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.
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.
Top Pacific Crest Trail Posts
- The Pacific Crest Trail Gear Guide
- The Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hiker Survey
- The Ultimate Pacific Crest Trail Packing List
- The Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Guide
- 17 Things Scarier Than Bears On The Pacific Crest Trail
- Coping With Readjustment And Thoughts of Suicide
- The Thru-Hiker Superiority Complex
Pacific Crest Trail Surveys
- PCT Hiker Survey: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013
- PCT Gear Guide: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
- PCT Women’s Gear Guide: 2021, 2019
- PCT Couples’ Gear Guide: 2021, 2019
- PCT Resupply Guide: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
- PCT Horror Stories: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
- PCT Advice: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014
- PCT Discrimination: 2021
- PCT Demographics: 2019, 2018, 2016
- PCT Class of 2020: NOGO, NOGO vs. Hikers
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
- 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
- How to Hike the PCT Without a Bear Canister
- Pacific Crest Trail Bear Canister Requirements
- Choosing Footwear for a Long-Distance Hike
- Trekking Poles – Why?
- The Bear Canister: Combating and Outsmarting Hungry Bears
- Bear Canister Tips and Strategies
- The Final “Complete PCT Gear List”
Pacific Crest Trail Resupply
- PCT Survey: The 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
- Why You Shouldn’t Start a PCT Thru-hike in March
- 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
- The Best Pacific Crest Trail Resources
Pacific Crest Trail Questions
- 17 Things I Learned on the Pacific Crest Trail
- No, You Don’t Have to Hike to Lake Morena on Day One of the PCT
- 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
- (Un)popular Opinion: Why Your Trail Family Sucks
- 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
- Yellow Blaze Transit – Transportation for PCT Hikers
- 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
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 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
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!