Trail Guide to the Vasquez-Hudson Route
This guide is based on my 2024 trip report.
I suggest copy/pasting the full text below to easily reference from a note program on your phone. This will be useful when you are the trail without wifi or a cell/mobile signal.
Note: this guide should be used together with the GPS track and waypoints that are available for download in the general introduction to the Vasquez-Hudson Route. The waypoints provide a lot of information, and for some waypoints even more information if you tap/click on them. This trail guide below sometimes provides a great deal of detailed information about a certain obstacle, route variation, permit requirement or resupply strategy. And in other places you don't need any detailed information. It's all in the GPS track and waypoints, downloadable here.
Section Guide to the Vazquez-Hudson Route
Arizona Section Introduction
You start at the southern terminus of the Arizona Trail and don’t leave that route until after the Grand Canyon. So you are an Arizona Trail hiker from the start until you leave the route many weeks later. For this section you can, as of 2024, rely on the FarOut app for daily navigation and planning. It's a bad app and getting worse as the only updates are for the GPS track of the main trail. FarOut fails to add or delete incorrect waypoints. It also doesn't update town information (not for 5 years now), so there are businesses listed that no longer exist, and new businesses are not added. Google Maps and online trail guides will help you plan your town visits.
But you can get updated water information based on comments on water waypoints, and on other waypoints telling you how far away the next water source is (if there is no water waypoint there). That's why the FarOut app is still worth the price.
For campable spots, they are not listed on FarOut, but rather hidden in comments on waypoints. People note where there are good camping spots and provide a distance and direction from the waypoint. It's not a good system. The good news is that while I hiked the AZT I collected a list of good camping locations in a GPX file and then added them in Open Street Map (OSM) in late September (I also updated the route in OSM using the official AZT GPX files). Any good offline map app with an Open Street Map base layer should display the camp spots and the corrected route by early 2025. Example: Gaia claims that their paid version is updated with new OSM data every few weeks. If not, you may need to get a new app or force an update on your current app. Or maybe you are using a free version that doesn't have updates.
How do you know if your map app is up to date? There should now be about a thousand camp spots marked along the trail. There were maybe twenty pre-existing on the map when I started.
So, you should be hiking with the FarOut app with the Arizona Trail guide purchased, and be using your preferred offline map app as a supplement for planning camping stops. As you will be leaving the AZT after the Grand Canyon, you obviously need another offline map that can download maps and upload the GPX file of the Vazquez-Hudson Route.
Your resupply strategy on the Arizona Trail should be based on the most current online guides. Some people are very helpful and have and will continue to provide far more comprehensive and up-to-date advice that I can.
I have very little to add that is not already outlined by online guides. But do be warned that there is some terrible advice being offered online that you need to filter out. Hikers are giving advice based on their experience and their experience only, telling you that you don't need pants, you don't need a rain jacket, that you don't even need a tent or a tarp and that you can cowboy camp the entire AZT. These people are either southbound hikers who did the trail in the dry fall, people who had a very late spring start, or who hiked in a drought year. Or they got off the trail and went to a town to avoid incoming bad weather.
It can rain or snow on you in Arizona in the spring northbound season. And there was plenty of overnight frost and condensation outside and inside my tent. If you want to hike without consideration for snow and rain, then you will need to occasionally leave the trail. The large majority of AZT hikers left the trail and went to Tucson when a snowstorm hit Mica Mountain. I and a few others went right through as we had nice dry tents, puffy jackets, warm gloves and rain jackets. Then near Kearny it rained for almost a 48 hour period, and most everybody left the trail and slept on the floor in a Trail Angels house or in a motel. I stayed on the trail because I had a rain jacket and rain pants. Choose your own path with clothing and camping style: comfort and safety, or as light as possible.
What from my experience and those on the trail at the same time is useful information? A few items... For the first day hiking from the border you will encounter discarded clothing, backpacks, bottles, food packaging and other junk from people smuggling or doing illegal border crossings. This will disappear after about one day's hike to the north. As of 2024, there are no anecdotes of an AZT hiker having a problem with these people. They generally are trying to hide from everybody, including you.
In southern Arizona from the border until Mount Lemon/Summerhaven you are in coatimundi territory. Called coatis by the locals, these are basically huge daytime raccoons that are opportunistic raiders. On the third day of my hike a coati chewed a hole through my tent and started to eat my food. I was 30 yards/meters away filtering water in a stream. So leave your tent and food unattended at your own risk.
Other animal encounters are rare. But a woman was chased by a rapid skunk while I was on the trail, and earlier in the year a rabid bobcat attacked a day hiker in Saguaro National Park. As for snakes, most people do eventually see or hear a rattlesnake. At the campgrounds at the bottom of the Grand Canyon there are some very aggressive thieving squirrels. There are poles there for you to hang your food.
Coyotes? You will hear them all the time howling during the night. They won't be a problem for you.
Mice and rats are a concern in Arizona. One hiker had to leave the trail for gear replacement/repair because a mouse had chewed through his backpack waist belt overnight. One night I had several mice repeatedly try to get into my tent. So I packed my gear and did a night hike for a few hours to a new location. And later I was raided overnight by a full colony of rats that ate my trekking pole foam handle, a strap on my trekking pole, and the cord on the corner of my tent which resulted in my tent collapsing. After I repaired it and re-pitched my tent, the rats returned and again collapsed my trekking pole tent by pulling away my 2nd trekking pole by the strap (I was able to grab it away from them before it got too far). Note that these type of incidents are rare.
Advice from previous years may need to be viewed skeptically. For example, as of 2024 AZT hikers can sleep inside the post office in Summerhaven. I'm doubtful this policy will last too far into the future. A new manager, a complaint from the public or a directive from higher up could end that quickly. Anyways, when I went by the post office it was totally full with hikers.
Getting to the trailhead
You will start at the southern terminus of the Arizona Trail (AZT). Like the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Continental Divide Trail (CDT), this trailhead is in the middle of nowhere. For the AZT it's at the Coronado National Memorial (a park on the border). You cannot reach it by public transportation as of 2024. The easiest way is to hire a shuttle driver from the city of Tucson. Phoenix is a convenient place to fly into, but it is too far for a shuttle. So if you fly into Phoenix, book an airport shuttle to Tucson. If you want to stay in Phoenix for an overnight or longer, I suggest getting to Tucson by going back to the airport and getting an airport shuttle from there. I took the Greyhound bus to Tucson from Phoenix, and it was late by 6 hours - plus about 1 in 5 passengers were hard drug addicts. One overdosed and was carted off by an ambulance.
The official website for the Arizona Trail is one place to start your research on shuttles from Tucson to the trailhead, or you can look in the terminus comments on the FarOut app. Even better is Facebook, as you can talk to the shuttle drivers on there - particularly on the current year's AZT page. There is a Facebook page for the Arizona Trail Association, but you want the one that is titled "Arizona Trail Class of 2024." Just switch out 2024 for your year. Here you can get in touch with other people who are starting at the same time and arrange to share the cost of a shuttle from Tucson.
The Arizona Trail
Once on the trail you will be using the FarOut app and the various comprehensive online guides. Note that my GPS tracks shows alternate routes where you can walk in and out of towns for resupply (instead of hitchhiking like almost everybody else).
FarOut and other peoples' online guides will get you to the boundary of Grand Canyon National Park.
Many weeks later….
Grand Canyon to Colorado City (section is approximately 150 miles, 240km)
You are now approaching the boundary of the national forest and Grand Canyon National Park. Look for the waypoint labelled "Grandview Fire Tower." Here the AZT goes west to the town of Tusayan. Tusayan is a tourist trap with very high food prices. It is followed by a walk on an asphalt bicycle path all the way to the Grand Canyon. Many hikers skip Tusayan and go straight to Grand Canyon Village (which actually has cheaper groceries) on an easy shortcut. My GPS track shows this shortcut - it's on a service road under telephone/power lines parallel to the East Rim Drive road. But eventually the GPS track abruptly leaves this road and goes straight to the rim of the Grand Canyon. For reasons of timing your arrival to Grand Canyon Village, it's best to camp in the national forest in the Grandview Fire Tower area and start your walk to Grand Canyon Village in the morning.
In my brief guide on the sections about permits you can see a short summary of the strategy for getting permits for camping in the Grand Canyon (as well as where to camp when you first arrive). I will repeat it here for convenience:
For the Grand Canyon National Park, if you walk in on a trail you do not need to pay an entrance fee. However, you do need to get camping permits. There are well written guides online for how to do this, as well as comments on the FarOut app. The short version is that you should go straight to the Mather Campground (this one is first come, first serve; no permit needed) when you enter the Grand Canyon National Park and stay for at least two nights. Present yourself at Mather Campground as an AZT hiker and ask for the shared hiker/biker spot (note that it can get crowded, the earlier in the day you arrive the better). This gives you time to go to the South Rim Backcountry Information Center, identify yourself as an AZT hiker and ask for camping permits for "the corridor." Basically, you need to camp at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then again on the North Rim. At the bottom you will be given a spot at a shared camp site in the Bright Angel Campground or the Cottonwood Campground. Bright Angel is definitely better (closer to the river), but you may not be given a choice. As of 2024 there are no anecdotes of an Arizona Trail hiker not being able to get a camping permit.
You can get a group permit in one person's name and not even need the names of the other members. I made friends on trail and one of them arrived at the Grand Canyon hours before I did and was able to get a permit for 4 people in their name.
For the North Rim Campground there is not much competition for hiker/biker spots. But if it's before May 15 the campground is closed and you will need a backcountry camping permit to set up your tent in the unattended campground (in the AZT and hiker/biker shared site). You can get this permit at the same time as your camping permit for the bottom of the canyon.
The Vasquez-Hudson Route leaves the Arizona Trail at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. After two nights camping in the Kaibab National Forest (camp anywhere you want), you will re-enter the Grand Canyon National Park. It will take about 24 hours at a medium pace to get through this Grand Canyon National Park section (depending on how fast you are on rough trails and very rough open terrain). You will probably need to camp for one night. If so, when you are at the South Rim getting your easy permits to camp along the Arizona Trail, see if any camping permits are available for Deer Creek or that general area. One anecdote from a hiker with lots of experience here says that it's easier to get camping permits in this area as it is so remote. The demand for spots here is less, and you can't reserve this spot online anymore: "Other itineraries and use areas can only be entered into Recreation.gov by a Grand Canyon Backcountry Information Center Ranger." Exact info on available camp sites: PDF webpage.
So present yourself at the South Rim Backcountry Information Center for "interrogation." Basically, you need to convince them that you have the experience to get through this area, and that you are capable of doing it with one overnight and two days of hiking (read ahead to see what obstacles to expect). And that depends on whether the sites are already reserved and unavailable to you. You could do this at the same time as getting your easy permits for AZT hikers, but then you need to consider this: you just presented yourself as an AZT hiker and then you need to turn around and ask for a permit far from the AZT. They may say "Cool! Sounds like a fun route." Or they may say "You are getting easy permits in the Corridor because we give AZT hikers special treatment, but now you sound to us like a person who is pretending to be an AZT hiker because you are obvious not going to the northern terminus of the AZT." I have no idea how this will play out. One option here is to let a friend get the camping permit for AZT hikers to camp in The Corridor (the bottom of the Grand Canyon), and then go into the office separately to see if you can get the permit to camp in Deer Creek. You'll be a fresh face... But I have no idea how this may work out for you.
Options? If you can't get a camping permit in Deer Creek, then you could just do a 24 hour non-stop hike if you are capable of that. I attempted a 24 hour midnight-to-midnight hike and failed, falling short by a few hours. The exit through the Kanab Creek canyon was just too slow and difficult in the dark. I didn't camp illegally, I just took a nap on the sand.
How about naps? If you can't do 24 hours straight, including a lot of time in the dark on open terrain or in a difficult gorge, consider taking a nap. Don't set up your tent, don't roll out your sleeping mat. Just take a nap on the ground. There are some nice dry sandy areas. Surely that's legal. But I'm no lawyer specializing in national park law, so do with this suggestion what you may.
How about illegal stealth camping? There are ultra extreme punishments for violations in Grand Canyon National Park, real or imagined: Youtube link.
Other routes? I've added an untested alternate route (labelled "Bypass national park route"). I have no idea about water sources on this route, and I've not done this trail myself. Note that this will skip Deer Creek, the Colorado River and Kanab Creek. This section was one of my favorites on the route, and skipping it would be depressing.
Back to the route….
After camping at the North Rim, I left the AZT route at 8:30am and started my own route. Immediately I was met with snow in north facing shadows (3 May 2024), then a clear dirt road with an occasional snow patch in shadows. No postholing. It was mostly firm compacted snow. Many can be walked around. No sticky mud here, unlike some earlier areas on the AZT. Later there some more regular patches in shadow areas. But I managed to keep my feet dry.
The forest is spruce, ponderosa, fir and aspen (no leaves yet). There were about 40-50 post-winter blowdown trees during this day. But only 3-4 were a bother to go over or around. A note of annoyance, you will be by yourself and it's very peaceful, except you are under the flight path of regular helicopter tour flights. I'm not sure why this is still allowed at a national park. By 7pm I was outside the national park and was free to set up camp in the Kaibab National Forest.
Kaibab National Forest has range cattle. I saw very few. They were skittish and ran away.
The next day will be about an 8-10 hour hike to the Bill Hall Trailhead. On the way you will cross the Rainbow Rim Trail. It looks interesting, but steep snow blocked it immediately, and it adds a lot of distance, and water sources are unknown. Plus, the road I continued on is quite pleasant with only a few easy firm snow patches in the shadows.
You re-enter the Grand Canyon National Park at the Bill Hall Trailhead. I camped here to take a nap before my nigh hike, but this was a mistake. Camping is wretched at the trailhead. I was exposed to extreme wind. There was uneven ground and not great staking. All the Rim campers I saw were all sleeping inside their cars. No tents. I should have camped 30-60 minutes earlier in an area that was wind protected and had nice easy ground. You can see my suggested camp spots I added as a waypoint.
Starting at 1am from the Bill Hall Trailhead to Deer Springs took me 7 hours, with 4.5 hours being in the dark (and with two 30-minutes breaks for coffee and breakfast). This made the downhill slower and sketchier. It is "technical downhill hiking." You will encounter ledges and drops. My trekking poles were very helpful, and occasionally a hand on the rock was needed.
There is a downclimb/scramble that the park warns hikers about. It was not so bad, even in the dark. I faced the mountain side once and went down backwards, but the rest of the scramble was one "butt scoot" and careful use of poles downhill. I used my hands mostly for balance. No real work. It was over in a couple of minutes. But yes, if you fall you could be badly hurt.
I only went the wrong way once, right near the beginning of downhill. This was quickly corrected by switching my headlamp to bright white light from the red light (I soon switched back to save my battery).
Once on the Thunder River Trail I soon hit slick rock. Here I again turned on the white light so I could find cairns in the distance. I had to check the map on my phone about 5 times as there was no obvious route.
Note that this will be easy and faster if you are doing this hike in daylight. At 5am (5 May 2024) it was light enough to hike without a headlamp.
Through the "Red Wall" it is a steep and rocky trail, but well built and mostly solid. There’s not much loose rock. The gorge above Deer Spring is rocky and sometimes loose. Then there is some walking in the dry gorge. Finally there is a traverse and steep descent of a boulder/talus field. It's a good trail considering how bad the terrain is at a lower point.
Note: there is no view of Deer Spring waterfall from above. Don’t try to get close to the top. It's slippery and dangerous. The bottom of Deer Spring waterfall is a nice spot for a break while you rehydrate.
If you were lucky enough to get a camping permit in this area, then enjoy your rest. For the others, you continue on to the Colorado River as soon as you can. The canyon in Deer Creek is beautiful, and maybe a little dangerous if you are not confident on a skinny rock ledge above the slot canyon.
At the Colorado River a short side trip to Deer Creek Falls is mandatory. It really is a nice waterfall, and there is a small beach nearby. By 10am there were about a dozen boats on beaches near Deer Creeks Falls. But none of them passed me as I walked along the Colorado River downstream. I had the canyon to myself.
After this point you are leaving the built trail and going over open terrain for a couple of days. You may see a trail, but these are sheep trails (in the Grand Canyon) and then cattle tracks (in upper Kanab Creek).
You may also want to consider a heavy water carry from here if you don't want to filter Colorado River water. I can't promise that the tiny trickles and the one spring will be available to you based on my single anecdotes. The next guaranteed water is Kanab Creek. It took me 8 hours from Deer Falls to Kanab Creek.
Overall summary of the route alongside the Colorado River: there is lots of talus, but not usually anything loose. Right next to the river is occasionally easy, but sometimes this requires bushwhacking with thorns, stickers, needle-like seed pods, etc. Also, my fast beach and river rock walks may not be possible in high water. Sometimes there is a sheep trail, with cairns added by hikers. Sometimes there is nothing to follow and no clear choices: choose your own route. But there are some cliff bypasses that are mandatory, but none are too high. However, the ascent and descent can be steep in loose rock and gravel.
Kanab Creek starts easy, then progressively gets harder. There are boulder scrambles, route finding, wrong ways, and sometimes water past the knee. There are a hundred+ crossings. Your feet will obviously be wet the entire time. A night trip in Kanab will eventually fail in the middle sections as you need full daylight for route finding.
It is about 12 hours from the start of Kanab Creek to the boundary of Grand Canyon National Park where you can finally legally camp. So that's 27 hours of hiking through the national park from the Bill Hall Trailhead to the boundary line in Kanab Creek. I said 24 hours as most people are faster than me and may not be hiking in the dark.
You don't need to worry about water until you reach Showerbath Spring. Right after this spring here is a much better spring for water collection. From this unnamed spring (see the waypoints) it took me 7 hours before I saw water reappear in Kanab Creek just north of Chamberlain Canyon.
Animals in Kanab Creek: I saw owls, bats, frogs, and fish. I saw mountain sheep pellets and raccoon tracks as well. Plus one mystery mammal at night that I think was a ringtail.
Overall, the section comprising Deer Creek, the Colorado River and Kanab Creek is one of my favorite sections of the entire route. I strongly discourage you from taking the alternate route that skips this area. My only regret is that I did not even attempt to get a walk-up camping permit for this area. Hiking at night was not fun in Kanab Creek, and there so many places where I wish I had time to sit and enjoy the scenery instead of rushing through.
After Kanab Creek the terrain is fast and easy, eventually putting you on dirt roads. But now you will need to start worrying about water. Look at the waypoints and see approximately where Kanab Creek goes dry again. You will need enough water from here to get you to the next reliable water source: Yellowstone Spring. It will be a 12-16 hour walk, depending on your pace. I fully hydrated before I started moving and took 5 liters with me from Kanab Creek. I arrived at Yellowstone Spring with 1 liter remaining (at this point I was about 160lbs - 70kg, and the weather was cooler than the average: 7 degrees Celsius below average). You may need more water.
I have no important notes, other than noting that you will start to see cattle once you are in Hack Canyon. Make sure to keep gates as you found them (if closed, close it after you pass through). In the shade I was bitten once by a deer fly - but there were not enough to bother with insect repellent. My other complaint is that in Hack Canyon the cows also like the few shady spots, and cover them with their manure. And, if the "RADIOACTIVE" waypoint warning was missed, you should not attempt to drink from Willow Spring. The cows do, but you shouldn't. Tap on the waypoint for some scientific analysis.
After Yellowstone Spring your next water source is Maroney Well, and then the cold beer and wine store on the highway (it sells non-alcoholic drinks and snacks). Check an online map for up-to-date info on their open hours.
The highway walk into Colorado City is not too bad. It's a fast highway, but I had enough space to walk safely. Note that you will soon be crossing a time zone change.
Colorado City and Hilldale (formerly Short Creek) don't have good budget motel or camping options as of 2024. Check Google Maps in later years to see if the situation has improved. I camped outside the town on BLM land (see my waypoints for suggest camp spots).
Colorado City is great for its amazing supermarket and the change to charge batteries (probably, see below).
A few Hayduke hikers have reported "bad vibes" here. Others disagree and had good things to say. I didn’t feel any bad vibes or get any unfriendliness to hikers attitude in Colorado City and Hilldale. The cafe crew was super friendly and chatted about my hike (and asked for my Instagram), the supermarket and dollar general treated me well, despite me plopping down a big dusty backpack at the entrance and having dusty clothes on. I was in the cafe and supermarket for HOURS having breakfast, coffee, using the toilets twice and hanging out in their seating area (between the cafe and fast food place inside the supermarket). On the street, cars gave me room on the streets that had no sidewalks and waited for me to cross at stops even if they could have snuck by quickly. One guy having a beer at 11am hollered a friendly hello at me. Aside from that, it’s the rural west and a car town, so nobody was walking but me - not much chance to meet people. I received no dirty looks and close to the trailheads on the north side of town drivers waved. There were some stern ladies in long denim dresses, but not everybody owes you a smile. I'm not saying that previous hikers who walked through are incorrect, I'm just saying that I (middle aged white male who avoids "hiker trash" fashion) was treated well on that particular day, as were other Hayduke hikers whose anecdotes I read online.
On a technical note, I don't have exact information on if and where you can charge batteries/phone in Colorado City. Halfway Anywhere provides some info on this town, noting that there are electric outlets at some of the tables in Edge of the World Brewery, plus he notes there is laundromat. You may want to check there also.
How about the sitting area by the cafe inside the supermarket? I don't know (the one photo online doesn't outlets on the window side). One online report (2020) says that they found an electric outlet outside the supermarket next to a bench.
But another hiker reported finding electric outlets, in a seating area upstairs I think:
Are there electric outlets at the public park? I don't know. I was using a solar panel in Arizona and Utah, so I didn't need to charge batteries here (a solar panel is still a risky choice, mine eventually died).
But based on anecdotes above it sounds like you can charge your phone and power bank in Colorado City without getting a hotel room or staying at a glamping camp (very expensive in the high season due to proximity to Zion).
No, the RV park does not have tent camping spots.
Colorado City to Springdale/Zion (section is approximately 25 miles, 40km)
Next up after Colorado City is Water Canyon. The trail on the map is not accurate. Water Canyon Trail is not this straight. Put away your phone and find your way up the slick rock, occasionally wet. It winds and even switches back. The Water Canyon Trail turns into a fun scramble. It's easy, and I only ever needed one hand free for balance. There are some good "pull ups" and the need for careful foot placement. And some heights. It’s not for someone who is scared of heights. Towards the top there are multiple routes, some are dead ends. And sand on slick rock complicates things in a few areas (slippery). Can you avoid this area? Yes, look at the map. There is an easier alternate route: the Squirrel Canyon Trail.
You are now on Canaan Mountain. Trails here appear and disappear. The main trail on the top plateau is deep slow sand. This alternates with slick rock. A good wind could erase the sand trails in here. Overall it's a really nice sand and slick rock and pine tree mix. My only complaint is the Zion helicopter tour traffic. Plus, pitching a trekking pole tent in the soft sand is not so easy.
Your only water source is the water in the stream at and below Sawmill Spring. Check out the waypoint for more info.
After Sawmill Spring there is no more trail for a long section. Check out the waypoints for navigation and terrain info.
The descent through the cliffs on the north side of Canaan was not so bad. There was a clear route from the top of the descent. I didn’t have to scramble down. It was just steep and sometimes loose rocks, resulting in a long and rough and brutal downhill. The open terrain from Sawmill Spring to the start of the downhill was easier. But the trail got better and easier the farther down it got.
My hiking time was 15 hours from the Water Canyon Trailhead to the last good camping spot on public land before the private land bordering Zion National Park.
Next up is the town of Springdale. A place with the worst prices for food and accommodation on the entire route. I should have done a full resupply in Colorado City. Or... I should have mailed a resupply box general delivery to Springdale.
It's best to have left Colorado City with fully charged batteries. To top up, you may want to go into one of the many cafes and eateries in Springdale. It won't be cheap, so make sure there are electric outlets by your table before you buy.
You may also want to visit the Springdale town park and the library (right next to each other) to check for electric outlets. Libraries in small town America are usually 99.9% providing electric outlets. I didn’t visit either.
Zion to Kanab (section is approximately 65 miles, 105km)
For Zion National Park, I'll repeat the info from the guide to permits: You can get through Zion in a single day, so no need to camp there. You just need to pay the entrance fee (you will be funneled through a pedestrian entrance where you pay the fee). However, you can, in some years, do an overnight side trip in "The Narrows." This comes highly recommended, but when you are there it may still be closed due to high water. I was in Zion on May 11, 2024, and The Narrows were still closed. On this same date in years past it would be open 7 out of 12 years. So about a 50% chance. Half of the permit quota are held for walk-up visitors. So one day in advance or the morning of you can visit the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk (opens at 8am).
I would suggest being there at 8am, and if no permits are available to start that same day up The Narrows, then see if you can get one for the next day. You will then need to turn around and go back out of Zion to camp on BLM land (unless you have $800 to spend on a hotel room).
The major obstacle in Zion is the car tunnel. Two major landslides have destroyed the only hiking trail to connect the park to its eastern territory (cliffs block you). The landslide destroyed the East Rim Trail just above the Weeping Wall Trailhead (two slides in 2019 and 2023). When will it reopen? Maybe never. Check online if you are reading this in the far future. Hayduke hikers are usually the ones discussing this online. At the moment your only legal choice is to hitchhike through the 1-mile long Mount Carmel Tunnel. Pedestrians are prohibited because it's a narrow tunnel. There is no room to walk through safely. So Haydukers are hitchhiking it. If hitchhiking one mile of the Vazquez-Hudson Route will ruin your experience, know that at the moment there is no alternative that doesn't add a few days through boring terrain.
I stood with my thumb out for 2.5 hours and got passed by maybe 1000 cars before one stopped to pick me up. I was finally picked up by a group of young college guys from California. They told me that they had failed to get a ride hitching the day before, so they rented a car that morning. National Parks are generally terrible for hitchhiking. Foreign tourists and the usual upper middle class tourists from the suburbs rarely stop for hitchhikers. But others have reported getting picked up immediately. Of course, women may have a different experience: get picked up quickly, but with the obvious risks men don't face.
There is another much shorter tunnel if you do the road walk instead of hiking up Clear Creek wash. It had a sign prohibiting pedestrians, but it was short enough to go through quickly.
Note that here are park police here and that they drive up and down the road. They stopped near me when I was hitchhiking (and either ate their dinner or stared at me - I couldn't tell). But the hitch is recommended by the park administration: "obtain a ride through the tunnel, which is often possible by hitchhiking."
After the tunnel you will drop into the dry wash of Clear Creek. There are reports of stagnant water pools that force you to get wet feet, but I assume that's not a problem for you, especially considering you will be walking in the East Fork Virgin River the next day anyways. I did not walk in the wash as I was running out of time and so instead did a speed walk in the road. You can rely on this report for Clear Creek.
It was raining on and off the entire time I was in Zion, and the 2.5 hour hitchhike delay resulted in me having to hike out in the dark to get to a legal camp spot outside the park boundary. So note that there is some unpredictability due to the hitchhiking.
You will have a far easier time exiting Zion after the tunnel (via the Checkerboard Mesa Canyon Trail - an unofficial name) if you have daylight. Also, I wandered around a lot and wasted time in the dark on slick rock and in sand on the south side of the pass above the Checkerboard Mesa Canyon Trail. The final GPS track is a heavily edited route that will keep you on a faint trail for most of the way.
A river walk in the East Fork Virgin River is next. Dropping down to the river involved easy down scrambling over some ledges and down steep trail. This required one hand on the rock and careful moves. Not too hard. The river was flowing high with greenish silty content (12 May 2024). There is no need to filter river water, as there are many good springs on your way upriver.
The flow is fast. Drop anything in the creek you likely won’t see it again. Immediately after entering the river it is over knee height, even with careful route selection. The water is cold, but tolerable. Luckily it doesn't get deeper, as you wouldn’t want to be chest deep for long in this temperature of water.
There is a tough but short cave climb bypass around a waterfall. It's not tough if you have a light bag and some climbing skills or good upper body strength. In 2024 there was a rope with foot loops tie into it to assist in the most difficult part. I didn't investigate the waterfall to see how easy it would be (in high water it's supposedly a bad idea).
After the cave there was a section up to mid-thigh water depth, but the river was not swift when it was that deep.
No directions are needed in this river section aside from the one waterfall obstacle with the cave bypass. Use your own judgement when selecting a route after the gorge widens. You’ll be in the water most of the time. But sometimes you can walk on a sandy grassy bench above the river. A few times there may be the easiest possible bushwhacking, such as pushing small branches out of the way.
There are many side trip listed by people who hike this river. I spent 40 minutes on a side trip up Poverty Canyon. I don't recommended it for thru hikers. In my opinion it would only be worth it if you were doing a 2-3 day trip.
I left the river sooner than planned, as the scenery was getting less interesting and there was an increasing amount of cattle activity (manure, mucking up the shore, etc.).
The next section is unremarkable. Just accept that you will be on a soft sand ATV road that makes for slow progress.
You should definitely take a good amount of water before you leave the river. It took me 8 hours to get from the river to Harris Springs. From Harris Springs you don't need that much water, as you will be at Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park in 2.5-3 hours after an easy walk down a small gulley.
Pink Corral Sand Dunes State Park has a day use fee of "$15 per car." How does this work for pedestrians? Are you a car? Interpret this how you will. I just walked through a back entrance past the campground and into the sand dunes.
Getting a spot to camp at the campground may be tough. I think all the sites are reserved long in advance. But if you can reserve a spot online before leaving Springdale, know that there are expensive sites with electricity, and cheaper sites with no electricity. It's easy to fill up on water at the state park (plus a drink vending machine), but I have no idea about electricity for day visitors. I didn't investigate.
The sand dunes are amazing, but the dunes are filled with ATVs during the day. If you want to cowboy camp in the dunes like I did, look at where the boundaries of the state park are. It's not far to walk outside the park area.
Sand Springs is at the edge of the sand dune farther north. The green metal cattle trough at the back of the corral (northwest) is your goal. The water is not too colored. It looked worse in the trough than in my bottle. Getting at the trough without getting your shoes muddy was a challenge. There are also two dry pipes sticking out the hill, and a hose is flowing to the main trough. Don’t try to detach the hose!!! You’ll definitely not be able to re-attach it and you'll wreck the rancher’s set up.
From Sand Springs I climbed down to Cottonwood Creek as a way to get to the town of Kanab. This was a mistake. The State Trust Land at the bottom is extremely restrictive and is threatening punishment for trespassing. That's the town of Paria trying to protect their water wells from vandals. Then I ran through a gauntlet of bulls. No cows, all slightly aggressive bulls. Then more no trespassing signs through what I thought was a public easement. It may actually be, but best to just not go the same way I did.
I've marked a safe and public route to Highway 89 and then to Kanab along that road. It should be boring and dry (leave Sand Springs with enough water).
Kanab was one of my favorite towns on the entire route. It's big enough to have all the services a hiker would need, but not too big to not be walkable. Accommodation is affordable as it is far away enough from the national parks. Note that good mid-week budget accommodation options in Kanab were still available 3 days before I arrived (May 14), but not the day before I arrived. If you don't want to stay the night, there are plenty of places to charge your batteries and phone.
Kanab has an interesting history as a sort of cowboy Hollywood where there were studios for shooting Western films. The town definitely feels different than other towns in the region.
Kanab to Tropic (section is approximately 85 miles, 140km)
There is not much to say about the area north of Kanab that you can't easily get from the waypoints along the GPS track. I did a lot of exploring to visit springs that turned out to be dry. You'll be taking a more efficient route. Plan your water carries based on the water waypoints I've listed.
After crossing Johnson Canyon Road I dropped down into Johnson Canyon Wash. The wash was mostly dry but recent heavy rains had left some areas still muddy. If it's been dry in the days leading up to when you get here, then the walk in the wash should be drier and easier. If there's been rain, road walk farther north before getting into the wash.
Eventually I started walking by a trickling flow and that got stronger and stronger until it was a small stream. I drank the water. It was fine - maybe just a bit alkaline.
Skutumpah Canyon is more scenic than the lower wash, and you will see plenty of animal signs. The wash and canyon had coyote, dog, black bear, deer and human tracks.
The route eventually leaves the canyon for an easy scramble up onto the hillside where you will eventually walk by a spring.
Once you join Skutumpah Road you will be experiencing a lowlight. It's a big, hot, boring dusty gravel road. I was passed by about 30 cars on a 10km stretch. Near the Deer Springs Ranch area it does get more scenic.
Deer Springs Ranch is not a regular working ranch, nor is it a regular tourist guest ranch. Rather, it is both of those plus it has sold off many lots for people to build houses - with limited infrastructure. There is sort of an owner's association governing the area and they are friendly to tourists. One of the homeowners assured me that I could walk on every road in the area, even the small side roads as long as they are not someone's driveway. He also said it's definitely OK to walk up to the main ranch facilities and get water. There is a manager there year round. Deer Springs Ranch website 1 and Deer Springs Ranch website 2.
They do rent cabins, but they are primitive and there is no electricity.
From the solar powered well waypoint through Bryce Canyon National park you will have regular water refill spots. Use the GPX waypoints to plan your water carries.
The homeowner I chatted with said my route to connect to Bryce Canyon was perfectly fine. He was also the first person I met who knew what the Hayduke Trail was. He stopped to chat from his truck and asked if I needed anything.
Bryce Canyon requires backcountry camping permits which you can only get online well in advance or in person (at the wrong side of the park for you). And you can only camp in the backcountry here if you have a bear-proof canister. But you can jump out of the park quite easily to camp legally in the national forest. The GPS track and waypoints show that clearly.
The Under the Rim Trail was deserted. And the trail is a backcountry trail, not like a regular national park trail. There is blowdown, overgrown brush, flood damage that is not repaired, etc. There were very few people, almost only the people with the few camp spots. But of course at the core of Bryce Canyon there are hordes of people.
Once you leave the backcountry there are two main campgrounds at Bryce Canyon with some limited availability of walk-up spots: "First-come, first-served campsite availability is hard to predict, but we generally recommend arriving before noon (if possible), and making your campsite your first priority when you arrive."
These campgrounds have no electricity - usually a deal breaker for thru hikers. But the good news is that just downhill in the town of Tropic there is an RV park and campground with electricity, hot showers, a laundromat and vicinity to affordable stores (by the standard of towns right next to national parks).
In Tropic, Clarke’s Country Market has decent grocery selection and fair prices for a small town. Far better prices than Springdale.
The Stage Stop Station convenience store inside the Sinclair gas station has good snacks and drinks selection, plus a good breakfast and fast food grill. The sitting area inside has WIFI and electric outlets, and a sitting area outside as well. For the price of coffee you get WIFI and electricity. Breakfast burritos in the morning are a good deal. Very friendly people work here and I felt welcome.
“Bryce Village RV Park” on Google Maps (Bryce Pioneer Village) has $30 tents spots. These are flat grassy areas with picnic tables. They have free showers and free coffee. Discount that from the price. The free WIFI worked in the tent area. Electric outlets are inside and outside the restrooms (maybe also in the laundromat). Check in at Bryce Pioneer Village, the cabin and hotel check-in office (same owners) just south of the Sinclair gas station. To be safe, reserve online ahead of time.
There are other accommodation options in town for those on a higher budget. But nothing cheap as cheap as Kanab.
Tropic to Hole-in-the-Rock (section is approximately 110 miles, 180km)
In Tropic you need to think about how you want to do the section or sections between Tropic and Torrey. It took me 12 days from Tropic to Torrey, and I did a single food carry for that entire section and had no chance to recharge batteries. However, I did some unnecessary or unfruitful exploring, and I left the route to get water (you won't need to with my water info). I think I could do the same route in 10 days with the information I have now. The very fastest thru hikers could do it in 8 days. But still that is not guaranteed, as there is some terrain that some fast hikers may still go slow in. Not every fast hiker is a fast scrambler or good in difficult open terrain. So, I can't make an accurate prediction for you.
There is an option to break this long section into two sections. I just didn't do that because I was attempting to get from Mexico to Canada without ever hitchhiking to a town for resupply (I eventually gave up in the Wind River Range and accepted a ride to Lander, Wyoming). But for people who don't have a similar set of restrictive thru hiking rules, there is the option to hitchhike north to the town of Escalante from Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Is it a good place to hitchhike? Nope. It's going to take a while. You reach Hole-in-the-Rock Road right at the Hurricane Wash Trailhead. This is the access point for reaching Coyote Gulch. It's popular for an isolated area, and there were 8 cars in the trailhead parking lot. Also, when I was in the area getting water and taking a break, a few cars from the south drove by. South of here there are some more backcountry tourist attractions. But it's a dirt road and too rough for most cars, so traffic is limited. I complained earlier about tourists at national parks rarely picking up hitchhikers, but in this isolated BLM area the people driving by are the type of outdoors people (multi-day hikers, canyoneers, backcountry campers) who will be far more likely to pick you up.
This is a hitchhike point on the Hayduke Trail, so you can find hitchhiking anecdotes:
Jupiter Hikes (2024) waited one hour before getting a ride, but he noted that he read an old story of someone who waited 21 hours to get a ride: Youtube link. Coyote Gulch and this area is now far more popular, so it’s doubtful anyone will have a 21 hour wait unless, like Jupiter notes, there is heavy rain and drivers are avoiding this road.
Buck 30 (2013) gives timing advice: "A tip on hitching Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Hitch to town (Escalante) in the afternoon and back to trail in the morning. I walked Hole-in-the-Rock Road for 10 miles in the morning and about 10 cars were going to Hole-in-the-Rock and only 1 car was going towards town."
Endless Summer 2019: "We were 40 miles out on the dirt road from the town of Escalante with very little traffic so we started walking. After an hour Hazer drove by and picked us up. He’s been interning for the GSENM and was out this way cleaning some remote public bathrooms."
Hannah Green (2020) got offered a ride by canyoneers while still on the trail.
TrailScot walked Hole-in-the-Rock road and, similar to my experiences elsewhere, had three cars stop even though he didn't have his thumb out: "In April 2022, I hiked from Hurricane Wash to the end of the Hole-in-the-Rock, as part of a thru-hike. I wasn't looking to hitch a ride on that occasion, but during my day of walking, 3 vehicles stopped to ask if I was ok, or if I needed water, which was very kind of them. My feeling is that you should be able to get a ride without too much difficulty along the road, although there probably won't be too many cars. Later in the afternoon may be best, if folks are heading back towards Escalante, after a day-trip in the area."
Halfway Anywhere (2024) wrote “There should be traffic on the road but don’t expect a parade of cars. I waited over an hour in a brutal sandblasting windstorm for the first one (which gave me a ride). You can probably expect more traffic on weekends as the only thing down Hole-in-the-Rock Road is trailheads.”
I did not go to Escalante, but Halfway Anyway has outlined your resupply and accommodation options there.
In Escalante, there are tent sites here and here. These are RV parks full of amenities, so you should be able to charge your batteries..There is also a cheaper option.
How many days’ worth of food do you need? Probably 6 days to get you from Hurricane Wash Trailhead to the town of Torrey.
Back to Tropic and trail instructions starting there. So, how many days from Tropic to the beginning of the hitchhike to Escalante? 5-6 days.
Before leaving Tropic you need to stock up on water. You need enough water to make it to Kodachrome Basin State Park where there are several places you can get drinking water. Thinking about camping here? There are a small number of daily walk-up sites available first come, first serve. But by the time you get to Kodachrome these will likely be taken long ago. Luckily, camping on BLM land before or after the park boundary is easy.
There is a road walk out of Tropic with really nice mixed farm and nature scenery. After Cannonville there are even better views. At first you can walk on parallel ATV tracks, but eventually you will be on a road without much room to walk on the shoulder. Utah trucks make room and swing wide, but California plates on mid-size SUVs seem to be trying to hit you with their side view mirrors. They are either city/suburban people who are clueless, or these are rental cars from an airport driven by foreign tourists who are also clueless. To be safe I would walk down into the grass and dirt when a car was nearing.
The tiny town of Cannonville has nothing. The local convenience store seemed like it was permanently closed when I visited in 2024. Getting water here is risky, as the BLM visitor's center sometimes locks and turns off their water. The only other options would be begging from the locals for water. So carry enough to get to Kodachrome if you want to be safe.
In Cannonville you need to stop at the BLM's Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument Visitors Center to fill out a free permit. The center is closed Monday and Tuesday. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 830am to 4pm (as of 2024). When closed, the toilets are locked and the water fountain turned off. Permits and pens are left outside for you to fill out (you deposit one copy and keep one for yourself). You will need to provide your entrance (Cannonville) and your exit (Coyote Gulch) and a number of days. 7 is a good safe number.
The trails in Kodachrome Basin State Park are really nice and easy, but I saw zero people on the trails (it was a warm day). Kodachrome campground drinking water out of the spigot is clear and colorless, but has a lot of "floaties." Big ones. Looks like brown clumps of… algae? Or whatever. Maybe I should have run the tap longer? Not sure. They must test it though, right? If it's the same for you, then I would suggest a pre-filter. You need to take lots of water with you. From here to the next guaranteed water source (the solar well south of Grosvenor Arch) is 10 hiking hours, and an overnight camp will require even more water. I left fully hydrated and with 3 liters of water. I arrived at the solar well near Grosvenor Arch with no water remaining and thirsty, but not in danger. Note that I lost two hours after failing to get past the obstacle in Round Valley Draw.
In future years there may be a new water source in between Kodachrome and the solar well. More info below.
Off the main route is the Kodachrome visitor's center. As of 2024 they sell hot dogs, sandwich wraps, nachos, coffee and tea, and ice cream, plus cold drinks.
Like Pink Coral Sand Dunes, this park has a day use fee "per vehicle." I'm not a vehicle so I just walked through. My route does not go by the entrance where you pay the car fee.
There’s not much to say about the route after Kodachrome. Just follow the GPS track on the dirt road and then drop down into a dry wash to make a shortcut towards Hackberry Creek canyon.
The first serious (optional) obstacle is in Round Valley Draw slot canyon. It’s a climb up a dry waterfall that is probably too sketchy. Climber or boulderer with day bag? No problem. Everyone else should reconsider. There are multiple obstacles that get increasingly difficult. Heavy bag? No. Solo? No. No climbing experience? No. No cord to pull up your backpack? No. Can’t heave bag over your head height easily? No. I would do the obstacle with a light bag and with a friend and some cord, but not solo. A fall will break something that can’t be fixed, and your emergency satellite beacon won’t work here.
Jupiter and Sprocket (2024) went down the opposite direction and made it through with some difficulty. His advice about changing conditions due to floods moving rocks is worth considering. You can watch his video, but know that the camera does not accurately capture height and steepness. It's always worse in person: Youtube. At 5:35 is the obstacle I turned back from.
The slot canyon is really cool, so maybe go up as far as the second obstacle (an over the head high boulder wedged in the slot). It has/had a tree trunk to assist in the climb, but water may move it. The first obstacle is a wedged boulder that you can easily get past with some hand work scrambling over.
My GPS track is a safe and boring bypass of this obstacle.
Above the Round Valley Draw Trailhead you will see "Ley Draw Spring" marked on the map. On 22 May 2024 there was a cattle tank here with a shallow mix of mud, algae, sludge and dying tadpoles. Getting water was impossible. However, there is ongoing construction here. There is a large storage tank that was delivered to the site, and a new electric pump was installed underground (I assume to be attached to a solar panel in the future). I expect this location to be a functioning solar pump well for the cattle in the future. The marker uphill for Ley Draw Spring is the source of the water, but it is covered and diverted. You can't access the water there.
But... it's not guaranteed until someone visits here and sees a functioning cattle water tank.
The next guaranteed water source is the solar well south of Grosvenor Arch. Enter the fenced-in area to get water from behind the fence surrounding the solar panel and pump. Open the gate on northwest corner. This tank has floaties on top, but they are easily avoided. There is clear water. The two cow tanks nearby have a yellow tint. This is obviously the most important cattle watering spot in the area, and many cows were visiting here late in the day.
But if you are reading this many years from 2024, do some research. Elsewhere you can find many abandoned cattle tanks and wells. Ranchers may abandon a well for many reasons: financial, environmental or the last rancher interested in that area passes away.
After Grosvenor Arch the next source of water is "Fourmile Water." This is where a stream emerges from a dry creek bed. If you skip this, the next source is the on and off flowing stream in the unnamed gorge that eventually joins Paradise Canyon, starting from the Kaibito Seep. I recommend going farther below Kaibito Seep as the water gets better and deeper. Is it alkaline? Yes. You can see the white alkaline residue next to the stream. But it's fine. I drank lots and so have many Hayduke hikers who have come through here.
As for my diversion through Drip Tank Canyon, I enjoyed it and would do it again. But others may disagree that it is worth the extra elevation and distance.
There are no obstacles in Paradise Canyon, Last Chance Creek, or Reese Canyon. You can make quick progress in this area.
Paradise Canyon eventually joins Last Chance Creek. This really is your "last chance for water." About one mile before the route abruptly turns north up Reese Canyon is the last chance for water (observed 25 May 2024). See the GPS waypoints on the map.
How much water should you take? It depends on whether you take the traditional Hayduke route up Rogers Canyon and Monday Canyon, or if you take the route I recommend: Jamal Green's 2023 Mudholes Ridge Route. It's a great improvement over Rogers and Canyon and Monday Canyon. There is a roughly drawn copy of his route (which is now a GPS track on my map). More info.
However, there is no water on The Mudholes Ridge Route, versus the (magnesium sulfate) water in Rogers Canyon and the two pothole water locations in Monday Canyon. The experiences that Hayduke hikers have with the magnesium sulfate water varies. It tastes terrible. And you may get diarrhea for a couple of days. It's a strong laxative. But others fared better. They said it wasn't that bad to drink and they didn't suffer any side effects. For me it was the worst-tasing water I’ve had in my entire life and it was, for me, a multi-day laxative.
However, aside from the bad water, Rogers and Monday are very slow and difficult terrain. Rogers Canyon is by far the worst section of this entire route, and my least favor section of the entire route. At the time in my trail notes I wrote "Worst place on earth/Utah." It's non-stop boulder obstacles, magnesium sulfate mud, cow manure, bushwhacking, steep gravel slopes, and brush that left my legs bloody. Also, my socks were filled with tiny burrs, thorns, splinters, etc. If you want a second opinion, look up Hayduke Trail reports for Monday Canyon and Rogers canyon, but note that they do it the opposite direction downhill.
But if I had to do it again, I would leave Last Chance Creek with 6 liters of water (more if you are heavier than my 150lbs at the time, or if you will be camping overnight on the route) and I would take the Mudholes Ridge Route instead of Rogers and Monday
Rogers and Monday should never have been part of the Hayduke. But the two guys who pioneered the original route couldn't have gotten it perfect in every area. I knew it was a bad idea when I met a real local on top of the mountain who laughed when I said I came up Monday Canyon - "Monday?! Why not up Mudhole?" was his immediate response. After my trip I saw that Jamal Green had added his 2023 trip report. So now I know.
As for the local hiker, he enthusiastically gave me an amazing set of local information based on 30 years of hiking in the area (in blue jeans, full grain leather work boots and a cotton t-shirt). He was the opposite of the "gatekeeper" hikers who Halfway Anywhere noted while researching for his 2024 Hayduke trip. There are a small minority who use information from the original guidebook and the subsequent hikers who share trip reports and water information, but then refuse to share even just the water reports because they believe others shouldn't do the route. I've even seen one incident where a hiker told people to remove his trip reports and GPXs that they reposted. Removing or refusing to share information on water is… lame.
So, back to the route description: the flat top mountain ridge (Fiftymile Mountain) is high enough to be significantly cooler. You will also have good spring to get water from. For me, Pocket Hollow Spring and its cattle bucket was the best.
The area is full of cattle tracks and some cows will be encountered. My route goes over open terrain (mostly sage brush and pines trees) towards Window Wind Arch before joining the trail that descends to the Hurricane Wash Trailhead. This is where you can hitchhike to Escalante for a resupply (as detailed above). If you need to stay the night here, there is a good water source near the trailhead: Willow Tank.
Hole-in-the-Rock to Torrey (section is approximately 125 miles, 200km)
I assume nobody will repeat my very long trip that skipped a resupply in Escalante. So, after a break in Escalante and getting a ride back to the Hurricane Wash Trailhead (note: it's not pronounced like the storm, but rather "Her-ah-kun") you are about to go through one of my favorite sections of the route. This is lower Hurricane Wash, Coyote Gulch, the Escalante River, Stevens Canyon and then the descent down the slick rock slopes of Waterpocket Fold.
For these sections, the detours and bypasses around obstacles are listed in GPX waypoints. Refer to them. If you've gotten this far on the route, there is no obstacle that you can't easily bypass or go straight through.
First, fill out your free permit form for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. At the Hurricane Wash Trailhead there is a trail registry and some free permits you can fill out for yourself. Give your entrance (Hurricane Wash) and your exit (Halls Creek, Capitol Reef National Park).
Don't bother trying to keep your feet dry. In Coyote Gulch you have to be in the water, then again in the Escalante River.
For Stevens Canyon, refer to my GPS track and waypoints for the obstacles. Note that some people have placed rock cairns that will take you the wrong way. Don’t trust every rock cairn, but trust some. That rule generally applies everywhere.
After descending the Waterpocket Fold you arrive at Halls Creek. This is a low and exposed area. It was hot and miserable. There were very aggressive deer flies biting my legs here when I was close to the creek. I was saved by my permethrin-treated pants, but I would have preferred to be in shorts. But I had no insect repellent.
You can strictly follow my GPS track up Halls Creek, or choose your own route. Every route has some bushwhacking through the side creeks or along the main creek. Note that many side streams have been unofficially named by canyoneers. These are unofficial and may be removed from OSM map data in the future.
You will eventually enter Capitol Reef National Park. There is a free permit for camping in the backcountry. However, getting it in person is not possible for you as you start your trip far away from the visitor center. Luckily they are accommodating to Hayduke Trail hikers. That's you. Send them your itinerary and date estimates and they will help you out over email. Scroll down this page to the info for Hayduke Hikers: You should probably do this well in advance - as soon as you can provide an accurate start date.
The best instructions for this are at Halfway Anywhere. He notes: "I received an email requesting the following information: name, address, communication device type (cell/satellite/personal locator device) and contact number, estimated start date (within the park boundary), estimated finish date (within the park boundary), location of entry, location of exit, number of people in your group, approximate camping location(s) and number of nights, and method of travel." So you could avoid the back-and-forth by providing all that info in your first email. I would do this in either Tropic or Escalante. But you occasionally have a signal on a ridge top or high point.
Your entrance to Capitol Reef is "lower Halls Creek," and your exit is the boundary right after the Cedar Mesa Campground. This is about a 2-day hike. So to be safe give your approximate camping location as Halls Creek just before or after the Muley Twist Canyon. Anecdotes online suggest that rangers here are not very strict and just want you to have some sort of permit and are not too bothered if you get the dates and locations wrong. Plenty of Hayduke hikers come through here and they never know their exact timing.
You can avoid the permit by doing a very, very long day. Otherwise, on the map it looks like you can easily jump outside the national park boundary to the east. But you can't. Cliffs block you.
You will re-enter the national park at Pleasant Creek. They also allow backcountry camping here. Add this to your camping request as you may need it depending on your timing. I didn't as camping just outside the boundary worked with my timing.
Back to the trail... The first obstacle is a brief section of chest deep water in Halls Creek Narrows. You may want to have your clothing, electronic and toiletries in a plastic bag or bag liner. Also note that there is ongoing monitoring of toxic cyanobacteria in the Halls Creek Narrows. It can’t be filtered or treated chemically easily, and you don't want to swim in it either. Levels are currently below the threshold for a warning. Check this page for an update before your start this section.
Apparently a filter followed by chlorine tablets works.
Or avoid this section by doing the dry boring bypass on the map.
The first place on this section you need to worry about drinking water is after Lower Muley Twist Canyon. You may want to go back south on the alternate route I've listed and fill up on water at Cottonwood Tanks. This is the most reliable water source according to numerous online anecdotes.
After this is a long road walk until the turn off to Pleasant Creek. I enjoyed the road walk before Cedar Mesa Campground, but not after that. Note that the campground is primitive and there is no water or electricity.
The gorge in Pleasant Creek is easy, but you need to get your feet wet. The creek was clear enough to easily filter when I was there.
In 2024 I was greeted by road construction after exiting Pleasant Creek. Before this construction started there was 8 miles of paved road. I'm not sure if this will be expanded. Either way, I'm not sure how annoying traffic will be and if you'll always have space to safely walk.
You'll also see the Capitol Reef Field Station just off the road here. There's nothing here for you. It's for researchers and university groups.
Do you have extra time and food to spare? You can do side trip down Capitol Gorge or the Grand Wash.
At the end/start of this road is the Capitol Reef visitor's center and there is water here and just before. There is no WIFI or electricity.
Don't even think about the Fruita Campground. They give out 100% of the camp sites months in advance. None are held for walk-up on the day-of.
After the visitor's center you need to get out of the park to camp legally. The closest place is BLM land just east of the town of Torrey. I've marked that on the map. You can also road walk if you are short on time.
Torrey is a very small, but it has what you need. The grocery store is expensive, second only to Springdale so far. The hotels and motels will also be expensive as this is right next to a national park. But in 2024 the Sand Creek RV Park had some good tent spots with electric outlets for each tent spot. Plus hot showers, drinking water and WIFI.
I did not visit Torrey's town park, so I'm not sure what you'll find there.
Torrey to Salina (section is approximately 70 miles, 115km)
Too hot? Good news - you'll be going north and into the mountains. You'll soon be in snow unless it was a low snowfall winter. If you are a person who switches gear and clothing on trail, then know that Torrey is probably not the place for that. They don't have a full-service post office. For a good place to mail and send packages at a post office, I suggest the town of Salina, 2-3 days north on the route. You just need to time your trip through the high pass in Fishlake National Forest if you have clothing and a sleeping bag inappropriate for night camping in the cold.
After Torrey you will be in car, camper/caravan and RV camping country. The culture is fishing and ATVs. You'll only rarely see another hiker or a mountain biker.
At the edge of town you quickly enter Fishlake National Forest. Water sources and legal camping are now something you don't need to think about very much. You will soon be on a section of the Great Western Trail. An online search for information will yield you mostly references to the popular board game with the same name, and warnings that the GWT is mostly a motorized route and not appropriate for a thru hike.
At about 10,500 feet elevation there were some small snow patches in the shadows.
You eventually need to go on Highway 72 for a couple of miles. There is low traffic and plenty of room to walk on the side. This is followed by a turn onto Fremont River Road. There was very low traffic on this asphalt road. Note that I encountered some mosquitoes here. These mosquitoes and the ones waiting in the next few mountain section in Utah is good enough reason to get insect repellent of you don't already have it. For me my permethrin treated sun hoody was sufficient.
On 5 June 2024 I walked over Niotche-Lost Creek Divide pass (10,506 feet). The road here is a very well built asphalt road, but it was still closed for snow. I walked on some long snow patches, but it was very firm and made for an easy passage with dry feet. There was active snow clearing and it looked like the road was getting opened in the next couple of days. So at a certain point there was zero traffic on both side of the pass.
Of note is how high quality this road is. It is unreasonably overbuilt and extra high quality, despite there being very easy low roads that make this road unnecessary. Why does it exist? Google "pork barrel politics" for an answer. I enjoyed walking on a strange deserted highway with no traffic, but you may start looking at the map for trails and small dirt roads in the surrounding forest. Unfortunately, it's too early in the season. Alternate routes on the US Forest Service map are under snow, muddy, may no longer exist and be bushwhacking.
After the pass the walk is uneventful, all you have to do is make sure to take enough at the last water source to get to the town of Salina.
Salina is a nice small town that is firmly outside of the national park zone of northern Arizona and southern Utah. So food and accommodation is now noticeably cheaper. There are very affordable motels here, but I still chose a campground: Butch Cassidy RV Park & Campground. There are cheap tent spots on grass with picnic tables and water nearby. In 2014 it was only $14 per night, but... WIFI is only in the office area, there are no electric outlets at the campsite (there are outlets in the restrooms, laundromat and office), and the tents are close to a busy road.
Note that Salina is not pronounced like the Latina name, but rather Suh-lie-nuh. Pronounce it "lie" as in don't tell a lie.
Salina to Scofield (section is approximately 115 miles, 190km)
When leaving Salina, you need to either be carrying 3-days’ worth of food for a 2.5 day walk if you want to detour off trail to resupply at the grocery store in the town of Ferron, or a 5-6 day food carry to get to the tiny village of Scofield - which is basically a convenience store resupply. In Scofield you can buy: potato chips, corn chips, jerky, ramen, peanut butter, cookies, crackers, snacks, burger, beer, other stuff.
From Salina you need to go north to the village of Mayfield (no services) before going east up into the mountains. I made the mistake of going up the mountain via Willow Creek just north of Salina. This resulted in too much time and distance between 10,000 and 11,000 feet elevation. This included a steep slope that was totally snowed in. It was a big dangerous drop that had no safe route in the area. So the route now on the map is the safe route for this time of year (early to mid-June).
You may also see a north-south ridge-top road labelled "Skyline Drive." It's a popular ATV/jeep road with nice views. But there is just too much snow in mid-June - and mud where there isn't snow. Plus there were some sketchy storms in the area at the time. I think this general rule may work: If, when coming over Niotche-Lost Creek Divide south of Salina, there was snow either on the road, plowed onto the side of the road, or big patches of snow in the area, then Skyline Drive will be snowed in. If you see no snow, or just the tiniest patch hiding in a shadow, then Skyline Drive is probably walkable. But that doesn't mean it won't be muddy. I met two forest service employees who work in the area and they said that they think Skyline Drive in 2024 should be avoided until the first week of July that year based on conditions.
You can check snow levels for the region online. Skyline Drive was still under snow in mid-July in 2023 after a record snowfall winter, but a low winter snowfall may result in the Skyline Drive being open to you earlier. However... there is something called the Reeder Canyon Snowdrift that may be a very unpleasant obstacle, even on foot with snow experience.
Regarding mosquitoes, all these mountains are wet right now (mid-June 2024) with puddles, ponds, streams, lakes and reservoirs. There are some mosquitoes out. But you don’t notice when you are moving.
For water, since I did not go through Mayfield, I don't know if there is drinking water in the town park there. But going uphill along Twelvemile Creek you should have plenty of access to water, I'm just not sure how clear the water in the lower creek will be. Father uphill there will be water everywhere.
The high point after Mayfield is the pass you need to go through: Twelvemile Flats. Here there is the Twelve Mile Flat campgrounds. In mid-June it will be wet and cold here. I would immediately go down from here to camp at a lower, less windy and drier locations. I've marked option with waypoints.
You can now see two options with the GPS tracks: the route that stays in the mountains and the detour to resupply in the town of Ferron.
Ferron has a grocery store and a dollar store, as well as a great hamburger counter. Ferron would make by top small towns list, but there is no campground in town, and there is only one hotel. What it does have going for it is the fact that it's very walkable once you finally get here, and the public park has water, picnic tables, electric outlets and public WIFI under a pavilion roof. The locals recognized me as being a non-local and started friendly chats with me. Walking into Ferron (without sticking out my thumb) a driver stopped and asked if I needed a ride into town, and offered his number if I needed a ride back out of town later in the day. When I left town a truck stopped (again, without my thumb out) and I was offered a ride all the way back to the trailhead I came from.
You can see the alternate route that comes down at the reservoir. I did not do this route, but reviewers online on Alltrails say it's a rough hike that has a vague trail at times (and with some open terrain sections). But the trail ("Dry Wash Trail") is in a gorge and you can't get lost. At the reservoir you can hitchhike into town or just walk. There is not a lot of traffic, but this area feels like the type of place where you'll easily get a ride.
At the reservoir is Millsite Campground and State Park. It's $25-30 with electricity, drinking water and showers. But you need to reserve 3-4 days ahead (in early June). A few day-of walk-up sites are held, but those usually go fast. Probably no chance on weekends. Note that there is a day use fee to walk in here to the state park. Go farther up the road to access the reservoir for free.
If you stay on the main route and you also want to go to Ferron, you'll be walking to Ferron or hitchhiking from the Black Dragon Trailhead. There is definitely traffic up here, but I would guess the cars going down to Ferron are mostly in the later part of the day.
From the Black Dragon Trailhead you will need enough water to get the 5-6 hours to the next guaranteed water source: Joes Valley Reservoir. From Joes Valley is will be a 10-12 hours walk to Miller Flat Reservoir.
In the Miller Flats were the first mosquito and gnat swarms (12 June 2024) that required repellent and a head net. Miller Flat Reservoir is surrounded by private property. What is restricted is clearly signed (side roads and driveways). Otherwise camping is clearly allowed in areas with no signage. Plenty of people camping here.
Next is the "Left Fork Huntington Canyon National Recreation Trail." I really like this trail, minus the burned section in the middle. At the bottom of the trail is a small campground, but there is no chance to get a spot here (it's reserved far in advance).
To plan your timing, it took me 9 hours to get from the top of the Left Fork Huntington Canyon National Recreation Trail to the Sawmill Canyon Trailhead. Fast hikers who don't take many breaks could do this in a few as 7 hours.
Sawmill Canyon was the only place that looks really good with fire damage. It's black standing dead trees and grasslands.
From the Sawmill Canyon Trailhead to the tiny town of Scofield should take about 6 hours.
Into and out of Scofield you will see many "no trespassing" signs. These are not targeted at you, but rather against hunters and anglers and car campers and ATV unloaders. It does not equal any unfriendliness. Also, most are put up by the "absentee landowner" coal mine company.
KJ's Catch and Snack in Scofield should be your first stop. It's a gas station convenience store and they own the campground and RV park across the street: the Lazy Anchor Campground. I told them I don't have a car, so I was given a random grass spot as it’s mostly just gravel trailer spots in the campground. They have a laundromat, hot showers, restrooms, drinking water, electric outlets on the wall of the laundromat and restroom building, plus in the men’s room. Also outlets can be found in unoccupied trailer spots nearby. WIFI is only available by the convenience store. It's usually $26 for a spot with electricity. Not sure what you’ll get for a price. Note that coal trucks go by all night. All night.
KJ’s Catch N Snack has a full range of chips, Doritos and beef jerky. Plus, small bags of nuts, cliff bars, candy bars, chocolate bars, but just plain pasta and some tinned meat. There is popcorn and a microwave. Plus peanut butter, crackers, and slim ramen choices. Aside from this it's mostly canned food that requires a can opener. They sell burgers, beer and microwave snack food like burritos and hot pockets. No prices posted, as per Utah tradition, but the prices are not absurd, just priced for an isolated gas station.
There is no post office in Scofield.
You should probably check out Google Maps reviews and listing to make sure that the convenience store and campground is still operating. There is no alternative in the area.
Scofield to Daniels Summit (section is approximately 70 miles, 115km)
When leaving Scofield you need enough food to get to the Daniels Summit. There is a convenience store at Daniels Summit, or a hitchhike into Heber City to resupply. From Scofield to Daniels Summit took me 3 full days of hiking.
Outside of Scofield you will go up the Fish Creek National Recreation Trail. It's quite nice, with lots of animals in the area (fish, moose, deer, elk, beavers, marmots, etc.). The middle sections get a little rough when going through brush near the creek and vague when walking through open grass sections, but it doesn't slow you down too much. It will take 6-7 hours to get to the road at the top. Camping is permitted at the top trailhead. Camping is also available along the top of the ridge, but with wind and storm exposure.
The next notable destination is the Tie Fork Rest Area - a highway rest stop. You can get drinking water here and it's a nice place to hang out for a break. Click/tap the waypoint to see a full description. Is this a possible hitchhiking spot? I don't think it's a good option, as the highway is basically as busy and fast as a freeway. Nobody can stop safely.
After Tie Fork Rest Area you go up roads that turn into narrow ATV tracks and then into a single track trail ("Upper Tie Fork Trail") that is part of the Great Western Trail. Soon you will again be back on dirt road and ATV tracks of varying widths and quality. This area is relatively deserted compared to the Skyline Drive area you were just in. This is probably because it's too rough and narrow for trailers and big trucks.
You'll soon have a view of the Strawberry Reservoir to the east, and the snowy and steep Wasatch mountain range to the northwest. This makes for great views, often at same time on the ridge. You'll also have regular cell phone reception.
Strawberry Ridge had numerous snow drifts on the highest part of the ridge (mid-June 2024). These were all firm compact snow, not more than 100 meters. They were easy to walk on, with no postholing.
Looking at the GPS track you will see a shortcut to the Daniels Summit Lodge, restaurant and convenience store. I stayed high on a longer route as that was the area with the most interesting views and terrain. But I've still include a GPS track of the shortcut.
Can you continue on this ridge to Heber City? No. I tried. The private property closer to Heber City does not have a public easement.
Once at Daniels Summit you need to decide whether to do a convenience store resupply at the convenience store ("Lodge General Store") or to hitchhike into Heber City. I walked into Heber City on the highway after being blocked by private property on the ridge, but I don't recommend the road walk unless you were trying to do a foot-only journey like I was. As for hitchhiking, the highway is fast, but perhaps standing on the road just north of the turn to the Daniels Summit Lodge gives cars time to slow down (and to maybe get a ride from someone turning out from the gas station and store area). I have no idea how successful you will be in getting a ride quickly. This is not like a town near the CDT or PCT where the occasional person knows about thru hikers.
I assume most everyone will want to go into Heber City to recharge batteries and resupply (unless you have enough $$$ for the Daniels Summit Lodge). Check Google Maps for the range of motels in Heber City. I stayed at a tent site at an RV park, and I regretted not splurging on a motel room (due to distance from services, distance from electric outlets and general atmosphere at the RV park).
If you don't want to pay for accommodation, but you still need to charge batteries, your options are the public park and the excellent public library. The library is big and has restrooms, drinking water, WIFI, many electric outlets next to comfortable chairs, and super friendly staff. There was a British bikepacker here at the same time and he was even grubbier and dustier than me, but we were both treated very well by the staff.
There is no need to do a mail resupply for food here, as this will be one of your cheapest resupplies with the best selection (between the Walmart, the dollar store and the biggest supermarket).
Note that there are regular express buses from Heber City to Salt Lake City. Search online for the most up to date times and prices.
For hitchhiking back out to Daniels Summit, you may want to walk to the outskirts to increase your chance of a pick-up.
How much food you get in Heber City depends on your resupply strategy between here and the town of Manila on the Utah-Wyoming state line. From Daniels Summit to the trailhead where nearby you can hitchhike to the town of Roosevelt is about 130 miles (210km). None of these miles are in any sort of extremely rough terrain, but you may want to check out the elevation up and downs. At my speed in this terrain it is 7 full days of hiking. The faster thru hikers should be able to do this in 6.
You can reduce this long food carry by doing the alternate route to resupply in the tiny town Kamas. But this only makes your food carry shorter by one day. I personally don't feel the extra trouble is worth it.
Daniels Summit to Uinta River (section is approximately 130 miles, 210km)
This is the first of two Uinta Mountains sections.
Going north from Daniels Summit is easy terrain and regular water sources. But mid elevations near any place wet has mosquitoes (21 June 2024). It's fine if you are walking on the road, not if you walk into the forest for water or take a toilet stop or whatever.
The national forest east of Heber City is very busy compared to Fishlake and Manti La Sal National Forests south of Heber City. It's hard to find roadside campsites that aren't occupied. Between Daniels Summit Lodge and the start of the Uinta Highline Trail is an area very popular with RV, trailer/caravan and other campers. Expect many of the spots I list to be occupied (80% occupied in mid-June). And wild camping is not so good as it’s either steep, rocky, wet or very rough thanks to the ground squirrel digging.
When you join Mirror Lake Highway (Highway 150) there will be a "cultural switch." Since leaving Torrey you've been in areas where tourists in the backcountry and on the dirt roads are driving trucks and ATVs, in RVs or towing a trailer/caravan. They like fishing, hunting, motor boating and target shooting. Mirror Lake Highway is where you start to see more people from the city and suburbs in cars and SUVs. They like tent camping, day hiking, sightseeing, mountain biking, kayaking and paddle boarding, etc...
At the junction with Mirror Lake Highway you will see a self-serve fee station for “Mirror Lake Area.” A 3 day pass costs $10. But the “fee is per vehicle” and is to be displayed in parked cars. So you can ignore this as a car fee.
After getting off Mirror Lake Highway the forest changes from spruce and aspen to a pine forest and you'll finally get views of mountain peaks to north, giving you an idea of what snow levels you'll encounter at a similar elevation in the Uinta Mountains.
When you get to the Mirror Lake Trailhead you are finally back on a hiking trail. The Mirror Lake Trail soon joins the Uinta Highline Trail. You are now free to do any sort of variation on the popular Uinta Highline that you want. There is quite a bit of information online about this trail and its variations. But...it's very early in the season for this trail. August and early September are the best time to be here.
The challenges of being on the Uinta Highline this early in the season are: wet meadows, high stream and creek crossings, and snow in the passes. You can do research online to compare years. There are several places where you can see the current snow coverage on updated satellite imagery - as of 2024 on clunky confusing websites. It's best you do this by Heber City at the latest.
First up is Rocky Sea Pass. There was a big patch of snow and a steep cornice blocking the trail on the east side of the pass (24 June 2024). But there was space to the south to walk around on dry, safe ground. You can following secondary paths of the many people who have done the same. I would guess that two weeks early this area would have been impassable and way too dangerous. This of course can vary according to winter snow levels.
What you need to know before thinking about a variation on my route is that you can't safely do Dead Horse Pass - usually not until August (or mid-July in a low snow year). The north side has way more snow than the south side where you have a vantage point, and it is a very steep slope with cliffs. So having an ice ax and mountaineering crampons do not eliminate the risk, they only reduce it.
Note: somebody got through Dead Horse pass about one week after I was in the area. They were able to find an obvious alternate route around the dangerous steep snow. If you want to give it a try, there is no harm in walking up the pass to take a look. As you can see on the map, it's not a lot of distance or elevation to go have a look. I regret not go up to the pass to check if a descent was possible. The alternate adds a lot of distance and some of it is in a burned forest that is unpleasant.
My route goes south from the area of Dead Horse Pass on a lower route. But maybe you look at the ridge blocking you to the east and think you can scramble over it. Maybe you can. But know that the eastern side is where the wind deposits the snow. There are big cornices and long snow drifts on steep slopes waiting for you.
The lower route goes first through Cleveland Pass. Note that on the way you will go through a burn zone (as long as 8 miles). The trail in this area is vague and there is lots of blowdown in some areas.
After Cleveland Pass you'll go through Porcupine Pass, Anderson Pass, Trail Rider Pass and Roberts Pass. You'll notice that I have no waypoints on this section of trail. That's because I went a different route. But my route was terrible. It was a horrible area that was really badly hit by the forest fire and subsequent flooding and landslides. It's actually officially closed until 2028 (from Tworoose Pass to Moon Lake) as I found out below. So stick to the GPS track.
The highest pass is Anderson Pass, but is mentioned online as the first pass on the highline to be snow free. None of the other passes are mentioned as having steep snow problems, but only by online reviews and trip reports from mid-July through September. Nobody seems to be coming up here in June, so there is a paucity of information.
But, based on a detailed anecdote of someone who did the Uinta Highline two weeks after me in 2024, if you can get through Rocky Sea Pass then the rest of the passes will be easy to get through (minus of course Dead Horse Pass).
This all of course depends on your comfort level on snow.
Mosquitoes? At lower elevations, yes. Up high is still too cold. But apparently later in the summer they can get quite bad.
Wet feet? Not for me. But I worked hard to keep them dry in the wet meadows and creek crossings. But many other people report regular wet feet (from the trail and from rain).
Your exit to a resupply is the Uinta River Trailhead. From here you have to walk about 7 miles down a road to get to a good hitchhike spot (but you may get picked up along the way). So I suggest walking and hitchhiking at the same time, but to not bother walking farther than my recommended hitchhike spot. The tourists here are local and regional, and very friendly. I expect a decent % of them will stop for you. Most drivers will probably be going through Roosevelt - my suggested resupply location. Neola is nice, but just too small. Check Google maps for motel prices and the supermarket location.
If you don't want to pay for a motel room, but you still want to charge batteries, check out one of the town parks: Central Park, Old Mill Park and the largest - Constitution Park. I didn't visit these, but small town Utah parks in this part of Utah has amazing facilities and usually have free electric outlets. Note that the town park in Neola had a free electric outlet.
Uinta River to Manila (section is approximately 60 miles, 100km)
Once you get back on the trail after Roosevelt you have a 62 mile (100km) section to the town of Manila. There is no obstacle in here that can stop you. Divide Pass had a snow patch on the north side, but the slope is gentle enough to not be a problem even with much more snow than was there when I passed through (1 July 2024). In my trail notes I noted that it will be very hard to keep your feet dry after Divide Pass, and that after Island Lake there were regularly small numbers of mosquitoes.
There were lots of spots available at the Spirit Lake campground, despite it being only two days before the 4th of July holiday. An old sign for the nearby Spirit Lake Lodge say they have "meals and groceries." I didn’t visit, but I checked online. Their website says they have snacks plus "camping essentials" (not sure what that includes). The rental cabins have no electricity and there is no tent camping here. There is no restaurant here. They rent kayaks and stand-up paddle boards. You can message or call them to ask what sort of food they have in stock: Jordan@spiritlakeutah.com, (801)-541-8935
I could see some decent tent pitch spots in the nearby forest service Spirit Lake Campground. It costs $15 at a self-serve kiosk.
From here to Manila everything you need to know is in the GPS waypoints on the map.
Manila is nearby the very popular Flaming Gorge Reservoir, so if it's the busy season you may want to reserve accommodation ahead of time. Google Maps can show you what motels are available.
The Flaming Gorge/Manila KOA is a campground with grassy tent spots, electricity, WIFI, and showers. This place was almost fully booked up when I was in town. You should book a spot ahead of time. Book online, rates vary (it was $30). I was able to skip staying the night in Manila as the public park had a nice pavilion where I could sit and charge my power bank and phone.
You don't need to carry much food with you from Manila, as the town of Green River is only 62 miles (105km) over very easy fast terrain. The Flaming Gorge Market in Manila is small but well stocked on basics (not on Google Maps as of 2024).
Manila to Green River (section is approximately 65 miles, 105km)
After Manila you cross the state line into Wyoming and soon get to the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. This is the area around the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. It's swimmable and I took water from the lake to filter numerous times. But some spots are better than other. I avoided the busiest areas. There will be many RVs, campers, trailers, boats and ATVs here. If you camp near these people you will get loud music, gas generators, and wakes from the boats. But I've marked some good quiet spots to swim and to get the clearest water.
The Flaming Gorge reservoir was not as full as the map shows. The routes through the "water" areas were dry in the first week of July. There is also regular cattle activity in area. I chose swimming and drinking water areas where cows could not easily approach the shore.
In most places next to reservoir you can do open terrain. Many road walks are optional. Be careful where you step. I walked by a very angry small Wyoming rattle snake. Other than that I saw dozens of antelope.
Note that the Buckboard Crossing Campground is the last place to get drinking water before the town of Green River. You may have to do a heavy water carry. 3.5 liters got me to Green River.
If you have a map app that displays public and private land, you'll notice that just north of Buckboard Crossing Campground there is a 50-mile stretch of checkerboard public/private property. Read here for the history behind that.
So what about the private property sections? Follow my route and you will be fine. I stuck to public easements (legal roads through the private land). But, generally, the absentee landowner does not care, particularly in this isolated area that is just a sea of sage brush. There were zero "no trespassing" signs in this area.
You'll notice the route passes by the Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport. The Spaceport name, the only thing to be seen being an old car full of bullet holes (a bad attempt at a UFO), a no trespassing sign, and threats of prosecution at the end of the road make this an extra weird place, but with nothing to see. Stay on the road to avoid intergalactic prosecution.
For your next resupply you can choose between the towns of Green River or Rock Springs, or both. Rock Springs has many more options for accommodation, but both have the same supermarket options. The Green River city limits sign was full of bullet holes, while the Welcome to Rock Springs sign boasted about how ethnically diverse they are ("Home of 56 Nationalities"). As for taking a break, Green River's Island Park and Evers Park were far nicer than anything in Rock Springs. You can even swim at these parks and charge your batteries. No swimming or battery charging at Rock Springs parks. But... Green River gets the dubious distinction of the only town in America where I couldn't get free drinking water in the town park. Overall, both places were friendly and welcoming, despite the occasional lunatic political sign (as of 2024).
Green River to Highway 28 (section is approximately 105 miles, 170km)
From Green River to Rock Springs is about a half day walk. Rock Springs to the hitchhike spot on Highway 28 to Lander took me 3.5 days. From Rock Springs to the trailhead where you can hitchhike to Pinedale took me 9 days total. I split that up with a resupply in Lander.
Rocks Springs, to its credit, has the best convenience store in America. But it's sadly rebranded from "Kum & Go" to "Maverik" since I was there. This is your last chance to buy a drink for a very long time. From Rock Springs I fully hydrated at the last convenience store and did a water carry 30 miles to the next guaranteed water source: the Crookston Ranch Cultural Site. It's a fast, flat road walk. The temperature on the day that you are there determines how much water you need to carry. Do a night walk if you are worried about getting dehydrated.
The Crookston Ranch sounds amazing: historic ranch house on a grassy meadow below white sand dunes, with a spring providing drinking water. But don't get your hopes up. The ruined ranch house is wretched, the meadow is underwhelming, the spring is just wet grass and a pond, and the dunes right close to the ranch are not interesting. And there were gas wells operating nearby. But...
After Crookston Ranch is one of my favorite sections of the route: the Killpecker Sand Dunes. They are white and at this time of year mostly empty. The eastern section, named the "Killpecker Sand Dunes Open Play Area," is for ATVs and motorcycles. The western section is called "Sand Dunes Wilderness Study Area" and you are only allowed to visit on foot or horseback. This area has water thanks to the ice inside the sand dunes.
Info from the local government (PDF): "Ecologically, the most unique feature of the Sand Dunes is the eolian ice-cells that feed pools at the base of many large dunes. These are formed as snow and ice accumulate on the leeward side of the dunes and then are covered by blowing sand. These pools, or ponds, range in depth from six inches to eight feet deep, some being crystal clear and almost void of life. Others are muddy, and alive with tadpoles, salamanders, insects, waterfowl and various grasses and aquatic vegetation. These sand dunes help support the only desert elk herd in Wyoming."
These dunes are also "singing" sand dunes. I didn't notice it while I was there, sadly. The humidity has to be at an exact level to get the sound.
There was water throughout the sand dunes in various springs and ponds while I was there in early July 2024. If you look at some satellite images, such as Google Maps (as of 2024), you will see hundreds of little ponds and temporary lakes. But these images are probably from the spring season. There will only be a few when you get there. And I make no guarantees about water if it is a drought year following a low precipitation winter. Do you own research.
Cowboy camping in the dunes is amazing if you have good weather. Coyotes were howling and there was a steady wind after a great sunset view. I wouldn't camp next to any of the ponds, as at night there is a regular parade of animals coming here to drink. There are also cattle that come into the dunes to drink water.
After the sand dunes you are in sage brush until you eventually get up into the Wind River Range. All the info you need for the area after the dunes is in the waypoints on the map. Some of the springs north of the sand dunes are on private property, but there are no signs, no buildings/homes, fences or anything to stop you. You would only know it's private land if you have a map app that displays private property.
You will eventually get to Highway 28 and need to go into the town of Lander for a resupply. You can find out all you need to know about Lander from the various Continental Divide Trail reports and guides. For the hitch, you can go to the same spot where CDT hikers hitch. Some locals will know what you are up to. What you do have going against you is that it is a fast highway, and hard for people to stop safely. I got lucky and was picked up by The Lorax, a super cool CDT trail maintenance dude who immediately handed me a beer, took me to a campground pay shower and then brought me to a burger restaurant in Lander. But anecdotes are conflicting about whether this is an easy hitch or a hard hitch.
Look up CDT guides to Lander online regarding accommodation, resupply and other services.
I just have a few observations. There is free camping in a city park - but far from the center. I was not able to charge batteries there. Note that Lander was 10 degrees warmer than Pinedale, and not very walkable with the distances between the services you need. I enjoyed Pinedale much more. If you are trying to choose a place to take a day off, I would choose Pinedale.
A sign of the times that is common throughout the country: Google map photos showed a row of electrical outlets being used by happy laptop and smartphone users in a Lander cafe. I bought coffee and food so that I could sit and charge my batteries, but the cafe had been redesigned the outlets were gone. Many places in the US are removing electrical outlets to discourage the homeless, vagabonds, poor people and others from spending too long in their business.
Highway 28 to Elkhart Trailhead (section is approximately 85 miles, 135km)
I've marked the best hitchhike spot out of Lander (as noted by The Lorax). I have no report on that hitch, as I met a local rock climber who offered me a ride since he was already headed that direction.
From Highway 28 to Elkhart Trailhead took 5.5 days for me, with 0.5 days of weather delays. But that may be longer, as you need to hitchhike into Pinedale from there. So maybe take at least 6 days’ worth of food. You can now also compared to anecdotes from CDT hikers and see how much faster they are than me. Do your own research on how much food to carry.
On 14 July 2024 I joined the Continental Divide Trail (but soon to start one of many alternate routes off the CDT). I was informed that the main group of northbound CDT hikers was probably still far to the south. It will vary year to year as it depends on snow levels in the San Juan Mountains that block anybody thinking of getting north early in the season. So between Lander and Pinedale I only met two CDT hikers - one thru hiker and one section hiker. But I did meet day hikers and multi-day hikers, particularly in Cirque of the Towers.
After leaving the main CDT route towards Cirque of the Towers you can easily go the wrong way. You need to occasionally check your position on GPS. As of 2024, blowdown obscures the correct path, there are dead end spurs off the trail, the route is not always obvious, etc. Before Temple Pass the meadows after tree line are "pick your own route." There is no trail. The trail reappears partway up to Temple Pass. Down the other side gets vague again.
Rain and brief storms slowed me down as I would hide under a tree waiting for them to pass. But in Texas Pass I narrowly got to shelter before some vicious lightning and thunder started, along with steady rain. I found a boulder to hide under, but note that above tree line in the Wind River range you have no cover, and probably little chance to find a good spot to pitch a tent. Before Texas Pass I had waited 4 hours at Lonesome Lake for the worst of the storms to pass. This is now the reality of your trip from here to Canada, and I would add the Uinta Highline to that assessment. You will get occasional storms hitting you in the mountains. Read CDT reports from Wyoming and Montana for more information on this.
Even on the main route of the CDT in the Wind River Range you may need to check your position on GPS. Blowdown and trail redirection by hikers was common in 2024. False trails dead-ending is also a thing. This was common until I got close to Pinedale.
You'll notice few waypoints on my route in parts of the Wind River Range. This is mostly due to there being water everywhere, so you don't need me to tell you where to find it. Also is reason is the fact that you are on an easy hiking trail, not difficult terrain with obstacles that need a lot of waypoints.
Hitchhiking from the Elkhart-Polecreek Trailhead into Pinedale is a hitchhike that falls into the category of "very few cars, but a good ratio of pick-ups." I was picked up by the third vehicle after walking for an hour by cowboy outfitters who do business just past the hiking trailhead at the horse trailhead. Search online for more anecdotes from CDT hikers about hitchhiking here.
I like Pinedale. It has everything you need. Look on Google Maps for your motel/hotel options. There is also a hostel room at the Jackelope Motor Lodge.
I stayed at the $12 town campground. On Google Maps it's "Pinedale Tent Dry Campground" and on the city website it's "Jackson Ave Tent Camp Site." There's a self-serve pay station and you get a spot on the grass with access to portapotties and drinking water. As of 2024 the campground host said CDT hikers can charge their batteries on an electric outlet at his house. The red house on west side belongs to the campsite host. Go through the trees and find an electric outlet on the outside of house. The host said it’s OK for hikers. You won't scare him, don't worry.
The supermarket in town is great, and there is an Amazon Locker there if you need to buy anything from Jeff Bezos. The local outdoor store is small but has the essentials: bear canisters, bear bags, bear spray, water filters, nice socks, etc. Note that you must have a bear canister or bear bag in numerous areas north of Pinedale, and bear spray is probably also a good idea.
Showers and laundromats are available throughout Pinedale. There are 3 laundromats and two places to shower as of 2024. The cheapest is at the Yellowstone RV Park where you can also get a shower for $7 with no time limit. They provide a towel. Combining a shower with laundry work will save you time.
Big machines and big dryers can be found at the Clean Wash Laundromat, along with some impressive taxidermy on the walls. For a full range of updated info, search for town guides to Pinedale by CDT hikers.
I met only one CDT hiker in Pinedale - a section hiker. After Pinedale I was entirely on alternate routes until Yellowstone and I only met two northbound CDT hikers - a Belgian couple right before Jackson.
When leaving Pinedale you have a choice for food carries. The first is to take enough food to get to Jackson. It took me 7.5 days, with one entire day lost to weather delays. So it could be as few as 6 days if you are fast and have good luck with weather. Another choice is to book a cabin at Kendall Valley Lodge and have mail a resupply package to the Lodge.
You can ship your package from Pinedale to the Lodge with UPS or FedEx, but not the US Postal Service. Google Maps will direct you to a FedEx or UPS shipping location in Lander. As of 2024 both services could be found in "Moosely Mailboxes & More." Note that they are closed Saturday and Sunday. If you think your schedule puts you here in Pinedale after closing time on Friday and you don't want to wait until Monday morning, then maybe consider sending your package from Lander. In 2024 a price quote from UPS was about $25 to mail a 10lbs box from Pinedale to the lodge for a next-day arrival, and FedEx was the same price for 2-day delivery.
The address:
Kendall Valley Lodge
125 Rock Creek Road
Cora, WY
82925
The cabins at Kendall Valley Lodge are $165 per night. For comparison, the next stop is Jackson, and low-rated hotels there were at a $500 minimum (and hiding the extra surcharges). A hostel in Jackson was charging $150 per bed, and was fully booked.
Can you use the Lodge as a resupply pick-up without booking a cabin? I'm not sure. This is what Bea posted on Facebook:
They are happy to help CDT hikers and gave permission to share the following:
"Bea, yes we are a drop point for CDT travelers; just let us know when your package will be arriving and your estimated arrival here at the Kendall Valley Lodge; both FedEx and UPS deliver to us."
Thanks
Justin and Sandy Wright
It sounds like they are hiker friendly and willing to help you out with a resupply pick-up, but it's not worded clearly whether you need to book a cabin or not. You could always call them on the phone and ask: website.
A third option is for hitchhiking enthusiasts. Right before Kendall Valley Lodge you join Highway 352. You can hitchhike back to Pinedale for a resupply from here. It's not a heavy traffic road, but it's probably the type of place with hitchhike friendly drivers. Check out the road map. You may need to do 2 separate hitches to get to Pinedale depending on where the driver is going.
Pinedale to Jackson (section is approximately 105 miles, 170km)
Hitchhiking out of Pinedale. The spot that makes the most sense is on Fremont Lake Road right across from the supermarket. Very few people driving by will be going to the trailhead. So you may want to accept a ride that is only going part way and then hitching again. When people do stop, tell them you are going to the Elkhart Trailhead at the end of Skyline Drive, but that you'll take a ride as far up as they are going. I was picked up within ten minutes by a couple going to Fremont Lake. They insisted on going out of their way to take me to the trailhead. Search online for more Pinedale hitchhiking anecdotes.
The first obstacle after Pinedale is a high pass: Knapsack Col. Snow is unavoidable (mid to late July) unless you are here much later in the summer or early fall. You may or may not find current anecdotes on FarOut. My experience was a long walk on a snow field before the pass, then a steep, rocky scree/gravel slope followed by a choice at the top: over the cornice or scrambling on rocks to the north side. A boulder in the steep cornice had just melted out, and I was able to easily scramble up that. Earlier in the summer you may have no choice but to do the longer scramble to the north.
There are so many Knapsack Col videos online. Unfortunately not everyone provides a date. My date in 2024 (21 July) had snow exactly like in this video. Note that they do take a slightly different route that I did.
If you feel uncomfortable with the snow, or if it is a heavy snow year, or if a storm is incoming (you will be in totally exposed areas above tree line for a long time), then take the lower alternate route I've added to the map.
The common mountain pattern of nice mornings, stormy afternoons and calm evenings did occur throughout the Wind River Range. But I also had one rainy early morning and one long perfect day for Knapsack Col.
After Titcomb Lakes I saw zero CDT hikers until I was one day away from Jackson, and only 4 multi-day hikers until I got to Granite Creek. Highway 352 and Kendall Valley Lodge is your brief return to civilization.
After Knapsack Col there is not much to say. There are no serious obstacles, water is everywhere, and scenery is the usual: some spectacular, some boring and tedious. Note that you are now in Grizzly bear territory.
When you get close to Kendall Valley Lodge, you have a choice of routes. The river crossing is something that I would find fun on a warm day if I had breathable shoes that dry quickly and a backpack set up that could fully waterproof my clothing and electronics. I could have bought a bag liner in Pinedale (even just a trash/compactor bags from the supermarket). You will probably be swimming for this river crossing.
The safer route is through (briefly) the private property of Kendall Valley Lodge. If you are staying the night here as a guest, then obviously it is OK to walk through. The trail is a tourist horse trail that starts from the lodge. If you are not a paying customer? I'm not sure, but they sound hiker friendly. And this is not like sneaking through the yard of a private house. There will be other tourists leaving and arriving.
Before you go up the Rock Creek Trail from the Kendall Valley Lodge area you need to know whether or not you will be attempting the steep unnamed chute that is the main obstacle in the Gros Ventre Range. It was no problem for me to scramble down. But I do acknowledge that a fall may equal death. This video of the chute is better than my photos.
Cameras are strange. This video makes the climbing section look harder than it is, but it undersells how steep the scree slop at the bottom was. If you don't want to do this chute, or if you think you may get to the chute and then have to detour, you should start investigating all the possible routes through the Gros Ventre Range. Searching for CDT alternate routes in the Gros Ventre Range will result in some trip reports, routes and GPS tracks. Be careful, as some people have posted GPS tracks of a planned Gros Ventre route that they have not actually done. And as always, do not trust the US Forest Service maps, or in fact any map that doesn't have the routes and trail confirmed by a real person who has hiked through recently. The other safer routes are farther to the north and add distance.
Another warning, before and after the difficult chute is lots of high exposed terrain with no shelter. You could be hit by a strong summer storm anywhere in Wyoming or Montana, and I got hit in the Gros Ventre range at 8pm. Luckily I was not up high, but the wind was so bad that I took down my tent and huddled behind the biggest healthiest spruce tree I could find. The next day I walked over 100 freshly fallen trees on the Shoal Falls Trail. Don't worry, it's a popular horse route and was probably cleaned up soon afterwards. As a reminder, budget in storm and rain delays to this range like you should everywhere else in Montana and Wyoming.
The first part of the Gros Ventre was full of bucks: deer and elk. And the entire range had bear scat (I'm not sure if I was looking at grizzly or black bear). The scenery was quite nice up high, and the geology was different than any other place I hiked.
If you like warm water, budget some extra time for Granite Falls and the very small hot spring right below the waterfall, as well as the hot spring fed swimming pool farther upstream. Check the waypoints for more info.
From Granite Creek to Jackson follow my GPS track and ignore signs. There are dueling signs with multiple names given for the same trail.
Camping before Jackson is a problem. Jackson puts up a progressive facade, but is just another wealthy community gentrified by out-of-state transplants and second-homers who hate the working class and poor people. They have pressured the forest service to put a an unusually harsh restriction on camping: no camping within 3 miles of a trailhead. If you arrive from the east you don't find this out until you arrive at the trailhead outside of Jackson. I was not about to pay $500 for a motel room that would cost $85 in central Utah, and I wasn't going to turn around and go back up the mountain to camp on a steep slope. So I camped next to the trail a couple of miles from the trailhead without any attempt to be stealthy. The hikers and mountain bikers clearly didn't care, and I can't make any promises for this exact area, but talking to Forest Service rangers elsewhere (who get rather low pay), it's clear they aren't going to be doing daily patrols 3 miles from a trailhead because the real estate agents in a rich town they can't afford to live in want to stop anybody but the wealthiest class from staying overnight in their area. As for responding to a complaint, it's more for kicking out a car camper who has been at a trailhead long term and has turned it into their own personal garbage dump and bonfire zone. But choose your own path here. Your timing may not require you to camp in this area, especially if you are the sort of person who can afford a hotel room in Jackson.
As for Jackson, I don't want to bias you any further, but I do have to say that it was my least favorite town along the entire route. The service workers and tourists were friendly, but... I have some complaints. I bought an expensive breakfast that came as a shockingly small portion (a burrito that was closer in size to a Chinese spring roll than any American burrito I've seen in my life). The supermarket was overpriced and it was only the second supermarket in America not to give me the store discount (the discounted prices you get with a "loyalty card"). Only in Flagstaff, Arizona did a cashier not give it to me. The cashier in Jackson (who definitely commutes every day long distance from Idaho) was clearly embarrassed that she could not apply the discount (manager's orders). Elsewhere, one of the town parks has electrical outlets, but they come with a threat of criminal prosecution if you use them (as of 2024 you can charge batteries at the Home Ranch Welcome Center, a bus station/stop, and at McDonald's - check the waypoints). Also, the four sketchiest people I encountered over a six month trip were all encountered in Jackson (mental illness, drugs/alcohol, Central American street gang facial tattoos).
There's not much else to say about Jackson. You can resupply here and charge your batteries over a long day (good reason to have a high watt charger). There is an REI and few other outdoor sporting goods stores. If you didn't get bear spray and a bear bag or canister by Pinedale, then you definitely should get them in Jackson. Other CDT hikers southbound saw grizzlies, and I saw the biggest grizzly of my entire life in Bitch Creek (seriously) - plus plenty of bear scat elsewhere on the Teton Crest Trail.
The size of your resupply in Jackson depends on your resupply strategy coming up in Flagg Ranch and at Old Faithful. It took me almost 6 days to get to Flagg Ranch. At the very expensive convenience store in Flagg Ranch I bought just enough to make it to Old Faithful (2 night, three days of walking). Your exact time of arrival in Old Faithful will depend on what sort of permit you get entering Yellowstone. See the permit section for a full discussion. Basically, when leaving Flagg Ranch you may have to spend a full extra night outside the park before starting. So it could be 4 days of food you need leaving Flagg Ranch. Calling for a permit over the phone before Flagg Ranch will make it more clear.
Jackson to Flagg Ranch (section is approximately 80 miles, 130km)
You could also just call this the Teton Crest Trail section.
When you leave Jackson there is a long stretch of private property and then when you do make it back to the national forest there is another camping restriction in place. I walked well into the dark to finally get to a camp spot (the restriction is not needed as the Trail Creek area is too steep and forested to pitch a tent anyways).
Leaving Jackson on your way to the Teton Crest Trail is all asphalt until the Trail Creek Trailhead. But it's the nicest asphalt walk of the entire route, as it is a well-built bicycle/walk path separate from the highway. Also, note that the Snake River area is a nice place for a break or a swim.
From the trailhead the route is somewhat boring until the best of the Teton mountains finally come into view. You will go through 3 sections of varying length inside of Grand Teton National Park, but no permits are needed as you can easily camping outside the park in the national forest.
You can follow the various guides to the Teton Crest Trail, but my alternate route leaves that trail to do the Lake Solitude alternate/scramble. Plenty of people do this scramble up or down a steep grassy chute - I talked to two southbound CDT hikers who had just came down this route, and I saw 4 more southbounders headed for the route after I had passed through. The Slovakian southbound hiker said the Lake Solitude scramble downhill was bad and scary. And he has climbing experience. The French hiker I met let later was more nonchalant about the route. And she also has climbing experience. So opinions are mixed even for people with climbing backgrounds.
You can see videos of people doing this steep grassy chute, and they all seem to say it was easier than expected. And I think that going up is easier than going down. However, rain can change that. You will be stepping on thick grass and vegetation in a steep downhill area (with some loose rocks). If dry, then it's no problem. But if it's wet you could go downhill very fast and very far until you hit boulders. I talked to a southbound hiker who met a ranger on arrival at Lake Solitude. The ranger shook his head and said that one day a CDT hiker is going to fall and die on this route. I agree. If regular rain is forecast, then you may want to consider skipping this section. The options are clear on the map.
I’m not convinced that the Lake Solitude alternate is really worth it. You can just go to Hurricane Pass and get the view there (especially right before on top of the cliffs), and that's good enough. There's nothing special about the forest hike leading to Lake Solitude, aside from it being in the national park and being better built. As for the lake, there are plenty of those in the Wind River Range, and many of them are much better. The view from up high above the Lake Solitude is good, but is it worth the sketchy route? And the risk that weather will shut you down? And worrying about having to illegally stealth camp if your timing doesn’t work for the longest of three national park sections? Want a high view and a safer scramble? Do Table Mountain above Hurricane Pass.
After Lake Solitude the route rejoins the Teton Crest Trail. It's a standard itinerary with no obstacles worth remarking. But names are worth mentioning. Bitch Creek is really an official name - a bastardization of "Anse de Biche." This can be added to the usual list of amusing French names in the area: Grand Teton (Big Tit) and Gros Ventre (Fat Belly).
Plan on leaving the Teton Crest Trail at Nord Pass. I did not hear good things about the trail farther north of here (but that may be due to the timing of trail maintenance - if the trail is cleared of blowdown and overgrown brush every 3-5 years, then there is probably a year or two with good trail conditions). So at the last minute I made alternate plans. My brief search online on a ridgetop told me that I was doing an original variation on the CDT Teton Alternate. But more in depth research at home tells me that at least a couple of CDT hikers have already done this. The route is Nord Pass to Horsethief Pass and then Down Webb Canyon. I enjoyed it. It's mostly easy open terrain from Nord Pass to Horsethief Pass and then an easy walk through open terrain to get on the Webb Canyon Trail. The Webb Canyon Trail is in good shape and was recently (2024) cleared of blowdown and had flood areas repaired. I also enjoyed the flat grasslands and forests below (including Glade Creek Trail).
Going down from Horsethief Pass there is one thing to consider: you are going back into Grand Teton National Park and then John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. I didn't do my research and I thought the Rockefeller name was a mistake in the OSM data, because it sounds like an urban road in Philadelphia or someplace like that. To my surprise, it's a park. American dictionaries all define a 'parkway' as some variation on an urban road. As I no longer had any internet I thought I was going into a mislabeled national forest.
Unfortunately for thru hikers, Grand Teton and Yellowstone are connected by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Backcountry camping permits are required, but just like the Tetons they are not given out in a location that is convenient for you. So, you need to do one very long and fast day. Try to make it to the Bridger-Teton National Forest at Sheffield Trailhead, or farther north on the route (look at the GPS track - I've marked both options). Check the distance, this might not be doable for you.
On a totally unrelated note, the terrain becomes very wide open and you can easily walk off trail quite far in Rockefeller land. Also, I saw nobody else on the trail.
On arrival at Flagg Ranch, don't expect to find a spot to tent camp nearby at the Headwaters Campground. Spaces here get reserved 6 months ahead of time. Reservation only, no walk up.
The Flagg Convenience Store at the Phillips 66 gas station has barely enough for a 2-3 day resupply. It's typical gas station fare. The Mountain House meals do not have prices displayed. Nor do the potato chips or Doritos. Assume the worst about the mystery prices. There was no Knorr rice or Idahoan mash potatoes. I was able to get peanut butter, a bag of 'imitation' bagels, crackers, corn chips, ramen, and granola - all with national park prices. I bought just enough to top up my food supplies to make it to Old Faithful.
Flagg Ranch to Old Faithful (section is approximately 54 miles, 88km)
Yellowstone National Park is next. Get your backcountry camping permits over the phone, or in person at the south entrance at the Snake River Backcountry Office. Have a suggested itinerary and back-up camp spots ready (as well as your credit or bank card). The number is 307-344-2160. Identify yourself as a CDT hiker. Check out this map of backcountry campsites. I asked for one of the shared spots at Heart Lake, one just before Old Faithful, and at Summit Lake just before the exit out of Yellowstone. I got the first two, but Summit Lake was fully booked (by a surge of southbound CDT hikers, as I found out when I hiked by that location). So my exit day was very long. Your experience may vary. I suggest having a Recreation.gov account and the app on your phone. It would have been much quicker if I had an account number ready to give them. Note that even if you get the permit over the phone, you will still need to visit the backcountry office at Snake River to watch the mandatory educational video and get your permit printed and signed.
I should have called over the phone earlier instead of walking into the office the morning of my Yellowstone hike. If you have an itinerary and a couple of back-up itineraries ready it will go quickly, especially if you have a Recreation.gov account number for yourself. This way I would know my schedule ahead of time, therefore having my food carries planned better and having peace of mind on my way to Yellowstone that I won't be delayed at the boundary.
The Yellowstone section is easy, but you do need to carefully plan your water carries, as some of the water here is boiling hot and/or filled with nasty stuff like: chloride, sodium, silica, hydrogen sulfide, acid sulfates, alkaline chemicals, mercury, fluoride, antinomy, arsenic and other fun stuff. On the west side of Heart Lake I suggest taking enough water from one of the clean streams here to get to Lewis Lake.
Next, take plenty of water from one of the final water GPS waypoints after Shoshone Lake. The rest of the way to Old Faithful is rather nasty water. Then you must take enough water to get from Old Faithful to Summit Lake. Note that from Heart Lake to the exit by Summit Lake is part of the main CDT route and you can find out more about water sources here on various online reports from CDT hikers and other hikers, as well as on the FarOut app.
The only slight difficulty I had was with regular wet feet and mosquito swarms in the Shoshone Lake area. Your experience with this will depend on your timing and variations in precipitation.
Also notable is that the few CDT hikers I saw southbound in the Tetons was now in much larger numbers southbound through Yellowstone. I was not able to get a camp spot at Summit Lake as it was full of southbounders. I had a long trip out of Yellowstone on my last day. Try to get three nights in Yellowstone instead of two like I did. You may be faster than me, but consider that Old Faithful is a great place for a break and sightseeing.
Resupplying at Old Faithful is very predictable. There are many online guides to the mini-market grocery store and mail resupply options (there is a post office).
Old Faithful to West Yellowstone (section is approximately 55 miles, 88km)
From Old Faithful it's about 3 days to West Yellowstone. Note that it took me 3 nights to get to West Yellowstone with a late departure from Old Faithful (1pm) and with time spent exploring a fire tower and at Big Springs. A faster hiker disinterested in tourist stops could do 2 nights and 3 full days and get there before nightfall.
As for water, you are entering a very porous geological area before and after Summit Lake. The water disappears into the ground. I should have taken 3 liters from Summit Lake to last me until Latham Spring. To help with your water planning, for me the weather was cool, and I was down to about 140lbs by this time.
The short off-trail and off-road routes in Idaho are short and easy. But the second off-trail section before the Big Springs Lookout Tower is not the route I did. I was in the forest farther to the southeast, and that was a mistake (too thick). The straight line route on the map is what I think will be easier terrain. The old lookout tower (still standing as of 2024) has a great view and is a fun climb, but may be sketchy for some. Click/tap on the waypoint for more. Big Springs is quite nice. The springs really are huge. You are not allowed to swim until the old train bridge downstream. That's on my route and marked with a waypoint.
From Big Springs to Reas Pass you are on an old railway converted to an ATV tracks. I only saw one ATV. After Reas Pass the railway was converted to an asphalt bicycle and walking path. I only saw two people on roller skates and then three CDT southbound hikers who had just resupplied in West Yellowstone.
West Yellowstone has all the services you need. The supermarket ("Market Place" was the better choice) had reasonable prices for a town right on the boundary of a national park. This is very much a tourist trap town. There are endless motels and souvenir shops, plus expensive meals.
The large number of motels and hotels are not exactly in the budget price range, but far cheaper than Jackson. There are two RV park + campgrounds to choose from: Fox Den RV & Campground and Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park. They both have the same services. You can shower, do laundry and charge your batteries there while using WIFI. Check Google reviews. One is a little more posh than the other. Whatever you do, I suggest reserving ahead of time. Also note the proximity of the national forest. There are plenty of places to pitch a tent there.
West Yellowstone to Ennis (section is approximately 89 miles, 143km)
From West Yellowstone it's 90 miles to the next resupply in the town of Ennis. So either 4 or 5 days depending on your pace. For the road walk out of West Yellowstone you can mostly avoid the asphalt and the shoulder of the road by using parallel ATV routes (mostly not used, as they are built as winter snowmobile routes). It should be about 5 hours to get to the Red Canyon Trailhead. The Red Cub Trail is excellent by comparison to other national forest trails. I think it was recently upgraded and repaired (2024). But Red Cub trail doesn’t have much camping opportunities. It's steep and forested at the bottom, and with a very lumpy ground squirrel zone at top. That's something to think about if you start midday from West Yellowstone.
Up high you join the Skyline Trail. It's a nice route overall with good ridge views. But there are some vague sections in the southern part, and occasional blowdown. But not enough to be a problem. It eventually turns into a well-used horse trail.
Camping on this route is national forest, so you don't have to think much about where you are allowed to camp until the later part of this section. I've added plenty of GPX waypoints listing where you can't camp. Also note that you won't be able to camp in the “Designated Camp Sites” along Taylor Creek Road. These are reserved well in advance.
Along this route you will pass by some guest ranches. Can you stay here? No. Not unless you have $5000 and reserve 6-12 months ahead of time. Yes, there are three zeros after the five.
The Inspiration Divide Trail is nice (minus the Muddy Creek area with vague and rough trail sections), but it eventually goes through some private property. For about 3 miles you go through land owned by the "Yellowstone Club," a private resort club with members including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Bill and Mark allow peasants to walk across their land, but you must remain on the trail and not set up camp or eat a local rabbit even if you are starving. Noblesse oblige.
Next, the Jack Creek Trail is also nice, but I wouldn't know about the bottom section as I went exploring an alternate route that was a total failure. So for Jack Creek I am relying on a route pioneered by The Onion. Plenty of CDT hikers and day and multi-day hikers have been here.
From the bottom at Jack Creek Trailhead until Ennis it's private property on both side of the road. The only possible option to camp before Ennis is on one of the small blocks of State Trust Land. And that depends on what is happening on that land. It may be leased out as farmland, it may be leased out for grazing and home to angry bulls. The garbage dump or the rock quarry may have expanded. I promise nothing - only that you won't have to deal with an angry private property owner with a gun. Note that you need a $10 conservation license to camp on State Trust Lands.
The broad valley that Ennis is in is really quite nice with consistent good views. This makes the road walks in and out of town better than most other road walks. Also, the busiest roads usually have plenty of safe space to walk on the shoulder.
I like Ennis. It's a great place to spend a night and resupply. The RV park with tent sites is outside of town, so you need to fully resupply before going to set up your tent and then you would have a long walk back into town.
There are also motel options in Ennis that are affordable. Tourism here is mostly fishing and hunting, so fall is actually the expensive season, with cheaper summer rates. Check Google Maps for prices and booking. You will need to click on some websites for rates and reservations.
If you don't stay the night, charging batteries may be difficult (and depend entirely on the public library and its open hours - a place I did not visit).
In Ennis an extremely strong rainstorm hit. It lasted about 30 minutes while I was in the supermarket. I can't imagine the outcome if I got hit by rainfall this bad while above tree line in the mountains.
Before leaving Ennis you need to decide on your resupply strategy much farther north for the almost 200 mile stretch between Lincoln and East Glacier Park. If you will hitchhike into Augusta (a sometimes difficult hitch from an isolated area) for resupply, then you don't need to do anything. But if you plan to mail a resupply box to the Benchmark Wilderness Ranch right next to the trail (a popular option), then you need to mail a package and a $30 fee from Ennis (or earlier if you want). Read further below for more info.
Ennis to Butte (section is approximately 92 miles, 148km)
From Ennis it is about 92 miles to the city of Butte. The miles through the Tobacco Root High Route will be slow, but balanced by the very fast road walks. It took me five days to Butte.
Ennis locals are very friendly, and I was offered rides while buying a sandwich, walking out of town, on the highway north of town and then later on a small side road. Three of these offers were from women (I'm male). 3 of the 4 offers came from people who knew who CDT hikers were. The "Butte Cutoff" or "Big Sky Alt" alternate routes of the CDT pass through McAllister to the north, and CDT hikers hitchhike to and from Ennis for resupply.
Leaving Ennis you will see the same no trespassing sign over and over again. It's a yellow sign that says "No Trespassing or Hunting. Survivors will be prosecuted!!" It's accompanied by a cartoon of a happy deer and a smoking bullet shell. Menacing? No. It's just in line with the local sense of humor. And it's not for you as you walk by. It's for hunters and fishermen - the real annoyance for local property owners.
After walking out of McAllister for a while you will come to a junction where South Meadow Creek Road splits off from North Meadow Creek Road. Going to the right on the north road is the route described in many Big Sky Alt and Butte Cutoff variations. This is the "low route." My route goes to the left on the south road and heads for the Tobacco Root High Route. After I turned left, a truck stopped and a local asked me where I was going. This is because they are accustomed to seeing hikers go to the low route via the north road. The driver thought I might be lost. I just said I was going up to South Meadow Lake - the most well-known destination up the south road. Ten minutes later a woman got in her ATV and drove out to the road to track me down. She was also concerned I was going the wrong way. She was very hiker friendly and asked me if I had updates on some southbound hikers she had met.
Eventually you will be back in the national forest. There are plenty of friendly cows grazing here.
Eventually you get on an old mine road, and then leave that road when you get above tree line. This is the start of the Tobacco Root High Route. Note that according to linguists there is no standard American pronunciation for "route," even just in this area, so you can pronounce "route" to rhyme with "root" or "out and about."
"Tobacco Root High Route" is my name. There is a route done in 2015, "Tobacco Route Traverse," that includes long sections of class 4 scrambling. You don't want to do that. It's basically climbing for the average thru hiker. More info here and here.
These hikers/climbers noted that a route through the Tobacco Root Mountains could be reduced to an easy class 3 scramble by avoiding Branham Peak. I took that advice, and also removed Mount Bradley from my route based on their photos. The high route ends at the Lost Cabin Lake bottom trailhead.
There is little about my high route to say that is not included in the waypoints. The high route is a mix of open terrain, short easy scrambles, trails and short road walks. You'll probably only see people at Branham Lakes, and once you are hiking down from Lost Cabin Lake. Just watch for incoming bad weather and be prepared to leave exposed terrain up high for a safer spot downhill off the route.
The only thing I would do differently would be to summit Granite Peak. The weather was unstable when I was there and I wanted to get to a camp spot at Lost Cabin Lake before the end of the day, so I chose to stay low. If your weather and timing works out better, it is mentioned online as a fun scramble with a great view. There are three ridges up/down Granite Peak – note that I think one of them is too hard for hikers (but you never know until you are actually there). See the waypoints.
The Lost Cabin Lake National Recreation Trail is well built and well maintained. It's a fast downhill with no further need to be checking GPS to confirm your location.
The tiny town of Mammoth is an old mining settlement that has been sold off as summer homes. There are no services here.
After a road walk you turn onto the Rock Creek Trail, then go through a pass and down the Mill Creek Trail. These trails are built to motorbike standard and they are fast. Don’t worry, I only saw one group of three bikers.
The road walk down the Mill Creek Road is nice and deserted. Nobody is car camping here. Note the map to see where private property begins. In the lower gorge you need to stay on the public road and you can’t camp nearby. As you enter the wide valley below there is a final section of BLM land where you can camp. This was occupied when I walked through by a family from the nearby town of Belgrade (super friendly, I stopped for a beer).
You are now looking at a long road walk (24 miles) before you re-enter the national forest. I did this as a night hike, but you can break up this long road walk (with private property next to the road) by camping or taking a break at "Lost Tomahawk," right after the bridge over the Jefferson River. This land is owned by the Jefferson River Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization. This land was purchased to help boaters, canoeists and kayakers find camp spots along their route, and to provide access for fishing, bow hunting and other recreation. But I'm quite sure a hiker would be welcome.
Note that the "town" of Waterloo on the map is just private homes. There are no businesses or services. There is former Amish farm turned into a tourist farm with accommodation (luxury cabins and glamping tents). They won't reveal their prices, so just assume the average thru hiker can't afford to stay there.
On the opposite side of the valley, just before the national forest, is a bed and breakfast at the Iron Wheel Guest Ranch. Their rates are about the same for a decent motel in Butte.
Right after you walk by the Iron Wheel Guest Ranch you intersect Highway 2. I don't like it - there's not a lot of room on the side of the road to walk. And from here you need to make some choices about route selection.
There is a map on Caltopo listing many different route variations for the Big Sky Alt and Butte Cutoff. One of them, in this area, is labelled "Roni's Butte walk thru." Their waypoints discuss the private property issues in this area. It's tempting, before Iron Wheel Ranch, to jump over to the old railway bed uphill. Unfortunately there are very angry no trespassing signs in this area, belonging to one single owner. Roni looked up official state government records and determined one of these access roads is a public easement, but that doesn't mean you won't have a confrontation with the property owner - who has angrily chased off at least one CDT hiker. But even if you are legally allowed to use one of these access roads and the property owner is actually the one breaking the law, it's not certain if the old railway bed is a right of way or not (Roni couldn't determine that). So I stayed low on the public road and walked up Highway 2.
The next choice of route does not come with an angry property owner in a house nearby. I wait until the old railway is in the national forest and my route jumps up, through a short forest scramble, onto the old railway path. Is the old railway path a public easement? After the tunnel at Pipeston Pass, absolutely. It's an official rail-to-trail path. But on the east side I'm not sure. As you walk the old railway bed you are in the national forest, with one section of private property on your right (there are no trespassing signs for that property section, so don't camp on the north side of the rail path in that section).
But is this old rail section on the east side of the pass a public easement? I don't know (and neither does Roni). What I can say is that there are no private homes nearby. The private property section to the north side was empty (aside from a yurt tent on the other side of the highway). Obviously other people are walking and biking here, and the first part of your walk is being driven on by cars. Whoever owns this rail line is definitely an "absentee landowner." If it's still owned by a railway, don't expect the railway police or security to be here. They are focused on vagabonds jumping on freight cars, not patrolling old rail lines in the middle of nowhere. But anything could happen. Trespassing is taken seriously if the owner makes a complaints and calls the police - they will respond. The choice is yours: the old railway path, or an unpleasant highway walk.
The tunnel presents another choice, There are no signs posted (as of 2024), but there is a tall rebar grid fence blocking the tunnel. You can easily climb over and go through the tunnel. Clearly many people are doing this. Your option here is to go up onto the road and walk over the pass.
The rail-to-trail path is officially named Milwaukee Road Rail-Trail. I've also heard and seen Old Milwaukee Road and Thompson Park used. It's an obvious route from here into central Butte. Note the waypoint marking the last place where you can camp legally before private property starts.
The small city of Butte has everything you need, Google Maps will direct you to food and accommodation. I added a waypoint for a park with electric outlets if you need to charge batteries and won't be staying at a motel.
The interesting part of Butte is the older "historic" center to the north. There are things for a tourist to do in Butte, an old mining city. Check out Tripadvisor for reviews and the official Butte tourist info website.
The $5 entry fee to Berkeley Pit was worth it for me. It's a beautiful lake, but also probably the world's most dangerous lake. You won't survive a swim here in the arsenic and sulfuric acid water. Stay on the tourist viewing platform.
Before leaving Butte you need to decide whether you are going to resupply in Elliston or hitchhike to Helena. I carried just enough food to walk into Elliston. Your resupply strategy from Helena or Elliston can then rely on the FarOut app and the many online CDT resupply guides, as you will soon be on the CDT main route.
Butte to Elliston (section is approximately 65 miles, 105km)
There are no more serious obstacles after Butte. The trail and road walk go fast. You can rely on my waypoints for information, and for the long sections of GPS track with no waypoints, that's the official main route of the CDT and you can use FarOut for info on water, campable spots and, depending on the conditions, forest fire reroutes or delays.
Most hikers choose Helena for a resupply. I chose Elliston, and my route shows the walk-through route, as opposed to a hitchhike option where the main CDT trail crosses the highway. I enjoyed the route down to and out of Elliston. Note that the future of an Elliston resupply depends entirely on the continued existence of the small mini-market in Elliston - and the permission to camp for free behind that store (with water, electricity and toilet access nearby). So I suggest checking the FarOut app comments while in Butte. The app doesn't get updated for town information (if a business shuts down, for example), but the hikers’ comments do provide updates.
Elliston to Lincoln (section is approximately 50 miles, 80km)
Lincoln is the next resupply town. It is much bigger than Elliston and has many more businesses. Google Maps will direct you to the motels, and as of 2024 the $15 Hooper Park campground has what you need: good tent spots, water, electric outlets and hot showers.
I didn't really like the route down from the CDT main route into Lincoln as much as I did for Elliston. From Lincoln to where you rejoin the CDT is more enjoyable.
Note that my Lincoln walk-thru is far from the CDT. Most people hitchhike from the CDT into and out of Lincoln. I prefer to skip a hitchhike where possible. For those who want to hitch, it sounds like getting rides into and out of Lincoln is easy.
Lincoln to Benchmark Ranch (section is approximately 60 miles, 96km)
From Lincoln I did a food carry all the way to East Glacier Park Village - about 190 miles. Anecdotally, only a small minority of CDT hikers do the long food carry. Everyone I met (I was now being passed by the fastest of the northbound CDT hikers) was leaving this route to hitchhike into Augusta for a resupply or picking up a resupply package at Benchmark Wilderness Ranch. It's 60 miles (96km) from Lincoln to the ranch.
If I did this route again, I'm not sure if I would do the hitchhike to Augusta, as some anecdotes describe over 20 hour waits for a ride (it's an isolated area) while others say they got picked up quickly. Maybe I would mail a resupply package to the Benchmark Wilderness Guest Ranch. CDT hikers can mail a resupply box here. Instructions here.
Note: the service costs $30 as of 2024. You can only pay through the Zelle payment app or by separately mailing a check (cheque for those who speak the Queen's). For Europeans or Canadians and other foreigners, you can use a "money order," which is the same as a check. These are sold at post offices (and other places). You can't use a credit card to buy them, only with a debit card or cash. Just ask for a money order for $30, and it will cost you an extra $2.25 fee (at a post office). You need to mail the check/money order separately to the ranch, not in your resupply package. They suggest you send your box 2-3 weeks before your arrival. So that's even before Butte. I would do this in Ennis as there is a good supermarket and a post office.
It's $20 to pitch a tent and have a hot shower at the Benchmark Wilderness Guest Ranch. $145 cabins are also available. $5 per hour to charge batteries. Note that it would be cheaper to buy a branch new power bank than to pay for this service. Reviews are mixed for the ranch. Not being able to find any manager on duty sounds about right for a small guest ranch. But I'm not sure about the comments on FarOut suggesting unfriendliness. Some hikers definitely have never dealt much with the reticent rural type very much. Not smiling and being a man of few words is common for some of the cowboy and rural men here.
Benchmark to East Glacier (section is approximately 130 miles, 205km)
From the Benchmark Wilderness Guest Ranch to East Glacier Park Village is about 130 miles. FarOut can be your guide here.
A few miles before you enter East Glacier Park Village you enter the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Buy the Blackfeet Nation Fish and Wildlife Permit online. You need this permit to cross tribal land into and out of East Glacier Park Village. It's quick, easy and cheap. It gives you a flexible time period. Ignore people online saying this is only if you intend to camp on their land. It's for walking through it, even if only for a few hours. They absolutely arrest and fine people who have no permits (confirmed by our Blackfoot shuttle driver - he notes that the route goes right by the sheriff's house).
Note: I saw one anecdote in a previous year of a European saying the online payment system would only accept American and Canadian addresses. Hopefully the many Europeans who do the CDT have a way to work this system. You may need to do an online search for more information, or talk with the southbound hikers you meet who aren't American or Canadian and ask if the system worked for them. If you are worried, you can skip the restricted land by road walking into East Glacier Village on Highway 2 and then road walking back to the CDT via Lower Two Medicine Lake and Two Medicine Lake. Those options will be obvious on the map.
Glacier National Park (distance varies, shortest route is approximately 95 miles, 150km)
After resupplying in East Glacier Park Village, you face the biggest bureaucratic obstacle of the entire route: Glacier National Park. The Glacier National Park backcountry camping permits are by far the most time/effort consuming permit of the entire route. You need to go in person to the St. Mary's Visitor Center. This involves a long and expensive shuttle from East Glacier Park Village. I suggest going to Looking Glass Basecamp hostel and campground and staying for a few days ($15 per night). Here you can meet people and share the cost of a shuttle driver (contact info can be found at the hostel). You can go apply for the permit as a group or solo.
I would try to get a permit starting the next day, or have an itinerary with a short first day if you want to start right after returning from St. Mary's. Have a map ready and a whole bunch of proposed itineraries. My group arrived and our plans A, B, and C were not possible. The ranger was super friendly and he did a great job helping us out. But be ready for a strange itinerary (long days, short days, unpopular secondary routes, etc.). My group's route was far from the main CDT route, and put us in an unpopular camp spot. But it's all we could get.
Note that your "backcountry" camping permits will probably include "front country" campgrounds as well. My group stayed at the Two Medicine Campground and the Many Glacier Campground (both in the shared hiker/biker sites).
Perhaps in later years the system may become easier. But it can also get worse. Do your own research. For example, in 2024 the office in Two Medicine that gave out backcountry permits was shut down. And note that you are competing with not just other CDT hikers, but also with the overnight and multi-day hikers for the backcountry permits.
Canadian Border
Before going to St. Mary's for your permit, you need to decide if you are crossing into Canada to Waterton Lakes National Park, or doing the alternate CDT ending at the Chief Mountain border crossing where you can tag the border without crossing. The people doing the CDT terminus at Chief Mountain seemed to be mostly American hikers who didn't have their passport with them.
For the Waterton option, you can walk freely across the border into Canada (in the middle of nowhere) and then, once you arrive in the town of Waterton, call over the phone to report your crossing to a Canadian border officer. You definitely want to be from a country that has visa free tourist travel to Canada. I called the morning after I arrived. The number to call during business hours is 403-653-3536 (Chief Mountain border crossing) or 403-653-4990 (Caraway border crossing). Have your passport information ready (passport #), as well as date of birth. And be prepared to say how many days you plan to stay in Canada.
Some Americans complained that their phones don't work in Canada. That's true, some American cell phone plans work here, some don't. Cell phone roaming is something you may want to investigate with your current cell phone provider. Options include calling from your Waterton hotel room, begging nicely at the visitor's center to use their phone, or do what I do: I have an app that can make phone calls from anywhere as long as I have internet (you can find WIFI in town eventually).
Most people usually enter into Canada and then hitchhike back from Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park across the border to East Glacier Park Village in Montana. There is an Amtrak train station in East Glacier Park where you can go west to Seattle or Portland, or east to Chicago). Those Americans without passports usually do the alternate northern terminus at Chief Mountain where they tag the border without crossing and then hitchhike south to East Glacier Park Village. Look at the map. You may have to do several hitches in stages.
Onward into Canada? Canada's Great Divide Trail is a massive headache. You need to get camping permits for the entire route with exact dates 6 months ahead of time. If you want to go onward into Canada from Waterton, try hitchhiking to Fort Macleod or Lethbridge, the closest towns with busses that go to Calgary. From Calgary you can get anywhere (by bus, train or from the airport). I don't suggest attempting to hitchhike west to Vancouver. It's very hitchhiker unfriendly territory. As of 2024 there are no public transport options from Waterton. Only expensive shuttles to the Calgary airport.
The End.