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Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Image of a post with a Continental Divide National Scenic Trail sign.

Trail Miles
2,140

Forests Involved

20 different National Forests!
Complete list below.

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) extends 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada across a range of landscapes in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Most of the CDT is located on National Forest System lands-, traveling 2,140 miles through 20 National Forests and 4 forest service regions. Trail users enjoy equally diverse experiences along the trail; from the wild and remote backcountry to popular front country segments—some that run through the middle of towns, like in Grants, New Mexico and Grand Lake, Colorado.

Portions of the trail in every Forest Service region have substantial maintenance needs, including trail segments that are closed or in poor condition due to the effects of wildfires, flooding, and tree mortality.

The Forest Service is working in partnership with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) and other groups along the CDT to respond to these challenges. The goal is to double the number of volunteers working on the CDT and double the number of miles of the CDT maintained by volunteers on National Forest System lands by the end of 2020. The effort includes developing a trail-wide adopter program to perform annual maintenance and expanding the CDTC’s Gateway Community program, promoting trail pride, stewardship, and local economic benefits for communities close to the trail.

Trail Maintenance Priority Area map (PDF - 2.2MB)

National Forests Involved:
Montana Colorado

Idaho

Wyoming

New Mexico

 
Highlights:  

  • October 2020 – Interagency Memorandum of Understanding with Continental Divide Trail Coalition.

  • January 2021 – New Permanent Trail Administrator, Rachel Franchina.

  • Initiated bi-annual statewide coordination meetings for increased coordination across the trail.
New Mexico:  

  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineering coordinated with NPS to develop an education program to raise awareness of the hazards from the former bombing range at El Malpais National Monument.

  • 2021 – Installed wayside signs and created brochures to educate visitors including within the CDT.
Colorado:  

  • FY21 – Medicine Bow-Routt NF relied on their partnership with the Colorado Mountain Club Stewardship Crew (CMC) to clear out sections of the CDT.

  • CMC cut approximately 553 trees across 26 miles of the CDT. Hundreds more trees were cleared by FS and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps trail crews.
Wyoming:  

  • Shoshone NF and the Wyoming Pathways partnered together to hire a contractor to complete the Brooks Lake CDT reroute.

  • The completed reroute from Togwotee Pass (Hwy 26) is more sustainable, low maintenance, and user friendly (Feed, Bike, and hooves).
Idaho:  

  • BLM Salmon Field Office partnered with the Idaho Conservation Corps to relocate 3 miles of trail from roads onto new non-motorized trail from Bannock Pass south almost to Deadman Pass.
Montana:  

  • Helena-Lewis and Clark NF partnered with Montana Conservation Corps to clear trails and heavy deferred maintenance projects on the CDT.

  • Level 1 and 2 basic trail maintenance on 35 miles of the CDT for 36 days.

Examples of Trail Maintenance Needs:

  • Remove hazard trees and logs over the trail

  • Complete trail reconstruction and reroutes

  • Conduct general trail maintenance

  • Repair and replace drainage structures

  • Reestablish trail markers at trailheads and trail junctions
     

Image of trail workers learning how to use a motorized piece of equipment. Image of trail workers with trail tools. Image of people with backpacks walking on a trail.

 


Our Partners:		    

National

  • American Conservation Experience

  • Backcountry Horsemen of America

  • Partnership for the National Trail System

  • Student Conservation Association

  • Rocky Mountain Youth Corps

New Mexico

  • Aldo Leopold Charter High School YCC, NM

  • Chama Valley Outdoor Club, NM

  • Cibola Trails Alliance, NM

  • Clemson University, NM

  • Future Foundations – YCC, NM

  • Heart of Gila, NM

  • New Mexico State University, NM

  • New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, NM

  • New Mexico Wild, NM

  • Santa Fe Prep School, NM

  • Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance, NM

  • Step into Cuba, NM

  • United World College, NM

  • WildEarth Guardians, NM

Colorado

  • Big Agnes, CO

  • cityWILD, CO

  • Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, CO

  • Colorado Mountain Bike Association, CO

  • Colorado Mountain Club, CO

  • Colorado Trail Foundation, CO

  • Colorado Youth Corps Association, CO

  • Conservation Legacy, CO

  • Friends of Dillon RD, CO

  • Friends of Wilderness, CO

  • Headwaters Trail Alliance, CO

  • High Lonesome 100, CO

  • IMBA, CO

  • Larimer County Corps, CO

  • Latino Outdoors, CO

  • Mountain ea Trails, CO

  • Pagosa Springs Outdoor Club, CO

  • Rocky Mountain Conservancy, CO

  • Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, CO

  • Rocky Mountain Field Institute, CO

  • Salida Mountain Trails, CO

  • San Juan Mountain Association, CO

  • San Juan Outdoor Club, CO

  • San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, CO

  • Volunteers for Outdoors Colorado, CO

  • Wildland Restoration Volunteers, CO

Wyoming

  • Carbon County Visitor Council, WY

  • City of Rawlins, WY

  • Friends of the Bridger-Tetons, WY

Idaho

  • Idaho Conservation Corps, ID
     

  • North Fork Trail Alliance, ID

  • Salmon Valley Stewardship, ID

  • Youth Employment Program, ID

Montana

  • Anaconda Trail Society, MT

  • Beaverhead Trails Coalition, MT

  • Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, MT

  • Glacier Conservancy, MT

  • Glacier Two Medicine Alliance, MT

  • Linked Adventures, MT

  • Montana Bicycle Guild, MT

  • Montana Conservation Corps, MT

  • Montana Mountain Bike Alliance, MT

  • Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association, MT

  • Wild Montana, MT

Other Areas

  • Americorps St. Louis, MO

  • Blackfeet Nation

  • Mining City Trail Riders

  • Native Land Digital

  • Native Science Field Center

  • Quiet Use Coalition

  • RMRI

  • Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Alliance

  • Rhodes University (S. Africa)

  • RTCA Program

  • Wyoming Pathways
Four different images of trail work.

Learn More & Get Involved!

To know more about trail maintenance efforts in this priority area, contact:

Ben Lara, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Administrator