About Us

Congress established the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT). For many years following its designation, development and recognition of the Trail languished due to a lack of adequate federal funding for the Federal Agencies tasked with its oversight. In addition, public awareness and engagement in the volunteer stewardship necessary for keeping the Trail well-marked and maintained was almost non-existent. Finally, and most importantly, a lack of consistent direction and focus regarding the Trail’s identity, management, and national significance within the public lands it traversed often left it subject to the discretion of the land managers charged with its stewardship.

The Continental Divide Trail Society (CDTS), a group established long before the Congressional Designation in 1978, and instrumental in the inclusion of the CDT in the 1978 legislation, has a narrow focus of influencing trail routing decisions made by the Agencies, and supporting the small, but highly passionate, thruhiker community.

The Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA) formed to cultivate and develop the public and private enthusiasm for the CDT. Over the next decade and a half, CDTA coordinated volunteers to complete over 1,000 miles of non-motorized new or reconstructed tread for the CDT, created a national public awareness program to raise the profile of the CDT, inventoried and mapped the official route of the CDT to develop official map books, and effectively raised the attention and allocation of funding for the CDT in National, Regional, and local agency budgets. Most importantly, it created a unified voice amongst the public to support and encourage consistent management direction for the CDT as a non-motorized trail corridor.

During this time, CDTA ceased operations. While Volunteer construction efforts continued through local and regional volunteer groups, its closure left a gap in the coordination, trail protection, and Trail information areas.

In recognizing there was a need for a national advocate group and unified voice for the Trail and determined to ensure the CDT not languish again because of limited funding and public engagement, trail enthusiasts passionate about the CDT formed the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. The CDTC is made up of volunteers, recreationists, Trail supporters and natural resource professionals with the desire to build upon the strengths and successes of the past and pick up where others left off, building strong alliances with the many other local regional groups that care about the CDT and to build a strong national and international community.

On this day, CDTC signed its official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US Forest Service establishing CDTC as the lead national partner working with federal agencies to support stewardship of the CDT.

CDTC recognizes the trail belongs to and should reflect all the faces of America, and we have a responsibility to steward the trail’s resources for future generations. CDTC ensures all of the resources the trail connects are nurtured and held sacred. CDTC commits to building a nonmotorized primitive trail and protecting the trail corridor along the Continental Divide for all people to enjoy and experience.

CDTC establishes community-centered relationships through activities that promote connection to the CDT, as well as its construction,
maintenance, and overall support. CDTC is grounded in its grassroots foundations and engagement with local volunteers and community-led stewardship as the most powerful way to preserve and protect the CDT.

CDTC raises awareness and appreciation of the CDT and commits to maintaining free, high-quality, accessible trail data and information. CDTC serves as a convener to coordinate information among our partners and works to disseminate free trail information, media, and data.

CDTC develops and sustains an active, representative governing body that sets the mission and strategic direction of the organization and provides oversight of the finances, operations, and policies of CDTC.