Colorado Trail

Colorado Trail is a long-distance hiking route running from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango, Colorado.

Plan on a serious thru-hike commitment: the route is about 486 miles (782 km) end-to-end, with roughly 89,000 vertical feet of climbing/loss over the length.

Route character is shaped by high elevation and sharp ups/downs. The high point is 13,271 feet (4,045 m) near Coney Summit, and much of the trail stays above 10,000 feet (3,000 m).

Season matters on the Colorado Trail. The practical hiking window is mainly July–September, while winters bring deep snow and large sections become difficult.

Even in summer, weather can turn fast. Expect storm-prone exposed stretches, including a known 35-mile segment between Spring Creek and the top of the Elk Creek drainage that sits above tree line and isn’t protected from thunderstorms.

Navigation is commonly approached via the trail’s segmenting and two middle-route options. The trail is organized into 33 sequential segments, incorporating Collegiate East and Collegiate West routes in the middle.

On a full-length hike, many hikers choose an east-to-west direction (often starting from the Denver-area end) because snow typically melts earlier on the eastern portion and the start tends to build from more gradual elevation into the tougher San Juan Mountains terrain.

The Colorado Trail is maintained and built as a shared, non-motorized long-distance corridor. It’s open to hiking, horse riding, and bicycling, and it’s managed jointly by the USDA Forest Service (Trail #1776) and the Colorado Trail Foundation.

For logistics and cultural context, the route passes through multiple mountain ranges and wilderness areas and reaches into small mountain towns; the Denver-to-Durango span is also built around many segment-to-segment resupply possibilities rather than a single isolated wilderness day after day.

More information: Official website, Official website, Wikipedia