The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is one of the great long-distance trails of the world. It connects Mexico to Canada via a 2,660 mile / 4,280 km footpath across the Western United States.
Thru-hikers, those hiking the entire trail, face five distinct sections: the Desert, the Sierra, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Every year, would-be thru-hikers begin at one border or the other (usually in the south) to hunt for border-to-border glory and more importantly, for themselves (or at least their spirit animal).
This page is dedicated to helping everyone curious about what awaits them (or their “crazy friend/relative”) on the PCT. If you have any questions, be sure to get in touch! And try not to die out there.
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Favorite PCT Posts
- I Quit the Pacific Crest Trail – Best Decision Ever?
- The 11 Worst Moments On The Pacific Crest Trail
- The Thru-Hiker League Of Super Best Friends
- Why I Say “Yes” To (Almost) Everything
- Denied By The Pacific Crest Trail (Three Times)
- How To ACTUALLY Shit In The Woods
- Hiker Trash And The Pacific Crest Trail Glossary
- I Hate Hiking, But I Love Adventuring
Pacific Crest Trail Gear
- The Pacific Crest Trail Gear Guide
- The Ultimate Pacific Crest Trail Packing List
- 2019: PCT Gear Guide
- 2018: PCT Gear Guide
- 2017: PCT Gear Guide
- 2016: PCT Gear Guide
- The Final “Complete PCT Gear List”
- 10 Things You're Forgetting On Your PCT Thru-hike
- The Best Bear Canisters For The PCT
- The Best Stoves For The PCT
- The Best Water Filters And Purifiers For The PCT
- Choosing Footwear for a Long-Distance Hike
- Trekking Poles – Why?
- The Bear Canister: Combating And Outsmarting Hungry Bears
- Bear Canister Tips And Strategies
Pacific Crest Trail Resupply
- PCT Class of 2019: Resupply Guide
- PCT Class of 2018 Survey: Resupply Guide
- PCT Class of 2017 Survey: Resupply Guide
- PCT Class of 2016 Survey: Resupply Guide
- Resupply Boxes (Food On The PCT)
- The Thru-Hiker Diet: Eating On The PCT
- The Kennedy Meadows To Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) PCT Resupply
- Stoves And Cooking On The Pacific Crest Trail
- Going Stoveless On The Pacific Crest Trail
- The Ultimate Trail Mix Recipe
- The Hiker Food Formula
- The Currency Of The Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail Planning
- The Best Pacific Crest Trail Resources
- 9 Things To Remember Hiking The Pacific Crest Trail
- How Much Does It Cost To Hike The Pacific Crest Trail?
- Physical Preparation For The Pacific Crest Trail
- How Long Does It Take To Hike The Pacific Crest Trail?
- Hiking Solo vs. Hiking Non-Solo
- North Or South – Which Way To Hike The Pacific Crest Trail
- Your Pacific Crest Trail Plans Are Useless
- The PCT: Where I Went Terribly Wrong
Pacific Crest Trail Questions
- 17 Things I Learned On The Pacific Crest Trail
- The Pacific Crest Trail FAQ
- The Pacific Crest Trail FAQ: Questions From Readers
- Absurd Questions People Ask PCT Hikers
- Appa The Sky Bison: Interview With A Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hiker
On-Trail Posts
- The First 100 Miles: Lessons Learned
- The New Worst Day: Fuller Ridge
- Being Alone On The PCT – All Alone
- Taking A Zero Day
- Faith In Humanity: Restored
- What It’s REALLY Like On The PCT
Pacific Crest Trail Culture
- Trail Angels and Trail Magic
- The “Hiker” Adjective
- Being Homeless In Town
- Hitchhiking On The Pacific Crest Trail
- 2,600 Miles of PCT Small Talk
- Trail Names On The Pacific Crest Trail
- The Thru-Hiker Superiority Complex
Pacific Crest Trail Pre-Departure
- The Pacific Crest Trail: Two Months Out
- The Pacific Crest Trail: T-Minus One Month
- One Week Left: PCT Crunch Time
- The Night Before The Morning Of (The PCT)
- PCT Day 1: What The Hell Am I Doing?
Pacific Crest Trail Resources
- Craig’s PCT Planner
- PCT Permits: Permission to Walk Outdoors
- What the new PCT permit rules mean for thru-hikers
- The PCT-L (Listserv)
- Yogi’s Guide For Squares
- Mapping All 2,600 PCT Miles
- The ADZPCTKO (Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off)
Pacific Crest Trail Section Hikes
- Best Section Hikes Of The PCT: The Desert
- Best Section Hikes Of The PCT: The Sierra
- Best Section Hikes Of The PCT: NorCal
- Best Section Hikes Of The PCT: Oregon
- Best Section Hikes Of The PCT: Washington
I Knew Nothing
- Ultralight Backpacking Explained
- How To Shit In The Woods
- Hiking The 700 Miles Of PCT Desert
- Gifts from the PCTA!
- How Not To Be Eaten By Bears
- Complete Pacific Crest Trail Gear List (Pre-Departure)
Pacific Crest Trail Danger
- List Of Deaths On The Pacific Crest Trail
- The Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hiker Lie
- The Legend Of BearCat
- The Poodle Dog Bush
- Murderers In The Desert (& PCT Checkers)
- But Aren't You Afraid Of Murderers?
- PCT DANGER: Marijuana Hazard!
- 11 MORE Things Scarier Than Bears On The Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail Media
- The Pacific Crest Trail in Three Minutes (VIDEO)
- The PCT: Three Second Thru-Hike (VIDEO)
- Wildlife Of The Pacific Crest Trail
- Rocket Llama’s Brilliant PCT Comics
- The Birth of a Thru-Hiker (VIDEO)
- Photo Essay: The Pacific Crest Trail
- Photo Gallery: Faces of the Pacific Crest Trail
- Super Fun Time Thunderstorm On The Pacific Crest Trail (VIDEO)
- Raw Footage of the Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail Apps
- Must-Have Apps For Hiking The Pacific Crest Trail
- App Review: Guthook's PCT Guide
- App Review: Halfmile's PCT App
Pacific Crest Trail Books
- Hikertrash: Life On The Pacific Crest Trail
- Pacific Crest Trials: A Psychological and Emotional Guide to Successfully Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail Section Reports
- PCT Progress Report I: The Desert
- PCT Progress Report II: The Sierra
- PCT Progress Report III: NorCal
- PCT Progress Report IV: Oregon
- PCT Progress Report V: Washington
- The Final Stats Of The Pacific Crest Trail
More PCT Reading
- The Mount Laguna Outfitter And “Getting Daved”
- The One Month Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike: Is It Possible?
- Confession: I’m Not Hiking The Entire PCT
- A Letter To The PCT Class Of 2014
- 8 Ridiculous PCT Acronyms to Learn
- To Catch A Hiker
- A Word To The Wind
- Tent Envy – Why Bigger Isn’t Better
- The Many Names Of The PCT
- Sleepless Nights On The PCT
- My Feet Are Melting Off
The Leftovers
- A Trail Journal From Appa The Sky Bison
- Complete Pacific Crest Trail Gear List: Inside Appa The Sky Bison’s Backpack
- Getting Super High On The PCT
- The Sierra: A Sneak Peak
- The Long And Winding Road
- An Afternoon At McDonald's
- Blogging From The Trail
And that's it!
I've tried to make this as accessible and straightforward as possible because I remember what a hassle it was to find information about the Pacific Crest Trail before my thru-hike.
If you have any suggestions on how this page can be improved, questions about the Pacific Crest Trail, or requests for future posts, then contact me and let me know!