Continental Divide Trail

As the West’s answer to the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, known as the CDT, is 3,100 grueling miles cut through the backcountry from Mexico to Canada—and nearly 1,000 miles of it bisects the western half of Montana, composing the longest mountain trail in our state. Sadly, the organization responsible for building our portion of the trail closed its doors earlier this year, and now, compared to the four other states that share the trail, Montana’s level of completion is the lowest—a paltry 58%. The Montana Wilderness Association (MWA) has thankfully taken the reigns on the project, organizing volunteers and resources to help connect our piece of a national treasure. “It’s an incredible resource,” says Shannon Friex, the MWA program manager. “It links some of Montana’s most beautiful places, and we’d like to create a trail our state can be proud of.” The program is always looking for volunteers, so for more information about MWA’s CDT trails program, check out their website at cdtmontana.org.