Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

A lot of people call the Pacific Crest Trail magical. I’d call it curious. I finished it in 95 days in 2018 and definitely had a difficult time processing the experience. It’s the first time that backpacking started to feel like a grind. The first time I habituated to the beauty around me and traded serene contemplation of nature for crushing miles. None the less, it’s a trurly worthwhile trail. As I’ve spent more time away from it, I’ve wanted to get back to the PCT’s desert section more than I can describe.

The PCT runs 2,650 miles from the Mexican border starting in Campo, California to the Canadian border north of Rainy Pass, Washington. Most thru-hikers go northbound starting in late April. A smaller contingent start southbound from the Canadian border in late June.

I documented my hike through listserv emails — scroll to the bottom for those. My full itinerary is here. My gear list is embedded at the bottom of this page.

What You Should Know Before Starting

The PCT is the most popular long trail in the country for thru-hiking, although the Appalachian Trail has more people on it. If you’re in the PCT bubble, you’ll be seeing a lot of people. For instance, if you’re passing through the bubble, you pay see 50 people each day. This can be great, or terrible depending on what you’re looking for. If you’re outside the bubble though, things taper off and calm down considerably.

The permit situation changed in 2021 and has shifted around since. Before you go, check the PCTA permit page for current requirements. For a northbound thru-hike you will need a long-distance permit. I hear they have become much less challenging to get in recent years.

Permit Dates and Timelines

• Mid October: 1^st registration period
• Early November: 1^st Permit Release Day
• November through early December: 2^nd registration period
• Early January: 2^nd Permit Release Day
• Mid January: registration and application reopen

Season and Start Date

Snow conditions in the Sierra is the main constraint on timing. In a normal to low snow year, starting in late April puts you into the High Sierra when conditions are manageable (usually at the start of June). In a heavy snow year (2023 was one), even a May start date can mean dangerous crossings at elevation. More dangerous than the snow, however, are the Sierra river crossings. In a large snow year, it is likely better to enter during snowy conditions and do snowshoing, than it is to enter during peak melt timing, and deal with potentially dangerous river crossings.

Target start window for NOBO: April 20 to May 5 at Campo. Earlier and you race snow north; later and you are likely to hit fire closures in northern California and southern Oregon during the summer.

Check the Postholer snow report as you get closer to your start date. This is the most useful source of easily-available information for Sierra conditions.

Navigation and Apps

The PCT is well-signed and well-maintained compared to trails like the CDT or PNT. You can get through most of it without major navigation work. If you’re in the bubble, you can probably just rely on other hikers most of the time (although you shouldn’t). With that said:

• FarOut (formerly Guthook) is used by almost everyone. It has the trail GPS, water sources, campsite reviews, and current conditions stored as comments from other hikers. I’d recommend just using it. You don’t have to, but it will make trail planning significantly easier.
• A topo app (Gaia or CalTopo) is worth having if you’re not going to use FarOut. You can also get by with Gaia or CalTopo instead of using FarOut. It may also allow you to plan out decent course alternatives around fire closures — but if you’re on this page, you’re probably better off just sticking with FarOut.
• Download maps offline before you enter any remote section. Cell service is non-existent in the Sierra.

Miles are approximate and shift with trail reroutes. Verify with FarOut before your hike.

Planning Your Hike

How Long Does It Take?

The average NOBO thru-hiker takes around 150 days. I finished in 95, with two full zeroes and a handful of half days. That pace required consistent 36 mile days and a lot of things I suspected could be long-lasted injuries (but turned out fine in the end). It worked for me because I was already in good hiking shape and had the right gear from the start.

If you’re planning your first thru-hike, budget 120-150 days and build in time to actually enjoy the towns. Rushing the PCT is easy to do, and maybe one shouldn’t (or should?)

Bear Canisters and Food Storage

A bear canister is required in Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Lassen, and several other sections of the Sierra. You can be fined pretty substantially if you violate this. You’ll probably want a BV450 to carry the food carries from Muir Trail Ranch through to Tuolmne Meadows. You can likely send your bear canister home from Kenedy Meadows North. However, that will mean hiking through Lassen and Desolation Wilderness in one day, which can be challenging for many.

Outside the required zones, an Ursack with an OpSak liner (12×20 dimensions) works fine. Most PCT hikers just use an Opsak to store their food, and sleep on it as a pillow. I’ve used only an OpSak pillow for thousands of miles through bear country and have not had an incident.

What’s the Trail Like?

The PCT has five distinct personalities:

• Southern California (Campo to Kennedy Meadows, ~700 miles): Referred to as “The Desert Section.” However, this is classic California chaparral. There’s somewhat long water carries, and lots of expsoure to sun (and a lack of shade). It can be really hot along the LA aquaduct, and sometimes it can be downright cold if you start too early. This is my favorite section of the CDT, and the trail community through the desert is terrific. You’ll want to plan out your water carries for the following day.
• The Sierra (Kennedy Meadows to South Lake Tahoe, ~450 miles): One of the main reasons people hike the PCT. There’s high passes, granite basins, and snowfields around every corner! In a heavy snow year the river crossings can be quite dangerous. I’ve hit a sub-zero hailstorm at the top of Mt. Whitney. In June. In a decent snow year, you’ll definitely need microspikes and an ice axe for this section.
• Northern California (South Lake Tahoe to Ashland, ~550 miles): Criminally underrated. One of my favorite parts of the PCT is the 30-mile section on Hat Creek Rim. This is also notoriously waterless, with a water cache maintained by my buddy Cache-22 to break up an otherwise daunting water carry.
• Oregon (~450 miles): Flat, fast, and often smoky in late summer. I loved it!
• Washington (~500 miles): The North Cascades are genuinely stunning. Hopefully smoke won’t be too bad, and you’ll get some good views.

Getting to and from Trail

Southern Terminus (Campo, CA)

Most people fly into San Diego. From the airport, take the trolley to the Santa Fe Depot, then San Diego Metro Transit (or a rideshare/shuttle) to Campo. There has also previously been trail angels running a dedicated hiker shuttle service from San Diego. Search the PCT Facebook groups for shuttling options, as they are likely to change year to year.

Most NOBO hikers spend the night before at Lake Morena or in Campo itself. The Campo port of entry has a monument for photos; do that in the morning before you start (assuming it’s not closed due to whatever Presidential bullshit is happening in the U.S.)

Northern Terminus (Manning Park, BC)

The northern terminus is at the Canadian border near Hart’s Pass, Washington. You will need to walk out to Manning Park in British Columbia (about 8 miles), where there’s a lodge, bus service, and real food. From Manning Park you can take a bus to Vancouver or to Bellingham for the drive/fly home. Note: depending on the U.S. dumb political bullshit, you may not actually be able to walk into Canada, so may need to walk back to Hart’s Pass from the monument.

Make sure your passport (or passport card) is in order if you are entering Canada. There is also a Canadian foot entry form to fill out if the border crossing is open and they’re allowing PCT hikers to enter Canada.

Resupply

The PCT has excellent resupply options compared to other long trails. You can do the whole thing without mailing a single box if you want. Most people mail a few packages for gaps or to get specific foods. My philosophy: don’t overthink it. Gas station and grocery store resupplies are fine and give you flexibility!

The main exception for needing to send a box is Kennedy Meadows (southern entrance to the Sierra). The reason to mail things here is because you’ll want to mail your bear canister, microspikes, and an ice axe. As such, you might as well mail food! If you fail to mail any of this stuff, you can genuinely buy everything you need from Triple Crown Outfitters, although the prices will be higher than you want, and selection may be meh.

Gear Notes

The PCT exposes you to a wide range of conditions, from unrelenting desert heat to Sierra snowfields. A few things that mattered:

• Shoes: I started the PCT in La Sportiva Wildcats and ended up with serious foot issues. This is the case for a lot of people — their footwear just doesn’t work for them that they start in. I switched to Altra Timps mid-trail, which I found uncomfortable and would not recommend. Eventually I landed on Hoka Challengers, which are now my go-to long distance hiking shoe. Durability is questionable on the Hokas, but the cushioning and fit are great for me! I would recommend not sending yourself new shoes or buying a ton of the same shoe in advance, until you see how your feet holdup. I sent myself microspikes to Kennedy Meadows for the Sierra; sent them home at Emigrant Pass once the snow conditions improved.
• Rain: SoCal gets almost no rain. Northern California, Oregon, and Washington can get a lot. With that said, the PCT is pretty mellow on the rain front, and you can get by with medicore rain protection (Outdoor Research Helium II, frogtoggs, etc.)
• Sierra gear: In early season you’ll want an ice axe and microspikes. Know how to self-arrest. The bigger danger is often the fast melt conditions that makes Sierra river crossings dangerous.

My Packing List

ListServ Email Updates

Below are the emails I sent to my listserv during my PCT thru-hike in 2018. These capture the day-to-day experience of what hiking 2,650 miles over 95 days actually looks like.

Route Map

• View route on CalTopo (download GPX)