Some of us are short-length hikers who prefer trails that aren’t too far from home, or maybe enjoy a nice hike when on vacation. Then there are those who take it up a couple levels — as in those who turn their hikes into country-hopping adventures, like this group that made a short video of their hike across the entirety of the Continental Divide Trail.
Photo: Patrick Poendl/Shutterstock
Watch: What It's Like to Thru-Hike the Continental Divide From Mexico to Canada
The Continental Divide Trail is a 3,100-mile trail that goes from Mexico and through five US states — New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana — before reaching Canada. It takes an average at least six months to get through the whole thing. The path is made for adventurers open to traveling through 25 national forests, 21 wilderness areas, three national parks, and one national monument.
The name comes from the Great Continental Divide, a drainage divide that starts at the Bering Strait (between Alaska and Russia) to the Strait of Magellan (at the southern tip of South America). In the US, the Great Continental Divide drainage separates water between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. The creators of the video are also behind the blog Halfway Anywhere. Mac, the creator of Halfway Anywhere, completed the Continental Divide Trail in 2017 and he documented his adventures with a one-second video each day and put them together in a four-minute montage.
Of course, if you’re looking for an international adventure, there are some tremendous thru-hiking trails around the world for every season, including Te Araroa in New Zealand in the spring, Kungsleden in Sweden in the summer, the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal in the fall, and the MacLehose Trail in Hong Kong in the winter. Of course, if you’re going to do one of these long hikes, you’ll want to be prepared to get through it. Make sure to pack the essentials like the right shoes and clothing and all your trip information. And be sure when you go on long trips like this to be respectful to other people on the trails and Mother Nature. Thru-hikes might seem intimidating, but if you’re fully prepared, you may find yourself ready to complete the ultimate adventure. 