Colorado trails · Continental Divide Trail
Continental Divide Trail
A 67.3-mile section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in Colorado, with 2,250 ft of climbing, topping out at 12,868 ft. The full trail runs about 3,100 miles. Reaches Bonito Pass and other lake/pass/summit destinations. Managed by USFS Divide Ranger District.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 13,137 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Bonito Pass (pass)
- Railroad Pass (pass)
- Piedra Pass (pass)
- Rock Lake (lake)
- Summit Pass (pass)
- Alberta Peak (summit)
- Grizzly Pass (pass)
- Elwood Pass (pass)
- Spotted Lake (lake)
- Cherokee Lake (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
Continental Divide Trail access. 37.40551, -106.64422 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:09 a.m., the sun rises at 6:35 a.m. and sets at 7:37 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:03 p.m. (MDT) — 13 h 01 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 67.3-mile route works out to roughly 26 h 02 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Flat Trail + Continental Divide Trail + Red Lake Cutoff Trail — 10.7 mi loop, 1,179 ft gain
- North Fork Trail + Continental Divide Trail + Middle Fork Conejos Trail — 14.3 mi loop, 2,193 ft gain
- El Rito Azul Trail + Continental Divide Trail + Middle Fork Conejos Trail — 17.8 mi loop, 2,493 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Dry Creek Trail — 6.2 mi
- West Fork Trail — 15.5 mi
- Ivy Creek Trail — 27.2 mi
- Middle Fork Trail — 28.6 mi