Colorado Trail Race route map and guide

A self-supported mountain bike race on the Colorado Trail between Denver and Durango, ridden in the opposite direction each year.

2027 dates not announced yet, usually in August Denver to Durango, Colorado

The CTR follows the Colorado Trail from Waterton Canyon, southwest of Denver, to the Junction Creek trailhead just outside Durango. Bikes aren't allowed in the trail's six wilderness areas, so the race detours around them. There's one Group Start each summer, and the direction flips every year: even years leave from Denver, odd years from Durango.

The map shows the 2026 route, ridden westbound from Waterton Canyon. The 2027 race should run the other way, from Durango, and its date isn't out yet. The organizer's rules warn that some remote, high sections have no cell service at all, so download the map before you start. GPS shows where you are on it with no signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Colorado Trail Race. Check the official site before you enter or race.

CTR course map

Every course on the Goat Maps topo map, from start to finish. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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CTR courses

Course	Distance	Climbing	Start	Time limit
2026: Denver to Durango	514.8 mi (829 km)		Sun, Aug 2, 4:00 AM

Start times are the 2026 edition's.

CTR 2026: Denver to Durango

The 2026 route, 514.8 miles westbound from Waterton Canyon to Junction Creek.

Distance: 514.8 mi (829 km)
Start: Sun, Aug 2, 4:00 AM

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The 2026 route was the first big change since 2013. The organizer made four reroutes to get off busy highways, cutting about 20 miles of pavement: over Ski Cooper at Tennessee Pass, onto County Road 343 off Cottonwood Pass Road, along Rambouillet Park Road near Slumgullion Pass, and up the Bear Creek Trail out of Silverton to rejoin the Colorado Trail above Molas Lake, which he warned would be slow going, with hike-a-bike. Then the Willow Fire closed the trail from Tennessee Pass to Twin Lakes. The final track, posted July 24, took the old Leadville Bypass around the edge of town, then county roads back to the trail, though the organizer accepted any route through Leadville. The tracker put it at 514.8 miles.

Much of the trail is rough and rocky enough that most riders push in places. The organizer calls the stretch between Buena Vista and Silverton a huge blank spot for resupply. Cathedral Ranch Cabins, a mile off the route at the bottom of Los Pines Pass, has some food, cabins and showers, but the organizer says to treat it as a top-up to hold you over until Silverton.

A small pond in a green meadow below the San Juan Mountains, near Molas Pass — Donald Giannatti / Unsplash

Getting a Group Start spot

There's no formal registration. About a month before the start, the organizer posts a Trackleaders sign-up on jwookieone.com, and signing up holds your place in the Group Start. In 2026 it opened at 9 a.m. on July 2 for a Group Start limited to 70 riders, and it filled with more than 15 on the waitlist. Getting a spot comes with a $50 donation to the Colorado Trail Foundation's trail crew fund, which the organizer calls mandatory.

You can also ride it as an individual time trial, any time except within 24 hours of the Group Start. The organizer asks riders to carry a Trackleaders tracker, especially if you're racing for the win or a record, but it isn't required: any recorded track of your ride counts.

Self-support rules

A creek winding through a meadow below forested slopes in the San Juan National Forest — Alex Moliski / Unsplash

You can use gas stations, restaurants, motels, campgrounds and other businesses on the route, as long as nothing is arranged ahead. Friends' houses, pacers, food caches and support vehicles are out. Mail drops can only go to post offices and businesses that accept packages. Trail magic counts only if it's a surprise, and friends, family and camera crews should stay away until the finish.

No rides in a car or any other vehicle, except in a medical emergency. If your bike breaks, you hike it to the next town, then return under your own power to the exact spot where you left the route. You can ride with other racers, but you can't plan to, draft or share gear. Bikes are banned in wilderness areas, and stashing gear to pick up later counts as littering.

Getting to Waterton Canyon and Durango

A street of brick buildings in Durango, with a pale cliff-banded mountain behind — Rajiv Perera / Unsplash

In even years you start at the Waterton Canyon trailhead, southwest of Denver, which you can reach by bike path from the city. The 2026 Group Start rolled out of the main parking lot at 4 a.m. The finish at Junction Creek is about 3.5 miles north of Durango. Durango-La Plata County Airport is about 12 miles southeast of town, with United Express flights to Denver.

In odd years it's the other way around. The 2025 Group Start left at 4 a.m. from the College Cafe, 128 East 9th Street, in Durango, and finished in Denver.

Weather, smoke and water

A lake below hillsides of pine and yellow aspen near Leadville, with the town and high peaks beyond — Tali Despins / Unsplash

At Leadville, August averages a high of 68°F (20°C) and a low of 38°F (3°C), with 1.87 inches (47 mm) of rain. The Colorado Trail averages 10,300 feet and tops out at 13,271 feet, so expect cold nights up high. Afternoon monsoon storms with rain, hail and lightning are close to certain, and the rules tell you to think about bivying in icy rain at 11,000 feet before you start.

Water was very low in 2026, and the organizer told riders to carry more and study the sources. It was about 100°F in the Hayman Fire burn scar on the Tarryall detour, which has almost no shade and one real water source. Later, smoke from the Elk Fire near Lake City got so bad that several riders scratched at Cathedral Ranch.

CTR GPS coordinates

Each place on the map is here in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

Waterton Canyon Trailhead

39.49097, -105.09423
Leadville

10,154 ft (3,095 m)

39.25082, -106.29252
Buena Vista

7,943 ft (2,421 m)

38.84222, -106.13113
Silverton

9,308 ft (2,837 m)

37.81153, -107.66436
Junction Creek Trailhead

37.33132, -107.90282

CTR FAQ

When is the Colorado Trail Race 2027?

The 2027 date isn't announced yet. Recent Group Starts were all at 4 a.m. in August: August 11, 2024, from Waterton Canyon; August 10, 2025, from Durango; and August 2, 2026, from Waterton Canyon. Since 2027 is an odd year, it should start in Durango.

How long is the Colorado Trail Race?

The 2026 track was 514.8 miles. The organizer's own page puts the race at about 525 miles with over 70,000 feet of climbing and descending. Detours around the wilderness areas make it a bit longer than the 486 mile Colorado Trail, with a little less climbing.

What is the Colorado Trail Race record?

The organizer's records page covers the course used from 2013 to 2025, and the two fastest rides it lists were both individual time trials: Neil Beltchenko's 3 days, 19 hours and 50 minutes westbound in 2016, and Timon Fish's 3 days, 16 hours and 13 minutes eastbound in 2023. On the new 2026 route, Alex McCormack won in 4 days, 2 hours and 49 minutes, Nicolette Jones was first woman in 4 days, 21 hours and 45 minutes, and Matt Annabel won singlespeed in 4 days, 21 hours and 23 minutes.

Can you have support on the Colorado Trail Race?

No. You carry your own gear and food and use only businesses open to everyone, with nothing arranged ahead. No crews, pacers, food caches or rides, and friends and family shouldn't meet you on the trail.

Can you ride the Colorado Trail Race on your own?

Yes. Individual time trials are welcome any time except within 24 hours of the Group Start, in either direction, under the same rules. Ask the organizer if you want a Trackleaders link.

Is there cell service on the Colorado Trail?

Not everywhere. The rules warn of remote sections at high altitude where there's no cell service and help may be far away, so getting yourself out is likely your only option. Phones and GPS are allowed, though not required. Take the map offline before you start.

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Updated October 13, 2026. An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.