Resupply on the Colorado Trail is fairly regular, but many towns are more then 10 miles off trail, and some of the hitches happen from remote locations with little traffic. Plan your resupply days accordingly! Resupply mileage is starting in Denver and heading to Durango. Here’s the full Colorado Trail profile.
Conifer (mile 17): 15 miles off trail
We don’t recommend hitching 15 miles to town after only walking 17 on trail, but if you must, Conifer offers shopping, accommodations, and a walk-in medical clinic capable of servicing minor injuries.
Buffalo Creek (mile 26.9): 3 miles off trail
With limited resupply options (post office and a tiny general store) and only 27 miles into the hike, Buffalo Creek is probably a better emergency bailout spot than it is a resupply point. But at only 3 miles off trail, the promise of a candy bar might be just attractive enough to warrant a 6-mile round trip road walk (or hitch if you are lucky).
Baily (mile 40.5): 8 miles off trail
This tiny town is 40 miles into the hike, and so might be attractive as a first stop. It offers a few expensive-ish lodging options, a post office, and a few restaurants. At 8 miles off trail, it isn’t a bad spot for a first mail drop, but don’t plan on doing a full grocery store resupply here.
Jefferson (mile 71): 5 miles off trail
Jefferson doesn’t have a lot going for it (post office, convenience-store style market, and church) but it has the advantage of being an easy hitch that’s only 5 miles off trail. If you are in a hurry, hit it up for a candy bar and a beer. If you have some time, consider Fairplay (below), which you can reach by hitching from the same spot.
Fairplay (mile 71.7): 20 miles off trail
Fairplay might be 20 miles off trail, but the Colorado Trail Association says it’s an easy hitch, and we believe them (they’ve never steered us wrong). You can get here from the same point on the trail as Jefferson, and we’d recommend it (because of the range of amenities) even though Fairplay is 15 miles farther off trail. You might consider resupplying at Fairplay and skipping the touristy bustle of Breckenridge – Fairplay is easily walkable and has all the amenities any hiker could ask for.
Breckenridge/Frisco (mile 104.4): 4 miles off trail
The best thing about these classic Colorado resort towns is their ease of access from the trail. Simply catch a free bus at the Goldhill Trailhead and 4 bus miles later you are enjoying hostels, restaurants, post offices, grocery stores, and whatever else you need. These are western resort towns, so get ready to pay 15 bucks for a breakfast burrito before you hit the trail in the morning. All told, Breck and Frisco are nice – but expensive – places to take a zero should you feel the need at mile 100.
Copper Mountain Resort (mile 119): basically on trail
Only 15 trail miles from Breck, you might be tempted to blow through Copper Mountain Resort without stopping for a burger or pizza at one of its restaurants. Don’t do this. Life is too short, and the trail too dusty, to ever pass up a chance for food and beer, especially if it’s on the trail. They have accommodations, and you can catch a free bus into Frisco or Breckenridge if you realize you forgot something.
Leadville: (mile 143): 8 to 11 miles off trail
You can get to Leadville from segments 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Colorado Trail. There are plenty of places to stay, food to eat, and things to do, so you may be tempted to hitch there more than once! It’s a long-ish hitch no matter which direction you come from, but the plethora of affordable hostels and the Leadville Outdoors and Mountain Market might be attractive if you or your gear needs a rest and a refresh.
Twin Lakes Village (mile 177): 1 mile off trail
Twin Lakes Village is basically just a general store (hiker owned) and some lodging at Twin Lakes Roadhouse Lodge and Cabins. But it’s only a mile off trail, which is more than reasonable for a soda, candy bar, and maybe a burger if they have the grill going. The store will hold hiker boxes, but the lodge only has 5 rooms, so you should probably plan in advance if you want to stay the night.
Buena Vista (mile 216): 10 miles off trail
At 10 miles off trail, Buena Vista isn’t the easiest hitch on the CT, but it isn’t the hardest either. It has All the Things, and plenty of lodging to boot. Grab some coffee at the Brown Dog Coffee Company or a beer at the Eddyline Restaurant Brew Pub. The downside is that there’s no hostel (the cheapest lodging is probably the Super 8, but you should check for yourself as prices are always fluctuating).
Mount Princeton Hot Springs (mile 230): on trail
The Mount Princeton Hot Springs resort has three things going for it. 1) It’s right on the trail. 2) It has maildrop availability and a tiny general store for resupply. 3) Did we mention hot springs? They’ve also got swimming pools, a lazy river, internet access, and restaurants. If you choose to stay the night, it will be one of your pricier Colorado Trail decisions. But it might be one of your most worthwhile.
Salida/Poncha Springs (mile 253): 15 miles off trail
Salida is about as close to the halfway point on the Colorado Trail as you can get and features a plethora of lodging options (at a range of prices), including the Salida Hostel and Woodland Motel on the lower end. There’s a post office, laundromat, Walmart, Safeway, and pretty much anything else you could ask for. It’s an excellent spot for a zero day because of its range of restaurants and amenities, but can sometimes be a tough hitch (it isn’t a straight shot into town).
Saguache (mile 302): 31 miles off trail
Saguache has a post office, lodging at the Orchard House and Big Valley Motel, and two restaurants (Mexican and pizza). Not a good spot to resupply if you are buying as you go (the Conoco offers standard gas-station fare), and a hard hitch. Perhaps only worth it if you need an unexpected zero, or don’t feel like walking around Gunnison (the hitch is from the same spot on the trail).
Gunnison (mile 302): 39 miles off trail
At 39 miles off the trail, Gunnison has the dubious distinction of being the longest hitch in our resupply guide. Unlike Saguache, it’s a big town with lots of breweries, bars, coffee shops, and all the normal hiker musts (laundry/post-office/grocery store). The Wanderlust Hostel provides reasonable accommodation, and there’s also a Holiday Inn, Quality Inn, and Days Inn and Suites if you want something a little more posh to wash off the trail dirt. Gunnison is fairly spread out, so it will take you a little more time and energy to walk around.
Creede (mile 343): 10 miles off trail
Creede has all the services you need, but getting there might be more trouble than it’s worth (especially with Molas Lake Campground only 60 miles away). You have to take a side trail from San Luis Pass down to Forest Service Road 503 and then follow the road into town (and remember you have to gain all that elevation back again). Both the Colorado Trail Databook and the Colorado Trail Association website indicate that finding a hitch along the forest service road will be easier on the weekends.
Lake City (mile 357): 17 miles off trail
This can be a tough hitch, but the trailhead parking lot is large, and finding a day-hiker leaving from the parking lot on a weekend might be pretty easy. Lake City is compact and easy to walk around, and features a full range of amenities, including a post office, laundromat, outfitter, and the Raven’s Rest Hostel.
Molas Lake Campground (mile 409): on trail
The Molas Lake campground offers an easy chance to resupply without adding extra miles to your trip, provided you don’t need a soft bed (the only accommodations are campgrounds) and are willing to ship your resupply box UPS as opposed to USPS. Grocery items are limited (the stuff you tend to find in campground stores), but they do have a shower.
Silverton (mile 411): 6 miles off trail
Silverton is the last good resupply point before you get to Durango, so make sure you stock up on 80 miles worth of food. It is a popular tourist town with an Old West flair. There are a few burger places, a grocery store, a post office, a laundromat, and the Silverton Inn and Hostel. It’s an easy 6-mile hitch into town, or you can flag down the Durango and Silverton narrow-gauge train in segment 24 and get into town that way. It’s the coolest hitch you’ll ever make, we promise.