Continental Divide Trail Coalition
There are many ways to get involved! Whether you’re a master of the McLeod or a front country ally, we hope you’ll join us in completing, maintaining, and protecting the CDT. Scroll down to see our opportunities.
Each year, we organize volunteer trail maintenance projects that range in length from 1-5 days. No experience is necessary to join us on these projects – just a willingness to work hard and get dirty!
Our CDTC Adopter program is the perfect opportunity for those looking for a more sustained way to support the CDT. CDTC Adopters “adopt” their own section of trail, pledging to visit and maintain it at least twice a year.
CDTC was formed to provide a unified voice for people who support the Continental Divide Trail. Join us by lending your voice to ensure that the CDT remains a world-class national resource that inspires pride, passion, and perseverance.
If you would like to volunteer with us, please fill out the form below with your name, where you live, and what types of volunteer opportunities interest you most. We’ll do our best to find the right volunteer job for you. On-going needs include CDT community events, local hiking meet ups, communications content, and administrative support.
CDT Gateway Communities are a network of towns and counties located within proximity to the Continental Divide Trail. Official designation as a CDT Gateway Community is only the first step in building an ever-evolving, working partnership between your community and the CDTC.
Want to get involved but not exactly sure how? Please fill out the form below with your name, where you live, and what types of volunteer opportunities interest you most. We’ll do our best to find the right volunteer job for you.
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition is a volunteer-based organization and there are always opportunities for individuals, families, groups, and organizations to participate. Each year, we organize volunteer trail maintenance projects that range in length from 1-5 days. No experience is necessary to join us on these projects – just a willingness to work hard and get dirty!
Want to learn more about what it’s like to volunteer on a CDTC trail work event? Check out our Volunteer FAQ page which covers the basics. If you have more questions about our trail maintenance and construction projects, feel free to reach out to us directly at info@continentaldividetrail.com. We’d be happy to answer your questions!
Check out our Volunteer Guide for the upcoming season. This provides an at-a-glance preview of all our volunteer trail work events and other opportunities to volunteer with our Gateway Communities.
We hope you understand that we must follow extra precautions to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, communities, and partners. To maximize protection against COVID-19, we will be instituting a requested proof of vaccination to attend any Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC)-led volunteer projects or trainings.
Arrive: May 25th
Work Days: May 26th - 29th
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 7,552 feet
Vehicle: 4WD - High Clearance (ex. Toyota Tacoma)
Food: Food Provided
Alongside the Reserve Ranger District, CDTC will support a multi-year project to complete a 9.1 mile reroute of the CDT through the northern Gila National Forest between 5 Springs and Ghost Lake. In 2021 youth corps began to make headway on 3 miles of construction, with a clear need for growing partnership support to bring more capacity to this high priority project. With the help of a total of 12 volunteers across a 4-day project, the CDTC will help clear, repair, and restore tread from a wildfire that passed through this area and help build a new trail that will avoid excessively rocky areas and uphold the scenic beauty of the CDT.
This project is funded through the New Mexico Economic Development Department – Outdoor Rec Trails+.
RRD-GNF-23-02-V
Arrive: The evening of June 9 or June 10 at 8 AM
Work Days: June 10th - 11th
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 7,300
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 5 miles
Vehicle: 2WD (ex. Toyota Prius)
Food: Volunteers are required to provide their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
The Coalition is looking forward to having their second trail maintenance event in Butte, MT, one of our newest Gateway Communities. While we look to expand our CDTC Adopter Program with the Butte Ranger District of the Forest Service, we also want to recognize the many existing volunteers in the area that support the CDT. Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in the Coalition’s trail maintenance training on Saturday and Sunday. Upon completion of the training, folks will be able to adopt their own section of the CDT to regularly maintain. Already pretty experienced with trail work? Instead of attending the training, you can join Gina Evans with Linked Adventures to conduct regular trail maintenance needs between Highlands and Limekiln, including saw work.
BRD-BDNF-23-01-A
Work Days: June 27th - 28th
Camping: Frontcountry
The CDTC along with Denver ELK will be taking out 6-8 of “Colorado’s underrepresented youth” to camp, build their confidence through trail work and learn about the vast opportunities in land management.
You can learn more about Denver ELKs mission here.
This is a private event, if you would like to support this project through a food or gear donation please contact hgamertsfelder@continentaldividetrail.org
Arrive: The evening of July 6 or July 7 at 8AM
Work Days: July 07th - 09th
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Moderate- Difficult
Elevation: 10,300 feet
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 4 miles
Vehicle: 4WD high-clearance (ex. Jeep Wrangler)
Food: Volunteers are required to come prepared with all of their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
Special Gear: CDTC will be providing some water. Volunteers should come prepared with adequate water for the duration of the trip.
About a half-mile from the Junco Cabin Trailhead are two small bridges that are falling into disrepair. They are both less than 15 feet in length and have rotting planks and sinking foundations. Headwaters Trails Alliance in collaboration with CDTC will work to fully replace these two small structures. The project will entail removing the two old bridges and replacing them in the same location with new structures. Project materials will likely include natural log for foundational sils, stringers, and approaches, 3″ decking for the surface, 8 inch timberlok screws for installing the decking to the stringers, and .5″ rebar securing the stringers to the bridge foundations. This project is part of the greater improvements along the CDT in Grand County and will provide a safer water crossing for all trail users in this area. Not only is this section of trail utilized by day-hikers and through-hikers, it is also open to bikes. The current collapsing bridges pose a hazard to foot traffic and wheeled traffic alike and replacement of these structures is vital to user safety and protection of the surrounding wetland.
SRD-ARNF-23-01-V
Arrive: The evening of July 14 or July 15 at 8AM
Work Days: July 15th - 16th
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Moderate- Difficult
Elevation: 10,300 feet
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 6 miles
Vehicle: 2WD can access the trailhead but 4WD recommended
Food: Volunteers are required to come prepared with all of their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
Special Gear: CDTC will be providing some water. Volunteers should come prepared with adequate water for the duration of the trip.
About 2 miles from the Devil’s Thumb Trailhead on the High-Lonesome Trail there is a natural water creek crossing. This location is currently the only location on the 6.5-mile mechanized section of the High-Lonesome that does not have a bridge crossing. Over years of use on the trail, the water crossing continues to get wider and trail users often throw logs in the creek to get across. This location is in need of a new 15+ foot-long planked bridge crossing to accommodate hikers, backpackers, and bikes alike. Headwaters Trails Alliance in collaboration with CDTC will construct a new bridge crossing in this location. Project materials will likely include natural log for foundational sils, stringers, and approaches, 3″ decking for the surface, 8 inch timberlok screws for installing the decking to the stringers, and .5″ rebar securing the stringers to the bridge foundations. This project is part of the greater improvements along the CDT in Grand County and will provide a safer water crossing for all trail users in this area. Not only will this project improve user safety, it will also limit damage to the surrounding environment associated with trampled vegetation and aquatic habitats.
SRD-ARNF-23-02-V
Arrive: Evening of July 20th
Work Days: July 20th - 23rd
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5,800-6,400 feet
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 2 miles a day
Vehicle: 2WD (ex. Toyota Prius)
Food: Wild Montana will provide all meals and cooking equipment. However, please bring your own mess kit (plate, bowl, cup, and cutlery). Please arrive Thursday evening having already eaten or prepared to make your own supper. We will provide meals starting with breakfast on Friday and ending with lunch fixings on Sunday. Dinner is not provided on Sunday evening. Volunteers are expected to help with food preparation and clean-up on a rotating basis, but your crew leader will handle primary kitchen responsibilities.
The crew will explore the Priest Pass area near Helena. Though the name suggests a holy nature, this area is named after its long history as one of the first toll roads in Montana back in the days of gold rushes and outlaws. Priest Pass is just to the north of MacDonald Pass and allows access to the Continental Divide Trail for many recreationalists. We will be rehabilitating this trail by taking it from a doubletrack to a singletrack pathway. This will include scarring the trail and hauling debris over to keep hikers on the straight and narrow. This will be very physical work as we will be working both the north and south directions on the CDT.
HRD- HLCNF-23-01-V
Arrive: July 28th at 8am
Work Days: July 28th - 29th
Camping: Frontcountry
Elevation: 8,500 ft
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 5 miles
Vehicle: 2WD (ex. Toyota Prius)
Food: Volunteers are required to provide their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition is looking forward to returning to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. We will be conducting our training near Georgetown at the Herman Gulch Trailhead. The learning focus will be on trail maintenance such as tread specifications, installing drains, and other basic techniques that will allow volunteers to adopt their own section of the CDT. Upon completion of the training, folks will be able to adopt their own section of the CDT to regularly maintain. This is a great opportunity for community members who want to contribute long term stewardship to the CDT and work independently or with a small group of friends to address basic scouting, drainage, and corridor clearance. Overnight camping options will be available. Also, on Friday evening 7/28 we will meet at Cabin Creek Brewing in Georgetown for food and drinks after the field work ends for the day. A big thanks to Cabin Creek and other local partners for supporting CDTC’s work in the area. Stay tuned for more information!
CCRD-ARNF-23-01-A
Arrive: The evening of August 4 or August 5 at 8AM
Work Days: August 05th - 09th
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
Elevation: 7,360 feet
Distance to Basecamp: 4 miles
Vehicle: 2WD high-clearance (ex. Jeep Wrangler)
Food: Volunteers are required to come prepared with all of their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
Special Gear: CDTC will be providing some water. Volunteers should come prepared with adequate water for the duration of the trip.
After the Trail Creek Fire of 2021, we are in need of some trail restoration and rehabilitation along the CDT north of Big Hole Pass in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. Wildland firefighters drove ATVs along the CDT to fight the 62,000 acre fire which was caused by lightening. In these areas our crew will naturalize and restore the Trail back to a singletrack trail. The fire burned many wooden erosion control structures as well, namely waterbars. We hope our volunteer crew will be able to install new waterbars from local lodgepole pine to further mitigate erosion issues and address this priority work a 3/4 mile in from the Big Hole Pass Trailhead. There is also a need for a small CDT reroute where additional erosion is occurring. Pack your bug spray for pesky horseflies in July and bring extra water! There is something for everyone on this site – we hope you’ll join us!
This project is funded by the Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee.
SCRD-SCNF-23-01-V
Arrive: The evening of August 11 or August 12 at 8 AM
Work Days: August 12th - 13th
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 7,055 feet
Vehicle: 2WD (ex. Toyota Prius)
Food: Volunteers are required to provide their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition is looking forward to returning to the Salmon-Challis National Forest to support the restoration of the CDT at Big Hole Pass. We will be conducting our training near the Trail Creek Fire burn scar to repair the tread, install drainages, and learn basic trail maintenance techniques that will allow volunteers to adopt their own section of the CDT in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. This is a great opportunity for community members in and near Lemhi County who want to contribute long term stewardship to the CDT and work independently or with a small group of friends to address basic scouting, drainage, and corridor clearance.
Volunteers will meet at Big Hole Pass the morning of July 23rd for the outdoor classroom portion of the training followed by hands-on experience identifying and fixing trail maintenance needs at Big Hole Pass on the CDT. Volunteers are welcome to camp or commute each day. For the training itself, please bring a backpack, hat, sunglasses, 2 liters of water, lunch, snacks, closed toe shoes, long pants, and long sleeve shirt.
This project is funded through Central Idaho’s Resource Advisory Committee.
SCRD-SCNF-23-01-A
Arrive: Evening of August 17th
Work Days: August 18th - 22nd
Camping: Frontcountry
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 9,200 feet
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 5 miles
Vehicle: 2WD (ex. Toyota Prius)
Food: Volunteers are required to provide their own water, snacks, and meals for the duration of the project
Special Gear: Bear Spray
Join us at the beautiful Brooks Lake in the Shoshone National Forest to work on a newly constructed trail relocation of the CDT. The purpose of this project is to reduce trail grade and install drainage structures to improve sustainability and enhance user experience. This will also include building climbing turns and switchbacks. With the help of mechanized equipment, our volunteer crew will hand finish the trail to bring it up to CDT specifications. Volunteers will also conduct work downhill of the trail – spreading soils and brush to promote drainage, revegetation, and naturalization. Brooks Lake sits below the Pinnacles to the south and the Breccia Cliffs to the north. These iconic spires and bluffs are in the Togwotee Group of the Absaroka Range of Wyoming and provide beautiful scenery to Brooks Lake. Tucked away in northwestern Wyoming surrounded by 800,000 acres of wilderness, Brooks Lake itself is open to the public, and fishing is allowed year-round. Canoe, kayaks, or fishing gear are welcome for a post-workday relaxation. It is important to note this part of the CDT is in the heart of grizzly country.
WRRD-SNF-23-01-V
Arrive: The evening of August 27
Work Days: August 28th - 01st
Camping: Backcountry
Difficulty: Moderate- Difficult
Elevation: 8,000 feet
Distance to Basecamp: 2 miles
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 6 miles
Vehicle: 2WD
Food: Volunteers are required to come prepared with all of their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
Special Gear: CDTC will be providing some water. Volunteers should come prepared with adequate water for the duration of the trip.
Want to contribute something wonderful to Yellowstone National Park? Alongside the National Park Service, CDTC will support the restoration of the Trail through the Lonestar Geyser Basin. We will work alongside our volunteers to help tear out and replace decaying bridges that have succumbed to the elements and heavy use – leaving them very dangerous to trail travelers. Work with us to clean up these messy water and bog crossings and repair, reconstruct, and restore this section of the CDT. Volunteers will have their basecamp at a private backcountry group site. We will have the opportunity to have a day off in the middle of work to explore other areas of the CDT near the North Star Geyser basin.
OF-YNP-23-01-V
Arrive: Evening of September 6th
Work Days: September 07th - 10th
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition will be returning to the Carson National Forest with the help of our volunteers to support our land manager friends in some light maintenance on the CDT. This 3-day project will have volunteers working on improving and maintaining the CDT, working south from Forest Road 559 toward Mogote Peak.
More details to come in April!
CRD-CNF-23-01-V
Arrive: The evening of September 16th or September 17th at 8 AM
Work Days: September 17th - 18th
Camping: Frontcountry
Elevation: 6,000 feet
Vehicle: 2WD (ex. Toyota Prius)
Food: Volunteers are required to provide their own water, meals and snacks for the duration of the project.
The Coalition is looking forward to having their trail maintenance event in Silver City, NM, a wonderful Gateway Community. We will be learning trail maintenance such as tread specifications, installing drains, and other basic maintenance techniques that will allow volunteers to adopt their own section of the CDT in the area. This is a great opportunity for community members who want to contribute long term stewardship to the CDT and work independently or with a small group of friends to address basic scouting, drainage, and corridor clearance.
More details to come!
Work Days: September 21st - 24th
Camping: Frontcountry
Elevation: 6,000ft - 7,500ft
Daily Hiking Distance: Up to 2 miles a day
Vehicle: FWD (ex. Jeep Wrangler, Subaru, Toyota Rav-4, etc.)
Food: Volunteers must provide their own food and water.
Now recruiting Crew Chefs!
CDTC is back in the Burro Mountains of New Mexico. We’ll be working to address a short but challenging 1.5-mile reroute starting at Jacks Peak Trailhead and working south along the Neglected Mine area. Work will include clearing corridor, sawing trees and brush, building trail, and creating rock retaining walls. This reroute will move the CDT onto sustainable contours and soil types and increase the user experience along this nationally designated trail! Admire pinon and alligator juniper trees in this cherished desert landscape. Volunteers will be car camping at Jacks Peak Trailhead or are welcome to commute from Silver City each day. Expect long, physically demanding workdays. We hope to make some great progress at this location this year!
SCRD-GNF-23-01-V
We know, some of our projects fill up pretty quick! Not to worry, the Coalition in our name is a befitting moniker. Check out these awesome organizations that run volunteer trail work operations along the length of the Continental Divide Trail and see where you may be able to support your public lands!
Backcountry Horsemen – Trail Wide
Gila Backcountry Horsemen – NM
New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors – NM
Chama Valley Outdoor Club – NM
Heart of the Gila – NM
Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance – NM
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative – CO
Colorado Trail Foundation – CO
Looking for a longer term experience in trail stewardship? Conservation Corps provide career-building opportunities for the next generation of trail leaders across the country. If you’re between 14 and 30 years old, there’s likely an awesome opportunity out there waiting for you. Discover some of the corps that have completed work on the CDT throughout the years!
Proceeds from all products sold through the CDTC Trail Shop support our work to complete, promote, and protect the Continental Divide Trail, so you can rep the CDT with pride knowing your dollars support the trail you love.
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