Colorado Trail: San Juan's - Silverton to Durango

Colorado Trail Segments 25-28
Total Miles: 74.6 Miles
Group Size: 10
Meet Time: 1 PM
Meeting/ Starting Point:
Forest Rd 550M, Durango, CO 81301
Maps:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/colorado-trail-segment-25
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/colorado-trail-segment-26
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/colorado-trail-segment-27
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/colorado-trail-segment-28

Description:
Sometimes we don't have to save the best for last. Join us for a 4th of July Trip traversing the Colorado Trail through the beautiful San Juan Mountains. Commonly cited as the most beautiful part of the Colorado, many out - of -state hikers will choose this stretch if they are in a time crunch and cannot hike the entire Colorado trail. Unfortunately, this is not a beginner friendly trip. Having your footwear and gear dialed in is a must. This will be a challenging and rewarding trip.

Getting there:
I will be leaving my car in Durango and taking the train to Silverton. Participants are welcome to park directly on the trailhead in Silverton. I will be driving back through there on Thursday July 10th on my return trip. Tickets for the train are here:
https://www.durangotrain.com/now-booking/

Plan:
- Due to this being a long trip, we will have planning sessions June 6th and June 27th over google meet. Where we will go over a detailed breakdown of water sources, mileage, and transportation.
- Be mentally and physically prepared for 15 mile days
- We will tackle the mileage by starting early and going slow.
- Day 3 will likely include a 14.5 mile stretch without water refills.
- Rule of thumb is 2 lbs of food for a day of backpacking - be ready to carry at least 10 lbs of food.

Requirements:

1. Fill out waiver: https://forms.gle/VkERmkk7ChV3f4c27.
2. Complete a qualifying hike - we do this to ensure everyone's safety and to make sure everyone is able to respect others. See calendar for upcoming hikes.
3. Additionally, to join this trip, you must have been on at least one previous Colorado Springs Backpackers outing.

Resources:
The 10 Essentials: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html
What to Bring Backpacking: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-checklist.html

Background:
In 2025, members of the Colorado Springs Backpackers will continue hiking our very own Colorado Trail—a goal we began in 2024. The CT is a 28-segment, 500-mile trail running from Denver to Durango. Trips will be less frequent but longer, with each segment tackled over weekends and holidays. Most segments are point-to-point, requiring carpool coordination. Planning is based on AllTrails, The Colorado Trail Databook, and the Colorado Trail Section Hikers Facebook page.