Travel From Denver to Durango on the Colorado Trail

It's no secret that the state of Colorado's great outdoors is nothing short of paradise for those who love rafting, rock climbing, and, perhaps more so than any other activity, hiking.

Read More: Former Colorado Homestead Turned State Park is a Hiker’s Paradise |

While the state has innumerable gorgeous hiking trails for all skill levels, few can argue that the ultimate long-distance hiking trip is along the aptly-named Colorado Trail.

What is the Colorado Trail?

The Colorado Trail is a 486-mile route that travels from Denver all the way to Durango, treating hikers to some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the world.

Keep scrolling to take a virtual trip through each of the Colorado Trail's segments in order from its starting point in Denver to its end in southwest Colorado's famous college town of Durango.

The Colorado Trail was first established by the United States Forest Service and a non-profit group known as the Colorado Trail Foundation in 1987. However, the idea that led to the trail coming to fruition was conceived in 1973 by a group called the Roundup Riders of the Rockies.

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Today, the trail is maintained by the United States Forest Service and the Colorado Trail Foundation, a group that was established by combining the Colorado Mountain Trails Foundation, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Friends of the Colorado Trail.

While you're planning your ambitious excursion through the state of Colorado via the Colorado Trail, you can keep scrolling to take virtual tours of some of the state's other beautiful hikes: