Introduction  

Are you looking for information about re-supplies for thru-hiking the Colorado Trail?

The intention of this trip planning section is to give you some information regarding places to resupply.

Resupply Points

Location: Bailey, CO
Segments: 4
Available supplies:
Post Office - 24 River Drive Bailey, CO 80421 - M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM, Sat 8:00AM - Noon, Closed Sun
Accessibility: Reaching the town of Bailey requires a diversion from the CT. Along segment 4 you will come to an intersection with the Payne Creek Trail #637. If you take the Payne Creek trail it is about a 9 mile hike down to HWY 285 and then you should be about 1.5 miles from Bailey. NOTE: I have never hiked the Payne Creek Trail and/or tested this resupply route.

Here is a photo of the signage along segment 4 marking the intersection:

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Location: Jefferson, CO
Segments: 5/6
Available supplies:
Post Office/Market - 38600 US HWY 285 Jefferson, CO 80456 - M-F 8:00AM - Noon and 12:30PM - 4:30PM, Sat 10:00AM - 2:00PM, Closed Sun
Accessibility: This post office/market sits off of paved HWY 285 a few miles from Kenosha Pass. Kenosha Pass is the end of segment 5 and beginning of segment 6. Hitchhiking down to the post office/market is an option - hiking down HWY 285 is NOT advised

The post office/market carries very basic items such as:
Snacks such as chips, cookies, candy etc
They have a very small grocery aisle that has crackers, soup, bread, cereal etc
Soda, Beer (this is 3.2% beer), Coffee, Milk and most other basic drinks
Tackle
Basic toiletries
Homemade Fudge
Beef Jerky
Cigarettes
Maps

The "town" of Jefferson, CO:

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Location: Frisco, CO and Breckenridge, CO
Segments: 6/7
Available supplies:
Post Office - 305 South Ridge Road Breckenridge, CO 80424 - M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM, Sat 10:00AM - 1:00PM, Closed Sun
Post Office - 35 West Main St Frisco, CO 80443 - M-F 8:30AM - 5:00PM, Sat 9:00AM - 12:30PM, Closed Sun

Accessibility: When you arrive at the end of segment 6 you will be at Gold Hill TH, right on paved Colorado HWY 9. You will be just about 1/2 way between Frisco, CO and Breckenridge, CO. Both are serviced by a free local shuttle called the Summit Stage public transit. There is an RV park right across the street from the Gold Hill TH and there is a transit stop there called Tiger Run.
All available shuttle information here: http://www.summitstage.com/

Frisco is a much bigger town than Breckenridge but both would be good options for resupply. Breck has a nice rec center where you can hit up a hot shower for a few bucks and has a lot of gear shops etc. Frisco will have larger hotels and grocery and gear stores.
NOTE: When you reach the end of segment 7 you are at the Copper Mt ski resort. It is possible to take the same free shuttle mentioned above into Frisco.

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Location: Leadville, CO
Segments: 9
Available supplies:
Post Office - 130 West 5th St Leadville, CO 80461 - M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM, Sat 10:00AM - 1:00PM, Closed Sun
Grocery:  Safeway - 1900 US HWY 24 Leadville, CO - 719-486-0795

Accessibility: You can reach Leadville in 1 of 2 ways. Segment 9 starts at Tennessee Pass at a major HWY called HWY 24 just north of Leadville. It is about 9 miles from Tennessee Pass to Leadville. Although, I would probably advise you to access Leadville from the end of Segment 9 near Turquoise Lake. Turquoise Lake is a really high use area just west of Leadville. It is really busy in the summer and there is a lot of traffic in the area. It is about 8 miles from the end of Segment 9 (at Turquoise Lake) to town.

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Location: Buena Vista, CO
Segments: 13
Available supplies:
Post Office - 110 Brookdale Ave Buena Vista, CO 81211 - M-F 8:00AM - 5:00PM, Sat 9:30AM - Noon, Closed Sun
Grocery: City Market - 438 US HWY 24 Buena Vista, CO 81211 - 719-395-3148
Gear: I highly recommend The Trailhead: http://www.thetrailheadco.com/store/pc/home.asp

Just a portion of their shop:

Accessibility: Segment 13 will cross a paved HWY called Colorado 306 at the Avalanche TH. If you go east on HWY 306 for 9 miles you will end up in the town of Buena Vista, CO.

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Location: Salida, CO
Segments: 14/15
Available supplies:
Post Office - 310 D Street Salida, CO 81201 - M-F 7:30AM - 5:00PM, Sat 8:30AM - Noon, Closed Sun
WalMart: 7865 US 50 Salida, CO 81201 - 719 539-2810
Safeway: 232 G Street Salida, CO - 719-539-3513

Accessibility: You arrive at paved HWY 50 at the end of segment 14. This point is 9 miles west of the town of Salida, CO. Salida is one of the last best re-supply points before venturing down segment 15. The town of Creede, CO is the next viable resupply point - about 90 miles away.

Salida is a decent sized town with some small hotels, grocery and a WalMart.

Gear in town can best be found at Salida Mountain Sports which is located in the downtown area of Salida. They have a lot of gear including stoves, fuel, freeze dried, backpacks, clothing etc


Salida Mountain Sports
110 N F Street
Salida, CO 81201-2106
http://salidamountainsports.com

Salida has a public Laundromat on the north side of US 50 about 1/2 way through town:

The Salida WalMart actually now carries Mountain House freeze dried food in the sporting goods section. This is also a super WalMart - meaning they have a grocery area in the store. The sporting goods area also carries some basic gear such as stuff sacks etc. The WalMart is located at the west end of town on the north side of US 50 - you cant miss it:

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NOTICE: It has been reported that Creede, CO is NOT the preferred resupply for this area of the CT. In a report from one of our members after his thru-hike I got the following feedback:

"Creede is a tourist town noted for it's summer theater while Lake Cityis 20 miles closer to Spring Creek Pass and full of hikers, fisherman and 4WDers. Based on a limited survey, average hitchhiking time to Creede was 1:30-2:00 hours and everyone I talked to paid someone to drive them back. Meanwhile, it took most people a half an hour or so to get to Lake City and 30-60 minutes to hitchhike back"

I think Creede is a possibility in a pinch so I will keep it listed here, but it is a long haul down to Creede from San Luis Pass and getting back is a long difficult trip.

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Location: Creede, CO
Segments: 20/21
Available supplies:
Post Office - 10 South Main St Creede, CO 81130-9990 - M-F 9:00AM - 1:30PM, 9:00AM - 4:00PM, Sat 10:00AM - 11:30AM, Closed Sun
Grocery:  http://site.kentuckybellemarket.com/
Accessibility: When you get to the end of segment 20 you will be at San Luis Pass. If you leave the pass and head south you will hit some 4x4 roads that will take you down into Creede. Its about a 9.5 mile hike. Also NOTE - If you choose to descend into the town of Creede you will lose about 3,000 feet of elevation that you will need to regain getting back to San Luis Pass.

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Location: Lake City, CO
Segments: 21/22
Available supplies:
Post Office - 803 Gunnison Ave Lake City, CO 81235
M-F 8:30AM - 11:30AM and Noon - 4:30PM, , Sat 11:00AM - 1:00PM, Closed Sun
Grocery: Town Square Cabins and Mini-Mart

231 North Gunnison Ave - 970-944-2236
www.townsquarecabins.com

NOTE:  I have not been to this mart so therefore can not speak to it's quality

Accessibility: It is just over 16 miles from Spring Creek Pass (end of segment 21) to Lake City. To get there travel along the paved state HWY 149. This is a popular and busy 2 lane highway.

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Location: Silverton, CO
Segments: 24/25
Available supplies:
Post Office - 138 West 12th Street Silverton, CO 81433-9997 - M-F 8:30AM - 4:30PM, Sat 11:00AM - 1:00PM, Closed Sun

Grocery:  Silverton Grocery - Greene St Silverton, CO 81433 - 970-387-5652

Accessibility: When you reach Molas Pass at the end of segment 24 you are about 6.5 miles south of the small mountain town of Silverton, CO. Molas Pass is a pass on the paved "Million Dollar Highway". Hiking the road is not advised.
Here is a photo overlooking Silverton, CO:

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