The CDT in Colorado turned into a total zoo in just 5 years

I re-hiked a 50 mile section near Silverton that I did back in 2019 and the difference was insane. Trail was twice as wide, campsites were trashed, and I saw 30+ people a day compared to maybe 5 last time. Anyone else notice popular stretches getting hammered that fast?

2 comments

2 Comments

clark.iris12d ago

Honestly that's exactly what I saw on the Collegiate East loop last summer. I did it in 2018 and it was quiet and peaceful, then went back in 2023 and it was like a highway with people every few minutes. Campsites were all beat up with fire rings and trash everywhere, really sad to see. The trail itself was torn up with all the foot traffic, mudholes and eroded sections that weren't there before. Social media ruined a lot of these spots, everyone posting their reels and now everyone wants to go. Ngl I'm starting to look for less popular trails entirely just to get away from the crowds.

jesse77312d ago

Used to think people were overreacting about how fast trails change. Then I did the Four Pass Loop near Aspen in 2022 after skipping it for six years. Came across a spot where people had piled up rocks to make a damn fire pit right under a cliff that was almost falling apart. Saw maybe forty people in one afternoon, half of them blasting music from speakers. That section near Silverton you mentioned, I went through it last August and the trail was basically a muddy trench. Hard to argue it's not getting wrecked when you see it with your own eyes.