Grand Lake received its designation as an official gateway community for the Continental Divide Trail five years ago on July 22, 2018. Gateway communities are considered as places near the trail that are hiker friendly by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, a nonprofit organization that works to protect, promote and complete the trail.

Since Grand Lake became a gateway community five years ago, the town has organized fundraisers and public outreach programs to help promote the trail, while also assisting thru-hikers with its volunteer network of trail ambassadors. These volunteers help by giving hikers a place to stay for the night, providing rides for supplies, making resupply packages or any other needs a hiker may have.

Katie Hearsum, who is the community engagement manager for the Town of Grand Lake says that the fifth anniversary of Grand Lake receiving its gateway community designation is a great time to reflect on how much the program has grown. She helps coordinate activities on the Continental Divide Trail as part of her position with the town.

In 2019, Hearsum signed up to be an volunteer ambassador for the trail in Grand Lake, which entailed a small commitment of doing about four events per year that were mostly focused on doing outreach or putting up flyers that directed people to the trailheads. Today, she works with a network of local volunteers, and with the help of the town and the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, there is a lot more involvement and promotion of the trail.

“Not very many towns have the Continental Divide Trail going right through their downtown corridors,” Hearsum said in an interview with Sky-Hi News. “The trail literally goes down our boardwalk. So, we like to say that…if you’ve gotten an ice cream cone on the boardwalk, you’ve actually set food on the CDT.”

Every year Grand Lake brands Continental Divide Trail markers on its downtown boardwalk instead of posting blue trail markers and posts like in other gateway communities.

“We actually have a branding iron that we stamp the boardwalk with that’s another really unique feature. Which is nice because it’s connected to the Grand County heritage, you know, agriculture and ranching,” she said. “We just walk up and down the boardwalk with a blowtorch and iron.”

Hearsum says that Grand Lake is one of the few – and might be the only – gateway community that has the trail going through its downtown corridor. Most gateway communities, like Steamboat Springs, are miles away from the actual trail.

There are 20 gateway communities that stretch from New Mexico to Canada, which help the Continental Divide Trail Coalition promote the trail, conduct surveys and do fundraising, according to the nonprofit’s website.

“Obviously, they (coalition) can’t be in every town throughout the year,” she said. “So, this is kind of their method for getting helpers in each community.”

The coalition’s Gateway Community Program is a way to inform local businesses, residents and tourists about how to access the trail and the recreation opportunities available. Hearsum explains that gateway communities are not just for thru-hikers.

“There’s all kinds of opportunities for people – horseback riding, you can go day hiking, there’s a lot of really nice like two to three day overnight backpacking sections that you can do without having to commit to the full thru-hike,” Hearsum said.

Hearsum started First Friday hikes for the summer season as a way to connect community members and visitors with the trail. From June to September (weather permitting, October too) she takes people on free guided hikes on one of the main Continental Divide trailheads in town such as the North Inlet Trail or the East Shore Trail. The next First Friday hike is on Aug. 04 at 8:30 a.m. Participants will meet at the Grand Lake Center before carpooling to a trailhead.

There are also several on-trail volunteer projects, including a Public Lands Day project in September, which will include branding the boardwalk.

“They’re all super short, easy, fun hikes, and we do more talking than walking,” she said. “And through that program, I’ve been able to grow my volunteer list. Usually, anyone who comes on a hike once and I’ve talked to them about the CDT, they want to sign up to be a volunteer.”

Grand Lake also provides some free Continental Divide Trail swag like maps, stickers and postcards that are available at the Town Park information kiosk, the Grand Lake Center and the Grand County Chamber of Commerce Building.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Continental Divide Trail Gateway Community Program in Grand Lake should contact Hearsum at, khearsum@toglco.com. Scan the QR code for more information about First Friday Hikes or for more information about events and volunteer opportunities.