The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail spans some 3,100 miles across 5 states from Mexico to Canada. The trail travels through the Rocky Mountains, exploring a vast array of different environments and landscapes along the way. The New Mexico portion of the trail features 820 miles of diverse hiking from the desolate Chihuahuan Desert in the south, to the unique Canyons of the Gila River, to the Rocky Mountains in the north. Exploring the Continental Divide Trail can be done as a single thru hike that will take 4-6 months, or by section hiking smaller segments. In this guide we’ll look at New Mexico Section 4.
Section 4 begins at Highway 113. There is a water cache box maintained by the CDTC located just south of the highway. This section of the CDT is pretty barren, flat and hot. Shade is essentially impossible to find in all but one or two areas. The trail is also difficult to follow at times. If you lose the trail it is sometimes easier to just reference your map, pick a prominent landmark in the distance and head cross country for it, rather than stumbling around looking for the actual trail.
The trail is single track for a lot of this section and passes through lots of cow fields. There are a few cattle water tanks that provide water of questionable quality. Be sure to bring your filter!
After you cross the flat, barren cattle lands you’ll head toward Pyramid Peak. You’ll join a double track road and begin to climb slightly. The trail eventually skirts to the left of the prominent Pyramid Peak. The dirt road that the CDT follows leads beside water tanks and a couple of old bulldozers. You’ll then come to the fifth and final CDTC water cache box at Animas Rd.
There is then one more climb before the trail begins its gradual descent down toward Lordsburg. As you near town the landscape becomes littered with garbage in areas as locals apparently abuse this public land. I’d recommend not camping in this area.
Section 4 then ends at Highway 494, just shy of the town of Lordsburg.
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