

2670Miles

123Days

Jul 2, 2021
↓
Nov 1, 2021

Southbound

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Map Trail Overview Experience

Map

The map below has a dot for every place we slept along the Continental Divide Trail. Our route had to avoid the border of Idaho altogether because of a major fire happening, but this allowed us to do the Big Sky Alternate/ Super Butte Cutoff putting us through Yellowstone and allowed us a chance to checkout the Beartooth Range. That was the only major re route we had to besides a short one around the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness just outside of Steamboat.

Trail Overview

The Continental Divide Trail (or CDT) is roughly 2,600 to 3,000 miles in length, depending on what route you take and follows the Rocky Mountains from Mexico to Canada through the western United States. The route passes through a wide variety of landscapes — taking hikers through high alpine basins, remote desert terrain, dense forests, open grasslands, and rugged mountain wilderness across five states. This long-distance trail offers a mixture of solitude, navigation challenges, dramatic scenery, and unpredictable conditions. Hiking the Continental Divide Trail provides a unique opportunity to experience some of the most remote and wild landscapes in the United States entirely on foot.

There are multiple options for hikers to choose thier own way and this is part of the spirit of the trail. The CDT can seem like no-one is hiking the “same” trail, but part of the joy of this area of the country is that there are so many good things to see that you just might not be able to see it all!

Jeff & Carolyn at the Canadian Border Northern Terminus of the Continental Divide Trail — We started at the Canadian Border crossing, as we couldn't get in CA because of COVID-19

Jeff and Carolyn at the other Northern Terminus of the Continental Divide Trail — We went to other terminus of the Continental Divide Trail too

Carolyn hiking up a beautiful ridge line in Glacier National Park along the Continental Trail — Glacier National Park

Jeff hking past a Contiental Divide Trail sign heading though Montana — Hazy and smoky skies in Montana

Carolyn looking back at Granite Peak in the Beartooths Range on the Continental Divide Trail — Beartooths Range

Jeff looking over Bonneville Lakes while in the Wind River Range along the Continental Dive Trail — Wind River Range

Jeff and Carolyn taking a break at a water cache in the Great basin along the CDT — Water cache through the Great Basin

Beautiful Colorado landscape with aspen trees in Fall — Aspens in Colorado

Jeff standing at the Southern Terminus of the Continental Divide Trail — Southern Terminus at the Mexican border

Experience

Much more remote, rugged and logisitcs intensive

Alternates and side trips we did along the way:

Super Butte Cutoff
Beartooths Side Trip Exploration
Grand Teton Alternate (Grand Teton NP & Gros Ventre Wilderness
Alan Dixon Wind River High Route

Highlights

Glacier – Ahern Drift/Bears – Bears in Yellowstone
Wind River High Route ending at the Cirque of the Towers
Fall Colors in Colorado

Lowlights

Smoke & Tough Water Sources w/ Dead Animals in them
Carolyn leaving early due to life circumstances
Snowstorm solo in the Weminuche & South San Juans