Thru Hiking the Continental Divide Trail [2024 ]

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The Continental Divide Trail is one of the more difficult thru-hikes. I thru-hiked the CDT and understand not only how difficult it is but what information you need to know when planning your CDT thru-hike.

If you are Thru-Hiking the Continental Divide Trail in 2024 this comprehensive guide should answer most of your questions, inspire you to get out there and scare the crap out of you.

It includes a daily CDT Blog complete with cool photos, information on how to get to the trailheads at the northern and southern terminus, plus info on maps, apps, resupply, gear guides, permits, and guidebooks. If I missed anything, let me know.

Hiking the CDT Trail

Thru-Hiking the CDT was one of the toughest things I have ever done in my life. I documented my hike as a daily journal but over time it grew into a resource for anyone else wanting to hike the trail. I recorded my CDT Thru Hike in my daily journal which included what I was seeing and experiencing on the thru hiking the Continental Divide Trail. Often I was too exhausted to write about the day but I persevered. This is the result.

Anyone contemplating the CDT Thru Hike might find it useful to read all the blog posts listed below. If after reading the blog posts you still have questions then let me know. I would be happy to help any future hiker in any way possible. Just let me know.

Continental Divide Trail Gear

I was certainly not ultralight during my thru-hike. My Continental Divide Trail Gear List will give you an idea of the best ultralight gear for the CDT.

My gear is constantly being replaced as it wears out or I look to upgrade.

Below are reviews of all the best gear thru-hiking gear available at the moment.

Continental Divide Trail Documentary

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Continental Divide Trail Tips

NOBO vs SOBO vs Flip

NOBO is hiking Northbound, SOBOB is hiking Southbound and Flip means hiking sections of the trail that are best suited to the weather for that area. I’ll describe things a bit better below.

After deciding to backpack the CDT it is time to consider which direction to hike. There are advantages and disadvantages of Thru-Hiking the CDT northbound, southbound, or completing a flip-style hike. There is no perfect direction for the CDT Thru Hike. Southbound is the best option even though I hiked Northbound. Make up your mind.

Hiking the CDT NOBO

A CDT northbound hiker is plagued by the possibility of late-season snows in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. Then there are the many thunderstorms in northern New Mexico and Colorado.

Hiking in the snow of the San Juan mountains is no joke. It honestly scared the crap out of me. I am not a mountaineer. It felt more like Thru Mountaineering the CDT than Thru-Hiking the CDT. I nearly set off 4 wet snow avalanches in one day it was time to bail from the mountains and take the lower Creede cutoff route.

Check out the San Juan Mountains in June – More like Mountaineering!

The trail both humbled and disappointed me when I had to bail off the trail. My safety was more important to me. It is only a matter of time before a Thru-Hiker dies while hiking early season in the San Juan mountains. Don’t plan on starting in Colorado before 7th June at the earliest. Be warned.

Thru Hiking the CDT northbound has several advantages that the southbound hiker does not have. It allows the hiker to start hiking slowly. Plenty of low miles at the start to allow their body to adapt to big miles. New Mexico is also very cheap in comparison to the other states, so spending an extra night or two in a hotel to rest early on in the hike is cheaper than the other states.

CDT Northbound Start Date

Most thru-hikers start the Continental Divide Trail in late April or early May. The ideal start date for thru-hiking the CDT Northbound would be 15th April. This would allow someone hiking the Continental Divide Trail northbound to not rush the trail and risk injury.

New Mexico is the cheapest state for the whole trail. Enjoy some rest days. Starting slowly it allows the snow to melt in Colorado.

Flip Flop Thru Hike of the CDT

The flip-flop method is not the best method for thru-hiking the CDT. The issue is the amount of early-season snow that can accumulate in Colorado and Montana makes both options bad. Also, many areas in Idaho and Wyoming are covered in snow in June too.

The San Juan mountains of Colorado are no place to learn about hiking in the snow. Hikers could start the hike a bit slower than they normally would or take some time off in northern New Mexico to allow the snow to melt.

Flipping north has the disadvantages. It will cost money to travel to Montana. Maybe your hiking buddies that you have met on the trail do not want to go with you. Worst of all the trail will finish at some road junction somewhere rather than at a monument at the border.

Hiking the CDT Southbound

CDT Southbound hikers are plagued with the possibility of late-season snows on the passes in Glacier National Park. The hiker must start at a time when it is safe to travel but early enough to give the hiker enough time to get through Colorado before winter sets in.

The worst thing about thru-hiking southbound on the CDT is the Bob Marshall Wilderness. It is a hard section of trail with difficult resupply options. Made worse by not being trail-fit and all the winter storms that have blown down trees. These will not have been cleared from the trail in June or even July. Making the hike slower than at other times of the year.

CDT Southbound makes for very cold weather in Colorado. Early-season winter storms in Colorado can force the hiker off the trail. Some thru-hikers have died in early winter storms on the CDT. Imagine having to road walk around all the most amazing mountains of Colorado and Northern New Mexico because of early-season snow. It is a possibility and might be a safer option than risking a hike in deep snow.

If I was Thru Hiking the CDT Trail again I would go southbound. Why? I think the chances of a successful hike are increased. Colorado will be brutally cold which I dislike. I would gear up for the cold in Colorado. Hiking southbound means being a little more trail-fit at the start of the hike in Montana. Long daylight hours should equal reasonably big miles.

CDT Southbound Start Date

Most hikers start their southbound hike from mid-June to the end of June. 15th June would be the ideal start date. The high passes in Glacier National Park will be snow-covered for most people starting on this date and the trails through the Bob Marshall Wilderness will be slower going due to all the winter tree blowdowns that have not been cleared. Keep that in mind when you determine how many days of food you need. It might be slower going than you think.

How Long Does it Take to Hike the Continental Divide? Trail?

Most thru-hikers will take 5 months to hike the Continental Divide Trail. Faster hikers who have completed other thru-hikes are confident in their ability and use ultra-lightweight gear will complete the trail in 4 months. Early-season snow and the early onset of winter make it almost impossible to hike this trail in 6 months or longer.

What is the Highest Point on the CDT?

Grays Peak is the highest point on the CDT at 14278ft / 4352m. Grays Peak has an easy hiking trail to the summit. The biggest difficulties of the hike are the weather and altitude.

Getting to the Start of the Continental Divide Trail

Getting to the Southern Terminus of the CDT requires a choice of 3 places to start or finish the CDT in the south. Antelope Wells, Crazy Cook, and Columbus. 

The most common option to get to or from the southern terminus is to take the Amtrak train to the town of Lordsburg, New Mexico. Then take the CDTC shuttle Lordsburg to Crazy Cook.

Antelope Wells is another option. It is on Hwy 81 right at the Mexico border. A hitch or private transport would be the only viable way to get there. It is also the end or start of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route that parallels the CDT. Columbus is just north of the Mexico border with Greyhound buses servicing the area.

Getting to the Northern Terminus of the CDT

There are two places to start or finish in the north, Waterton Canada or Chief Mountain. The easiest way to get to or from the start of the trail would be to take Amtrak services to East Glacier, Montana. From there take the shuttle to Chief Mountain.

For those returning to the USA after the hike. I hitchhiked and was lucky. The Shuttle runs till mid-September when the border crossing to the USA is closed. Be sure to check when things close if hiking late or early in the season.

Trail Towns and Resupply Points

I faced a problem with the CDT. Small-town USA is rather crap for providing good nutritious food.

Many times a grocery store didn’t have anything remotely healthy. No fruit and no vegetables. Everything was packaged crap food.

My body suffered from poor nutrition after about 2000 miles. In a desperate moment, I ordered protein powder and a large box of Mountain House meals to add at least a little nutrition to my diet. It did work.

Amazing how nutritious food can make a difference with energy levels. For a complete guide to resupply on the CDT, including towns, mileage, mailing addresses, and phone numbers, click the link below.

CDT Guidebook

There are no good CDT Guidebooks. Yogis Guide used to be good but hasn’t been updated in many years.

Read my Resupply Guide for the Continental Divide Trail which I hope to update for the 2024 hiking season.

Download the FarOut Guides to your smartphone for the best info on the trail, including maps and trail town info.

CDT Permits for Glacier NP and Yellowstone NP

Glacier National Park has a reservation system for all the backcountry campsites. Southbound hikers have it easy. They can pre-plan their arrival dates and organize permits over the phone. Northbound hikers have two options. Call ahead and book their sites or turn up at the Back Country Ranger Station at Two Medicine and arrange for permits. Both systems are not ideal but it is the only way.

Click here for further info on Glacier National Park Permits.

Backcountry Permits for Yellowstone National Park are slightly frustrating for the CDT hiker. Mostly because it can be hard to call ahead and pre-plan what campsites they will be in.

The most common option is to camp just outside the park and hike to the nearest backcountry permit office to organize permits. Northbound hikers must hike 27 miles to Grants Village. Southbound hikers must hike 18 miles to Old Faithful Village.

Click here for further info on Yellowstone National Park Permits.

Continental Divide Trail Maps

Digital and paper maps of the CDT exist but are rarely used by anyone these days.

My iPhone was my only form of navigation aid when I hiked the CDT. I was in the majority. Few hikers carry paper maps, and even fewer have a compass.

The best choice of maps is the FarOut Guides which works with your smartphone. Download the maps for offline use.

As for the use of a dedicated GPS unit like a Garmin, I only spotted one person using one on the CDT but most use Smartphones nowadays.

Times are changing. Technology is changing. Using the built-in GPS on the phone is the future. I am one of the many who are embracing the future. But it has also created a false sense of security for many hikers. Technology can fail. Paper maps can blow away in the wind.

To protect my technology I used a phone battery bank to keep things charged. More importantly, I used a Case to protect the phone. A broken phone equaled a broken hiker.

Smartphone Apps for the Continental Divide Trail

Farout CDT Guide

Almost every CDT hiker uses the FarOut App. The FarOut Guide has improved a lot in recent years and I can’t think of any reason why you would not use it.

Avenza PDF Maps

This app is free, and so are the Ley Maps.  Download the App and search for Ley Maps CDT. Turn on the location services for the App and you have a free mapping App for the CDT.

The advantage of the Ley maps is the alternate routes and mentions of water sources not listed on GutHook. The thing with the CDT is the alternates are oftentimes a more scenic option or a shortcut on the trail. The ‘Official CDT’ is not always that scenic.

Pocket Earth PRO Offline Maps

To navigate around towns and get me off trails in emergencies or to detour around fires I use an Offline Topo called Pocket Earth Pro. I download the whole state topo map to my phone.

If I need to bail off the trail, this is my go-to map. It also shows hotels and restaurants etc. There are a lot of handy Wiki Travel links on the offline maps with info such as historic sites.

Many people use the Gaia App and rate it highly.

CDT Water Report

The CDT water report used to be the best info for water on the trail. It seems now that the FarOut Guides are now the best source of information about water sources.

The CDT is quite a dry trail. Every state on the trail has long sections with little water.  The deserts in New Mexico are dry in many places. Cattle ponds and electric windmills are the only water sources for many miles.

Many of the high ridges in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado also have sections of little or no water. The Great Basin in Wyoming is notorious for long sections of little water. The same is true for the ridge-top walking in Idaho and Montana.

Suffice it to say there are a lot of dry sections on the CDT.  FarOut Guides have improved a lot and are now the best source of info.

Snow Conditions on the Continental Divide Trail

A late-season snow melt will mean many potentially dangerous situations. Many an experienced snow hiker has been humbled by a combination of dangerous snow, bad weather, and slow travel.

Northbound hikers should consider starting in Colorado after 7th June. Every year is different but it is almost guaranteed that there will be snow to deal with.

The southbound hiker has the advantage of only really getting a short section of snow in Glacier National Park. Mainly at the Passes. 15th June is generally accepted as the safest start date for SOBO.

Snow depth chart for the Continental Divide Trail

Wildlife on the CDT

Thru Hiking the CDT puts the hiker in a position to have wildlife encounters. In 2016 two Thru Hikers were mauled by Grizzly Bears on the CDT. Both lived to continue hiking. The attacks occurred in the same area between the Wind River Range and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Possibly by the same bear.

The hikers, Zorro and Smiley were hiking solo and the Bears attacked with little warning. I met both of these hikers while on the trail. Smiley had particularly nasty puncture wounds on his butt.

I had a Grizzly Bear walk past my tent in the same area as I slept. The following morning I discovered the bear tracks only 20 feet from my tent. I had my food in my tent and was not carrying bear spray at the time. Luck was on my side, I had a close call. I learned my lesson and took precautions after those acts of stupidity.

Hang food and carry bear spray between The Great Basin of Wyoming and the Canadian border.

Rattlesnakes were common in New Mexico and in places in Wyoming. One attacked my GoPro while shooting some close-up video! There are also Moose, Bison, Wolves, Wolverines, Mountain Lions, and Lynx.

Know Why You Are Thru Hiking the CDT

During times of hardship, you will question why you are doing this to yourself. Maybe you haven’t seen another hiker for many days or survived a winter snowstorm and are running low on food with many days to hike to the nearest town.

Have a serious think about your reason for hiking the trail. For me, it was always about nature, the scenery, the wildlife, and the challenge of completing a hard thru-hike.

Top 5 Days on the Continental Divide Trail

If I hiked the CDT Again

If I were Thru Hiking the CDT again what would I do differently?

Firstly, I would prefer to be Thru-Hiking the CDT southbound. It offers a better chance of success for the hiker who has a bit of trail fitness.

Secondly, I would send more food boxes with nutritious meals to some of the small towns in Idaho and Montana.

Thirdly, I would spend less time in the trail towns of Colorado, they are expensive.

And finally, I would take more neros and less zeros. I had lots of zero days in the trail towns.

Travel Insurance for Overseas Thru-Hikers

CDT Hikers traveling from overseas will need some form of Travel Insurance. Read the fine print. Especially when it comes to traveling at altitude as many providers will not insure you when traveling above 3000 meters.

Continental Divide Trail Blog – Pre-Hike Information

Continental Divide Trail New Mexico

Continental Divide Trail New Mexico is home to rugged desert mountains and some of the cheapest trail towns on the whole CDT. A great place for northbound hikers to take their time and get trail fit. Southbound thru hikers on the CDT can enjoy fast days with big miles if they so choose, or slow down and enjoy the last weeks on the trail. The many Nation Forests make for great hiking and camping.

Continental Divide Trail Colorado

The Continental Divide Trail Colorado is the coldest section of the whole trail, both for the northbound and southbound thru-hiker. Late-season snow and thunderstorms for the northbound thru-hiker and cold frost and early-season snow for the southbound hikers. Arguably, Colorado is the most visually stunning section of the trail.

Continental Divide Trail Wyoming

The Continental Divide Trail Wyoming is a place for hiking big miles. From the flat and easy sections of the Wyoming Basin to the most visually stunning section of the whole CDT in the Wind River Range. And let us not forget Yellowstone National Park. South of Yellowstone National Park is an area with many Grizzly Bears where several incidents have happened. Carry Bear Spray and hang food.

Continental Divide Trail Idaho

The Continental Divide Trail Idaho brings sections of trails with a seemingly endless rollercoaster of hills. Constant up and down hiking in the hills. Some of the resupply towns are difficult to reach. It is the time when both northbound and southbound thru-hikers will need to make big miles to avoid the snow which will be arriving soon.

Continental Divide Trail Montana

The Continental Divide Trail Montana has some of the most stunning and difficult terrain. The rugged sections of trail Glacier National Park and the long resupply sections of the Bob Marshall Wilderness are the highlights. It is also a place to beware of Grizzly Bears. hanging food at night is a must.

Got any questions? Leave me a message below and consider sharing this post or signing up to may email list.

Enjoy the trail.

Cheers Shepherd – PCT15, CDT16, AT17, TA18-19 and still hiking.

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