CDT Families
The CDT Is A Trail For All
Whether on a day hike with the family or a cross-continental adventure, the Continental Divide Trail affords access to a special landscape for people of all ages. What is the CDT?
Explore The CDT
Photo: Brenda Yankoviak
Visit our “Hike Suggestions” page to find family-friendly portions of the CDT.
CDT Family Activities
Photo: Explore Hidalgo
Help your young explorers learn about the CDT and their surroundings with these activities! While the activities are meant to be suitable for kids of all ages, young children may need assistance with some activities.
Share Your Adventures
Photo: Explore Hidalgo
We want to hear from you! Share your activity answers, photos from a family hike, or favorite CDT wildlife.
What Is The Continental Divide Trail?
The 3,100-mile-long Continental Divide passes through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. This geological feature was created when two tectonic plates met, and the Continental Divide separates the country’s two major watersheds. More about the geology of the Divide.
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail or “CDT” spans the U.S. from the border with Canada to the Mexico border and follows the Continental Divide. Created in 1978, the CDT is one of 11 National Scenic trails and is a destination for people throughout the world as a “thru-hike”*. Many people also live, work, and recreate in the CDT landscape, which supplies water for over 180 million people.
*A thru-hike is walking a long distance from a start to an endpoint.
