The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) has released the results of a 2025 survey as part of the organization’s community-centric conservation efforts. Communities in five Rocky Mountain states ranked public lands and waters as having the most impact on quality of life, according to the recently released Continental Divide Trail Community Survey.
CDTC’s mission is to complete, protect, and elevate the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail while engaging in and inspiring stewardship of the trail and its surrounding landscapes.
“We are thankful for community members, partners and other stakeholders who want to openly share their experiences and connection with the CDT, and how they envision the trail integrating with their community in the future,” said L Fisher, CDTC director of trail programs. “The responses from this survey will serve not only to inform CDTC’s work in the future, but also provide information to towns, counties, states and sovereign nations about the potential benefit of a connection to the CDT for their communities.”
Stewardship of the 3,100-mile CDT is a collaborative, community-centric effort with federal agencies working alongside tribes, trail organizations, 23 designated Gateway Communities, volunteers and others. The CDTC actively works with partners and volunteers across the five states that encompass the CDT: Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and New Mexico.
The 2025 CDT Community Survey is the first of its kind from the CDTC, expanded from a Small Business Survey, and sought insights from all members of the CDT communities about their connection to the CDT and public lands. Conducted in the fall of 2025, the survey gathered more than 600 responses, including responses from nearly 100 business owners along the CDT. Input from communities and stakeholders shared perspectives on trail protection, trail access, community connection and trail information resources.
Some key takeaways from the survey include:
“Improving the quality of life in my community” was the top-ranked impact that public lands and waters have on communities along the Divide.
96 percent of respondents agreed that “the outdoor recreation economy is important for the future well-being of my community.”
95 percent of respondents support completion of the CDT.
85 percent of small business owners associated future growth in popularity of the CDT with business growth.
78 percent of small business owners said that trail users have a positive impact on their business.
The 2025 Community Survey can be found at http://cdtcoalition.org/2025-survey.
The CDTC will host a virtual Community Summit November 9 and 10 to share findings from the survey and provide workshops on how communities can leverage the CDT and strengthen their connection to the trail.
Colorado ‘Gateway Communities’ include Grand Lake, Lake City, Leadville, Pagosa Springs, Salida, South Fork, Steamboat Springs and Winter Park.
“These are dynamic times for our public lands, and these responses provide a snapshot of the shifting public land management landscape and impacts at a local level,” said Fisher. “The CDT touches every aspect of a community, from supporting small businesses to promoting healthy lifestyles to providing a classroom and a training ground for the next generation of stewards. To see the data and testimonials reflect the positive impact that the CDT is having in communities clearly demonstrates how central keeping places like the Divide protected, accessible, and wild is to the culture in the Rocky Mountain West.”