Spanning more than 3,100 miles, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail starts its journey at the border with Mexico at just over 4,000 feet above sea level. The trail passes through dry desert in New Mexico and extends north through the majestic mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana that sometimes peak higher than 14,000 feet before ending at the border with Canada. The trail crosses 20 national forests.
Designated in 1978 by Congress, the intent of the law was, and remains, preserving and elevating an intimate experience with the Continental Divide. The trail lets people walk along a wonderous geographic feature where water on one side drains to the Pacific and water on the other eventually makes its way to the Atlantic.
The trail is considered the most rugged of the ‘Triple Crown’ among long-distance hikers and is geographically sandwiched between the other two crown trails, the Appalachian Trail in the East and the Pacific Crest Trail in the West.
While a world-renowned long-distance trail, more people simply want to enjoy an active day outside. For communities along the route, this may mean fishing in waters near the trail, sometimes located in their backyard. Or taking a stroll in nature with their kids very near their front yard.
With more and more people venturing out to enjoy the outdoors, Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) in 2020. The act established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, intended to fund badly needed deferred maintenance on public lands. Simply put, the Legacy Restoration Fund is enabling the Forest Service and other federal land managers to carry out projects like trail maintenance, road improvements and facility upgrades that have been on the to-do list for a while. The Continental Divide Trail, and the people who enjoy it, are benefitting directly.
There are several notable projects along the Continental Divide Trail funded through the Legacy Restoration Fund and the GAOA which are helping to improve the experience for recreators today and well into the future. These projects are renovating or building new visitor centers and campsites, improving signage, and repairing access roads that lead to trailheads.
Additionally, several projects are improving trails that connect to the Continental Divide Trail, or facilities in and around adjacent communities that are so essential for the wellbeing of the trail network. These projects aim to employ local contractors, youth conservation crews, and Job Corps, which will maintain the trail while providing jobs for local people and communities.
One such project is using GAOA funding to improve the Fooses Creek Trail which connects the Continental Divide Trail with the Colorado Trail, and is a route used heavily by hikers and increasingly by mountain bikers. The project includes realigning the trail and improving drainage to address erosion, which have led to unsafe conditions on part of the trail. Thanks to the GAOA, the Forest Service is now contributing $210,000 of the $347,284 total project costs to create a 3-mile reroute that will once again allow safe access to the Continental Divide Trail for all visitors.
The Fooses Creek Trail project highlights just how important the Continental Divide Trail is to the local communities. When the Forest Service announced that it would undertake these improvements, many partners joined the effort and have raised the remaining $137,284 needed to help ensure this project was fully funded. Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands has partnered with the Colorado Mountain Club, the National Forest Foundation, the Colorado Trails Foundation and the Southwest Conservation Corps to complete the needed upgrades. These partnerships provide the Forest Service with crucial insight, making sure the trail meets the users’ needs, while providing local youth with employment and leadership opportunities. Local contractors are also used to help with trail construction, providing economic benefit to the nearby community of Salida, Colorado.
The work to improve the nation’s trails and associated facilities is more important than ever. Every year, millions of users enjoy a myriad of recreational activities on national forests and grasslands. But when the COVID-19 pandemic began, interest in the outdoors surged, and trails like the Continental Divide Trail became crucial getaways for millions more Americans and visitors hoping to spend more time outside. Today, more people are recognizing the value of outdoor recreation and outdoor spaces for both physical and mental health. As for the Continental Divide Trail, the Forest Service expects over 700 people to hike the entire trail this year, a significant increase and just the tip of the iceberg.
To learn more about GAOA and its impact on recreation on national forests and grasslands visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/gaoa.
Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/celebrating-great-outdoors-month-continental-divide-national-scenic-trail
