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Common Ground News

How long does it take to ride the Great Divide Trail?

Author

Sarah Oconnor

Updated on March 12, 2026

How long does it take to ride the Great Divide Trail?

How long does it take to hike the entire trail? A safe estimate for hiking the Great Divide Trail is eight weeks. The total time to hike the entire trail from Waterton Lakes National Park to Kakwa Provincial Park is dependent on individual hiking pace, planning and selection of routes.

Also asked, how much does it cost to ride the Great Divide Trail?

If you plan on staying in motels and eating in restaurants and only camping and self-catering when absolutely necessary, you should probably budget at least $70 per day. If you mostly camp and self-cater, $40 per day should be enough on the GDMBR.

Also, can you ride the great divide with a gravel bike? As far as a bike goes, you can do this route on a fully rigid gravel bike or a full suspension mountain bike, or some variation of the two.

Likewise, how long does it take to do the Great Divide Trail?

A safe estimate for hiking the Great Divide Trail is eight weeks. The total time to hike the entire trail from Waterton Lakes National Park to Kakwa Provincial Park is dependent on individual hiking pace, planning and selection of routes.

Can you drive the Great Divide Trail?

It's a six-mile ride from one trailhead to the other that would require more than 200 miles of driving if you had to do it in a car on roads! In Sparwood, you can continue on the main route or choose to ride through miles of unbridled wilderness on the Flathead Alternate.

Can you bike the Continental Divide trail?

The CDT is not the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route; instead, it's nearly 3,100 miles of trail stretching border to border along the spine of the continent. It's the only long trail that's open to mountain bikes. Our goal is to thru-ride as much of the trail as possible, outside of Wilderness Areas, this summer.

How do you prepare for the Great Divide Trail?

There are 5 main things to prepare for: permits, food/resupply, gear, training, and finding an inner purpose for hiking the trail.
  1. Permits. The permit system for the GDT seems to have grown into one of the largest grumbles for hopeful GDT hikers.
  2. Food/Resupply.
  3. Gear.
  4. Training.
  5. Finding My Purpose.

How long does it take to do the CDT?

Most thru hikers will take 5 months to hike the Continental Divide Trail. Faster hikers who have completed other thru hikes and are confident in their ability and use ultra lightweight gear will complete the trail in 4 months.

What bike is used in the great divide?

People do ride the route on fully rigid bikes, usually cyclocross or rugged touring bikes, so it's certainly possible and I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying it. 2,700 miles is a lot of dirt road, however, and the vast majority of riders will be more comfortable on a mountain bike with front suspension.

Can you bike the Appalachian?

The Appalachian Trail is one of the most beautiful networks of trails in the world. However, this 2,200 mile trail extending between Maine and Georgia is a hiking-only trail. So the short answer is that no, you can't bike the Appalachian Trail.

How many miles is the great divide?

Bike the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, an off-pavement route that crisscrosses the Continental Divide for 2,768 miles from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. This multi-day ride consists of dirt roads and steep mountain passes that cover over 200,000 feet in elevation gain.

Where does the GDT end?

GDT Route Information

The GDT's southern terminus is Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, right where the US' Continental Divide Trail ends. Its northern terminus is 1,100km away, in Kakwa Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia.

How long is the Great Divide Trail Canada?

a journey on the crest of the continent. The Great Divide Trail traverses the continental divide between Alberta and British Columbia, wandering through the vast wilderness of the Canadian Rocky Mountains for more than 1100 kilometres. It is one of the most spectacular and challenging longâ€distance trails on the planet

How long is the Continental Divide trail?

The Continental Divide Trail

The trail stretches across the United States some 3,100 miles between the borders of Mexico and Canada, twisting and turning to follow the spine of the continent.

Where does the Great Divide trail start?

It begins in Waterton Lakes National Park at the Canada-US border (where it connects with the Continental Divide Trail) and ends 1,123 kilometres to the north in Kakwa Provincial Park.

How hard is the CDT?

The CDT is much more difficult logistically than the AT or the PCT. Resupply points are few and far between with at least 5 to 7 days or more between towns. Finding and paying for a shuttle is much more critical on the CDT. The CDT is a relatively dry trail with long sections between water sources in every state.

Are dogs allowed on the CDT?

Almost all of the Continental Divide Trail is open to dogs, and summer is the perfect time to explore with your pooch! Whether you are planning a day hike or a weekend getaway on the CDT, here are some essentials to pack for you and your pup to ensure you both enjoy the experience.

Does the CDT go into Canada?

Let's start with the CDT in the United States. The trail is a biggie–it stretches 3,100 miles from the U.S./Mexico border in New Mexico to Montana's border with Alberta, Canada. This trail picks up at the northern terminus of the CDT at Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada.

What is the great divide in Canada?

The main continental divide in Canada follows the ridge of the Rocky Mountains. A continental divide is a ridge or natural boundary of elevated terrain that separates the drainage basins of a continent.

Continental Divides in Canada.

Published OnlineFebruary 6, 2006
Last EditedNovember 28, 2017

Where do you fly into for the Great Divide Trail?

From there, you have the choice of two airports. Fly from El Paso, TX (ELP) or Tuscon, AZ (TUS). Both are around 3-4 hours drive from Antelope Wells.

How long is the tour divide?

The Tour Divide is a 2750 mile (4400 km) unsupported mountain bike race from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells on the Mexican border. The Length of Time documents the race from a rider's perspective telling the story of Josh Ibbett's ride.

Where does the great divide run?

The most famous Continental Divide of the Americas is also called the Great Divide. It separates the watersheds of the Pacific Ocean from those of the Atlantic Ocean. It runs from Alaska, through western Canada along the crest of the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico.

How do you do the Tour Divide?

Tour Divide requires no entry fee or formal registration. There are no prizes for finishing. Riders who carry SPOT GPS Messengers are tracked via the Live tracker. For more on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, check out our guide, here.

When was the Continental Divide discovered?

European settlers in the 17th and early 18th centuries encountered the Continental Divide as a deadly obstacle during their push for westward expansion. While searching for a water route to the Pacific Ocean, Lewis and Clark crossed the Divide at Lemhi Pass in Montana.

What is the line down the center of the Rocky Mountains that separates the flow of water east and west out of the mountains?

The Great Divide is a hydrologic boundary defined by the ultimate destination of precipitation; rainfall on the western side of the Divide flows to the Pacific Ocean, while rainfall on the eastern side flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

How many people do the Tour Divide?

In short, the 2021 Tour Divide will start from Eureka, Montana at the Canada border and run for nearly 2,500 miles to the traditional southern terminus at Antelope Wells on the Mexican border. Read more here. Also, you can follow this years ~100 grand depart participants on the Trackleaders map below.

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