In six steps, save time planning your Continental Divide Trail thru-hike.

6-step guide is intended as informational only. Thru-hiking in the backcountry is an inherently risky activity with it’s own set of unique challenges. Please ensure you fully research your trip and remember that safety is each hiker’s responsibility.

Hike anywhere from 2,700 miles to 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada (or vice versa), traversing through five states and the Continental Divide itself numerous times.

Of the three long distance trails in the USA, the Continental Divide Trail owns its reputation as the rugged one!

Only 70% complete, the CDT is one of the most challenging long distance thru-hikes. With multiple alternates, only a small number of people are brave enough to take it on.

Official website:

1. NOBO, SOBO or flipflop?

It all starts here! Deciding to hike northbound (Mexico border to Canada border) or southbound (Canada border to Mexico border) is a tough decision, ultimately coming down to what works best for you.

As you would expect, unique pros and cons apply to each direction - with plenty of blogs available, covering everything you need to help make your decision.

Either direction, it’s going to be difficult to hit each state slap-bang in the optimal hiking season and you may need to consider a few flipflop options. No-one said this was going to be easy!

Seasonal considerations by state:

Check out the Continental Divide Trail Coalition’s overview of each State to learn more:

2. How to get to Southern Terminus or Northern Terminus.

With your hiking direction locked in, you can move onto planning how to get to the Terminus and where to stay.

Good news: Getting to the Southern Terminus is pretty straightforward.

Lordsburg, New Mexico (the closest town to the Terminus) is 100 miles from Crazy Cook Monument and you can pre-book a seat on the CDTC’s shuttle service.

Bad news: Getting to the Northern Terminus is a bit more complicated due to it’s location. To make it even harder, there are two official northern start/end points, both located on the border between Montana and Canada.

Information below focuses on the main northern terminus only, located in Glacier National Park at Waterton Lake.

Southern Terminus - Crazy Cook Monument:

• Fly into Tucson, Arizona (TUS).

• From Tucson, catch one of Amtrak’s direct services to Lordsburg, New Mexico (selected days only).

  • 2 services available - Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle.

• From Lordsburg, organise a shuttle to Crazy Cook Monument.

  • CDTC offered a shuttle service in 2024 (from March 29th – May 14th).

  • $175 fee includes membership, water cache service and more.

Where to stay in Lordsburg, New Mexico

• Econo Lodge is a popular choice with thru-hikers. Book direct with the hotel and you may get a discount (let them know you are hiking the CDT).

• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham is another great option, offering affordable rates.

Northern Terminus: Glacier National Park, Waterton Lake

• The most affordable option - and easiest option for international travellers - is to fly into Seattle (SEA).

• From Seattle, catch Amtrak’s direct service to East Glacier, Montana (16 hours).

  • 1 x direct Amtrak service serves East Glacier - Empire Builder

• From East Glacier train station, head to East Glacier Park Village.

• If staying at Looking Glass Basecamp, organise a shuttle to the Northern Terminus with other thru-hikers.

Where to stay in East Glacier, Montana

• Looking Glass Basecamp (aka Luna’s Hostel) is hands-down the best place to stay for thru-hikers.

  Located in East Glacier Park Village, get in touch via Instagram or call (they don’t advertise).

  • @lookingglassbasecamp / 406-270-2785

3. Estimate how long it will take.

Unlike other long distance trails, the CDT’s total mileage isn’t a set amount due to the large number of alternative routes available - varying in total distance from 2,700 miles to 3,100 miles.

Overall, you will need around 5 to 6 months to complete the CDT.

As the ‘rugged one’ of the Triple Crown, the CDT is typically attempted by thru-hikers who have successfully completed other long distance trails - including the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail.

Hike through 5 States: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho & Montana.

As it’s largely impossible to plan your entire CDT hike (and I doubt you would want to), get a rough idea of how long it might take to complete each section below by downloading the FarOut CDT app.

Once downloaded, estimate realistic daily mileage goals by looking at the changes in elevation, availability of water sources, proximity to towns and services using the 40+ map filters available.

Rough mileage guide, NOBO (as displayed on FarOut’s app):

1. New Mexico - mile 0 to mile 777 | 777.2 miles

2. Colorado - mile 777 to mile 1,502 | 725.7 miles

3. Wyoming - mile 1,502 to mile 2,006 | 503.7 miles

4. Idaho to South Montana - mile 2,006 to mile 2,409 | 403.2 miles

5. North Montana - mile 2,409 to mile 2,978 | 568.3 miles

Alternate routes and side trails by state:

• New Mexico - 9 alternate routes: Columbus Gila (alternate from the Mexico border), Walnut Creek, Gila River, Gila River High Route, Pietown Road Walk, Cebolla, Bonita-Zuni, Mount Taylor, and Ghost Ranch

• Colorado - 7 alternate routes: Great Divide Alternate, Elwood Pass, Creede Cutoff, Mirror Lake Alternate, Silverthorne, Argentine Spine, and Rocky Mountain National Park Alternate

• Wyoming - 3 alternate routes: Cirque of the Towers, Knapsack Col, and Leeds Creek.

• Idaho - Macks Inn alternate route.

• Montana - alternate routes and side trails: Anaconda Route, Spotted Bear Pass, Chief Mountain (alternate to international border), and 4-mile track to the town of Waterton, Alberta.

4. What to expect on the trail.

If you’re planning a CDT hike, I’d hazard a guess this isn’t your first rodeo - PCT and AT hikers, I’m looking at you!

The Continental Divide Trail stands out for several reasons:

• You can hike up to 3,100 miles on the CDT, making it one of the longest trails in the USA.

• Hiking such a long distance, expect to encounter varied terrain, from deserts to forests to alpine regions - and everything in between. Long road walks are common on the CDT, which can be more mentally tough than physical.

• Paired nicely with varied terrain is weather variability! The weather on the CDT can be extreme, encountering everything Mother Nature can throw at you. Snow, thunderstorms, intense heat and cold temperatures. Invest in a decent, quick drying layering system that is moisture wicking.

  • Start the trail with a flexible mind-set, and be OK with not sticking to your schedule - e.g. you might need to allow time to wait out dangerous weather conditions (or flip flop).

• Let’s not forget the wildlife. Traversing through the backcountry, you will encounter all kinds of local residents - some of which can be dangerous. Grizzly bears, mountain lions and rattlesnakes are common and if there was a good time to learn about the wildlife and how to handle encounters - it’s now!

• You need to take food storage seriously on the CDT, using proper techniques to avoid attracting wildlife. Another consideration in addition to hanging food bags is to eat dinner at least a mile away from where you are camping for the night.

• Compared to the PCT and AT, the CDT isn’t as well marked as other long distance trails. Might be a good time to up your game when it comes to feeling confident navigating off-trail.

• As well as upping your navigation skills, be prepared for long and dry stretches without water availability. Unpredictable at times - especially in New Mexico - you will need to plan water sources ahead of time, whilst keeping updated with the latest water reports from other hikers.

• The CDT is less crowded than the PCT and AT. If solitude is your thang, great. Not so great if you like hiking with lots of people.

  • With less thru-hikers on the trail, it also means there will be less people around to assist in the event of an emergency (make sure you carry decent first aid supplies).

  • If you struggle with solitude, go into the hike mentally prepared that you may have stretches where you might not see other people.

  • Think safety first and get a satellite communication device to ensure you are equipped to alert the emergency services if you are hurt (especially if hiking solo).

Overall, the CDT requires a higher level of preparedness and self-sufficiency.

5. Choose a food re-supply strategy.

Ask three people what their re-supply strategy is and you’ll get three different answers! Some thru-hikers like to send boxes ahead, whilst others prefer the flexibility of re-supplying on trail from town to town.

There’s no right answer, simply pick the approach that works best for you and your dietary requirements. As an overseas traveller, I am team ‘Re-supply on trail’, but you do you!

For popular trail towns to re-supply, check out Halfway Anywhere’s annual CDT survey which highlights thru-hikers favourite and least favourite re-supply stops.

Overall, previous CDT thru-hikers recommended a total of 10 places to send re-supply boxes at the following locations (on average, they sent a total of 7 resupply boxes).

Key places to send a re-supply box:

• NEW MEXICO x 3: Doc Campbells Store, Pie Town* and Ghost Ranch

• COLORADO x 0

• WYOMING x 3: Encampment via Battle Pass, South Pass City and Old Faithful Village (in Yellowstone NP)

• IDAHO/SOUTHERN MONTANA x 2: Lima and Leadore via Bannock Pass

• NORTHERN MONTANA x 2: East Glacier Village and Benchmark Wilderness Ranch

*Pie Town is the most highly recommended place to send a re-supply box.

6. Permits, closures & register your hike.

CDT permit requirements.

You don’t need a permit to hike the CDT - yay!

However, you will need to get three different permits to camp overnight at the following popular locations.

1. Yellowstone National Park: Backcountry camping permit required, advance registration permits available via Recreation.gov / walk ups available (NPS link)

2. Glacier National Park: Backcountry camping permits, advance registration and walk up permits available - NPS link

3. Blackfeet Nation Fish & Wildlife Recreation Permit (southern end of Glacier National Park)

Closure & trail alerts.

The Continental Divide Trail Coalition’s website is your go-to place to find the most up-to-date information about what’s happening on the trail.

In addition, if you register your hike with the CDTC you can sign up to receive alerts directly to your email/SMS at the same time.

CDTC’s websites covers all the info you need including closures, restrictions, and any other notices.

In addition to the website, the CDTC will also post alerts on their Reddit account: r/CDT Reddit.

For fire bans and restrictions, visit here.

Register your hike.

Did you know you can register your hike with the CDTC?

Not only does this voluntary registration help the CDTC’s mission (by collating data to share with partners who manage and maintain the trail), you can stay informed by signing up for trail alerts at the same time as you complete the online form.

Best part? Bag yourself a free CDT hangtag by registering (limited number of available each season).

International travellers

Non-US residents have a few essential steps to consider when planning a long distance hiking trip to the USA.

From obtaining a B-2 visa to securing adequate travel insurance that covers long-distance hiking, preparation is key for a hassle-free thru-hike.