The Continental Divide Trail
The North, as well as the South, American Continent has a great divide running its entire length. We call it the "Continental Divide". It separates the watersheds of the Pacific Ocean from that of the Atlantic Ocean.
Beginning in the North, it runs from the Seward Peninsula in Alaska and travels through western Canada along the crest of the Rocky Mountains into the United States and down to New Mexico. It then follows the Sierra Madre in Mexico and extends all the way to the tip of South America.
About the Trail
In 1966 a proposal was made to Congress to establish the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). They authorized the study for the Trail in 1968. The analysis identified over 1,900 existing trails and primitive roads that were available to be incorporated into the route.
In 1978 Congress designated the CDT a "National Scenic Trail". They identified a 50 mile wide corridor on either side of the actual divide in which to place the final route. It is one of three such trails, the other two being the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail.
The 2008 CDT Strategic Plan estimates that presently there is 2050 miles of completed trails making it about 70% finished. Today, there is a planned complete trail that spans 3,100 miles as it twists and zigzags across 5 states from near the Mexican border in New Mexico all the way to the Canadian border in Montana. Much of the present tread is in need of repair and parts are being rerouted for scenic or environmental reasons. Some parts are also being relocated to avoid roads or areas where motorized vehicles travel to make it even more of a wilderness experience.
Hiking the Trail
The trail, while not in its final form, will take approximately six months to complete. Thousands of people trek over sections of it every year. Parts of it provide some of the most spectacular scenery to be found anywhere in the continental United States.
Even now, the trail offers everyone a resource and a wilderness experience that is extremely good. There is endless hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing. There is something for everyone in all five states.
Where to get information
There is a very fine web page set up by Continental Divide Trail Alliance. They provide everything you will want to know about the CDT. There is a list of thirty different hikes you can take. Most people take shorter trips, like these, along the CDT. They are of various lengths and difficulty and are found in all five states. Some of the trails are listed as "family friendly" making them short and without difficulty so you can take the entire family along.
The Alliance is a 501c non-profit organization dedicated to completing the trail and its upkeep. You can find them at www.cdtrail.org and find most anything you want to know. If you are going to use their information and hike the trail, please donate something to their organization. They do fine work so we can enjoy some of the finest wilderness in America.