Colorado Trail: Rockies
Denver to Durango through the high Rockies, taking the Collegiate West alternate.
484 miles (779 km), about 88572 ft of ascent, 32 planned days.
Why we chose it
People we met on the John Muir Trail in 2025 recommended it, and everything we’ve heard since has made us keener.
It’s a little less remote than the JMT, so the food carries are shorter, but it still has that big backcountry feel.
Looking forward to
- Meeting other hikers along the way
- Big backcountry days without huge food carries
- The high, exposed Collegiate West alternate
A bit nervous about
- Honestly, not much. Mainly that it isn’t longer.
The practical bits
- When: Late August to September 2027
- Direction: Denver to Durango, via Collegiate West
- Where we’ll sleep: Camping, with the odd night in hiker-friendly hostels in resupply towns.
- Permits: None that we know of.
Resupply plan
A mix of boxes posted to hiker-friendly stores and hostels, and shopping in town.
- Jefferson (mile 70): Hitch in, with a box posted to the Jefferson Corner Store. No accommodation in town.
- Breckenridge (mile 100): Free bus into town. A hiker-friendly inn with loaner clothes and a hiker box, and a good bakery.
- Copper Mountain Resort (mile 118): On trail. Free bus back to Breckenridge (about an hour), handy for a slackpack and pizza.
- Twin Lakes (mile 176): Box posted to the very hiker-friendly general store. Stay in town or camp near the trailhead.
- The Butterfly House (mile 251): A hiker hostel that accepts resupply boxes, highly rated by other hikers.
- Gunnison (mile 302): A long way off trail. Hostel with resupply, a hiker box and loaner bikes.
- Lake City (mile 357): Hostel that holds resupply boxes, with loaner clothes and a hiker box, close to town.
- Silverton (mile 410): A night in town.
- Durango (mile 484): The finish.