The Continental Divide Trail Coalition provides excellent directions for those who want to visit the southern terminus of the CDT or see the Crazy Cook Monument. But most people who plan to hike the trail will want to leave water in the water cache boxes along the way to the trailhead and the CDTC directions do not route you past these caches.
To access the water caches on your drive follow these directions. High clearance 4WD required. Really.
1. Take Interstate 10 east from Lordsburg
2. Take 113 South (also known as Muir Road). Cache water in the box along the trail just south of the road crossing.
3. Turn east on NM 9. Cache water in the box along the trail just south of the road crossing.
4. Turn south on NM 81. Cache water in the box along the trail just before the road crossing.
5. After about 11 miles on NM 81, just before the curve in the highway, you will turn left onto the graded dirt road (Hatchet Road). BUT, if you want to cache water, note the turn and continue down NM 81 for almost 3 more miles to the trail crossing. Cache water in the box along the trail just south of the road crossing. Then return to the graded dirt road.
6. Go 3 miles and turn right (Commodore Road)
7. Go another 3 miles and turn left.
8. Follow this road around the base of Big Hatchet Mountains for about 20 slow miles to a windmill.
9. From the windmill, go east two miles to the international border fence.
The drive to Crazy Cook is long, bumpy, and slow. There is an abandoned vehicle along the route. 4WD with high clearance is a must, and the drive should not be attempted when the roads are muddy. Unless you really enjoy off road driving or need to have your vehicle at Crazy Cook, you should consider paying for the shuttle coordinated by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. Either way, the CDTC recommends calling the Border Patrol before traveling to Crazy Cook or other remote destinations along the border.
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