Colorado Trail

The Colorado Trail runs between Denver and Durango through eight mountain ranges and six wilderness areas, and shares more than 300 miles with the Continental Divide Trail. The Colorado Trail Foundation counts 567 miles for the whole system, but that includes two routes through the middle, Collegiate East and Collegiate West. You walk one or the other, so a single end-to-end walk is shorter, about 485 miles on the Collegiate East route. Elevations run from 5,520 feet at Waterton Canyon to 13,271 feet just below Coney Summit in Segment 22, and the average is over 10,300 feet. A thru-hike generally takes 4 to 6 weeks. The Foundation calls the season short. Start no earlier than late June, because snow can hang on at high elevations into July, and finish no later than late September, before snow becomes plentiful. Starting on or after July 1 has worked well in most years for hikers leaving Denver. Start in June and you can meet snow, sometimes several feet deep, as early as Georgia Pass in Segment 6 and the Ten Mile Range in Segment 7. The Collegiate West segments are usually the last to melt out. A creek ford in Segment 19 can be fast and deep until about mid-June. The trail is extremely difficult to find under snow, and the Foundation does not recommend a winter thru-hike. There is no permit for the whole trail. At each wilderness boundary the Forest Service has a self-service station: fill out the free permit, leave half there and keep the other half with you. Lost Creek Wilderness requires one, and Holy Cross Wilderness needs one for overnight stays. Weminuche Wilderness limits groups to 15 people. On Collegiate East, the first half-mile of Segment 12 crosses the Clear Creek Reservoir State Wildlife Area. Colorado Parks and Wildlife's page for that area says a hunting or fishing license or a State Wildlife Area pass is required for everyone 16 or older, and camping is allowed only in designated areas; the Foundation's FAQ says a pass may be required depending on your trip plans, so check with CPW before you go. Collegiate West does not cross it. Read the rules posted at each wilderness trailhead. Denver Water sets its own rules for Waterton Canyon, at the Denver end. Dogs are not allowed, to protect bighorn sheep. There is no camping in the canyon, overnight parking is prohibited, and e-bikes are not allowed. Denver Water closes the canyon for road work from time to time. When it does, the Indian Creek Trailhead and Roxborough State Park can be used to start or end the trail, and the Foundation counts either toward completion. From Indian Creek, 4.4 miles of dog-friendly singletrack reach the trail at mile 7.9 of Segment 1. Most thru-hikers start in Denver. Heading north from Durango, the trail climbs to more than 12,000 feet in its first 23 miles, and the climb from Junction Creek Trailhead to Kennebec Pass, 4,790 feet, is the biggest on the trail. If you live near sea level, altitude can hit hard. The Forest Service suggests two nights at a moderate altitude first, and the Foundation suggests climbing no more than 1,000 to 1,500 feet a day at the start. Lung congestion, confusion or loss of coordination is an emergency: get lower as fast as you can. The weather turns fast. Afternoon thunderstorms can come daily in July and August, often with lightning and hail and sometimes snow. Plan to be off high ridges and exposed ground by noon, and if a storm catches you above treeline, descend quickly. A tent gives no protection from lightning. There are many water sources, but treat all of it, and top off whenever you can because sources can dry up earlier than expected. The Foundation's water page names three dry stretches. Segments 2 and 3 have about 14 miles without creek water, but there is an outdoor spigot at the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department building, about 200 yards from the trail at mile 10.1 of Segment 2. In the Cochetopa Hills, Segments 18 and 19, most sources can dry up as early as July, and the usual gap is 11 miles from Lost Creek to Cochetopa Creek. Segments 26 and 27 can be dry for about 22 miles, from Straight Creek to Taylor Lake. The Foundation's FAQ also warns of little or no water for up to 40 miles across Segments 17 to 19, where Baldy Lake and Razor Creek in Segment 17 are the best options. The CT Databook marks each source with a reliability symbol. The Foundation gets a handful of bear sighting reports a year and reports of bears eating hikers' food. It recommends that thru-hikers carry a hard-sided bear canister, since much of the trail is above treeline where there are no trees to hang food. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says to eat, cook and store food at least 100 yards from where you sleep. The trail crosses six national forests and 11 ranger districts, each of which typically has a food storage order. There are no dumpsters or trash cans at road crossings, so be ready to carry trash for days, and pack out your toilet paper rather than burying it. Resupply is in small towns near the trail. A free Summit Stage bus runs from the Blue River crossing on Highway 9 to Breckenridge, Frisco and Copper Mountain, which is under a mile from the trail. Jefferson's market has closed, so do not send a box there. Leadville is 8 miles away, and Twin Lakes Village is about 1 mile off the trail with a general store. South of Twin Lakes the trail splits. On Collegiate East, Buena Vista is 9.5 miles away and Mt. Princeton Hot Springs is on the trail, with a small store and maildrop. Collegiate West has limited resupply until Highway 50 near Monarch Pass, where the Monarch Crest Gift Shop has some groceries. Salida is about 15 miles from the Collegiate East crossing of Highway 50 and 22 from the Collegiate West crossing. Farther south, Creede is about 10 miles from San Luis Pass and Lake City 17 miles from Spring Creek Pass. Molas Lake Campground, 0.2 mile off the trail near Molas Pass, holds maildrops shipped by UPS, and Silverton, about 6 miles north of Molas Pass, is the last good resupply before Durango. The CT Databook lists hostels and post offices. Getting to the ends takes planning. Overnight parking is not allowed at the Waterton Canyon trailhead, 11300 Waterton Road in Littleton, so arrange a ride. No bus or light rail reaches it; the closest light-rail stop, Mineral Station, is about 10 miles away. At Durango, go north on Main Street, turn left on 25th Street and follow Junction Creek Road about 3.5 miles; the trailhead is on the left just after the road turns to dirt. Its parking is small, and the Foundation advises against leaving a car there for long. Durango's airport, about 20 miles out, has no regular taxi or shuttle. To get between Denver and Durango by Bustang bus, you go through Grand Junction. There is no formal shuttle network, but the Foundation keeps a list of volunteer shuttle drivers you can request. The Durango & Silverton train stops at Elk Park in Segment 24. Cell coverage is spotty, especially between Salida and Durango, though 911 sometimes goes through without service. The Foundation suggests a satellite messenger. Colorado's CORSAR card helps pay county search and rescue teams, but it is not insurance and does not pay for medical transport. In parts of Camp Hale, an old army site the Continental Divide Trail passes through, a standing Forest Service order bars travel off roads and trails because of asbestos. About 100 miles of the trail are still open to some motorized use, and reroutes happen every season, so use the latest guidebook editions. For current conditions, check the Foundation's Alerts, Closures and Reroutes page, where you can also sign up for text alerts, the alerts pages for the national forests along the trail, and Denver Water's Waterton Canyon page.