Pacific Crest Trail Map
- CALIFORNIA. This section starts at the southern terminus of the PCT at the outlying town of Campo, California near the Mexican border.
- OREGON. The Cascade mountains in Oregon are the shortest and easiest section of the PCT to hike. ...
- WASHINGTON. ...
How long does it take to hike the Pacific Crest Trail?
Feb 08, 2022 · Where does the Pacific Crest Trail start in California? The PCT begins on a low hill near Campo (elev. 2,600′), a small town near the Mexican border. It passes through Lake Morena County Park and beneath Interstate 8, then climbs through chaparral, scrub oaks, and pines to the rim of the Laguna Mountains.
What to know before hiking the PCT?
The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) is 2,650 miles (4,265 kilometers) long. Is the trail finished? The trail was officially completed in 1993. A "golden spike" ceremony was held in Soledad Canyon in southern California to mark the occaision. A few sections of …
When to hike the PCT?
Jun 22, 2020 · Where does the Pacific Crest Trail start in California? The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles long (4,265 kilometers. Starting in Campo, a small town on the United States-Mexico border, it goes through California, Oregon, and Washington before reaching its northern terminus at the United States-Canada border in Manning Park, British Columbia.
How to get to the PCT southern terminus?
Where does Pacific Crest Trail begin?
CampoThe Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles long (4,265 kilometers. Starting in Campo, a small town on the United States-Mexico border, it goes through California, Oregon, and Washington before reaching its northern terminus at the United States-Canada border in Manning Park, British Columbia.
How long is the California section of the Pacific Crest Trail?
The PCT in California is 1,691.7 miles long. The PCT in Oregon is 455.2 miles long. The PCT in Washington is 505.7 miles long.
Where does the Pacific Crest Trail Run?
The Pacific Crest Trail spans 2,650 miles (4,265 kilometers) from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington. It is a National Scenic Trail.
What is the most scenic part of the Pacific Crest Trail?
Mount Adams to Mount Rainier, South-Central Washington Any point along this trail is a good one for planning a shorter hike as loops are accessible from the many forest roads. Snowgrass Flats is a popular spot to get your PCT-jive on as it accesses Goat Rocks, which many call the most scenic spot of the PCT.Sep 7, 2018
How many miles of the PCT are in California?
2,653 miPacific Crest TrailLength2,653 mi (4,270 km)LocationCalifornia / Oregon / Washington, USA / British Columbia, CanadaDesignationNational Scenic TrailTrailheadsCampo, California Manning Park, British Columbia12 more rows
How difficult is the Pacific Crest Trail?
“Hiking the PCT is hard, sometimes very hard. But compared to the life off-trail, the life on the trail is easier. There are fewer concerns. You still have some, but they are very basic.
When should I start hiking the PCT?
The short answer: the most common time to hike the PCT northbound is April - September. April is a good time to start at the southern terminus in Campo, California. Most thru-hikers who finish at the northern terminus near Manning Park, British Columbia, Canada, do so in August or September.Sep 20, 2018
What is the fastest known time for the PCT?
FKTsScott Williamson, Anonymous65d 9h 58m 0s2009-08-12Scott Williamson, Joe Kisner71d 2h 41m 0s2008-08-18
What is the fastest time on the PCT?
Sign up here. After running 2,650 miles in just 51 days, ultra-runner Timothy Olson is claiming a new speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail, the wilderness path that stretches from the Mexican border to Canada. Olson reached the northern terminus late Thursday night after 51 days, 16 hours and 55 minutes.Jul 23, 2021
Does the PCT go through Palm Springs?
It passes through the wilderness and exits north of Cabazon Peak near Interstate 10 in the desert near Palm Springs. A hiking permit is required for travel through the wilderness section. Hikers should check with the local Park Rangers to know which sections of the trail require a wilderness permit.
What is the easiest part of the PCT?
OregonOregon. Oregon is by far the easiest section of the PCT: it's almost flat and some hikers take the so-called “Oregon challenge” of hiking the 455 miles of this section in just 2 weeks.
What is a national scenic trail?
A national scenic trail is a trail of national significance which is established by an Act of Congress pursuant to the criteria identified in the National Trail Systems Act of 1968 (as modified). Congress has created several National Scenic Trails since the first two (Pacific Crest and Appalachian) were created in 1968.
How many people hike the PCT?
At present about 200 people attempt to hike the PCT each season, generally hiking from south to north. They usually start at the Mexican border in April and end on the Canadian border in September. Only a few equestrians have ever ridden the entire trail.
Is it a good time to go on the PCT?
It depends on the time of year and seasonality of various physical factors such as snow load, volume of water in streams and rivers, fire danger, mosquito hatch and a myriad of other factors which may influence the "best" time to be on the trail. Some would argue it is always a good time to be on the PCT.
Where is the Pacific Crest Trail?
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km) east of the U.S. Pacific coast.
How long does it take to hike the Pacific Crest Trail?
The Pacific Crest Trail Association estimates that it takes most hikers between six and eight months to plan, train, and get ready for their trips. While most hikers travel from the southern terminus at the Mexico–US border northward to Manning Park, British Columbia, some hikers prefer a southbound route.
Who created the PCT?
The PCT was conceived by Clinton Churchill Clarke in 1932. It received official status under the National Trails System Act of 1968. The Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail form what is known as the Triple Crown of Hiking in the United States.
When was the PCT completed?
The PCT was then constructed through cooperation between the federal government and volunteers organized by the Pacific Crest Trail Association. In 1993 , the PCT was officially declared finished.
Who was the first person to hike the Pacific Crest Trail?
Before the PCT became an official trail, Martin Papendick was the first known person to hike across three states of the PCT in 1952. After being one of the first to finish the Appalachian trail in 1951, Papendick hiked between July 4 and December 1, 1952, from British Columbia to the Mexico–US border over the crests of the mountains along the Pacific Coast, a feat he reported in a periodical under the title "Pacific Crest Trails".
Who was the first thruhiker?
Ryback is credited, recognized, and has been honored by the Pacific Crest Trail Association as the official first thru-hiker of the entire trail. Ryback completed the Appalachian Trail in 1969 (as a 16-year-old); the Pacific Crest Trail in 1970; and a route approximating today's Continental Divide Trail in 1972.
Overview
Notable hikers
Before the PCT became an official trail, Martin Papendick was the first known person to hike across three states of the PCT in 1952. After being one of the first to finish the Appalachian Trail in 1951, Papendick hiked between July 4 and December 1, 1952, from British Columbia to the Mexico–US border over the crests of the mountains along the Pacific Coast, a feat he reported in a periodical under the title "Pacific Crest Trails".
Route
The route is mostly through National Forest and protected wilderness. It also passes through seven national parks: Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Yosemite, Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake, Mt. Rainier, and North Cascades. The trail avoids civilization and covers scenic and pristine mountainous terrain with few roads. It passes through the Laguna, Santa Rosa, San Jacinto, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, …
History
The Pacific Crest Trail was first proposed around 1932 by Clinton C. Clarke as a trail running from Mexico to Canada along the crest of the mountains in California, Oregon, and Washington. The original proposal was to link the John Muir Trail, the Tahoe–Yosemite Trail (both in California), the Skyline Trail (in Oregon) and the Cascade Crest Trail (in Washington).
The Pacific Crest Trail System Conference was formed by Clarke to both plan the trail and to lob…
Thru-hiking
Thru-hiking is a term used in referring to hikers who complete long-distance trails from end to end in a single trip. Thru-hiking is a long commitment, usually taking between four and six months, that requires thorough preparation and dedication. The Pacific Crest Trail Association estimates that it takes most hikers between six and eight months to plan, train, and get ready for their trips.
While most hikers travel from the southern terminus at the Mexico–US border northward to Man…
Equestrian use
Don and June Mulford made the first verifiable equestrian Thru-Ride of the PCT in 1959. In that year the Pacific Crest Trail stretched a poorly-marked 2,400 miles from Mexico to Canada. More concept than footpath, the trail was an oft-broken, high-ridge track disappearing regularly from map and terrain. On April 19, 1959, on an empty scrub sage plain seven miles east of Tijuana, with four horses, Don and June Mulford began their journey north to the Washington–Canada border…
Future
In 2008, an agreement for realignment through Tejon Ranchin Southern California was reached. This realignment would relocate 37 miles of the PCT from the Mojave Desert floor to the more scenic Tehachapi Mountains. While an agreement was reached, the realignment is a long-term project; many details remain to be determined, as well as an Optimal Location Review—a lengthy process through which the ideal path for the new section of trail is specified. Actual relocation o…
Notable locations
The following notable locations are found along or adjacent to the route of the Pacific Crest Trail. They are listed from south to north to correspond with the itinerary typically followed by thru-hikers to take advantage of the best seasonal weather conditions. The numbers in parentheses correspond to the numbers on the PCT overview map above.
• Campo, California, near the trail's southern terminus at the Mexico–United States border