Can you hike the CDT alone?

I started the CDT solo and hiked a lot of the miles alone, especially the first 400-miles of New Mexico. I was fortunate to hike with a trail family starting in Colorado and covering most of the trail together, becoming part of the “Bubble” once we hit the last 1,000 miles of trail to Canada.



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We spent $7500 per person on the Appalachian Trail. We could have easily spent more. Alternatively, we spent $3500 per person on the Continental Divide Trail. We could have easily spent less.

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The Continental Divide Trail may not be as well-known as the Pacific Crest Trail on a large scale (and this is a good thing), but among hikers, the CDT is largely regarded as the more challenging of the two trails.

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The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) spans over 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada and is one of the most significant trail systems in the world. It's the highest, most remote, and, in many ways, most challenging of our National Scenic Trails.

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Frequently Asked Questions. How long is the Continental Divide Trail? The trail is about 3,100 miles long. To put that number into perspective, if you walked 20 miles every single day, it would take 5 and a half months to get from the Mexican border to the Canadian border along the Continental Divide Trail.

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How well marked is the Continental Divide Trail? The CDT is the least well marked of the Triple Crown trails.

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Trace the route the pioneers would take through the Great Basin. They needed to stay close to water and grass. They went around mountains, through mountain passes, instead of going right over them. The Great Basin was one of the hardest sections of the trail to cross because of the lack of water and food in the area.

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In 1978 three women hiked the entire trail: Nancy Andujar and the team of Jean Ella and Lynne Wisegart. In 2007, Francis Tapon became the first person to do a round backpacking trip yo-yo on the Continental Divide Trail when he through-hiked from Mexico to Canada and back to Mexico on the CDT.

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Massive high mountain passes, raging rivers, remote backcountry granite peaks, and pristine wilderness mark the northernmost section of the CDT—and aids in the escape and immersion into some of the most remote areas of continental America. Around here, snow sticks late into June and begins to fall again in September.

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The Forty Mile Desert, beginning here, is a barren stretch of waterless alkali wasteland. It was the most dreaded section of the California Emigrant Trail. If possible, travelers crossed it by night because of the great heat.

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Continental Divide Trail Arguably the most challenging thru-hike of the National Scenic Trails, it traverses five states, ranges from 4,000 to 14,000-feet in elevation, and passes through alpine tundra, broad glacial valleys, craggy mountain peaks, and desolate desert landscapes.

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The Continental Divide Trail takes hikers through Yellowstone National Park, but this national treasure is too big to enjoy from one trail. Take time to explore the geysers, mountains, waterfalls and wildlife within America's first national park.

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The Pacific Crest Trail Association estimates that 700 to 800 people attempt to thru-hike it each year, and about 15% to 35% (versus the AT's 25%) actually succeed.

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For those hiking the entire length of the CDT, you will definitely need to plan ahead to acquire at least three permits: a Blackfeet Nation Fish & Wildlife Recreation Permit, and backcountry camping permits for Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

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