New Mexico trails · Continental Divide
Continental Divide
A 49.7-mile section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in New Mexico, with 3,095 ft of climbing. The full trail runs about 3,100 miles. Reaches Burro Peak and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the middle third: 45% of the ascent falls between mile 16.6 and mile 33.1. It gives back about 4,975 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Burro Peak (summit)
- Seep Tank (lake)
- Juniper Spring Tank (lake)
- Black Hawk Tank (lake)
- Knight Canyon Tank (lake)
- Gold Hill Tank (lake)
- Bar Six Tank (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
REDROCK ROAD - CDNST — parking nearby, restroom, water. 32.65708, -108.49912 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:22 a.m., the sun rises at 6:47 a.m. and sets at 7:40 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:05 p.m. (MDT) — 12 h 52 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 49.7-mile route works out to roughly 19 h 57 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- GNARLY TRAIL + BURROS SPUR + CONTINENTAL DIVIDE — 9.2 mi loop, 1,657 ft gain