Colorado Trail

The plan for the Colorado Trail, crossing the Rocky Mountains from Denver to Durango, began in the early 70’s and was officially completed in 1987. It is around 486 miles long with total elevation gain in the southbound direction of 89,100 feet. Around 500 people per year complete a thru-hike.

Compared with the last couple of mid-distance hikes we’ve done, this is 303 miles shorter than the Arizona Trail, and 275 miles longer than the John Muir Trail. Although the AZT goes over 9,000′ in a few places, the elevation profile of the CT is much more similar to the JMT, with an average elevation of 10,300′ and long stretches above tree line.