GOLDEN, CO. (Jan 19, 2021) — Like many of you, we at the Continental Divide Trail Coalition are longing to get back to our pre-pandemic schedule and enjoy the trail fully. We’ve been making tough decisions on how best to facilitate access to the beautiful lands of the Continental Divide for the 2021 thru-hiking season. However, our paramount concern will always be the health and safety of our local community members, trail users, and support staff.
Accordingly, we will not be opening our usual spring bookings for the shuttle to the Crazy Cook, NM terminus at this time, nor maintaining the water caches between Crazy Cook and Lordsburg, NM. While we regret that we can’t safely assist hikers to their preferred terminus at this time, the spirit of the CDT has always included room for adaptation, alternative routes, and exploration. Travelers who had intended to start a trip at Crazy Cook might consider other locations. If that’s your plan, please review the Covid requirements from the New Mexico Department of Health and obtain the public lands recreation permit from the New Mexico State Lands Office.
We strongly encourage all CDT travelers, particularly those planning long trips, to review and adhere to guidelines set by the state-level Departments of Health. We also encourage you to be aware of the stresses that long-distance travel may present to our local communities, and the unique challenges that the pandemic presents for on-trail sanitation. You can see some of our guidance laid out here. Please also protect yourselves by ensuring you have adequate financial resources to quarantine if necessary, which may necessitate a two-week stay in a hotel and other expenses. Keep an eye on our Closures and Alerts page for the most up-to-date information. When we are able to operate safely, we’ll update you.
For those prospective travelers who have already made shuttle bookings with us in the past, we’ll offer you first access when we are able to safely operate the shuttle. You can also review other options for your reservation here. You can contact us for more information at [email protected].
In short, we miss you. We’re disappointed, too. But we’re eagerly watching to see when we can safely operate again, and when we know, you’ll know. Be safe, be well, and we hope to see you on the trail in the future.
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About the Continental Divide Trail The CDT is one of the world’s premiere long-distance trails, stretching 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide. Designated by Congress in 1978, the CDT is the highest, most challenging and most remote of the 11 National Scenic Trails. It provides recreational opportunities ranging from hiking to horseback riding to hunting for thousands of visitors each year. While 95% of the CDT is located on public land, approximately 150 miles are still in need of protection. About the Continental Divide Trail Coalition The CDTC was founded in 2012 by volunteers and recreationists hoping to provide a unified voice for the Trail. Working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land management agencies, the CDTC is a non-profit partner supporting stewardship of the CDT. The mission of the CDTC is to complete, promote and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, a world-class national resource. For more information, please visit continentaldividetrail.org.
