A mini what? Let me introduce you to the Mini Triple Crown of hiking. Aka the Long Trail, Colorado Trail and John Muir Trail.

If you love a challenge and dream of hiking the big boys of thru-hiking (Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail) but can’t make the time commitment, hiking the Mini Triple Crown is a great alternative.

Each trail that makes up the Mini Triple Crown shares miles with the PCT, AT and CDT - giving you the experience of hiking a section of the triple crown of hiking without taking anywhere near as long to complete.

• Appalachian Trail - hike a section of the AT by hiking the Long Trail in Vermont.

• Continental Divide Trail - hike a section of the CDT by hiking the Colorado Trail in Colorado, on both Collegiate East and Collegiate West routes.

• Pacific Crest Trail - hike a section of the PCT by hiking the John Muir Trail in California.

• Long Trail - 274 miles (3 to 4 weeks)

• Colorado Trail - two routes available (4 to 6 weeks):

  • Collegiate East - 486 miles (original route)

  • Collegiate West - 491 miles (alternative route, hiking entirely on the CDT)

• John Muir Trail - 211 miles (3 weeks)

The best part? Many people consider these shorter trails to be the highlight of the longer trails - hence the alternate name ‘Triple Gem’.

Best time to hike the Mini Triple Crown

There are many different ways to approach the Mini Triple Crown of hiking. You could section hike it. Pick them off one by one, year by year. Alternatively, go all-in and complete all three back to back in one year.

For team ‘Go. All. In’, I would start with the Colorado Trail (from mid-July to mid/end of Aug), then hike the John Muir Trail (end of August to mid-September) and finish with the Long Trail by mid October.

NB: As with all hiking trips, it is important to stay up to date on weather conditions as this may impact your start dates.

Ask a hiker

Discover more about the Mini Triple Crown by reading thru hikers experiences.