best section of the Colorado Trail?

Running 479mi from Denver to Durango, the Colorado Trail is a classic. It shares about 200mi with the CDT.

planning – ColoradoTrail.org

For those of us who do not have a long month, what’s the best section?

Outdoor Magazine recommends:

… concentrate your efforts during a ten-day romp along a remote 95-mile ribbon that runs just east of San Luis Peak to Molas Pass, in the southwestern part of the state.

Start at Spring Creek Pass, 33 miles northwest of Creede amid the 13,000-foot-plus San Juan Mountains. Plan on grinding up to 15 miles a day along airy ridges, down steep gorges, and up winding switchbacks.

You’ll spend four days cruising above tree line, at nearly 12,000 feet, and the closest you’ll come to a town (Lake City) is about 17 miles, which means tackling thousands of vertical feet each day with a heavy pack.

Take a break and frolic in Snow Mesa, a flat, grassy expanse so huge it takes a few hours to cross.

Outdoor

Sounds great. We’ve added San Luis Pass to Molas Pass to our list of the best hikes of the world.

ColoradoTrail.org calls it Section 6 – San Luis Pass to Molas Pass (advanced difficulty).

Next, what’s the best guidebook?

Colorado Trail: The Official Guidebook (Colorado Mountain Club Guidebooks)

Get packing!