Closures and Alerts

The USFS has issued a closure of the CDT on the Rocky Mountain Ranger District in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex due to an active fire. Closed trails:

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (#202) from the South Fork Sun Packbridge through Elbow Pass (m. 2793) to the Jct. with Straight Creek Trail (#212) (m. 2804.5).

At this time the USFS is recommending hikers take the Straight Creek Trail to avoid the closure. The recommended reroute is 8.28 miles long.

Closure is in black, reroute is in blue. Click here to interact with the map.

The Silvertip fire is active north and west of the CDT in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The CDT remains open but a portion of the Spotted Bear River Trail that connects a route to the CDT at Spotted Bear pass (m. 2833.5) and the Big River Trail jct (m.2877) is closed. Thru hikers are encouraged to remain on the CDT in order to avoid the closure.

For more information click here.

View Interactive Map
CDT is in purple. Closed trails are in red. 

On Tuesday, July 23, at about 10:19 a.m., a localized hydrothermal explosion occurred near Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin, located just north of Old Faithful.

• Biscuit Basin, including the parking lot and boardwalks, are closed for the 2025 season. The Grand Loop Road remains open.
• The Park Service is recommending hikers utilize the Upper Geyser Basin (UGB) Biscuit Basin Trail as a reroute option as shown below in blue.

Click for closure map.

The Elk Fire is active in close proximity south of Lake City.

At this time, the CDT and many businesses in Lake City remain open, but hikers planning on visiting Lake City should keep an eye on this developing incident.  For more information visit emergency.gunnisoncounty.org/elk-fire/

The closure area for the Willow fire has recently been reduced. The USFS is now recommending the below route to bypass the closure.

The reroute is 17.2 miles long utlizing the Turguoise Lake Road & trail, County rd 5, CO 300, County Rd 11, and Halfmoon Rd. The Mount Massive Trailhead and CDT miles 1175-1186.5, remain closed. Several camping options exist at the east end of Turguise Lake, which can be reserved at recreation.gov.

For more info please contact the Leadville Ranger District – 719-486-0749

Click here to interact with the map.
Black = closed, Blue = recommended reroute

The White River National Forest has closed Warden Gulch Road #265 and Morgan Gulch Trail #9144 to all public access, now through August 31 (formally July 31st) for road and trail maintenance. The closure affects approximately 4.5 miles of the CDT (miles 1275-1279.5) near Keystone, CO.

A CDT detour is in place around the closure area. The detour is marked in blue on the map below, and the closed section is shown in red. The detour adds a few miles to this section, so hikers should plan extra time and mileage. Follow the marked detour and respect the closure for your safety and the safety of work crews.

For questions, contact the U.S. Forest Service at 970-468-5400.

Click to view interactive map.

The footbridge across North Fork Elk Creek is out in the Routt National Forest. The USFS is recommending a short 1.5 mile detour to the west following Stiletto Rd and the Main Fork Trail.

Northbound

• Take Stiletto Rd west from the CDT crossing of Stiletto Rd (mile 1516.5)
• Continue north on Stiletto Rd until you reach the Diamond Park North Trailhead
• Take the Main Fork Trail north until you meet back with the CDT at mile 1518

Southbound

• Exit the CDT at the Main Fork Trail junction at mile 1518
• Continue south on the Main Fork Trail until you reach the Diamond Park North Trailhead
• Take Stiletto Rd south until you reach the CDT crossing of Stiletto Rd (mile 1516.5)

The USFS has closed the CDT in the Carson National Forest from FS rd 724 (m. 722.25) to County Rd 280 (m. 727.25) due to the Mogote Ridge Fire. A recommended 5.1 mile detour is in place utilizing FS Roads 724, 724A, and County Rd 280.

For more information please  visit Inciweb

Click here to interact with map

Beginning August 17th the Hopewell Lake campground and facilities, including the CDT through the area, will be temporary closed for construction. A recommended 1.3 mile detour is in place utilizing Spring Creek Rd and Hwy 64 as seen below.

For more details click here.

Click here to interactive with map.

Access to the CDT Southern Terminus is now restricted due to the establishment of the New Mexico National Defense Area (NDA) along the US-Mexico Border

Update: 3/18/26
Since the designation of the National Defense Area (NDA) at the southern terminus of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, CDTC has been working closely with the U.S. Army at Fort Huachuca, federal agencies, and elected officials to address and advocate for access to the CDT. 

These efforts have resulted in the following updates regarding access to the CDT and its southern terminus: 

• Anyone desiring access to the southernmost 1.1 miles of the CDT is required to obtain a free NDA pass. US citizens and non-US citizens are able to apply. Click here to apply. 
• Non-US citizens may be issued a Temporary Visitors Pass, which requires an escort at all times while in the NDA. 
• Any US citizen who has received an NDA access pass may serve as an escort to non-US citizens with a Temporary Visitor’s Pass.  Escorts do not need to have additional Department of Defense clearance. 
• The CDTC shuttle is now able to drive all riders with an NDA Access Pass, or Temporary Visitor’s Pass with appropriate escort, directly to the southern terminus monument. We will still stop at CDT mile 2.2 to drop off anyone without an NDA Pass or anyone who does not want to enter the NDA. 
• The access roads to the southern terminus remain open at this time, however, this is a dynamic situation due to construction of the Southern Border Wall. Road closures are anticipated in the future as construction begins. We will communicate any road closures as they happen via our alerts page.
• Expect higher traffic including heavy construction vehicles along Commodore Road. Delays are possible. Hikers opting to walk Commodore Rd, instead of the CDT, should use caution. 
• Applications generaly take 48 hours to process, but we recommend applying well in advance in case you experience delays. Once granted, a digital access badge or Termpory Visitor’s Pass will be emailed to you from the U.S. Army at Fort Huachuca

I am an international hiker with a Temporary Visitor’s Pass. How do I find an NDA escort?

If you are taking the CDTC shuttle, you may pair with a US citizen with NDA clearance during shuttle check-in the morning of your ride.

CDTC Southern Terminus Shuttle

CDTC is still operating an on-demand shuttle and water caching service with drop/off pickups at the southern terminus monument and outside the NDA at CDT mile 2.2.

For shuttle information and booking please visit this page. 

For more information please call 719-749-1234 or email [email protected]