PCT FAQ



The Pacific Crest Trail is a long distance hiking path spanning about 2,633.5 miles from Mexico to Canada.  It begins in the small town of Campo, California on the Mexican/U.S. border and it ends in Manning Park, BC, Canada. 


The trail goes through California, Oregon and Washington and passes through 25 National Forests and 7 National Parks. 


The highest point on the trail is Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada at 13,153 feet and the lowest point is in Cascade Locks, Oregon on the Columbia River at 150 feet of elevation.


When a hiker attempts to complete the entire trail non-stop in one hiking season it is called "thru-hiking."  The majority of thru-hikers choose to embark on their journey in the south and walk north to Canada.  These folks are referred to as "Northbound" thru-hikers.  There are many reasons this is the most popular direction in which to hike the trail... That being said - there definitely are people who hike from north to south yet they are significantly less common.  

 Most northbound thru-hikers typically begin hiking in late April - early May in order to beat the desert heat of southern California and reach Canada before the first snowfall in autumn.


It typically takes a thru-hiker 4-6 months to complete a thru-hike of the PCT. 

















"The world's big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark." - John Muir

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