The NoCo Trail offers new adventure through Colorado’s northern mountains

Veteran thru-hiker developed a 300-mile trek from Estes Park to Glenwood Springs

Story by Malena Larsen and photos By Kevin Silvernale

In 2023, I spent a month hiking the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. During the nearly 500-mile journey, I traveled from the Front Range, through the Sawatch Range, to the San Juan Mountains. It was a rewarding way to see so much of the diverse topography that the state has to offer. However, the Colorado Trail leaves the northern mountains unseen. Luckily, the same year I completed my thru-hike, someone was sketching a solution to the missing scenery. 

Kevin Silvernale was on an airplane, looking down on the Rocky Mountains, when he decided he was going to create the Northern Colorado Trail, also known as the NoCo Trail. 

“Not as many people experience Northern Colorado and it has some really cool gems,” explained Silvernale. “I wanted the trail to feel like you could just walk out your backdoor and launch into the experience.” 

Silvernale, who was given the trail name Sunshine because of his positive and friendly attitude, is no stranger to thru-hiking. Before creating the NoCo Trail, he completed some of the country’s most famous long-distance hikes including the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the Colorado Trail, and much of the Continental Divide Trail. 

He plotted the route by stitching together existing trails, forest service roads, and highways relying on a mix of maps, GAIA GPS, personal knowledge, and “a little bit of guess work” to create a cohesive, thru-hikable route. 

The NoCo Trail shares some stretches with the Continental Divide Trail, but its mileage and time commitment are more in line with the Colorado Trail. At roughly 300 miles, most hikers can complete it in three to five weeks. It links mountain towns like Walden, Steamboat Springs and Oak Creek.

“I wanted to make this trail something accessible. Something people could hike without committing months,” Silvernale said. 

The trail is about 40 percent road walking and 60 percent trail hiking in its current state, he estimated. He first hiked it in August 2024, which was his trial run for the trail he’d been mapping. 

“I spent 19 days on the trail, figuring out where I could camp, learning what worked, and what didn’t,” he said. 

The NoCo Trail begins about 20 minutes north of Estes Park in Drake, ends in Glenwood Springs, and is broken into four segments.

Segment One: Dunraven Trailhead to Walden (90.7 miles) 

From the Dunraven Trailhead north of Estes Park, the trail travels through Rocky Mountain National Park, climbing over Stormy Peaks Pass and skirting the Comanche Peak Wilderness before descending into the Cache la Poudre River valley. It then crosses State Highway 14, winds through the Rawah Wilderness and along the exposed Medicine Bow Trail, and finishes in Walden.

Segment Two: Walden to Highway 40, Access to Steamboat Springs (65.1 miles) 

Leaving Walden, the trail follows roads to the North Lone Pine Trailhead, then winds through trails in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness. Hikers can summit Mt. Zirkel (12,100-feet) for panoramic views before joining the Continental Divide Trail and continuing on roads to Highway 40, where hikers can gain access to Steamboat Springs. 

Segment Three: Highway 40 to Yampa (56.9 miles) 

From Highway 40, the trail follows forest roads to the Routt Divide Trail, then connects to the Silver Creek Trail and Sarvis Creek Wilderness. It continues along dirt roads and the Morrison Divide Trail before finishing with a short stretch on Highway 31 into the town of Yampa.

Segment Four: Yampa to Glenwood Springs (91.7 miles) 

The final segment leaves Yampa, following county and forest roads into the Flat Top Wilderness near Sheriff Reservoir. Hikers cross the Devil’s Causeway, navigate the rim of Wall Lake and the White River, continue past Bison and Heart Lakes, and finish along the Transfer Trail just above Glenwood Springs.

For Silvernale, one of his favorite moments of the trail is in the fourth segment. 

“I didn’t pick the easy route, I picked the cool route,” he said, referring to the Devil’s Causeway. The narrow ridge features a 500-foot drop on either side and looks out over the Flat Tops Wilderness. 

For hikers wanting a less daring route, there are ways to bypass Devil’s Causeway. In fact, hikers can customize their journey with several alternate routes and bypasses throughout all segments that can be found on the NoCo Trail website.

Since Silvernale launched the website in early 2025, roughly 10 to 20 hikers have completed the full trail, with more completing individual segments. While the trail isn’t formally recognized, public land agencies like the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management are aware of it. 

“The support from land agencies and the hiking community has been incredible,” Silvernale said. “I’m excited to see where it goes next.” 

Silvernale’s hope for the future is that the trail will receive a formal designation. It is important to note that the NoCo Trail and the Colorado Trail are completely separate entities.

“Seeing people out there on the trail, following the route I mapped, is really rewarding,” Silvernale shared. “It makes all the planning worth it and every hiker that finishes it reminds me why I started.” 

For hikers like me who prefer a bite-sized thru-hike compared to months-long journeys like the Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail, the NoCo Trail is a challenging-yet-digestible option. Here’s to a year of new adventures, uncharted territory, and unforgettable mountain memories.