How do I plan to hike the CDT?

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.



People Also Ask

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 Colorado Trail is a 500-plus-mile trail that extends from Denver to Durango. It passes through high alpine terrain and is a great thru-hiking trail for beginners looking to try a shorter trail before tackling the longer Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian 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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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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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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Katahdin, the mountain you climb on your first day, is arguably the hardest climb on the A.T. It features more than 4,000 feet of elevation gain, the greatest sustained ascent on the entire Appalachian Trail.

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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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