Hiking the Colorado Trail
The Colorado Trail might be the best thru-hike in the country for what you get per mile. It’s 486 miles, takes about a month, requires no permits, and runs through some of the highest and most spectacular terrain in the American West. I’ve done it twice — in 2014 as my first-ever thru-hike, and again in 2020 during COVID. Both times, it delivered.
As a Colorado native, I have a lot of feelings about this trail. It’s legitimately beautiful, legitimately challenging, and runs through terrain that earns its elevation. The afternoon thunderstorms will make you take cover and laugh about it later. The fourteeners you can bag as side trips are genuinely worth the effort.
What You Should Know Before Starting
The Colorado Trail runs from Denver to Durango. Most hikers go westbound, which is the direction where the elevation gains are gentler and the best scenery front-loads in the first two weeks. You could go eastbound, but westbound is the standard.
There are no major permits required for the CT. You do need a free permit for the Collegiate Peaks and Mount Massive wilderness areas, both of which are easily self-issued at the trailhead register.
Season and Timing
The Colorado Trail lives at high elevation. Most of the trail sits above 10,000 feet, with sections pushing past 13,000. Snow doesn’t clear at the high passes until mid-July in a heavy year, and comes back by mid-September.
Best start window: July 1 to July 20. Starting this window gives you the best shot at dry passes through the San Juans (the high-altitude western section) before fall storms arrive. I started my 2014 hike on July 12 and finished right before the monsoons turned ugly. My 2020 COVID hike started in August and I hit the first snow of the season — still manageable, but adds a layer of hazard.
The afternoon thunderstorm season in Colorado runs through July and August. Plan to be off exposed ridgelines by early afternoon every day. This is not optional.
How Long Does It Take?
A fit hiker doing 20-mile days can finish in 25 days. First-timers typically take 28-35 days. My 2014 hike took about a month including a couple of zeroes. My 2020 COVID hike was similar in pace but with fewer town stops. You don’t need to rush this one — it’s 486 miles of seriously good trail. Build in enough time to enjoy it.
Navigation
The CT is well-signed but complex through some of the wilderness areas. FarOut (formerly Guthook) has a Colorado Trail guide that’s worth having. The official trail maps from the Colorado Trail Foundation are good too — they publish a spiral-bound book that covers the whole trail in segments. Download topo maps before you start. Cell service gets sparse in the San Juans.
Planning the Hike
Resupply
The CT is straightforward to resupply without mailing boxes. Unless you’re vegan or have specific dietary needs, you can make it work with grocery stores and gas stations along the way. The trail towns are genuinely good. My 2020 COVID hike used only four resupply points (all mail drops) to minimize in-person contact: Copper Mountain at mile 119 (friends brought supplies), a contactless mail drop near Twin Lakes at mile 175, Monarch Mountain Lodge at mile 249, and Molas Lake at mile 409. In a normal year you’d stop in more towns and have a more varied experience.
| Town | Approx. Mile | Access | Notes |
| Waterton Canyon TH | 0 | On trail | Denver start — drive or bus to trailhead |
| Breckenridge | 100 | Short hitch | Full service ski town, great resupply. Backcountry Brewing + excellent gear shop |
| Copper Mountain | 122 | On trail | Resort with restaurant and limited supplies |
| Twin Lakes | 167 | On trail | Small store, mail drops accepted at the inn |
| Mt. Princeton / Buena Vista | 212 | Hitch | Buena Vista is a full resupply. Princeton Hot Springs is a great zero option |
| Salida | 248 | Hitch | Full service town, good restaurant scene, easy hitch from hwy |
| Monarch Mountain Lodge | 260 | On trail | Lodge with restaurant, mail drop possible |
| Creede | ~350 | Hitch | Best resupply option after crossing San Luis Peak. Small but trail-friendly town. Hitch from Spring Creek Pass area. |
| Lake City | ~415 | Hitch from Stony Pass | Great trail town, full service, excellent resupply. Access is out of Stony Pass — confirm the hitch logistics before this stretch. |
| Silverton | 425 | Hitch | Charming old mining town, full resupply |
| Durango | 486 | On trail | Southern terminus — full service city, fly home from here |
Miles are approximate. The Colorado Trail Foundation maps are more precise.
The San Juans
The western half of the trail through the San Juan Mountains is the hardest and the most spectacular. You’re doing long traverses above treeline, crossing passes at 13,000+ feet, and dealing with the most exposed terrain on the trail. The weather hits harder out here. A cold night in the San Juans with no shelter option available requires preparation. Don’t underestimate this section.
In 2014 I bagged four Colorado Trail fourteeners as side trips off the main trail: Massive, Shavano, Tabeguache, and St. Louis Peak. These are all reasonable additions if you’ve got the legs and the time.
If fourteeners are a primary goal, the Collegiate Loop is worth a serious look. It’s a ~167-mile loop through the Collegiate Peaks area that threads past multiple fourteeners and links up with CT terrain — a great option if you want to combine thru-hiking with high peak objectives. I’ve written a full guide to hiking the Collegiate Loop with a Nolan’s 14 twist.
Know Before You Go: Colorado Trail Tips for First-Timers
The Colorado Trail is one of the most popular thru-hike options for people doing their first long trail. That’s a good thing — it’s well-supported, scenic, and doesn’t require the months-long commitment of the PCT or CDT. It’s also harder than most people expect, and the first-timer mistakes are predictable. A few things worth knowing before you start:
- Don’t mail too many boxes. The CT has excellent resupply options. Unless you have very specific dietary needs, you don’t need to send yourself food packages. The trail towns are good. Shipping boxes ties you to post office hours and kills flexibility — if you want to skip a town or move your schedule, you’re stuck waiting for a package. Trust the grocery stores and gas stations on this one.
- Start with enough time. First-timers often underestimate pace at altitude. 25-day estimates can turn into 35-day trips once you account for acclimatization, afternoon storms, and the desire to actually enjoy yourself. Build in buffer days.
- The afternoon thunderstorms are not optional. Every single day during monsoon season (July-August), get off exposed ridgelines before noon. This is the single biggest safety rule on the Colorado Trail. People get struck by lightning here. The mountains build storms fast and you can be above treeline in a very exposed position. Watch the sky and move early.
- The San Juans will humble you. The western half of the trail through the San Juans is the hardest section. It’s spectacular, but long traverses at 13,000 feet in unpredictable weather are real challenges. Don’t underestimate this section at the end of a long trip when you’re already tired.
- Town hitches are part of the experience. Most CT resupply requires hitchhiking. This is normal, safe, and usually easy in Colorado’s outdoor-friendly towns. If you’ve never hitchhiked before, the CT is a great place to learn — more on this below.
Hitchhiking the Colorado Trail
Hitchhiking is a core part of the Colorado Trail experience. Unlike the PCT — where shuttle services and bus routes make most resupply straightforward — the CT requires you to stick your thumb out repeatedly. If that sounds intimidating, here’s what you actually need to know.
Is Hitchhiking Safe on the Colorado Trail?
Yes, with normal common sense. The CT passes through rural Colorado mountain towns and resort corridors. The people giving you rides are outdoor enthusiasts, ranchers, and locals who’ve seen thru-hikers before. I’ve hitchhiked hundreds of miles in Colorado and have never had a bad experience. Standard rules apply: trust your gut, skip a ride that feels wrong, and traveling with a partner makes everything easier.
Women hiking solo: this is a real consideration and I won’t pretend it isn’t. Many solo women complete the CT without issues. The trail community is generally safe and the hitching is mostly on busy daylight roads. Use your judgment, trust your read on a situation, and know it’s completely fine to wait for a different car.
How to Hitchhike Effectively
- Stand at a visible pull-off. Drivers need somewhere safe to stop. Don’t stand on a blind curve or at the top of a hill. Find a spot where cars can see you coming and have room to pull over.
- Look the part. A smiling face and visible hiking gear get you much further than looking like you’ve been dragged through the San Juans (even if you have been). Hold your poles, look approachable, make eye contact.
- A sign helps. “Hiker to [Town]” on a piece of notebook paper dramatically increases success rate. Drivers know immediately where you’re going and whether they can help.
- Know your hitchhike points before you get there. The CT hits major highways at predictable spots. Salida (Hwy 50), Buena Vista (Hwy 24), and Twin Lakes (Hwy 82) are easy hitches. More remote spots like Spring Creek Pass (Creede) require patience — weekend traffic from Creede is your best bet.
- Town shuttles exist. Several CT towns have informal shuttle operators. Check trail apps and Facebook groups for current options. Sometimes paying $20 beats waiting 2 hours.
CT Hitchhike Difficulty by Section
| Hitch | Difficulty | Notes |
| Breckenridge (Hwy 9) | Easy | Ski resort town, lots of outdoor traffic, tons of pickups. Usually <15 min. |
| Twin Lakes (Hwy 82) | Easy | Busy weekend traffic toward Aspen. Weekday morning can be slower. |
| Buena Vista (Hwy 24) | Easy | BV is a very hiker-friendly town. High traffic volume on this road. |
| Salida (Hwy 50) | Moderate | The trailhead-to-highway leg is the slow part; once on Hwy 50, quick. |
| Spring Creek Pass to Creede | Harder | Remote highway, lower traffic. Patience required. Weekend traffic from Creede is better. |
| Stony Pass to Lake City | Harder | Remote road. Plan for a longer wait or coordinate a pickup in advance. |
| Silverton (Hwy 550) | Moderate | Reasonable traffic on the Million Dollar Highway corridor. Drop-offs are easy. |
Getting to and from Trail
Eastern Terminus (Waterton Canyon, near Denver)
The eastern terminus is at Waterton Canyon, about 25 miles southwest of Denver. You can drive, Lyft, or arrange a shuttle from the Denver airport or downtown Denver. The canyon itself is a wide dirt road for the first 6 miles — not the most exciting start, but it sets up everything that follows.
Western Terminus (Durango)
Durango is served by the Durango-La Plata County Airport with direct flights to Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, and a few other hubs. It’s a full-service city with good restaurants and a great celebration meal waiting at the end. Fly or drive back from here.
Gear Notes
The CT runs at altitude, and that changes gear decisions. A few things that matter:
- Rain and wind protection: Non-negotiable. The afternoon thunderstorms in Colorado are real and fast. A solid rain jacket is the most important piece of safety gear on this trail. I use OutDry jackets — ones that literally cannot wet out. Standard DWR rain jackets fail in sustained Colorado downpours.
- Insulation: Bring more than you think. The nights at 12,000 feet in late July are cold. Don’t cut corners on sleep system warmth at altitude.
- Shoes: This trail is rough on footwear. Rocky terrain, sustained elevation, and wet conditions from afternoon rain. I use Hoka Challengers — very padded, light, flexible. Plan a shoe swap midpoint if your shoes are already showing wear.
- Trekking poles: Highly recommended. The CT has steep sections and technical terrain that poles make considerably safer.
2014 Gear List (first thru-hike)
2020 Gear List (COVID year, solar panel setup)
Trail Updates from the Trail
Below are the journal posts and emails I sent during both Colorado Trail hikes. The 2014 posts are from my first thru-hike. The 2020 posts document the COVID-era hike with very different logistics.