New Mexico trails · Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
A 26.9-mile section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in New Mexico, with 2,854 ft of climbing. The full trail runs about 3,100 miles. Reaches Upper Lillies Spring and other lake/spring destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 2,700 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Upper Lillies Spring (spring)
- George Tank (lake)
- Ojo Piedra (spring)
- Rock Tank (lake)
- American Tank (lake)
- Antelope Tank (lake)
Getting there
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE — parking nearby. About 8 min drive (5 mi) from Grants. 35.18946, -107.77261 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:50 a.m., the sun rises at 7:16 a.m. and sets at 6:37 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:03 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 21 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 26.9-mile route works out to roughly 11 h 24 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail + Continental Divide Trail — 2.1 mi loop, 89 ft gain
- Continental Divide Trail + Continental Divide National Scenic Trail — 2.2 mi loop, 46 ft gain
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail + Rocky Canyon Trail #700 — 5.5 mi loop, 317 ft gain