Waterton, Canada-- 0(northern terminus) Compact tourist town
Grocery: small to medium, easy to resupply, pricey since it is a resort town
PO: yes
Camping: cg with showers, fee
Lodging: big fancy lodge, cabins, etc
Laundry: ???
Library: ???
Restaurants: many, plus ice cream shops
Special notes: This is an actual little town with churches, movie theater etc

St. Mary, MT--(on Hwy 89 between East Glacier & Canadian border) Compact NP area with visitor center
Grocery: medium store, pricey since in GNP...largest of 3 stores in GNP, open year round
Lodging: big fancy lodge, cabins
Restaurants:  Park Cafe has awesome berry pies ala-mode
Special notes: as sobos we stopped at the visitor center here for permits, we were told to do this because they have a computer which makes the reservation process quicker & easier.  It cost us around $35 to get through the park.  For sobos you will be limited to non-winter-status campsites if you don't carry a bear canister.  This was not a problem in 2003 which was an average snowfall year.  It is possible to resupply here halfway through the park by hitching down Going to the Sun road or by hiking 4.5 miles via a side trail.

East Glacier, MT --104(on trail E)  Marias Pass, compact tourist town, most everything on main strip
Grocery: Glacier Park Trading Co, pricey small store, can resupply if not picky. the trading post has health food.
Gas Station: Exxon has power bars & heet
PO: 59434, (406)226-5534
Camping: Y&R RV Park has coin laundry & coin showers (bring lots of quarters)
Lodging: big fancy lodge, hotels, Backpacker Inn Hostel.  There are cheap cabins behind the Serrano's restaurant.
Restaurants: several
Internet access at general store
Special notes: Amtrak goes directly to East Glacier & is across from main strip

Glacier Park Campstores--open seasonally from approx. June 10-Sept 5th
Rising Sun Campstore: on Going to the Sun road, north side of St Mary's Lake
Two Medicine Campstore: just outside Two Medicine Campground, pricey small campstore with cookies, chips, candy bars, mac & cheese

Augusta, MT--(30 miles E) on gravel road, we didn't go here but will next time
Grocery: Allen's Manix Store, (406)562-3333
PO: 59410, (406)562-3370
Camping & Lodging: Wagon's West Motel & RV
Restaurants: Mel's Diner, Mtn Pizza Pie Co
Special notes: this is a gravel road that dead-ends at a campground so there is little traffic, but it is still not hard to get a ride.
OR...
A popular alternative is to send a package to
Benchmark Ranch--237 which is 1.5 miles from the trail (406)562-3336.  They charge a $20 holding fee, are unreliable and you have to burn your own garbage afterward...what a deal!  For southbounders the ranch is not open yet & some hikers had problems receiving or finding their hidden packages.  The ranch may be changing ownership from parents to kids which is why we didn't list the address.  Call ahead & if you choose this option ask lots of questions over the phone, send the package early & list an ETA that is a week before you plan on arriving.  It would have been cheaper, easier and would have taken less time for us to go into town.  There was an amazing stash of food from previous hikers that never showed up. You may be able to get a shower if you want to. 


Lincoln, MT--291.5 Stemple pass--(20 miles W from Rogers pass on Hwy 200, or 15 miles W from Stemple Pass on Stemple Pass Rd--low traffic on Stemple Pass rd. option.) compact town with almost everything on main strip
Grocery: Blackfoot Market, Main St.  Owned by the Potter's who have been helpful to hikers and bikers when able.
Grocery: D&D Foodtown, Main St, small-med store.  There is also a convenience store in town.
PO: 59639, (406)362-4523, on main st
Camping: Hooper City Park & CG, on left side of main st as you enter town, $6, restrooms, no showers
Lodging: many
Restaurants: many, but ask around for a good one
Laundry: Huckleberry RV/Trailer Court, look for sign on rt side of main st, has shower in back room
Library: on main & 9th
NB call Glacier
Dont pass up the Boot burger in Lincoln.... Lincoln: A reasonable hitch from Rogers Pass.  Not much besides hotels, restaurants and a PO. It took forever to get a ride back to the pass.

Helena, MT--357.5 (15 miles E. of McDonald Pass on hwy 12) big city, very spread out
Grocery: Thriftway Supermarket, on Hwy 12 about 1.5 miles from edge of town
PO: 500 N. Last Chance Gulch St, 59601, (406)443-8373
Lodging: many
Restaurants: many
Outfitter: Base Camp  333 N Last Chance Gulch St, Helena, MT 59601 (406) 443-5360
Showers: check at rec center across from Thriftway
Special note: this town is very spread out, but everything a hiker needs is available on the west edge of town on Hwy 12.  This is definitely the best option for shop-as-u-go.
OR...
Elliston, MT--(7 miles W. of McDonald Pass)
Grocery: Elliston store, 10 Hwy 12 W, convenience store
PO: Hwy 12 W, 59728, (406)492-6644
Lodging: Last Chance Motel
Special note: Elliston is closer, but the hitch either way on McDonald pass is a bit tough since cars are going 70mph.  The PO is probably more convenient however and may be the better option if you plan to send a package.

Butte, MT--(varies depending where you go in from.  10 miles SW from Elk park pass on I-15,  5.5 miles NW from Homestake Pass on I-90,  16 miles N from Deer Lodge Pass on I-15) large town
Grocery: Safeway Supermarket, 2500 Massachusetts Ave seems like the easiest one to get to
PO: 701 Dewey Blvd, 59701, (406)497-2107
This was once the largest town in MT.  I know there is camping south of Butte. Don't forget to visit the Berkekly Pit, the #1 EPA superfund site!
Special note: you can hitch in from Int 15, Int 90 or Hwy 2.  Hitching from Interstates can be really tough.  We did not go in here so we are not familiar with the ease/difficulty of resupplying.  We took the Anaconda cutoff because it logistically seemed easier to do a walk-thru town stop.  Other hikers may have more insight on the Butte route.

Anaconda, MT--416.5 [We took Anaconda cut-off  - Official route is much longer]  (17 miles via Hwy 274 OR walk thru on Anaconda cutoff),  somewhat spread out
Grocery: Albertsons Supermarket, 1300 E. Park Ave
Grocery: Safeway Supermarket, 1525 W. Park Ave; the two grocery stores are over a mile apart
PO: 218 Main St, 59711, (406)563-2241, located in center of town, convenient to restaurants
Camping: Washoe Park has pavilion or Big Sky RV Park has showers, laundry & camping
Lodging: many
Restaurants: Stageline Pizza is good, Donovans has best b-fast in town, plus several others
Laundry: Daily Coin Laundry, 321 W. Park Ave, also has a small grocery
Library: 401 Main St, near PO free internet
I loved Anaconda! There is again everything you need and the people are so friendly, even by MT standards.  There are several gear shops but they dont have a great selection (Missoula is the best be if you really need something). 
Special notes: movie theater near PO.  Hitching in via 274 may be really tough as there is very little traffic.


Salmon, ID--(55 miles, Lost Trail Pass W), easy to get around town  agreed, salmon is a good time, the food is very solid and there is fresh beer!  There are great hotsprings all around the area if you have wheels.   I had the best time in Salmon.  If you stay at the Center City Motel, everything is within a few blocks and  the long ride in and out of town was pretty cool.  Don't forget to have a few at the Owl Club which had live music when we were there and Bertram's Micro brewery.Bertram’s Belly Buster Burger was the best on the trail.  Here's a description: The ultimate double home made patty smothered in mushrooms, onions, peppers and bacon sautéed in Bertram’s Mt. Borah Brown Ale and then topped with provolone cheese.  With fries $7.95  It was huge!  It is kind of far from Cheif Joesph pass and I heard stories of how difficult the hitch was. I would suggest Sula. But Salmon really has alot more resources to draw on, like a full grocery store, hotels, a PO, a brew-pub, etc.
Grocery: Jubilee Foods, 512 Main St, medium market has all you need.
PO: 600 Shoup St, 83467, (208)756-2410
Camping: Century II CG & RV park, 603 Hwy 93 N., showers
Lodging: yes
Restaurants: a few
Laundry: 519 Union Ave
Library: 204 Main St
Special notes: we were told to go here, that it has all a hiker needs...and it did. There is a community transit bus that will give you a ride back to the trail for 7 dollars.
OR...
Wisdom, MT-- 512.5 (25 miles, Chief Joseph Pass Hwy 43 or93 E- hard hitch) SOBO call Yellowstone 307-344-2160/3, we didn't go here but have the following info...
Grocery: Wisdom Market, Main St & Hwy 43, (406)689-3271, don't know about selection
PO: 200 Main St, 59761 (406)689-3224
Lodging: Sandman Motel & Nez Perce Motel
Restaurants: Big Hole Crossing and Fetty's Bar & Cafe
OR....
Sula (first going west 1 mile on MT 43 to Lost Trail Pass then 12.5 miles north on US 93) I highly reccommend Sula, a much shorter hitch than Salmon from cheif  jo/lost trail pass. Lots of amenities, including koa w hot tub.  Sula: I went here from Cheif Joseph pass. . The gas station there has typical c-store food and also a small cafeteria. There is a USFS office there.

Gibbonsville, ID (1 mile to Lost Trail Pass then 13 miles south on US 93 and what looks to be a 1 mile east on a side road)

>From Chief Joseph Pass, there are three basic options for
maildrop/resupply/stayover (well, O.K. four perhaps):

a) Wisdom, MT (going east 25 miles on MT 43)
b) Sula, MT
c) Gibbonsville, ID (1 mile to Lost Trail Pass then 13 miles south on US 93
and what looks to be a 1 mile east on a side road)
d) Salmon, ID (1 mile to Lost Trail Pass then 45 miles south on US 93)

Wisdom has traditionally been the most popular option for thru-hikers.  It has a concentrated collection of motels, restaurants, laundromat, PO, small grocery, free camping somewhere around town (for the cost-conscious). However, traffic on 43 is light so getting back and forth may take more time than usual.  US 93 would appear to have more traffic on it than 43.  David recommends using either Gibbonsville or Sula.  He relays that the lady
running the Mexican restaurant in Gibbonsville is willing (perhaps eager?) to accept maildrop packages (P.O. in Lynne's video is closed and there is no grocery).  Lodging available there in the form of cabins, tentsites, or Lost Trail Inn Motel/Tavern.  Going to Sula to its P.O., halfway there is the Lost Trail Natural Hot Springs Resort which will hold packages and has a small store, not to mention restaurant and lodging (possibly pricey?).
(David mentioned a "KOA" campground; is this the same place?)  At Sula itself, there is a country store, restaurant, and RV campground; the P.O. is another 1.5 miles N (further along US 93) from the center of town.  Salmon has everything but far away so confidence in being picked up is necessary.

Tendoy, ID (13 miles W at lemhi Pass on road to 28)
Post Office  Highway 28 # 35, Tendoy, ID 83468  (800) 275-8777

Leadore, ID-- 512.5 (15 miles Bannock Pass dirtroad/29?? S- hard hitch), ultra-compact and ultra-friendly town
Be sure to visit Deb's Sagebrush Cafe!
Grocery: Stage Stop Grocery, small but owners try to keep what hikers need
PO: 83464, (208)768-2285
Camping: Rodeo grounds 0.4 N of town has $3 camping, $3 showers and a new showerhouse
Lodging: yes
Restaurants: Sagebrush Cafe & Silver Dollar Cafe
Library: on Galena St
Special notes: Pronounced lead (like what they mine) and ore.

Lima, MT-- 738.6(16 miles town:Monida I-15 NW or? Dobois,ID I-15 S), compact town
Grocery: Exxon Gas Station has a small mini-mart.  We were told it was not an option for resupply and sent a package but found oatmeal, cereal, peanut butter, honey, crackers, chips, nuts, candy & granola bars, liptons and mac & cheese.  We consider this totally do-able and would use it as a resupply next time.
PO: 700 Peat St, 59739, (406)276-3515
Lodging: Sportsman Inn & RV, we camped here & showered for a reasonable fee, check on paying for a ride back to the trail.
Restaurants: Peat Bar & Steak (grill your own), Jan's Cafe & Cabins
Special notes: Prounounced like lima bean.  To get to Lima you essentially have to hitch from the interstate.  People traveling 70mph are less likely to stop for you, but we found breaking up the long stretch well worth the effort to go into town. SB call Yellowstone-307-344-2160

West Yellowstone, MT--(9 miles from official route), we planned on going here, but didn't...long story
Grocery: Food Roundup, Dunraven St and on Iris St
Grocery: Market Place, Madison Ave
PO: 209 Grizzly Ave, 59758, (406)646-7704
Lodging: several; West Yellowstone Int Hostel, 139 Yellowstone Ave
Restaurants: many
Laundry: a couple
Library: 220 Yellowstone Ave
Outfitters: Madison River Outfitters -117 Canyon, West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (406) 646-9644, Flying Pig Camp Store  US Highway 89, Gardiner, MT 59030 (406) 848-7510,  Jacklin's Outfitters-105 Yellowstone Ave, West Yellowstone, MT 59758  (406) 646-7336
Small Coop in the Health Club,
Special note: circumstances forced us to backtrack and go to Macks Inn after getting 1/2 way to West Yellowstone.  The official route was nice and well marked as far as we went.  This is a much better shop-as-u-go town, plus it has a backcountry office to make reservations for the park if southbound.
OR...
Macks Inn, ID-809 (on trail...Jim Wolf route), compact resort area
Grocery: Gas station mini-mart and a campstore, tough but do-able if really not picky and southbound
PO: 83433
Camping: yes
Lodging: yes, but may be tough to get a room
Restaurants: one, but open all day and has icecream parlor
Laundry: laundromat with pay showers
Special notes: the trail north of town is a busy gravel road and bushwack.  West Yellowstone is a much better shop-as-u-go town and it will be beneficial to make Yellowstone reservations while there.  There was no camping within 8 miles of Old Faithful Village when we got there and we were forced to do 25-30 mile itinerarys through the park.  Reservations...(307)344-2160.
 W. Yellowstone isn't really necessary, Mack's Inn should do.

Old Faithful Village, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY-846 (on trail Grand Loop Rd.), resort area
Grocery: 2 decent but pricey campstores
PO: Yellowstone NP, Old Faithful Village, WY 82190, (307)545-7252.  If you send a pkg, see if ours from July 2003 has arrived yet.
Camping: why would a national park have a hiker-biker site...that would be crazy!
Lodging: $150 a night and only if there is a cancellation
Restaurants: yes
Showers: available for $3 at Old Faithful Lodge which includes soap, shampoo & a towel!
 There is also a selection of outdoor gear here and of groceries. I hear that one can get a shower without a room at the lodge. If you meet the right people here you will have a great time! Grants Village is another place in the park you could possibly stop and stay or eat. The best pizza on the trail we found here, lakeside. Forget about internet here.
If you really  need some gear or something check around in Old Faithful or ask some park employees if any one is going to Bozeman (Boze-Angeles as they say). They are the best friends you could hope for.
Special note: don't leave anything lying around here, not even your food bag with a few grandma cookies in it because psycho food bag thiefs will steal it AND the honeybear in it that is 3 states away from getting it's Triple Crown!  But do ignore the craze of tourists, check out the gysers and listen for the people with radios...these are gyser gazers (aka: gyser geezers cause most are retirees).  They will radio each other when gysers are in E1 stage (first stages of eruption) etc..  It is really quite fascinating.


Dubois, WY--932.6 (40 miles SE at Togwotee Pass on 26/287), medium sized tourist town & home of the Big Horn Sheep Interpretive Center.  Easy to get around town as most places are on the main strip.
Grocery: Dubois Super Food, 610 Ramshorn St, large grocery.  There is another small grocery as well as a few gas stations.
PO: 804 W. Ramshorn St, 82513, (307)455-2735
Camping: Circle Up Camp Court, large RV & camping place right in town
Lodging: several
Restaurants: several
Library: 202 N. 1st St
Showers: you can take showers at the RV park, or if you're cheap like us the carwash works too!
Outfitters: Many
We had a whole lot of fun here. There are fun bars, good food, cheap camping with showers and a pool and free internet and phone access at the Library. It cant be beat! Cheap good milkshakes here too! Not to mention sudries!
[We ended up going directly to Togotee Lodge via side trail.  A better  route would be to go to Togwottee Pass and hitch into Dubois.] (38) All services. Could go to Brooks Lake Lodge ( No services) near Togottee Pass - maildrop only.
Special notes: folks from Wyoming aren't French, Dubois is pronounced liked duh-boys.  Togwotee Pass (which is the best place to hitch from) is pronounced Toe-getty.  And this town has a thing for big fiberglass animal structures.   North bound-call yellowstone 307-344-2160/3

Big Sandy Lodge/ The Place 1056.6: I highly reccommend against resupplying here, they charge a $25 fee to hold a package and none of the $ goes toward meals/showers as it did in the past.  The contact info is... 8 Spotted Trail Circle, Rock Springs, WY 82901, (307)382-6513.  You need to call ahead and pay ahead.  They will send you a receipt which you should send with your package because if you don't have it they'll make you pay again.  They don't take credit/debit cards.  If we did it again we would go into Pinedale as it splits the distance more evenly and allows for more options through the Winds.  The Wind Rivers are one of the crown jewels of the CDT and worth spending extra time in.
Pinedale, WY: (15 miles from Elkhart Park Trailhead), we didn't go here but would next time
Grocery: Faler's Thriftway, 341 E Pine St
PO: 413 W Pine St, 82941, (307)367-2650
Camping: Pinedale Campground, 204 Jackson, has showers
Lodging: several
Restaurants: several
Special Notes: this is reportedly a tourist town with full amenities.  The CDT doesn't go to Elkhart Park TH, but a short alternate will get you there without backtracking.  Many hikers opt to carry food from Dubois to Lander which limits your side-hike options in the Wind Rivers. One feasable option that we discovered because a fire forced us to reroute in the Winds is a little bar/restaurant/cabins called "The Place". Their address is probably Pinedale, WY. The owner was a nice guy. There are phones, food and beer there. Definately a nice oasis if you're coming NB beacuse you've been in the middle of nowhere for so long.

Atlantic city,WY--1112  4.5 miles NE at South Pass on hwy 28  There isn't a post office there - the nearest post office is in South Pass.  There is a bar called "Atlantic City Mercantile" which accepts maildrops (100 E Main St
Lander, WY Phone: (307) 332-5143) but you can't send anything out. There was a B&B, a motel and two bar/restaurants when we passed through.  One restaurant did breakfast and lunch, the other lunch and dinner.  There is no gas/alcohol there for fuel and no grocery, though one of the bars sold aspirin, toothpaste and such.  We bought a pound of cheese from the restaurant.  Doing it again, I would do the maildrop at South Pass (the postmistress is very nice), have lunch at AC and camp by the Sweetwater.    Some nice rentable A-frames also, rented through therestaurant (The Merchantile).  The Mercantile is a bar/restaurant - with really good hamburgers, a few candy bars and lots of beer.   There's a pay phone out front with the traffic, mosquitoes and dust.  Not a lot of traffic though - except for the tourons and they're only there during the day.  Alternately, I'd go to Lander, despite the very long hitch.

Lander, WY (40 miles-NE from South Pass on 28), we didn't go here because we were taking time off in Laramie, but it is reported to have everything and be a great town to take a day off in.
Grocery: Safeway Supermarket, W Main St
PO: 230 Grandview Dr, 82520, (307)332-2126
Camping: in city park
Lodging: yes
Restaurants: yes
Library: 451 N 2nd St
Outfitter: Wild Iris Mountain Sports (307) 332-4541  333 W Main St
Lander is an excellent place to get any goods you might need, NOLS  headquarters is there. It is a mecca of dehydrated food but it is a long  hitch. get trail bars @ outdoor shops
You could also hitch to Jackson. Nice free camping in the City Park, walking distance to pretty much all you need.  Worth it if you can get there. You could hike there from the Cirque of the Towers for a nice side trip, if you could spare the time.

*South Pass City( on trail) is an option that many people use as a maildrop.  The zipcode there is 82520.  It is a very unique town as the old South Pass City has been purchased by the state as a historic site.  The PO is in the old mercantile which has a few expensive candies for tourists to buy.  The new part of town has a little shop with some sodas and candy bars as well, but it cannot be used for a resupply.  There are no restaurants.  Stock up on water from Willow Creek because there is no tap water available and it is hot & dry for a good long way.  Definately a worthwhile stop. It is essentially a ghost town, only 2 people live there year arround. But as the place is a state park or something because they have refurbished the old late 1800's gold mining town. I thought it was super cool. The general store (among other buildings) is fully functional and is also the PO! Since the store is open on on Sunday so is the PO. The general store only sells candy and soda. There is another small store outside the refubished area that has some other things like cips and ice cream and you can also get a cash advance on your credit/debit card there! There are no real public phones though you can use the ones in the state park office if you use a calling card or something. There is nothing else here.


Jeffrey City  7 miles N from East Rim on 287/789 Crooks Gap rd.?  Jeffery city is a s#!t hole!! Pardon my french! It is placed nicely to grab a resupply (because there are some very dry stretches just north of there that are best if you can do fast and light) but make sure you're not waiting around there for very long. The locals are scarry... What a place... it was kinda depressing. It used to be a thriving uranium town, now it is a lot of borded over buildings. I don't know how they justify keeping the PO open. There is some camping or hotel or something. The main draw is the bar/ restaurant but don't look for good service. This is a decent hitch down Crooks Gap road, and it's about twice as far (14 miles) as J. Ley has marked on his maps

Wamsutter   (on trail west rim hwy 80 E)
Post Office:  302 Broadway St, Wamsutter, WY 82336  (800) 275-8777
Resturants: Little Carryout & Catering  493 Mccormick St, Wamsutter, WY 82336 (307) 324-2425  Broadway Cafe    315 Broadway St, Wamsutter, WY 82336 (307) 324-7830

Rawlins, WY--1233 (on trail W of East Rim on 80), large spread out town.
Grocery: City Market Foods Supermarket, N Higley, Discount Grocery, great deals, 1/2 Mile E of PO
PO: 106 8th St, 82301, (307)324-3521
Camping: a few RV parks on west side of town
Lodging: several
Restaurants: several
Laundry: Wash & Dry, 515 15th St
Library: 215 W Buffalo
This is the town of the buffet and of incredulous waitresses! Basically everything you need is here except possibly outdoor gear. Be warned that the only Laundymats are on the west side of town and you may have to walk alot to do laundry if you get a hotel over by the Kroger grocery store. Make sure you stop by the BLM office on the north end of town before you head north to get the water info.
Special notes: Supposed to be new routing north of town that keeps hikers off the highway.  South of town, there is no potable water available at any of the reservoirs, the water is saline and undrinkable.  You don't have water southbound until Sage Creek if you walk 71 (Sage Creek Rd) or until Muddy Creek if you go via Bridger Pass.

Encampment, WY (12 miles E at Battle pass on 70), very small compact town
Grocery: Kuntzman's, 702 Freeman Ave, very small.  Must be creative and not picky.
PO: 622 McCaffrey Ave, 82325, (307)327-5747.
Camping: Encampment River CG
Restaurants: a couple
Special notes: hitching is illegal in Wyoming so don't stick your thumb out in front of the law and try to get to the edge of town when you do it.

Steamboat Springs, CO--1359  (14 miles W via Rabbit Ears Pass on 40 or 13 miles S via Buffalo Pass on FR- 310), large spread-out town
Grocery: Safeway Supermarket, Hwy 40 on eastern edge of town.
PO: 200 Lincoln Ave, 80477, (970)870-3001
Lodging: many, but will be pricey
Restaurants: many
Laundry: 235 Lincoln Ave
Library: 1289 Lincoln Ave
Tons of fun. This is a great place to just chill out to recover from or prepare for Colorado. Free internet in the library. Did not find the selection of outdoor gear I was expecting but it is decent. There are sometimes free concerts at Slopeside in the summer. I don't know if there is camping in town. I think there is a KOA just west of town and the bus runs out there but they told us they were full on the phone. We camped at the highschool! I have a good waypoint for the spot. You can get showers at the hotsprings not to mention a good soak. This was about the only place I found a malt on the trail. 
Special note: everything you need if you shop is on the eastern edge of town.  There is a supermarket, Walmart, Ski Haus outfitter, Subway, pizza place etc.

Grand Lake, CO--1457.6 (on trail hwy 34), compact tourist town
Grocery: Circle D Foods, 701 Grand Ave, medium store, pricey but good resupply
Grocery: Mountain Food Market, 400 Grand Ave, medium store, pricey
PO: 520 Center Dr, 80447, (970)627-3340
Lodging: Shadowcliff Hostel is right on the trail and is awesome, has internet access
Restaurants: many really good restaurants
Laundry: right by Circle D Foods

Boulder/Berthoud Pass : This is probably the most convenient place to drop out of the mountains to the front range. Boulder has lots of gear stores and anything else you could want except camping. Though it should be easy to do some renegade camping in chataqua or south of that if you are determined.
 

Silverthorne, CO--1543.6 (on trail via Wolf Route), large town
Grocery: City Market Supermarket, US Hwy 6 (south of I-70)
PO: 390 Brian Ave, 80498, (970)513-1629
Lodging: several motels; Alpen Hutte Lodging Hostel, 471 Rainbow Dr
Restaurants: several
Laundry: Suds Ur Duds at Summit Place Shopping Ctr, showers also
Library: 471 Center Circle
Free bus to neighboring towns.
I reccommend Silverton from stony pass. Silverton is a quintessential mountain town, try the hostel for a unique experience. I love silverton.
Special note: though not on the CDTA route, the route through town has long been preferred by thru-hikers.  This route follows good trail, walks right through a town with all amenities and eliminates a hitch.  When you pass Copper Mtn Ski area south of Silverthorne, there are some restaurants to get a meal at (great pizza place).  The CDT joins the Colorado Trail from here on south.  The CT has been rerouted onto the ski slope and is no longer on the bike path through Copper Mtn.
Thru-hikers!  Just want to send out the word that I will be around in CO most of the summer. I pay rent on a place in Silverthorne. Any thru hiker is welcomed to contact me if they need a respite from the trail and a shower.There's also a bbq and a hottub. I'll be working MWF june-july so I should be mostly flex with when you come through.  I hiked the CDT nobo last year, had a great time. Hope I can pass some trail magic along this year.
Just call 720 323 0680. Take the # with you!!  See you high in CO!!, James.


Twin Lakes, CO--1620.6  (on trail), very small compact town
Grocery: Twin Lakes General Store, extremely small store for the really creative and non-picky
PO: 81251, (719)486-2196, in the General Store, has a hiker box
Restaurants: great one next to General Store
Lodging: Nordic Inn
Laundromat 8 mi down road at Motel.
There really aint much here. There is a small general store and a restaurant that keeps very odd hours. There are a couple hotels/bed and breakfeasts. We bought cokes at a hotel because when we got there everthing was closed. I wouldn't count on much. We got lucky and found a couple who gave us water. We camped illegally in the NFS park right in town... that is lame.
Special note: The store is very limited, but a resupply can be done.  It would be extremely beneficial if family or friends sent you a care package here with breakfast and snack items.  If you get here and find it doesn't work you can always hitch to:
Leadville  an easy hitch from Tennessee Pass.  Of all the towns in CO, I think I like Leadville the best.
Leadville has a post office, Lodging, Meals, large grocery store,and laundrymat.   It is the highest incorporated town in the US at 10,000 something, Doc Holiday shoot his last man there.  The Leadville Hostel was great, very lax and Wild Bill will cook a serious breakfast for 5 or more, at $5 per and give you a free ride back to the trail.
 One thing you may consider is buying the small amount of food you need at the Twin Lakes store and resupplying in Leadville since it's so close.


Salida, CO--1693 (20 miles NE on hwy 50 from Monarch Pass)
Grocery: Walmart Supercenter, on Hwy 50 on W edge of town
PO: 310 D St, 81201, (719)539-2548
Camping: Wilderness Expeditions RV & CG, across Hwy 50 from Walmart, $17 includes showers
Lodging: several cheap motels
Restaurants: Country Bounty, 1/2 mile E of Walmart.  There was also good pizza.
Library: 405 E St
Showers: at the pool, 1/2 mile E of Walmart
Special note: Monarch Pass has a visitor center with deli and snack items (candy bars, granola bars, cookies).  You cannot resupply from here, but they have accepted packages for hikers.  We do not have the contact information for this.

Creede, CO (10 miles  from San Luis Pass on 149--1788 or 35 miles E from Spring Creek Pass--1803 or walk thru on the Creed Cutoff.  Creede Cut-off  cuts off about 100 miles from this section.
(Donít take it unless weather is really bad, this is a beautiful stretch of mountains.) ( 20 miles S on 149 from Spring Creek Pass, )
very small compact town
Grocery: Kentucky Belle Market, 156 Creede Ave, medium market
PO: 10 S Main St, 81130, (719)658-2615
Camping: the town is surrounded by Nat'l Forest
Lodging: several b&bs, will be busy until Labor Day due to tourists
Restaurants: Mac's Old Mine, pizza & bar; Journeys has good b-fast; plus a few others
Laundry: Creede Laundromat, 101 E Fifth
Library: on Main St
Outfitter: San Juan Sports, on Main St
Special notes: everything you need is on main st, very easy to get around in and a very friendly town.
OR...
Lake City--1803 (20 miles W from Spring Creek Pass), reportedly more spread out than Creede
Grocery: Country Store, 916 N. Hwy 149; also have the Lake City market
PO: 803 Gunnison Ave, 81235, (970)944-2560
Camping: reportedly has a campground
Lodging: several b&bs
Restaurants: several
Laundry: the Wash of Lake City, 325 Silver St
Library: 221 Silver St
OR....
Silverton from near Stony Pass was enjoyable, a quintesential mountian town. The hostel was a "twin peaks" knid of experiance.  If you need it you can probably manage to find it in Silverton. Telluride isn't too far (as the crow flies) if you can make it there around the summer solstice for a little bluegrass


Pagosa Springs, CO (25 miles W on 160 from Wolf Creek Pass), medium town that is spread out
Grocery: City Market Supermaket, 755 San Juan Dr
PO: 250 Hot Springs Blvd, 81147, 970-264-5440; this is out of the way
Lodging: motel & camping on east side of town, other motels in town
Restaurants: several
Library: 811 San Juan Dr, just past the City Market
Movie Theater: on Pagosa St near outfitter
Outfitter: Pagosa Sports, 432 Pagosa St
Special notes: there is a hot spring pool almost right under the bridge that you can get in for free

Chama, NM--1995 (12 miles, 8 miles SW on 17 from Cumbres Pass), this town has 2 sections...old & new that are about 1 mile apart
Grocery: Chama Valley Supermarket, 2451 S. Hwy 84 & 64, large market
Grocery: Dollar General, right on main strip
PO: 199 W 5th St, 87520, (505)756-2240
Camping: Twin Rivers RV, CG and laundromat, behind grocery, has showers
Lodging: several
Restaurants: Fosters motel, Branding Iron motel, the Donut Stop has good b-fast, Dairy Queen right across from grocery store, plus others
Laundry: Twin Rivers RV; Speed Queen laundromat on Pine St is 0.4 out of town
Library: on 4th St inside the City Hall community building
Chama: Internet access and email at library, courtesy of Bill Gates.  Post Office is on 5th Street near town center; so is bank with ATM, and Foster's Hotel.  South end of town has several good restaurants, a good grocery, campground with laundromat, mini-mart, and several motels.  North end has a laundromat, and campground; about .75 miles north of Foster's.  Chama Suites is non-smoking, has free breakfast, and may be talked into transporting to / from Cumbres Pass.
Special notes: the old section of town is the east side and has lodging, Dollar Store, library, PO, drug store and restaurants; the west side of town has the grocery, campground, lodging, visitor center, Dairy Queen and restaurants.  The grocery store here has powdered goats milk...give it a try!

*Ghost Ranch Conference Center--2080 
If you hike the Carson NF route (which you should unless you like to chance death along a paved highway for 40 miles), you will go right through Ghost Ranch.  It is owned by the Presbyterian Church and operates as a learning center and artistic retreat for families.  This is the only ranch that doesn't charge a holding fee for packages, which makes it actually worth sending one.  This is a little slice of heaven on earth.  The folks here are wonderful, there is a cafeteria that serves 3 meals a day, a little shop you can get a few pricey snacks at, and there is a library you are welcome to use 24 hours a day.  No internet.  You can camp here and take showers, there may be a fee.  This is one of the two places that we would still send a package to.  Contact information is (505)685-4333.  Call ahead to confirm that they will hold your package.  Address is HC77 Box 11, Abiquiu, NM  87510.
Ghost Ranch (Abiquiu):
AYCE meals [limited hours], laundry, shower, camping, lodging, library [no Internet], hiker-friendly.  Mail drop available; also Coke and snack machines.  Content of e-mail received 20031231:  "To whom it may concern:
 I just wanted to pass on some information regarding the Abiquiu area adjacent to Ghost Ranch and the CDT.  My name is Eric Garner and I am the Lead Park Ranger for the US Army Corps of Engineers at Abiquiu Lake.  We have some basic facilities here at the lake (nice restrooms with showers, campsites, interpretive trails and programs, and a new visitor center) that folks many might want to take advantage of when passing thru.
 You can reserve campsites online at http://www.reserveusa.com/.  You can also reserve by phone, toll free, at 1-877-444-6777. Phone lines are open from 8:00 a.m. to midnight (EST), seven days a week. The National Recreation Reservation Service web site is a non-government commercial site maintained in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, US Department of the Interior,  and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service.  Below, I have provided a link to our web site.  Also feel free to list me as a POC (Point of Contact) for any questions folks may have.  We can be reached at 505-685-4371.  http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/recreation/default.htm
 Thanks,
 Eric D. Garner
 Senior Park Ranger
 Abiquiu Lake
 505-685-4371

Cuba, NM--2137 (on trail  Hwy.550 ), spread out but everything is on main st & you walk right through it
Grocery: Save Way, medium store with limited selection, only grocery still open; the Shell/McD's has plenty of snack items but is more pricey
PO: 87013, (505)289-3498, you pass this on the S side of town
Lodging: Frontier Motel on N side of town; Circle A Ranch Hostel $13/person (505)289-3350 is about 5 miles north of town and is reportedly very friendly, it is off the trail but we don't know how far
Restaurants: El Brunos on N side, Cuban Cafe on S side, Subway & McDs in middle
Laundry: Frontier Laundromat right next to motel
A walk-into town.  Circle A Ranch Hostel [May through October] is on 370 acres adjoining the San Pedro Parks Wilderness; contact Dafna Ronn at 505/289.3350; showers, bunks for $13 without sheets; Dafna will pick up groceries for hikers to cook at their kitchen.  North end of town, just south of turnoff for Hostel and Wilderness access, has Frontier Motel with laundromat, couple of restaurants, and mini-mart; south end has several motels, a laundromat, couple of restaurants, several mini-marts, and the Post Office; center has several small and two fairly large groceries.  Internet access at library, about 1/3 mile east of the Cuba Visitors' Center.  At least one restaurant has a salad bar.  Charlie McDonald-   CMcdon1039@aol.com  is an excellent source of information about trail conditions and water availability for this part of the state.  Cuba is served by Greyhound.
Special notes: this town is dying and there are more businesses closed than open.  This is not a town you probably want to take an extended stay in & is not somewhere you should walk around after dark.  There is a BLM/ Forest Service office on the S side of town.  They may have updated trail info as the CDT is constantly changing.

Albuquerque/statewide (mostly north and central):
Michael Grady-mpgrady@unm.edu, 3516 Smith Avenue SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106-1606, phone 505/255.8041, voicemail 505/272.8890, is willing to stash water and supplies, drop/pick up mail, help with GPS waypoints, etc., although "I am not available on the spur of the moment and would appreciate some planning & discussion in advance."  There is also a hostel here:  Route 66 Hostel at 1012 Central Avenue SW, 505/247.1813 or Ctaylor939@aol.com.


Grants, NM-- 2252 (on trailon hwys66/40), VERY spread out; make a town map and plan ahead or you'll do a lot of walking here  map of Grants,NM
Grocery: Smith's Supermarket, Lobo Canyon Rd & Roosevelt; Family Dollar out in front, 2 miles from the PO
PO: 816 W Santa Fe, 87020, (505)287-3143
Camping: Blue Spruce RV Park on Zuni Canyon Rd, over a mile from PO
Lodging: hotels are on E side of town about 4 miles from the PO on route 66
Restaurants: Uranium Cafe serves breakfast all day & is recommended by all...only open until 2pm; several others
Library: on E High Ave, near PO
Movie theater: on W Santa Fe (Route 66) near PO
Grants Grants Map
Santa Fe Avenue (old US 66) has Post Office, numerous motels, banks with ATM, Pizza Hut and 2 Chinese restaurants with AYCE buffets.  Petro truck stop's Iron Skillet Restaurant also serves buffets, but it's a little further away...  Uranium Café serves really good breakfasts, all day (Monday through Saturday).
In town:  Smith's Food and Drug, along Lobo Canyon Road; and Milan Supermart; several laundromats; library with Internet; Greyhound service multiple times a day.
Grants: This place is a little sprawling and hard to get around efficiently on foot (like Rawlins). The cheap hotels (Sandman gave us a hiker discount!) are across town from the PO. There is a Wall Mart on the North side of town. Just about everything you'll need is here except camping.
Watch out for dogs if you try heading north out of town after you go to Wall Mart.


*Pie Town, NM--2339  (on trail wey 60), very small compact town - no store
Grocery Store: nearest is the Country Store in Quemado, Hwy 60, is about 22 miles W of the trail
PO: 87827, (505)772-2637
Camping: at city park across from Pie-O-Neer
Restaurants: the Daily Pie and the Pie-O-Neer Cafe.
Special notes: this is the other town we would do a maildrop for.  This is because it is a walk through and the PO is right there.  You also have the opportunity of meeting CDT trail angels Nita & Don.  If they are there you can get a shower, laundry and really great company.  (505)772-2651.  Her house is right on the trail, you will recognize it by the toasters and gadgets attached to the fence.  You cannot leave this town without getting a pie or two.
Nita Lorrande and Don Kearney, just up the hill going south from US 60 on dirt NM 603; two-story house on west side of road.  Camp in yard or inside if you reach them at 505/772.2651 (call early in the day).  They have a washing machine, rely on the sun for drying.  You might be able to talk Nita and Don into showing you the VLBA antenna in town...
Free campground is also available at Jackson Park elsewhere in town.  Post Office in town, open five days and 8 - 10AM on Saturday; telephone 505/772.2637.
Pie-O-Neer Café has some groceries, good food (including, you guessed it, pies!); as of May 2002, hours are 8AM to 7PM; closed Monday and Tuesday.  Pay phone next to the Café, but no Coke machine.  Another café is The Daily Pie, open from 10AM to 8PM.

Quemado, NM:
Largo Café and Motel has a salad bar.  Forest Service office is at 505/773.4678.

Reserve, NM--2380 (30 miles, 25 mile W on FR233? hard hitch).
Grocery: Black Gold Grocery, 102 main st
PO: Balke St, 87830, (505)533-6333
Lodging: yes
Restaurants: Elk Country Cafe, Grandma T's
Library: reports say in village hall up the hill behind the high school
Special notes: we didn't go into Reserve because our hitch only took us 15 miles to the Apache Creek Store before they turned off.  We checked out the store and found it small but resupplyable so we didn't go any farther.
 Reserve:
35-mile hitch from "official" CDT.  Two motels, several restaurants (some closed Monday and Tuesday), laundromat, bar, two small groceries, Internet access at small library in village hall up the hill behind the high school.  Forest Service office 2 miles west of town on NM 12.  Len & Debbie Milbyer own the Village Motel, and have proven to be gracious hosts and ride-givers in the past.  Elk Country Café has good burgers and pizza; Grandma T's has good breakfast.  Forest Service office is at 505/533.6231.

*Gila Cliff Dwellings- (on trail)
Grocery: Doc Campbells, 3 miles south of visitor center on main road.  Quite possibly the smallest most inadequate resupply on the trail.  It is really just a campstore, but has homemade icecream.
Since it is only a short way to Silver City, southbounders can make-do if they're creative.  Northbounders may want to check on sending a package to the visitor center.  Visitor information for Gila is (505)536-9461.  They reportedly will not take your garbage so prepack goods if you do this.
Camping: there are two free campgrounds in this area.  One is just south of Doc Campbell's (no water), the other is on the road to the Cliff Dwellings (water spigots).
Special note: the Cliff Dwellings are only a mile off trail and are worth the effort to go to.
Gila Cliff Dwellings:
Visitor Center has restrooms, water; will hold packages for hikers.  No trash collection, however.  No other services.  Telephone 505/536.9461.
Gila Hot Springs:-2508 There are two ways to go here. You can send the boxes to Doc Campbell's Post wich is a small general store and the local PO. Alternatively, you can send your package to Dan and Jane Brummer at the Gila Wilderness Lodge. They are really great folks. You can buy typical c-store stuff at Doc Campbell's but other than that you are in the middle of nowhere.
Gila Hot Springs:
3 miles south of the Visitor Center on hwy 15.  Doc Campbell's Trading Post has small grocery, m/wave sandwiches, homemade ice cream, unleaded gas, water, phone; showers and laundromat in back (ask!).  Some campgrounds nearby; and about 1 mile south is Wilderness Lodge B&B with hot spring in front yard.

#Red Stone, NM (hwy 15) Columbus Route ????? I can't find anything in this town.

Piños Altos:
On the "official" hiking CDT route to Mimbres, NM 88049(PO) over the Black Range.  Good RV/camping site.  Extremely good steaks at the Buckhorn Restaurant at Piños Altos.  Beer and open-range fire.  Thanks to RobofLoxley for the info.

***A Note about the "Official" Route through the Big Hatchets***
We did not find the route south of Silver City to our liking and quite honestly worth our time.  We would definitely look into the Columbus-Deming route if we were to do it again.  Our disappointment with the Big Hatchet route was that it was almost exclusively roads.  There are also a lot of private property issues concerning ranchers who do not want hikers near or around.  It was a very unfriendly area.
This route seems pointless due to the fact that the terminus is in the middle of nowhere.  As southbounders it was frustrating to finally reach the terminus, only to turn around and have to walk 40 miles back to Hachita.  We then spent most of the day trying to get a ride from Hachita to anywhere else.  Our hardest hitch on the CDT was getting a ride from Hachita to Lordsburg where there is a greyhound station.


#Mimbres
 The CDTS route bypasses Silver City altogether and uses Mimbres as a resupply.  It's a hitch, but as far as I saw the town was only a PO and a fairly well stocked small store w/liquor right next to each other, with a restaurant on the way.  This route pretty much runs smack into the ranger station where the info was pretty much lame, but you hitch from there.

#Deming, NM--2623  is a full-service resupply town.  We did stop there on our way home.
G: Walmart Supercenter, 1021 E Pine St
PO: 209 W Spruce St, 88030, (505) 546-9461
Lodging: several
Special notes: Greyhound station is at 300 E Spruce St (505)546-3881, you can also take Amtrak and there are shuttles to the airport in El Paso from here.
Small Health Food store near the IGA & courthouse
All essential hiker services in a fairly compact area.  Within six blocks of town center are:  Post Office, motels, laundromats, c-stores, supermarkets, restaurants, bar, gas, ATM, pharmacy, library with Internet access.  Deming also has Greyhound [6:30 AM] and Amtrak service [three trains / week] , and is on I-10.

#Columbus, NM--2674 is 3 miles from the Mexican border.
G: San Jose grocery, Taft & Broadway
PO: Main & Broadway, 88029, (505)531-2680
Camping: at Poncho Villa State Park, showers also
Lodging: yes
Restaurants: yes
Library: yes
Columbus [for those using this terminus]:
Small town, but has Post Office, motel, two B&Bs, restaurants, small grocery and gas/c-store.  Possibly a laundromat.  Pancho Villa State Park (505/531.2711) has camping, water, showers.  Just three miles from the Mexican border and the Mexican town of Palomas, with true Mexican food and beer.  Martha's Place B&B is at 505/531.2467.  Further information at discovercolumbusnewmexico.com. 

**Silver City, NM Antelope Wells Route (on trail), large spread-out town, a town map and some preplanning may be helpful .  Map
Grocery: Food Basket Supermarket, 12th St & 90
Grocery: Food Coop, 520 N Bullard, small
PO: 500 W Hudson St, 88061, (505)538-2831
Camping: Silver City RV Park, 1 block N of Food Basket, $8 includes shower
Lodging: several
Restaurants: several
Laundry: Laundryland USA, 407 N Hudson
Library: 515 W College
Outfitter: Gila Hike & Bike, 103 College Ave 505/388.3222
Hostelling International--The Carter House at 505/388.5485.  Kitchen, laundry facilities, etc.  Six blocks west of NM 90, adjacent to Grant County Courthouse.  Rates range from about $12.50 to about $15.50, depending on whether or not one is a member of Hostelling International...  Per RobofLoxley, very good hostel, but note:  it is up for sale, with no guarantee of continuing hostel services.
Gila National Forest headquarters is at 505/388.8201.
Silver City contact: Joseph Gendron-  gendron@gilanet.com.

**Separ, NM (on trail) Antelope Wells Route has the Continental Divide Gasoline which sells what hikers would consider a lot of useless junk.  They do have a few snacks, but don't even consider it as a resupply.  There is water from a spigot on the corner of the building.
 Separ: Along I-10, has gas/c-store.
 Separ is convenient, Ley's route goes right though it and they are fairly  friendly. You can sleep under the bug infested plywood-steel frame teepee next to I-10!

**Hachita, NM Antelope Wells Route (on trail), very small compact town.
Grocery: Hachita Cafe sells grocery items in a small room in the back.  Can resupply from here since it's only for a couple days and the walking is really easy.    There is also the Hachita Grocery next door, which is a gas station & convenience store.
PO: 26 B Ave, 88040, (505)436-2220
Camping: Hachita Cafe
Restaurant: Hachita Cafe, has good food
Special notes: this town doesn't take credit/debit cards.  Bring cash.
Hachita [for those using the Antelope Wells bicycle terminus or Big Hatchet Mountain Reserve hiking terminus]:
The Egg Nest café offers meals and other services such as parcel-holding and shipment, Internet access, limited groceries, a shower facility, and current trail info.   Also transportation to/from Lordsburg, which is served by bus from Albuquerque.  Call Pat and Marlene Harrris at 505/436.2666, or email at theeggnest@vtc.net.  Nearby [primitive] accomodations available via Mexican Inn/liquor store. Thanks to Blaze for info.

**Antelope Wells:
Apparently no longer the "official" terminus for hikers; that is now some miles (>10?) east, along the border fence, southeast of Big Hatchet Mountain.  Note:  hikers or their transport cannot, must not approach this terminus directly from Antelope Wells because of hostile ranching family.  No services other than a water faucet at Antelope Wells.  No services, and apparently no road access, to "official" terminus.  There is a cattle water tank within a mile of the border at the hiking terminus.  For northbounders, care should be taken at this point in getting on the correct jeep trail for Sheldon Canyon; do not head eastward along the main jeep trail you have been following from the border.  There is a water tank in Sheldon Canyon; water is very slow-running [if at all] from this windmill pump.  Note:  these two water tanks are not well-maintained by the owners.  Tanks contained dead bodies of birds and deer [March 2000], though at the time of this observation water could be obtained directly from the feed pipes.  Northward from Sheldon Canyon all the way to Silver City, water can be obtained from cattle tanks/ windmill pumps approximately every eight/ten miles along the "official" CDT, and water is of good quality.  There are other pipeline stock troughs which are not marked on the BLM topos.  These usually can only be discovered by taking note of cattle movements.  Also, note:  cattle will leave water tanks at dusk to graze and move back to water tanks during early/mid-morning.  Thanks to RobofLoxley for this info.

* send package.
**Antelope Wells route
#Columbus route