Continental Divide Trail
Continental Divide Trail is a 102 miles trail in Carson National Forest, New Mexico. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Chama River Canyon Wilderness and Cruces Basin Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Carson National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 36.3496, -106.6082 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 36.9938, -106.4572 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 3 segments.
The trail
| Length | 102 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 8-10 percent |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Scenic or Historic Trail |
| Trail numbers | 11 |
| Forest | Carson National Forest (unit 0302) |
| States | New Mexico |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed 05/01 to 10/31 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 05/01 to 10/31 (month/day) |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 05/01 to 10/31 (month/day) |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Chama River Canyon Wilderness WildernessFS · about 2% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Cruces Basin Wilderness WildernessFS · the line touches the boundaryWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireMogote Ridge
11 mi from the trail midpoint · 152 acres · 90% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Continental Divide Trail?
102 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Carson National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Continental Divide Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Continental Divide Trail start?
The line begins at 36.3496, -106.6082 and ends at 36.9938, -106.4572. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Continental Divide Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Chama River Canyon Wilderness and Cruces Basin Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Continental Divide Trail?
Hopewell Lake Campground (0 mi), Canjilon Lakes Campground (0.5 mi) and Echo Amphitheater (0.9 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Continental Divide Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Continental Divide Trail?
The typical grade is 8-10 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Continental Divide Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Continental Divide Trail?
Carson National Forest, Forest Service unit 0302. The trail is in New Mexico.
Is there a fire near the Continental Divide Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Mogote Ridge at 11 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 3 segments named CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0302. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.