The Best Moments of the Pacific Crest Trail (2024 Survey)

As part of the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey, I ask hikers to share their hikes’ scariest and lowest moments. However, I also ask hikers to share the best moments from their PCT hikes as well.

It’s good to remember that there will be difficult times on the Pacific Crest Trail, but there are also good reasons that inspire people to begin (and stick out) a PCT thru-hike. But really, it would behoove you to remember that a lot of it may be awful and have you questioning what you’re doing with your life.

Some common responses to the question “What was your best moment on the trail?” include:

• All of it
• Forester Pass (Sierra)
• Goat Rocks (Washington)
• Mount Whitney (Sierra)
• the Northern Terminus
• and “the Sierra”

But there’s a lot more to tell than simply the names of some of the most scenic and most recognizable places along the PCT. Here are the best moments of this year’s PCT hikes.

Notes on the Data

• This year, there were 751 completed surveys. Hiking next year? Sign up to take the survey here.
• The Pacific Crest Trail and thru-hiking generally use acronyms and jargon. The thru-hiker glossary may help clarify anything that needs to be clarified. Please comment if you still can’t find what you’re looking for.
• I refer to survey respondents collectively as this year’s “class.” Remember, this is a sample (albeit a large one) and not a comprehensive survey of every person on the PCT.
• Lastly, remember that each bullet point below comes from a single hiker.
• To be notified of new survey posts, click here.

Trail Magic

• It is hard to pick one specific moment from the trail, but one of my best nights was at Walker Pass. Some hikers who had been in town showed up around sunset just as we were pitching our tents and brought beer to share. As we all know, things usually wind down around that time, but not this night. We sat around drinking and talking until trail angel Sergio showed up with more beverages. Another group of hikers had gotten a hitch into town, and before they left, I told them to bring back a pizza if they could get a ride back tonight. After Sergio left, those hikers returned just as I was having Oreos and peanut butter for dessert in my tent, and had half a pizza hand delivered to my front vestibule. I shared it with another hiker next door before going to bed, and the following day, Sergio was back with breakfast sandwiches and more pizza for us. The Walker Pass group that night had good vibes, and anything involving food seems to be high on my PCT memories.

• Standing on top of Whitney with the light of a brilliant sunset cascading across the mountain peaks was awe-inspiring. But being there with my new trail family – strangers suddenly turned to friends – made all the difference. These people I had been growing closer with for a few weeks suddenly had our relationships catalyzed by the effort, the thrill, and the beauty of the moment. This was when I felt part of something, that I had shared a shining moment of wonder with all these people. I felt so close to the edge of laugher and joy as I took countless pictures, lined up with everyone to moon the camera, and in the middle of so much shared elation the tears that rolled from my eyes felt natural instead of vulnerable, for in that moment I was as authentic to my soul as I had ever been. On the way down from the summit as the moon threw our shadows against the snow and stars blossomed in the velvet sky, we started singing songs – just random songs – together. It was amazing.

• My hiking partner and I were camping by the first water cache, leaving Tehachapi. She ran down a car that was driving by on a remote road and asked him if he had any cold drinks. He pulled out a Pepsi and an Arizona Tea from his cooler. All the hikers around me began chanting his name joyfully as he drove away. We each took tiny sips of those beautiful, cold beverages. Thirty minutes later, a trail angel/hiker named Sparrow delivered trail magic from his van (beer, soda, and ice cream). A hot, boring day became one of the best in just a few hours.

• Forester Pass, we glissaded down the snow, swam in the bluest alpine lake, and ended the day with trail magic. These angels brought in 250 lb / 113 kg of food on mules and fed us burritos, s’mores, and then breakfast. All of our friends were there. It was a perfect day.

• Seeing my wife driving our car down some middle-of-nowhere dusty dirt road in the Mojave Desert to surprise me with a pickup and dinner. And then she dropped me back off in the same spot the following day to continue my hike.

Trail Surprises

• All of the “alternate” trails (Eagle Creek, Crater Lake Rim, Mount Whitney) were epic and absolutely worth leaving the “red line”.

• We had to skip most of Glacier Peak for fires, but before reaching the closures, I did a short out-and-back to try and get a better view of Glacier Peak before we got out via a side trail. I went off trail after a bit and clambered up a hill to get a view, and suddenly the mountain was rising before me, just so serene and beautiful. I felt so lucky to be out there, in front of this fantastic view, hiking in an area mostly untouched due to the upcoming closure. Even though I was sad about skipping this section and all the fires, there was still so much beauty and wonder around me that it was impossible to feel anything but grateful and in awe.

• The reroute around the Miner’s Complex Fire in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. It was lovely to get away from FarOut and go into more ‘wilderness’. I love FarOut, but it makes everything quite predictable. Some other hikers use it to announce all the stats during every break (next water, next campsite, next climb, etc.). It was nice to go into the reroute more unaware of what lay ahead. And even though it was a tough section, it was a lot of fun and so beautiful.

• Meeting my partner in Mission Creek. More or less instant connection. Like we were meant to be in that place and time, so we could meet. Been together ever since, despite being from different countries.

Doing Hard Things

• I felt confident and prepared to use an ice axe, crampons, and spikes, as well as assess the environment around me when entering the mountains and areas of sketchy snow (due to getting snow safety instruction in Bishop days before starting).

• The very first day was so memorable. I kept thinking, “Wow, this is the dream you have been working towards for so long. And here you are, finally DOING it.” Especially during the first week, I would think that to myself frequently and embrace the moment. Remembering how my past self would dream about these moments and knowing how proud my past self would be of my current self really made me happy.

• Forester Pass had some of my scariest moments on trail (a friend getting into a really bad spot and almost sliding down the pass; me struggling down a sketchy rocky descent), but also had some crazy fun highs (that same friend’s first snowball fight, hiker generosity, and a 10/10 alpine swim). I think having the mix made this the best day.

• We were among the first groups to cross the South Fork San Joaquin River. We didn’t know exactly what we were getting ourselves into, but making it to the other side as a group was one of the best feelings of my life.

• The high highs and low exhausted lows of the Sierras. Climbing over Mather Pass despite the slushy snow, kicking steps all the way up, the absolute joy that came with coming over the top, seeing the new view of the valley, and glissading down the other side made everything all worth it. The same could be said for summiting Whitney. I was so anxious about doing it beforehand that I told myself I would set an alarm for 12:30 am and see how I felt. Deciding to do it anyway, the tiring climb up to see the sunrise on the summit on a perfectly clear, windless day was a moment I’ll never forget.

• I summited Forester Pass, instantly knowing that I could handle the high passes still covered in icy snow. I saw my first cute little pika as I rock-scrambled up the pass, and it was like something clicked: I was doing this, and I was doing it well, and all my anxiety just evaporated.

Magical Nature

• On the fourth of July, a friend group I was hiking with went off-trail on the Sierra High Route. In the afternoon, we took the whole day off. In the middle of nowhere, we were chilling, swimming, fishing, making a fire, eating the fish, sipping whiskey, and watching a bald eagle fly over our heads. It was just the five of us, with no other hikers or trails close by.

• Cowboy camping alone for our last three nights in Washington after persevering through fire closures, zero visibility on the Knife’s Edge, being hailed and snowed on, and freezing in Washington was the best experience I could have asked for. We had three nights of solitude and 360-degree views, with no wind and beautiful stars. Washington was, honestly, not all that enjoyable for the preceding three weeks. The last three days of cowboy camping made up for all of it. It was what you picture when you think of backcountry camping – like stepping into a postcard.

• Hiking out of Quincy, we reached this insanely breathtaking overlook and watched the sun set behind the most enormous smoke cloud I’ve ever seen. The smoke was so dense that you could look directly at the sun. We sat there in awe while it cast this orange/red light on the entire valley, which you could see for miles in every direction. We had just gotten word that the trail portion we were hiking had just been closed due to the fire, and we’d have to bail at the road intersection in the morning. We ate all the food we wanted and watched the sky fade through shades of pink and red, knowing we’d be back in Quincy at the trail angel’s house again in the morning. It was, to date, the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.

• One evening, after grueling postholing of topping Baden-Powell alone, I had the mountain top to myself. I dozed off, lounging amongst the gnarly roots of a mountain-shaped bonsai tree while contemplating the spectacular views filled with black clouds of impending doom surrounding me. A bird flew down and gently fluttered my cheeks with its wings to wake me.

• Every day in the Sierra. Every. Day. No matter how hard, how many tears, or how many mosquitoes, the beauty is unmatched and simply stunning to experience with others.

• We took a side trip to Jade Lake, and it was the best day on the trail for me. It was beautiful, and we just hung out and swam. The best moment on the PCT itself was the morning we walked through the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. Just after a storm, I was walking with my hiking buddy. The lighting, views, and company were perfect.

Town Days

• Took a trail zero with the trail family at Rae Lakes in the Sierra. Packed out extra food to do communal meals and fished all day. BEST DAY EVER.

• Wandering into the Sunset Rave at Beldentown Resort and chatting with the ravers over beers and the Belden Burger in the bar; two days later our tramily caught up to us and said the ravers were still talking about us OGs hanging with the young crowd on the PCT. Then, having a random conversation about DiaperNaut (former astronaut Lisa Nowak) with the guy behind the counter in the convenience store, because I was looking for facial tissues but accidentally grabbed diapers.

• Nero-ing at Cascade Locks and completing my first state, meeting my partner at Olallie Lake and Crater Lake, zero-ing at Callahan’s, hiking into Yosemite and entering the Sierra, finding Countrytime Lemonade mix in a water cache in a hot, desert stretch, receiving trail magic tacos in the final 24 hours of my hike when I was low on food and morale.

• Getting stuck in Big Bear for three days due to a snowstorm. All the hikers took over the local karaoke bar and ice-skated around on the frozen roads. One of my most memorable nights ever!

• I got into Quincy to resupply. It was the friendliest town I encountered on the trail. I was offered free food, and people were interested in my hike. I was even offered a ride back to the trail without trying to hitch.

• South Lake Tahoe was the most fun we had in a town by a long shot.

• When my hiking friends and I hiked 93 mi / 150 km in two and a half days as a race to see who could get to the Timberline Lodge first for the buffet, we all made it before 11:30 am and feasted on the best food on the trail.

Trail Moments

• Camping at the top of Antsell Rock in the San Jacinto Wilderness. Surrounded by the rocks and cliffs, watching the sunset in the distance, and the sunrise the following day! The moment it sank in, this was the new normal for a bit.

• My favorite night on the trail was the LA Aqueduct night hike. I left HikerTown around 6:30 pm with a big group of French hikers. We played hopscotch throughout the night. Walking through the Mojave, the lights of Lancaster illuminated the sky. I was still able to see the Milky Way slightly. I was truly happy at that moment and in awe of the sights around me. I was taking in the starry sky and listening to music. I would turn off my headlamp and walk in the darkness quite a few times. It was incredibly peaceful. Every once in a while, I would glance behind me to see a parade of red lights far behind from the other hikers. An hour and a half before sunrise, I stopped and cowboy camped underneath a juniper tree in the middle of a wind farm. I hiked 22.8 mi / 37 km. It was the best night of my life.

• Leaving for the Aqueduct night hike was my favorite moment on the trail. We planned to hike the entire thing overnight, and I remember one of my friends saying to another member of the trail family, “You know you’ll never do anything like this again, right?” We sang songs and talked about random things like our favorite books, and saw a rocket launch.

• Oh my god, there are way too many to list. Meeting my future partner at Mike’s Place. Maniacally glissading down San Jacinto at high speed (our legs were bleeding after, and we’ve never had so much fun). Cooking up a massive full English breakfast with my tramily in Big Bear Lake. Flame-grilling an enormous steak at Deep Creek Hot Springs. Summiting Mount Baden-Powell in the snow at midnight under the stars. Seeing sky pilot on Forester Pass. The entirety of Muir Pass. Swimming in the Tuolumne. Eating literal pounds of wild berries in Washington.

• My favorite moment on the trail was summiting Mt. Whitney for a sunrise hike. As we waited for the sun to rise, we all sat facing east, wrapped in our sleeping bags. People piled in gradually, and as it got lighter, I recognized many hikers, some of whom I hadn’t seen for weeks. All present were silent until the first rays broke the horizon. Once the light reached our faces, everyone broke into greetings, cheers, and embraces. Then it was time for summit shooters and pictures! It was a celebration of an accomplishment and the people we shared it with. The setting was awe-inspiring, but more than that, the event itself carried a sense of community. Only thru-hikers were up there that early. To camp in the high mountains, wake up at an ungodly hou,r and silently endeavor to summit the highest peak in the Lower 48 with a group of people united in their aspiration and unique determination to hike across the country has proven to be one of the most inspiring and meaningful moments of the trail.

• I went through the Sierras very early, going from Forester Pass to Mather Pass without seeing a single person. I got to the top of Mather at sunrise and yelled like a hooligan into the abyss. It is a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

• Multiple, usually involving getting to a town after a long, hard day, eating tons of food, and getting plenty of rest. e.g., Snoqualmie after a 90-mile “day”, or Stehekin after finishing the PCT. The last mile before a town, where you can see the end in sight, is usually a huge relief. If this question is specifically about the trail, I suppose getting to the Muir Hut at 9 PM after hiking three snowy passes in one day felt pretty good. And of course, hitting the Northern Terminus was an amazing moment.

The People

• I had a lot of fun singing and dancing through the LA Aqueduct in the middle of the night with my tramily.

• Walking into the Northern Terminus to catch up to a group of your closest trail friends after not seeing them for a month, when you saw them on the trail register the previous morning. And pulling a 36-mi / 58-km day the previous day to ensure you would catch them that morning.

• Celebrating all that we did together as a large tramily at the Northern Terminus. The people were the best part of the trail to me, and the Northern Terminus was the best moment of that. Most of us had been together since the desert (some since Scout and Frodo’s), so it meant so much for us to finish together. To have drinks, pictures, laughs, and reminisce together was the best moment of the trail.

• The day of the Cajon McDonald’s challenge. I had the first bear encounter of my life that early morning in my tent, and got my trail name, and my tramily, who camped a few miles ahead, also saw two bears. We were deliriously laughing about that at McDonald’s, where we all loaded up and did the climb out that evening.

• Staying up hours into the night on the edge of Lakeview Ridge, the day we finished the trail. We all cuddled together, watched the sunset far in the distance over the North Cascades, reminisced on the trail, laughed, cried, and watched the Milky Way rise over us for the last time. The shooting stars were plentiful. It was a special evening.

• Bonding with my tramily was the best overall experience. The hikers make the trail.

Have a tale of greatness from a Pacific Crest Trail hike? Comment below to share it with future PCT classes!