Featured - 2024 PCT Hiker Survey (No Text)

Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey (2024)

The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey is distributed to PCT hikers at the end of the hiking season every year to capture a snapshot of the year’s class and provide a helpful resource to future PCT hikers and recreators. The Survey is now in its twelfth year, and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to participate and provide feedback.

This year’s survey is the most comprehensive yet, and I’ve devoted a tremendous amount of time to compiling the results. Again, the PCT Survey is meant to be a useful resource to help anyone interested in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail figure out how to approach the seemingly monstrous journey. Every year, I try to improve the data collected and fine-tune the presentation to best help hikers. I would love to hear what you think.

Congratulations on arriving at a spot in the PCT Survey that most readers have probably skipped. There’s a lot to cover (I’ll probably need to split this initial article into multiple posts in the future), so I won’t waste your time with any more filler. Here are Halfway Anywhere’s 2024 Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey results!

Notes on the Data

  • This year, there were 764 completed surveys. Hiking next year? Sign up to take the survey here.
  • Some responses are sorted and colored – e.g., northbound or southbound. More on this below.
  • The Pacific Crest Trail and thru-hiking generally use acronyms and jargon. If anything is unclear, the thru-hiker glossary may help. Please comment if you still can’t find what you’re looking for.
  • I ask that respondents do their best to respond accurately. Not every hiker answers every question, and not every answer is guaranteed accurate (e.g., someone may mistakenly report reaching the California-Oregon border two days earlier than reality).
  • I refer to survey respondents collectively as this year’s “class.” Remember, this is a sample (albeit a large one).
  • These results invoke basic statistics. To maximize your time here, familiarize yourself with average, median (M), and standard deviation (σ).
  • For stats requiring the length of the PCT for a calculation (e.g., mileage/day), I use 2,655.2 mi / 4,273.1 km (from the FarOut Guides PCT app).
  • More detailed posts focused on PCT Gear (including breakdowns of women-specific and couples’ gear), PCT Resupply, PCT Demographics, PCT Horror Stories, and PCT Advice in the coming weeks. If you would like to be notified of new surveys, click here.

Data Labels

  • Thru-Hikers
  • Northbound Thru-Hikers
  • Southbound Thru-Hikers
  • The number (1) is appended when only using data from hikers who completed the trail.
  • The number (0) is appended when only using data from hikers who did not complete the trail.

If no label has been appended, I used all collected data (i.e., it includes section hiker data).

Unless otherwise noted, I use the following colors to differentiate each section of the Pacific Crest Trail. These colors are typically used in the graphs below.

  • The Desert, the Sierra, Northern California, Oregon, Washington

Demographics

First, let’s look at information from this year’s Pacific Crest Trail class of hikers that won’t help anyone plan a PCT hike, but that’s interesting nonetheless. I delve deeper into the demographics of each year’s class in a subsequent post, but I cover the basics here to provide a picture of this year’s class.

We’ll look at PCT hiker gender, age, race, education, sexual orientation, country/state of origin, marital status, children, and employment (including how hikers could take time off to hike the PCT).

PCT Hiker Gender

  • 55.1% – Male (↓2.8%)
  • 40.2% – Female (↑3.5%)
  • 1.1% – Non-binary (↓0.5%)
2024 PCT Hiker Gender Graph

PCT Hiker Age

  • 0.4% – < 20 (↓0.5%)
  • 11.5% – 20-24 (↓0.6%)
  • 23.5% – 25-29 (↓3.4%)
  • 22.3% – 30-34 (↑1.1%)
  • 8.0% – 35-39 (↓3.3%)
  • 9.6% – 40-49 (↓0.2%)
  • 13% – 50-59 (↑5%)
  • 9.8% – 60-70 (↑1.5%)
  • 1.8% – 70+ (↑0.3%)

Average age: 38 (↑2)
Median age:
32 (→)
σ:
14.1 (↑1.1)

2024 PCT Hiker Age Graph

PCT Hiker Race

  • 89.8% – White (↑1.2%)
  • 3.1% – Two or More Races (↓0.5%)
  • 2.7% – Asian (↓1.1%)
  • 2.4% – Hispanic or Latino (↑0.9%)
  • 0.6% – American Indian or Alaska Native (↓0.3%)
  • 1.42% – Prefer not to answer
2024 PCT Hiker Race Graph

PCT Hiker Education

  • 46.4% – Bachelor’s degree (↓0.5%)
  • 22.7% – Master’s Degree (↓1.0%)
  • 8.2% – Some college, no degree (↓3.5%)
  • 6.1% – Graduated high school or equivalent (↑1.5%)
  • 5.0% – Associate degree (↑1.5%)
  • 3.4% – PhD (↑1.0%)
  • 2.3% – MBA (↑1.0%)
  • 1.7% – MD (↑1.0%)
  • 1.3% – JD (→)
  • 0.9% – 12th grade or less (↑0.1%)
  • 0.3% – DVM (↑0.2%)
  • 0.3% – Trade School (↓0.6%)
  • 0.1% – Apprenticeship (↑0.1%)
  • 0.1% – Cosmetology license (↑0.1%)
  • 0.1% – DMA (↑0.1%)
  • 0.1% – DO (→)
  • 0.1% – EdD (→)
  • 0.1% – PGCE (↑0.1%)
  • 0.1% – PharmD (↑0.1%)
  • 0.4% – Prefer not to answer
2024 PCT Hiker Education Graph

PCT Hiker Sexual Orientation

  • 77.1% – Heterosexual (↓0.7%)
  • 10.3% – Bisexual (↑2.4%)
  • 2.8% – Queer (↓1.1%)
  • 2.4% – Asexual (↑0.9%)
  • 2.0% – Gay (↑0.2%)
  • 2.0% – Lesbian (↑0.9%)
  • 0.7% – Pansexual (↓1.2%)
  • 2.7% – Prefer not to answer
2024 PCT Hiker Sexual Orientation Graph

PCT Hiker Marital Status

  • 42.9% – Single, never married (↓2.7%)
  • 27.4% – Married or domestic partnership (↑2.4%)
  • 21.6% – In a committed relationship (↓0.4%)
  • 4.2% – Divorced (↓0.1%)
  • 1.3% – In an open relationship (↑0.4%)
  • 0.9% – Separated (↑0.1%)
  • 0.6% – Widowed (↑0.2%)
  • 1.2% – Prefer not to answer
2024 PCT Hiker Marital Status Graph

PCT Hiker Children

  • 4.5% – One child (↑1.3%)
  • 8.7% – Two children (↑0.6%)
  • 5.2% – Three children (↑1.3%)
  • 1.8% – Four children (↑1.0%)
  • 0.7% – Five children (↑0.3%)
  • 0.3% – Over five children (↓0.1%)
2024 PCT Hiker Children Graph

Where Hikers Are From

With its growing popularity, the Pacific Crest Trail attracts people from across the United States and the world. Here’s a look at where hikers on the trail this year hailed from.

  • Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Czechia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela (34 total)

Worldwide PCT Hiker Distribution

2024 PCT Hiker Country Graph

European PCT Hiker Distribution

2024 PCT Hiker Europe Graph

USA PCT Hiker Distribution

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming (46 total)

2024 PCT Hiker USA Graph

The Most-Represented Countries

  1. United States – 62.2%
  2. Germany – 6.6%
  3. Canada – 6.1%
  4. United Kingdom – 5.6%
  5. Australia – 3.3%

The Most-Represented States

  1. California – 23.1%
  2. Washington – 12.9%
  3. Oregon – 8.0%
  4. Colorado – 3.2%
  5. New York – 3.2%

Hiker Jobs & Working Conditions

How can you take off enough time to hike across the United States? This is probably a question most would-be Pacific Crest Trail hikers have been asked. I ask hikers what they do for work (when they’re not being incredible hiking machines) and how they can take time off to hike the PCT.

PCT Hiker Jobs

This year, hikers reported 156 different professions. The most common of which were:

  • 6.6% – Educator
  • 5.4% – Software Engineer
  • 4.0% – Engineer
  • 4.0% – Student
  • 3.8% – Project Manager
  • 3.5% – Seasonal Work
  • 3.4% – Scientist
  • 2.8% – Mechanical Engineer
  • 2.5% – Consultant
  • 2.3% – IT

9.1% (larger than any single profession) reported being retired, and 4.0% were students. More on this in the next section.

2024 PCT Hiker Jobs Graph

PCT Hiker Working Conditions

How were this year’s thru-hikers able to take the time to hike the PCT?

  • 38.6% – Quit job to hike
  • 12.3% – Unpaid time off
  • 9.7% – Flexible work conditions
  • 7.6% – Sabbatical
  • 6.3% – Recent graduate
  • 5.3% – Unemployed
  • 4.5% – Gap year
  • 4.2% – Seasonal worker
  • 3.4% – Between jobs
  • 2.7% – Student
  • 1.9% – Pre-negotiated
  • 1.7% – Paid time off
  • 1.3% – Retirement
  • 0.4% – Military leave
  • 0.2% – Medical leave
2024 PCT Hiker Time Off Graph

Hiker Experience & Training

Here’s a look at what the 2024 class of thru-hikers looked like during their “Planning a PCT Hike” phase. This section examines time spent planning, first-time hikers, hiker experience level, and other trails hiked.

Time Spent Planning

I ask thru-hikers how much time they spend planning for their thru-hikers on a scale of 0 (no time at all) to 10 (every waking moment). I will drill down in a future post on whether this impacted hikes.

  • 0 – 2.7%
  • 1 – 5.3%
  • 2 – 8.3%
  • 3 – 12.2%
  • 4 – 11.2%
  • 5 – 17.9%
  • 6 – 12.9%
  • 7 – 12.9%
  • 8 – 9.9%
  • 9 – 3.0%
  • 10 – 3.5%

Average: 5.03
Median: 5
σ: 2.41

2024 Time Spent Planning PCT Graph

PCT Hiker Experience Level

Instead of asking thru-hikers whether this would be/was their first long-distance hike, I ask the length of thru-hikers‘ longest hike to date (pre-PCT) and their (self-assessed) experience level – more on the specifics of this below.

I use 100 mi / 160 km as the cutoff for a long-distance hike (sorry, Wonderland Trail hikers).

First Time Thru-Hikers

  • 50.2% – First long-distance hike
  • 49.8% – Not first long-distance hike

Average trail hiked: 467 mi / 752 km
Median: 100 mi / 161 km

2024 PCT Hiker First Long-Distance Hike Graph

PCT Hiker Experience

In addition to asking about the longest trail completed by thru-hikers pre-PCT, I ask thru-hikers to evaluate their backpacking experience on a scale of 1 to 10.

  • Average experience: 5.95
  • Median experience: 6
  • σ: 2.83

Thru-Hikers (1): 5.95 | σ = 2.78
Thru-Hikers (0): 5.89 | σ = 2.92

2024 PCT Hiker Experience Graph

Previous Trails Hiked

The trails most commonly hiked by those with experience were:

  1. PCT Section Hike 17.4%
  2. Appalachian Trail 17.0%
  3. John Muir Trail 14.1%
  4. AT Section Hike 11.2%
  5. Camino de Santiago 9.8%
  6. West Highland Way 9.8%
  7. Long Trail 8.7%
  8. Colorado Trail 8.3%
  9. Tour du Mont Blanc 6.9%
  10. Te Araroa Trail 5.4%
  11. Tahoe Rim Trail 5.1%
  12. Continental Divide Trail 4.7%
  13. Kungsleden (Sweden) 4.7%
  14. Pacific Crest Trail (a previous year) 4.3%
  15. GR20 4.3%
2024 PCT Hiker Previous Trails Hiked Graph

Note: these percentages are for the hikers who have already completed a long-distance hike, not the entire class.

Pre-Hike Training

Next, we’ll examine whether thru-hikers trained in preparation for their thru-hikes, what they did (if anything) to train, and how thru-hikers rated their fitness (pre-PCT).

Hiker Training Before Trail

  • 72% – Trained
  • 28% – Didn’t Train
2024 PCT Hiker Pre-Trail Training Graph

How Hikers Trained

  • Day hikes – 54.9%
  • Walking – 42.1%
  • Strength training – 35.2%
  • Running – 31.7%
  • Multi-day hikes – 27.1%
  • Stretching – 25.1%
  • Mobility exercises – 21.4%
  • Yoga – 17.9%
  • Bicycling – 14.0%
  • Treadmill (incline walking) – 12.9%
  • Physical therapy – 11.5%
  • Stair running/walking – 9.7%
  • Step machine – 9.6%
  • Climbing – 8.7%
  • Swimming – 5.1%
  • Sports – 4.8%
  • Backcountry Skiing/Snowboarding – 4.6%
  • CrossFit – 2.3%
  • Other – 4.2%
2024 PCT Hiker Training Routine Graph

Pre-Trail Fitness Level

I asked thru-hikers to rate their fitness level (on a scale of 0 to 10) before beginning the trail.

  • 0 – 0.4%
  • 1 – 3.4%
  • 2 – 5.7%
  • 3 – 9.2%
  • 4 – 25.0%
  • 5 – 23.0%
  • 6 – 19.8%
  • 7 – 9.6%
  • 8 – 2.8%
  • 9 – 1.2%
  • 10 – 0.0%

Average fitness: 5.77
Median fitness: 6
σ: 1.65

Thru-Hikers (1): 5.90 | σ = 1.58
Thru-Hikers (0): 5.35 | σ = 1.81

2024 PCT Hiker Pre-Trail Fitness Level Graph

Southern & Northern Terminus Travel

The question of whether to hike the Pacific Crest Trail northbound or southbound is perhaps one of the first questions hikers have to answer once they commit to a thru-hike.

I will post a more detailed breakdown of northbound versus southbound PCT thru-hikers this year. For now, we’ll look at why hikers chose to go southbound (northbound is the more popular option for thru-hikers). I also asked hikers this year, for the first time, about their travel to and from the southern and northern terminus at the starts and ends of their hikes.

Northbound Thru-Hikers

Getting to the Southern Terminus

Here’s how northbound thru-hikers got to the southern terminus of the PCT to begin their hikes.

  • 41.8% – Southern Terminus Shuttle
  • 29.8% – Private Transportation
  • 13.1% – Bus to Campo, then walked
  • 9.4% – Rideshare
  • 5.5% – Trail angel
  • 0.4% – Hitchhiking
2024 Northbound PCT Hiker Southern Terminus Transport Graph

Leaving the Northern Terminus

When northbound PCT hikers reach the northern terminus at the US/Canada border, they (typically) have the option of crossing into Canada and hiking to Manning Park (done via obtaining prior authorization) or turning around and hiking back to Harts Pass in Washington.

This is because there is no vehicle access at the northern terminus.

Here’s how hikers responded to the question, “Did you cross the US/Canada Border and hike into Manning Park?”

  • 49.4% – Hiked into Manning Park
  • 50.6% – Hiked back to Harts Pass

Note: a few hikers either finished at an alternative spot along the border or continued hiking elsewhere after reaching Harts Pass.

2024 Northbound PCT Hiker Northern Terminus Decisions Graph

Note: these percentages are for northbound PCT hikers who completed the PCT.

Southbound Thru-Hikers

Southbound PCT hikers begin their hikes with a logistical challenge.

To officially begin at the northern terminus, they first need to reach Harts Pass in Washington (the closest road access in the US to the border). Then, they need to hike northbound nearly 31 mi / 50 km to reach the northern terminus at the US-Canada Border.

Getting to Harts Pass

Here’s how southbound thru-hikers got to Harts Pass to begin their hikes.

  • 51.7% – Friend/Family Member
  • 34.5% – Trail Angel
  • 13.8% – Hitchhiking
2024 Southbound PCT Hiker Harts Pass Transport Graph

Northern Terminus Starts

Here’s whether southbound thru-hikers hiked to the PCT’s northern terminus to begin their hikes.

  • 82.9% – Hiked to the terminus
  • 17.1% – Began hike elsewhere
2024 Southbound Hikes Beginning at Northern Terminus Graph

Why Hikers Went Southbound

Here are the motivations behind southbound thru-hiker decisions to begin their hikes at the US-Canada Border.

  • 88.6% – Timeframe worked better
  • 60.0% – Wanted to avoid crowds
  • 37.1% – Less competition for permits
  • 37.1% – “More unique” PCT experience
  • 14.3% – Logistically easier
  • 5.7% – Already hiked SOBO
  • 5.7% – Recommended by a former hiker
  • 5.7% – Snow-free Sierra
  • 2.9% – Already hiked NOBO
Why 2024 PCT Hikers Hiked Southbound Graph

Money Spent on Hike

How much does it cost to hike the Pacific Crest Trail? This a question on the minds of many thru-hikers before starting their hikes. The safe answer? More than you think. I wrote an article on PCT costs, but the aggregate data from this year’s class will paint a more accurate picture.

Thru-Hikers (1)
$10,149
The average amount spent on the entirety of a thru-hike
M = $10,000 | σ = $4,232

Thru-Hikers (1)
$71
The average amount spent per day on a thru-hike
M = $68 | σ = $28

Thru-Hikers
$1,708
The average amount spent on gear before starting
M = $1,500 | σ = $1,307

2024 Total Spent by PCT Finishers Graph
2024 PCT Thru-Hikers_ Total Spent on Gear Pre-Hike Graph

Thru-Hikers (1)
$9,651
Average spent by domestic thru-hikers
M = $10,000 | σ = $3,573

Thru-Hikers (1)
$10,810
Average spent by international thru-hikers
M = $10,000 | σ = $4,232

I asked Pacific Crest Trail hikers if they encountered any unexpected expenses while hiking the PCT. Even if you purchase and test all your gear beforehand and pre-package all your resupplies (I recommend against this resupply strategy), you can’t predict what will happen during a PCT thru-hike.

Surprise Expenses Encountered

  • 55.8% Yes
  • 44.2% No

Unexpected expenses fell into three categories: gear replacement, hotel stays, and travel along the trail. However, a few hikers did report some towns being unexpectedly pricey and medical expenses in addition to these three larger reasons.

2024 PCT Hikers_ Unexpected Expenses Encountered Graph

Hiking Partners, Camping, & Alone Time

Beginning a thru-hike on your own can sound scary and intimidating, but every year, most thru-hikers (and hikers in general) begin their hikes alone. Here, we’ll look at who hikers began with, how much time they spent hiking and camping alone (and cowboy camping), whether they stayed with their hiking partner(s), hiking group sizes, and hiker relationships.

Did hikers begin alone?

  • 72.2% – Started alone
  • 16.7% – Started with partner
  • 6.4% – Sttarted with friend(s)
  • 3.3% – Started with family
  • 1.3% – Started with stranger(s)

Of this year’s first-time thru-hikers, 72.4% began their hikes alone.

2024 PCT Thru-Hiker Starting Company Graph

Time Hiking Alone

  • 5.5% – 0%
  • 12.2% – 1-10%
  • 4.0% – 11-20%
  • 5.5% – 21-30%
  • 4.0% – 31-40%
  • 6.2% – 41-50%
  • 4.0% – 51-60%
  • 9.3% – 61-70%
  • 13.4% – 71-80%
  • 19.7% – 81-90%
  • 15.4% – 91-99%
  • 0.8% – 100%

69.7% – Average time thru-hikers who began alone spent hiking alone

2024 PCT Hiker Percentage of Time Hiking Alone Graph

“Hiking alone” measures how long hikers weren’t physically walking with someone down the trail. It does not necessarily imply they weren’t hiking with others throughout the day (i.e., camping with others).

Nights Camped Alone

  • 19.7% – 0%
  • 37.3% – 1-10%
  • 10.4% – 11-20%
  • 4.5% – 21-30%
  • 4.8% – 31-40%
  • 3.4% – 41-50%
  • 5.4% – 51-60%
  • 2.7% – 61-70%
  • 2.0% – 71-80%
  • 2.9% – 81-90%
  • 2.0% – 91-99%
  • 5.0% – 100%
2024 PCT Hiker Percentage of Nights Camping Alone Graph

23.9% was the average percentage of nights thru-hikers spent camping alone (M = 7 | σ = 34). When we look at thru-hikers who finished, this translates to an average of 32 nights spent camping alone.

Nights Cowboy Camping

  • 16.1% – 0%
  • 39.8% – 1-10%
  • 14.3% – 11-20%
  • 10.0% – 21-30%
  • 4.3% – 31-40%
  • 3.6% – 41-50%
  • 2.5% – 51-60%
  • 2.3% – 61-70%
  • 2.2% – 71-80%
  • 1.4% – 81-90%
  • 1.6% – 91-99%
  • 1.8% – 100%
2024 PCT Hiker Percentage of Nights Cowboy Camping Graph

18.8% was the average percentage of nights thru-hikers spent cowboy camping (σ = 26 | M = 7). When we look at thru-hikers who finished, this translates to an average of 28 nights spent cowboy camping.

Sticking With Hiking Partner(s)

Beginning a hike with someone is one thing, but remaining together and finishing it with someone is arguably as impressive as the trail itself. Here’s how things worked out for those who began their hikes with another person.

Remaining with Partner(s)

  • 70.1% – Stayed together
  • 13.4% – Partner got off
  • 7.5% – Wasn’t for the best
  • 4.5% – Mostly
  • 3.0% – Wasn’t Plan
  • 1.5% – I got off
2024 PCT Hikers Remaining with Hiking Partners Graph

Size of Hiking Groups

Despite most hikers beginning their Pacific Crest Trail hikes alone, hikers commonly will link up and hike with at least one other person for a considerable amount of their time on the PCT. Some hikers refer to this as a trail family or “tramily“.

Here are the largest groups hikers found themselves hiking with regularly.

Average group size: 5.7
Median size: 5
σ: 3.4

2024 PCT Hiking Group Size Graph

Relationship Status

I ask thru-hikers, “At the start of the PCT, were you in a relationship?”

  • 46.3% – Yes, and I am still with the same person
  • 40.8% – No, and I am still single
  • 6.9% – No, but now I am in a relationship with someone I met on the PCT
  • 3.2% – Yes, but I am now single
  • 1.2% – No, but now I am in a relationship with someone I met before the PCT
  • 1.3% – Yes, but now I am in a relationship with someone I met on the PCT
  • 0.3% – Yes, but now I am in a relationship with someone I met before the PCT
2024 PCT Hiker Relationship Status Graph

Overall, the PCT ended 4.8% of hiker relationships but gave 8.2% of hikers new relationships, a net gain of 3.4%.

Permits & Starting Dates

The rules and procedures for obtaining and possessing a Pacific Crest Trail permit constantly evolve. As expected, northbound permit slots for March, April, and May filled up wholly and quickly this year. If everything operated exactly as official permits dictate, 50 hikers began northbound hikes daily from the southern terminus.

99% of thru-hikers reported having obtained a permit from the PCTA. Is this a good thing? Yes. If you’re hiking the PCT, should you get a permit? Absolutely. If you are considering hiking the PCT without a permit, don’t.

Here, we look at whether hikers got permits for the start dates they wanted, whether they began their hikes on their permit start dates, and what the average start dates were for finishers and those who wish they had started earlier or later.

Did hikers receive a permit for the day they wanted?

Permits for the PCT are (generally) issued in two phases and require you to preregister and be online at a designated time, as hikers are randomly allowed to request permit start dates.

I asked this year’s class whether they got a permit for the date they wanted and whether they were happy with their permit’s date.

  • 53.5% – Permit for date wanted
  • 58.3% – Permit +/- 1 day of date wanted
  • 65.1% – Permit +/- 3 days of date wanted
  • 68.9% – Permit +/- 5 days of date wanted
  • 75.2% – Permit +/- 10 days of date wanted
  • 89.2% – Permit +/- 20 days of date wanted
2024 PCT Permit Date Discrepancy Graph

Begin on Permit Date

  • 80.6% – Began on their permitted date
  • 19.4% – Did not begin on their permitted date
2024 PCT Thru-Hikers_ Beginning on Permit Date Graph

Hiker Start Dates

Northbound
April 17
Average start date of thru-hikers happy with their start date

Northbound
March 26
Average start date of thru-hikers who said they would like to have started later

Northbound
May 3
Average start date of thru-hikers who said they would like to have started earlier

Southbound
July 1
Average start date of thru-hikers happy with their start date

Southbound
June 23
Average start date of thru-hikers who said they would like to have started later

Southbound
July 9
Average start date of thru-hikers who said they would like to have started earlier

Hiking Stats & Dates

The Pacific Crest Trail has five sections: the Desert, the Sierra, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.

Kennedy Meadows (south) is the Desert/Sierra division (despite the Sierra range technically beginning further south), and Echo Lake/South Lake Tahoe is commonly considered the Sierra/Northern California division (yes, the Sierra technically continues north).

Basically, the Sierra section of the PCT can also be considered “the section of the PCT that is most commonly filled with snow for the largest number of hikers (i.e., northbound hikers).” That said, the Sierra section of the survey measures the distance from Kennedy Meadows to Echo Lake (just north of Echo Summit on Highway 50, where hikers typically access South Lake Tahoe).

In this section, we look at how long thru-hikers took for each section of the trail, a breakdown of hike lengths and averages, and how many days hikers took off (zero/nearo days).

Northbound Hike Breakdown

  • 49 – Average days hiking the Desert
  • 31 – Average days hiking the Sierra
  • 26 – Average days hiking Northern California
  • 21 – Average days hiking Oregon
  • 24 – Average days hiking Washington
  • 146 NOBO (1) – Average days to complete the PCT
2024 PCT Northbound Hike Breakdown Graph

Southbound Hike Breakdown

  • 27 – Average days hiking Washington
  • 21 – Average days hiking Oregon
  • 24 – Average days hiking Northern California
  • 22 – Average days hiking the Sierra
  • 30 – Average days hiking the Desert
  • 122 SOBO (1) – Average days to complete the PCT
2024 PCT Southbound Hike Breakdown Graph

If you’re paying attention to the above, you may notice that adding up the average time for each section does not equal the average time for the entire trail. This is because I have taken all these averages independently, and I do not have complete data for the dates (and, therefore, section lengths) for all hikers who completed the survey.

Length of Thru-hikes

Thru-Hikers (1)
144
The average number of days of an entire thru-hike
(M = 144 | σ = 24)

Thru-Hikers (1)
126
The average number of days hiking (total minus zero days)
(M = 127 | σ = 20)

Northbound (1)
9/11
The average finish date (11/9 for the rest of the world)
(M = 9/14 | σ = 18)

Thru-Hikers (1)
19 mi
The average daily mileage (30.6 km)
(σ = 3.4 mi / 4.8 km)

Thru-Hikers (1)
21.7 mi
The average daily mileage after removing zero days (34.9 km) 
(σ = 3.8 mi / 6.1 km)

Thru-Hikers (1)
36.6 mi
The average longest day of hiking (58.9 km)
(M = 34 mi / 54.7 | σ = 8.9 mi / 14.3 km)

Zero and Nearo Days

Thru-Hikers (1)
18
The average number of zero days (days off from hiking)
(M = 16 | σ = 10.4)

Thru-Hikers (1)
15
The average number of nearo days (low mileage days) 
(M = 14 | σ = 8)

Thru-Hikers (1)
5
The average longest consecutive number of zero days
(M = 4 | σ = 4.8)

Flip-Flopping, Completion Rates, & Footpaths

Flip-flopping is when a hiker skips a section of the trail (the flip), intending to return to hike it later (the flop). This can happen because a hiker wants to avoid snow, skip a fire closure, or because of some other logistical issue. The flip-flop usually takes one of two forms.

One is a hiker skipping ahead, continuing to hike in the same direction, and then returning to the point they originally departed the trail to hike the skipped section later (e.g., a northbound hiker skips from the CA/OR border to the OR/WA border, then hikes north to Canada before returning to the CA/OR border to hike north to the OR/WA border).

It can also be when a hiker skips ahead and then hikes the skipped section in the opposite direction of their original hike before jumping back up to the point where they initially skipped to and continuing their hike in the original direction (e.g., northbound hiker jumps from CA/OR border to OR/WA border and then hikes south to CA/OR border before returning to OR/WA border to continue hiking north).

Some hikers get wild with their flip-flopping (I recommend avoiding it if possible), and there are rules in place that invalidate PCT permits for the Sierra if hikers fail to hike this section continuously (hikers can still flip-flop and get local permits to hike the Sierra legally).

Here is what flip-flopping on the PCT looked like in 2024.

Did Hikers Flip-Flop

Thru-Hikers 17% Yes
Thru-Hikers 83% No

Northbound 17% Yes
Northbound 83% No

Southbound 13% Yes
Southbound 87% No

2024 PCT Hiker Flip Flopping Graph

Why Hikers Flip-Flopped

  • 64.6% – Fires
  • 21.2% – Snow
  • 5.1% – Trail Days
  • 4.0% – Personal/Logistical
  • 2.0% – Injury
  • 2.0% – To meet/stay with friend(s)
  • 1.0% – Illness
Why 2024 PCT Hikers Flip-Flopped Graph

PCT Completion Rates

Most people begin a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike intending to complete the trail. Unfortunately (or in some cases, fortunately), not everyone who sets out on this most epic adventure of border-to-border glory completes the trail. Many people hoping to hike the PCT will fail to complete the trail every year.

We will look at completion rates, but we are doing so with a caveat.

Since I distribute this survey myself, and because it is not required of PCT hikers, survey respondents are a self-selecting group who (likely) skew toward having completed the trail. A hiker who quit during their first week of hiking back in March or April probably pays little attention and cares far less about the Pacific Crest Trail survey when it’s released in the fall.

Thru-Hikers
77%
The percentage of thru-hikers who completed the PCT.

Northbound
77%
The percentage of northbound thru-hikers who completed the PCT.

Southbound
87%
The percentage of southbound thru-hikers who completed the PCT.

It may sound straightforward enough, “Did you complete the PCT? Yes or no?” but what constitutes a completed thru-hike isn’t necessarily the same for everyone.

Some people insist you need to have unbroken steps between Mexico and Canada along the official Pacific Crest Trail to constitute a thru-hike, while others may forgive skipping a road walk, hitchhiking around a fire closure, or taking an alternate (or shortcut).

To better understand how much of the trail this year’s finishers hiked, I asked about footsteps between the terminuses.

Continuous Footpaths

I ask thru-hikers (1), “Did you hike a continuous, unbroken footpath between borders?”

  • 42.3% – Yes, hiked around closures
  • 24.2% – No, skipped some small sections
  • 21.8% – No, skipped some large sections
  • 10.9% – Yes, continuous footpath
  • 9.1% – Mostly, but may have missed a few miles here or there
  • 0.8% – Yes, and I hiked through closures
2024 PCT Thru-Hiker Footsteps

Alternate Routes

The Pacific Crest Trail is well-defined, but there are several alternate trails (sometimes, but not always, known as “shortcuts”) that hikers can take instead of or in addition to the official PCT.

I ask about these alternates to understand what the most common PCT thru-hikes looked like. Alternates are listed in geographical order from south to north.

The following colors indicate the popularity of each alternate (the percentage of hikers who took each): over 75%, 50-75%, 25-50%, and below 25%.

Desert Alternates

  • Paradise Cafe – 59.2%
  • Cedar Spring Trail – 6.7%
  • Forbes Saddle – 1.2%
  • Tahquitz Trail – 2.6%
  • Spitler Trail – 7.9%
  • South Ridge Trail – 1.1%
  • Ernie Maxwell Trail – 0.4%
  • Devil’s Slide Trail – 35.2%
  • Deer Springs Trail – 3.9%
  • Marion Mountain Trail – 1.1%
  • Seven Pines Trail – 0.4%
  • Black Mountain Road – 19.5%
  • San Jacinto Summit – 29.7% (side quest)
  • San Gorgonio Peak – 0.5% (side quest)
  • Cougar Crest Trail – 7.0%
  • Blue Ridge Trail- 0.9%
  • Acorn Trail- 15.3%
  • Manzanita Trail – 1.6%
  • Old Endangered Species Bypass – 14.1%
  • Buckhorn Camp Detour – 5.6%
  • Mount Waterman – 0.2%
  • Pacifico Bypass – 0.9%
  • Upper Shake Campground – 0.7%
  • Highway 2 Roadwalk – 1%

Sierra Alternates

  • Trail Pass Trail – 8.3%
  • Mulkey Pass Trail – 1.8%
  • Cottonwood Pass Trail – 20.8%
  • Cottonwood Lakes/Army Pass Trail – 2%
  • New Army Pass Trail – 0.9%
  • Whitney Portal Trail – 16% (side quest)
  • Shepherd Pass Trail – 1.5%
  • Kearsarge Pass Trail – 72.7%
  • Sawmill Pass Trail – 4.8%
  • Taboose Pass Trail – 0.2%
  • Bishop Pass Trail – 36.3%
  • Tyee Lakes Trail – 3.5%
  • Lamarck Lakes Trail – 1.3%
  • Piute Pass Trail – 30.8%
  • Blayney Meadows Trail – 1.8%
  • Bear Ridge Trail – 10.7%
  • Goodale Pass Trail – 10.7%
  • Cascade/Fish Valley Trail – 0.2%
  • Duck Pass Trail – 3.1%
  • Mammoth Pass Trail – 42.4%
  • Devils Postpile Trail – 33.7%
  • Shadow Creek to Agnew Meadows – 0.6%
  • John Muir Trail (between Red’s Meadow and Thousand Island Lake) – 11.4%%
  • Tuolumne Campground Trail – 2.9%
  • John Muir Trail to Yosemite Valley – 8.5% (side quest)
  • Clouds Rest – 1.1%
  • Half Dome – 12.9% (side quest)

Northern California Alternates

  • Sierra City Road Walk – 19.8%
  • Sierra Buttes – 1.9%
  • Bucks Lake Alternate – 2.9%
  • Subway Cave Loop Trail – 17.7%
  • Kettlebelly Trail – 0.3%
  • Castella Trail – 2.0%
  • Seiad Creek Road Walk – 9.7%

Oregon Alternates

  • Callahan’s Side Trail – 8.5%
  • Hyatt Lake Resort – 8.1%
  • Fish Lake Resort Side Trail – 10.1%
  • Mazama Campground (Crater Lake) – 34%
  • Crater Lake Rim Alternate – 37.4%
  • Mount McLaughlin – 0.4%
  • Mount Thielsen – 0.4%
  • South Sister – 1.2%
  • Whitefish Horse Camp Trail – 0.7%
  • Shelter Cove Trail – 15.9%
  • Elk Lake Resort Trail – 13.8%
  • Big Lake Youth Camp Trail – 27.3%
  • Paradise Park Trail – 2.3%
  • Timberline Trail (loop) – 3.2%
  • Ramona Falls Alternate – 30.7%
  • Eagle Creek Trail – 44.7%

Washington Alternates

  • Sheep Lake – 5.0%
  • Stevenson Roadwalk – 1.6%
  • Old PCT Route past Old Snowy Mountain – 34%
  • Shoe Lake Alternate – 2.1%
  • White Pass Road Walk – 33.3%
  • Leech Lake Trail – 0.5%
  • American Lake Side Trail – 0.5%
  • Goldmyer Hot Springs Alternate – 0.7%
  • Holman Fire Detour – 0.2%
  • Miner’s Ridge Trail – 3.2%
  • Stehekin Side Trail – 7.3%
  • Billy Goat Trail – 0.5%
  • Miners Complex Fire Detour – 4.3%
  • Walupt Lake Trail – 1.1%

Not an alternate, but instead a side trip (typically done as an out-and-back from the PCT), hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail pass just west of Mount Whitney in the Sierra.

The highest peak in the Continental United States at 14,505 ft / 4,421 m, it’s a tempting investment of time that most hikers take advantage of (the trip up from the PCT is easier, shorter, and less crowded than the trip up from the Whitney Portal Trailhead on the eastern side).

Note: A PCT permit allows you to day hike Mount Whitney from the western side (i.e., from the PCT). You are not permitted to exit the Sierra via Whitney Portal or camp east of the Crabtree Ranger Station (this includes Guitar Lake) without an additional permit.

Summit Mount Whitney

Did PCT thru-hikers summit Mount Whitney?

  • 73.6% – Summited Mount Whitney
  • 26.4% – Did not summit Mount Whitney
2024 PCT Thru-Hikers Summiting Mount Whitney

Why Hikers Didn’t Summit

I asked hikers who didn’t summit Mount Whitney (but hiked the Sierra) what stopped them. Not that you have to, but I thought it curious to know hikers’ motivations for missing the peak.

  • 23.1% – Didn’t make that far
  • 16.7% – Already summited (another time)
  • 15.4% – Snow concerns
  • 12.2% – Altitude issues
  • 11.5% – Didn’t want to devote extra time
  • 11.5% – No interest in summiting
  • 5.8% – Not enough food
  • 5.8% – Skipped that section
  • 5.8% – Weather
  • 5.1% – Behind schedule
  • 5.1% – Injury
  • 4.5% – Hiking partner didn’t want to
  • 2.6% – Personal/logistical
  • 2.6% – Wanted to stay with friends
  • 0.6% – Illness
  • 3.8% – Other
Why 2024 PCT Thru-Hikers Didn't Summit Mount Whitney Graph

Hiker Challenges

The Pacific Crest Trail can be a challenging place for hikers. Here, we cover which sections of the trail hikers found most difficult and which sections were considered, by hikers, to be the easiest.

I also ask hikers about their experience in the Sierra. We’ll see which Sierra passes hikers found most challenging, which hikers found to be easiest, and how well hikers coped with various factors, including storms, fires, mosquitoes, and stream crossings.

Easiest PCT Section

  • 25% – The Desert
  • 18.8% – The Sierra
  • 9.4% – Northern California
  • 40.6% – Oregon
  • 6.3% – Washington
2024 PCT Thru-Hiker Easiest Section Graph

Most Difficult PCT Section

  • 0% – The Desert
  • 59.4% – The Sierra
  • 3.1% – Northern California
  • 12.5% – Oregon
  • 25% – Washington
2024 PCT Thru-Hiker Most Difficult Section Graph

Easiest Sierra Passes

Below are the passes in the Sierra listed from south to north, along with the percentage of hikers who ranked that pass as the easiest.

  • 2.8% – Mulkey Pass
  • 5.9% – Trail Pass
  • 8.1% – Cottonwood Pass
  • 13.3% – Forester Pass
  • 12.0% – Kearsarge Pass
  • 4.2% – Glen Pass
  • 6.4% – Pinchot Pass
  • 4.2% – Mather Pass
  • 3.9% – Bishop Pass
  • 5.5% – Muir Pass
  • 10.7% – Piute Pass
  • 18.0% – Selden Pass
  • 18.8% – Silver Pass
  • 20.8% – Island Pass
  • 18.4% – Donohue Pass
  • 11.8% – Benson Pass
  • 30.8% – Dorothy Lake Pass
2024 Easiest PCT Sierra Passes Graph

Most Difficult Sierra Passes

Below are the passes in the Sierra listed from south to north, along with the percentage of hikers who ranked that pass as the most challenging.

  • 0.6% – Cottonwood Pass
  • 30.9% – Forester Pass
  • 11.2% – Kearsarge Pass
  • 37.4% – Glen Pass
  • 21.0% – Pinchot Pass
  • 40.7% – Mather Pass
  • 5.5% – Bishop Pass
  • 26.5% – Muir Pass
  • 2.0% – Piute Pass
  • 2.9% – Selden Pass
  • 3.3% – Silver Pass
  • 0.2% – Island Pass
  • 5.3% – Donohue Pass
  • 0.6% – Benson Pass
  • 0.4% – Dorothy Lake Pass
2024 Most Difficult PCT Sierra Passes Graph

On-Trail Issues

On a scale of 1 to 10, I asked hikers how much of an issue each of the following was during their hikes. Here are the averages from thru-hikers who finished.

  • 7.33 – Smoke/Fires
  • 5.18 – Heat
  • 4.93 – Mosquitoes
  • 3.01 – Cold
  • 2.64 – Streams
  • 2.58 – Snow
  • 2.57 – Wind
  • 2.34 – Elevation
  • 2.34 – Rain/Hail
  • 2.20 – Rodents
  • 1.95 – Storms/Lightning
Issues on the PCT in 2024 Graph

Why Hikers Didn’t Finish

If you were left wondering what happened to the hikers who didn’t complete the PCT this year when we covered the completion rates above, fear not. Here are the specifics as to why hikers didn’t complete the Pacific Crest Trail.

This section looks at why thru-hikers got off the trail, how those who got off with injuries were injured, where hikers were injured, and how many miles were completed by thru-hikers who ended their hikes early.

Why Thru-Hikers Quit

  • 29.5% – Injury
  • 25.0% – Fires
  • 12.1% – Personal
  • 11.4% – Family
  • 6.8% – Boredom
  • 6.1% – Illness
  • 3.0% – Snow
  • 1.5% – Gear failure
  • 1.5% – Weather
  • 1.5% – Work
  • 0.8% – Financial
  • 0.8% – School
Why 2024 PCT Thru-Hikers Quit Graph

Hike-Ending Injury Breakdown

Injury is a big killer of thru-hikes and is typically something hikers can exercise some control over (as opposed to fires that can flare up seemingly without warning). Here, we break down what kinds of injuries ended hikes and where these hike-ending injuries occurred.

Hike-Ending Injuries

  • 27.8% – Knee injury
  • 25.0% – Overuse injury (foot)
  • 11.1% – Stress fracture (foot)
  • 5.6% – Broken bone (foot)
  • 5.6% – Broken bone (leg)
  • 5.6% – Overuse injury (leg)
  • 5.6% – Plantar fasciitis
  • 2.8% – Ankle impingement
  • 2.8% – Foot injury
  • 2.8% – Heat Issues
  • 2.8% – Hip injury
  • 2.8% – Torn tendon
2024 PCT Hiker Hike-Ending Injuries Graph

Where Injuries Occurred

  • 55.6% – The Desert
  • 19.4% – The Sierra
  • 8.3% – Northern California
  • 2.8% – Oregon
  • 13.9% – Washington
2024 PCT Hiker Hike-Ending Injury Location Graph

Miles Completed by Hikers

This information reflects the miles completed by hikers who did not complete the Pacific Crest Trail.

  • 4.4% – < 100
  • 6.7% – 100 – 200
  • 9.6% – 250 – 500
  • 13.3% – 500 – 750
  • 16.3% – 750 – 1000
  • 14.1% – 1000 – 1250
  • 11.1% – 1250 – 1500
  • 8.9% – 1500 – 1750
  • 8.1% – 1750 – 2000
  • 3.0% – 2000 – 2250
  • 4.4% – > 2250

Average: 1,071 mi / 1,724 km
Median: 1,000 mi / 1,609 km
σ = 621 mi / 999 km

Miles Completed by 2024 PCT Thru-Hikers Who Didn't Finish Graph

Resupply

The word resupply can be anxiety-inducing if you’re new to the idea of long-distance thru-hiking. What is resupply? Where does it come from? How much of it is there? How do you get it? Will it hurt?

Resupply is getting yourself more food to power more hiking. It need not be scary or intimidating. Pacific Crest Trail resupply has become simpler over the years, but when and where hikers resupply is still a question that many find overwhelming.

Here we have this year’s resupply stats, resupply strategy/boxes, resupply box suggestions, hitchhiking difficulties, where hikers resupplied, favorite and least favorite resupply stops, favorite meals and snacks, and resupply advice.

PCT Resupply Stats

Thru-Hikers (1)
29
The average number of resupplies over the entire trail
(M = 29 | σ = 8.2)

Thru-Hikers (1)
5.4
The average number of days between resupplies
(M = 5 | σ = 1.9)

Thru-Hikers (1)
99.8
The average number of miles between resupplies (160.6 km)
(M = 92 mi / 148 km | σ = 32 mi / 52 km)

Thru-Hikers
3.7
The average number of resupply boxes prepared ahead of time
(M = 1 | σ = 5.9)

Thru-Hikers (1)
7.9
The average total number of resupply boxes sent
(M = 6 | σ = 6.5)

Thru-Hikers (1)
22%
The average percent of resupplies sent as boxes
(M = 10% | σ = 25%)

Resupply Strategy

  • 1.4% – Mailed all resupply
  • 10% – Mailed most resupply (> 50%)
  • 36.5% – Mailed some resupply (10-50%)
  • 40.4% – Mailed a few resupply (1-10%)
  • 11.8% – Mailed no resupply
2024 PCT Thru-Hiker Resupply Strategy Graph

Many prospective PCT thru-hikers are incredibly concerned about resupply – but take a breath. Remember, you can mail yourself boxes from on the trail. You do not have to prepare all your resupply boxes (or resupply locations) beforehand. Many towns have supermarkets (and post offices).

That said, it can be helpful (and time-saving) to mail yourself resupply boxes. Hikers may choose this option because of a resupply stop’s limited food selection, dietary restrictions, high prices, or even the owners of the local resupply establishment being awful people (that said, most are lovely).

Something else to consider when considering resupply is that many towns along the PCT are only accessible via car (or ludicrously long, dangerous, and ill-advised road walks). How do you get to these towns? Many hikers elect to hitchhike.

Here are where hikers recommend sending a resupply box and where they had difficulty hitchhiking to/from.

Suggest Mailing Resupply

  1. Stehekin (Washington) 42%
  2. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon) 35%
  3. White Pass (Washington) 32%
  4. Kennedy Meadows General Store* (Sierra) 31%
  5. Snoqualmie Pass (Washington) 30%
  6. Shelter Cove Resort (Oregon) 29%
  7. Hikertown (Desert) 25%
  8. Sierra City (Northern California) 24%
  9. Stevens Pass/Skykomish (Washington) 21%
  10. Grumpy Bears Retreat* (Sierra) 19%

*Both these locations are located at Kennedy Meadows South; combined, they represent the #1 suggested place to mail a resupply.

Kennedy Meadows South is also where most northbound hikers begin carrying bear canisters. What is the most popular bear canister from this year? (And every year.) The BV500. I’m a fan of the BV450, but more on that in the gear guide.

Where PCT Class of 2024 Suggests Mailing Resupplies Graph v2

Note: 14.7% of thru-hikers (1) suggest mailing zero resupply boxes.

Difficult Hitches

  1. Bishop (Sierra) 8.1%
  2. Yosemite Valley (Sierra) 5.5%
  3. Hikertown (Desert) 5.2% (hitching from Hikertown to elsewhere on the trail – Hikertown is on the PCT)
  4. Etna (Northern California) 4.7%
  5. Mazama (Washington) 3.3%
  6. Stevens Pass (Washington) 3.3%
  7. Wee Vill Market (Desert) 3.1%
  8. Ashland (Oregon) 2.8%
  9. Independence (Sierra) 2.8%
  10. Leavenworth (Washington) 2.8%
Where 2024 PCT Hikers Had Difficulty Hitchhiking Graph

Note: 55.7% of thru-hikers (1) didn’t have trouble hitchhiking, and 0.9% did not hitchhike.

Where Hikers Resupplied

I ask hikers to report where they resupplied – not where they stopped/passed through, but where they purchased, picked up, were given, or otherwise came into a new food stock. For example, the trail passes through the middle of Agua Dulce; theoretically, all thru-hikers who complete the trail will go there, but not all thru-hikers resupply there. Make sense? I hope so. You’ll have issues on the trail if you’re struggling with this.

Locations are listed in geographical order from Mexico to Canada (that’s south to north), and again, I use the following colors to indicate each resupply stop’s popularity: over 75%, 50-75%, 25-50%, and below 25%.

Desert Resupply

  • Campo – 13.8%
  • Lake Morena – 18.9%
  • Mount Laguna – 49.2%
  • Julian – 76.6%
  • Ranchita BODEGA – 23.2%
  • Warner Springs – 46.1%
  • Paradise Cafe – 12.3%
  • Anza – 0.7%
  • Idyllwild – 89/6%
  • Cabazon – 23.4%
  • Beaumont – 2.3%
  • Banning – 11.8%
  • Palm Springs – 9.1%
  • Cajon Pass – 27.8%
  • Big Bear City – 30.8%
  • Big Bear Lake – 63.1%
  • Wrightwood – 86.6%
  • Acton KOA – 23.4%
  • Acton – 32%
  • Agua Dulce -38.5%
  • Los Angeles – 7.2%
  • Palmdale – 3.2%
  • Lancaster – 8.4%
  • Green Valley – 6.7%
  • ⛺✉️ Hikertown – 40.3%
  • Wee Vill Market – 19%
  • Tehachapi – 90.5%
  • Mojave – 2.5%
  • Onyx – 2.1%
  • Lake Isabella – 12.3%
  • Kernville – 2.3%
  • Ridgecrest – 47.1%
  • Inyokern – 1.8%

Sierra Resupply

  • ⛺✉️ Kennedy Meadows* – 54.3%*
  • ✉️ Grumpy Bears Retreat – 26.5%*
  • Triple Crown Outfitters – 52.9%*
  • Lone Pine via Horseshoe Meadow – 19.7%
  • Independence via Horseshoe Meadow – 1.1%
  • Bishop via Horseshoe Meadow – 7.4%
  • Lone Pine via Kearsarge Pass/Onion Valley – 10.7%
  • Independence via Kearsarge Pass/Onion Valley – 12.2%
  • Bishop via Kearsarge Pass/Onion Valley – 60.6%
  • Lone Pine via Whitney Portal – 0.4%
  • Independence via Whitney Portal – 0.2%
  • Bishop via Whitney Portal – 0.4%
  • Muir Trail Ranch – 5.3%
  • Bishop via Bishop Pass/South Lake – 29.3%
  • Bishop via Piute Pass/North Lake – 6.1%
  • Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR) – 35.5%
  • Aspendell – 0.2%
  • Red’s Meadow – 14%
  • Mammoth Lakes via Red’s Meadow – 25.2%
  • Mammoth Lakes via Mammoth Pass – 53.8%
  • Mammoth Lakes via Agnew Meadows – 1.5%
  • Mammoth Lakes via elsewhere – 1.3%
  • Tuolumne Meadows – 13.3%
  • Yosemite Valley – 31.1%
  • Lee Vining – 5.2%
  • Bridgeport – 3.5%
  • Kennedy Meadows North – 76.4%
  • Pinecrest – 5.3%
  • Strawberry – 7.2%
  • Markleeville – 0.9%

*All these locations are located in Kennedy Meadows (South) – at the same point in the PCT

Northern California Resupply

  • Echo Lake – 6.3%
  • South Lake Tahoe – 92.5%
  • Sacramento – 2.1%
  • Tahoe City – 2.4%
  • Soda Springs – 1.5%
  • Donner Ski Ranch – 10.5%
  • Truckee – 47.3%
  • Incline Village – 0.3%
  • Reno – 5.7%
  • ⛺✉️ Sierra City – 76.1%
  • Quincy – 53.6
  • Chico – 1.5%
  • Chester – 65.3%
  • Bucks Lake – 8.1%
  • Caribou Crossroads – 2.4%
  • Belden – 27.5%
  • Redding – 0.6%
  • Old Station – 29.6%
  • Burney Mountain Guest Ranch – 3.9%
  • Burney Falls – 12.3%
  • Burney – 48.8%
  • Castella – 5.1%
  • Dunsmuir – 18.3%
  • Mount Shasta – 65.6%
  • Regeneration Base Camp – 0.9%
  • Callahan – 4.5%
  • Etna – 65.3%
  • Yreka – 2.4%
  • Seiad Valley – 51.2%

Oregon Resupply

  • Callahan’s – 5.6%
  • Ashland – 86.6%
  • Hyatt Lake Resort – 3.2%
  • Medford – 10.5%
  • Fish Lake Resort – 13.2%
  • Lake of the Woods Resort – 0.3%
  • ⛺✉️ Crater Lake (Mazama Village) – 66.1%
  • Diamond Lake Resort – 2.2%
  • Chemult – 13.2%
  • Shelter Cove Resort – 51.9
  • Odell Lake Resort – 2.7%
  • Elk Lake Resort – 10.8%
  • Eugene – 1.9%
  • Sisters – 23.1%
  • Bend – 66.1%
  • Big Lake Youth Camp – 17.2%
  • Olallie Lake Resort – 26.1%
  • Salem – 0.3%
  • Government Camp – 19.4%
  • Mount Hood Village – 0.8%
  • Sandy – 0.5
  • Timberline Lodge – 39.8%
  • Cascade Locks – 59.9%
  • Hood River – 24.5%
  • Portland – 27.7%

Washington Resupply

  • Trout Lake – 35.3%
  • ⛺✉️ White Pass – 74.7%
  • Packwood – 16.2%
  • ⛺✉️ Snoqualmie Pass – 88.7%
  • ⛺✉️ Stevens Pass – 44.2%
  • Skykomish – 5.4%
  • Darrington – 2.4%
  • Seattle – 8.4%
  • Wenatchee – 14%
  • Leavenworth – 61.2%
  • Chelan – 4.3%
  • ⛺✉️ Stehekin – 38.3%
  • Winthrop – 4%
  • Mazama – 34%

✉️ Stops where this year’s class suggests sending resupply boxes to
⛺ Stops that can be reached without hitchhiking (either on the trail or a relatively short detour)

Favorite & Least Favorite Resupply Stops

Now we know the most popular stops for resupplying and for sending resupply boxes, but what about hikers’ favorite and least favorite resupply stops? When asking this question, I specify, “‘Favorite/Least Favorite’ means where you most/least enjoyed, not where had the best/worst resupply options (although these could be the same).”

Favorite Resupply Stop
Idyllwild, CA
Desert (63.4%)

Least Favorite Resupply Stop
Hikertown, CA
Desert (45.9%)

Favorite Resupply Stops

  • Desert: Idyllwild (63.4%)
  • Sierra: Bishop (53.9%)
  • Northern California: South Lake Tahoe (30.8%)
  • Oregon: Ashland (51.2%)
  • Washington: Leavenworth (33.3%)

Runners-Up

  • Desert: Wrightwood (37.3%)
  • Sierra: Mammoth Lakes (33.8%)
  • Northern California: Mount Shasta (23.4%)
  • Oregon: Bend (40.5%)
  • Washington: Stehekin (15.5%)

Least Favorite Resupply Stops

  • Desert: Hikertown (45.9%)
  • Sierra: Grumpy Bears Retreat (12.4%)
  • Northern California: Belden (21.8%)
  • Oregon: Crater Lake National Park (10.4%)
  • Washington: White Pass (7.2%)

Runners-Up

  • Desert: Agua Dulce (11.4%)
  • Sierra: Kennedy Meadows (10.9%)
  • Northern California: Kennedy Meadows North (14.9%)
  • Oregon: Shelter Cove Resort (4.2%)
  • Washington: Snoqualmie Pass (6.9%)

Dietary Restrictions, Meals, and Snacks

For the final piece of the resupply puzzle, we take a look at hiker dietary restrictions, how easy they found resupplying with these restrictions, and which meals and backpacking snacks hikers enjoyed most out on the PCT. More on this is to come in the PCT Resupply Guide.

Dietary Restrictions

  • 37% Yes
  • 63% No
2024 PCT Hiker Dietary Restrictions Graph

Specific Dietary Restrictions

  • Vegetarian – 27.4%
  • Lactose intolerance – 11.2%
  • Dairy-free – 9.7%
  • Gluten-free – 9.4%
  • Vegan – 8.3%
  • Pescatarian – 7.6%
  • Beef-free – 6.1%
  • Tree-nut allergy – 4.3%
  • Peanut allergy – 4.0%
  • Lactose-free – 3.6%
  • Diabetic – 3.2%
  • Keto – 1.4%
  • Histamine intolerance – 1.1%
  • Kosher – 0.4%
2024 PCT Hiker Specific Dietary Restrictions Graph

Note: These percentages are of hikers with dietary restrictions.

Favorite Backpacking Snacks

  1. M&M’s 31.8%
  2. Cheese 30.7%
  3. Dried fruit 30%
  4. Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookies 28.7%
  5. Snickers Bars 28%
  6. Potato Chips 27.1%
  7. Peanut Butter 26.5%
  8. Trail Mix 22.5%
  9. Sour Patch Kids 22.1%
  10. Bobos Oat Bars 21.3%
M&M's

Resupply Changes

Hindsight is 20/20 (unless you’re looking back through the darkness for that mountain lion you think might be following you – that’s probably a deer).

Here is what hikers said they would change about their resupply strategies if they could do it again. These don’t change much yearly, so I highly encourage you to heed this advice when considering your resupply options.

This year, 54% of hikers say they would have changed their resupply strategy. Here are the most popular changes hikers would have made to their PCT resupply.

Percentages are of the 54% of hikers who would have changed something – not of all hikers.

  1. Send fewer resupply boxes* – 30.9%
  2. Send more resupply boxes** – 23.7%
  3. Send boxes from on trail instead of ahead of time – 23.4%
  4. Send healthier food in boxes – 20.9%
  5. Send more variety in boxes – 18.5%
  6. Send less food in boxes – 14.3%
  7. Resupply more frequently – 14%

*The average number of boxes sent by hikers who said they would have liked to have sent fewer boxes was 8.0. The overall average was 7.9.
**The average number of boxes sent by hikers who said they would have liked to have sent more boxes was 7.1. The overall average was 7.9.

Thru-Hikers
9.0%
The number of thru-hikers who went stoveless for the entirety of their hikes.

I’ll follow up on this post with a detailed breakdown of this year’s resupply. Check out the most recent PCT Resupply Guide here. Find all PCT Resupply posts here.

Thru-Hiking Gear

Potentially, what Pacific Crest Trail hikers spend the most time obsessing over before (and on…and after) the trail is their thru-hiking gear. Gear choices play an essential role in a thru-hike, but no magical gear combination guarantees you a successful thru-hike (if you know otherwise, please let me know).

I do a deep dive into gear used by PCT hikers in my PCT Gear Guide, but here’s a taste of what to expect.

Thru-Hikers
18.3 lb
Average pre-hike base weight (8.30 kg)
(M = 16 lb / 7.3 kg | σ = 7.9 lb / 3.6 kg)

Thru-Hikers (1)
15.9 lb
Average post-hike base weight (7.21 kg)
(M = 15 lb / 6.8 kg | σ = 6.2 lb / 2.8 kg)

Thru-Hikers (1)
-2.1 lb
Average total change in base weight (953 g)
(M = 1 lb / 454 g)

Thru-Hikers
53.8 L
Average backpack size
(M = 55)

Thru-Hikers
18.3°F
Average sleeping bag rating (-7.6°C)
(M = 20°F / -6.67°C)

Thru-Hikers (1)
4.6
Average total number of shoes used
(M = 5)

This information is covered in more detail in the PCT Gear Guide based on PCT Survey data.

Let’s take a peek at some of the gear thru-hikers were using on the trail this year. Here are the most common “Big 4” items: packs, shelters, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads (I know it’s the “Big 3”, but I include sleeping pads, get over it) along with the most common insulated jackets and shells.

Remember, this is simply the most common gear PCT hikers use – not necessarily the best (although it’s entirely possible these are the same). I will provide breakdowns of the highest-rated gear (in addition to the most common) in the upcoming PCT Gear Guide.

Most Common PCT Backpacks

  1. ULA Circuit
  2. Durston Gear Kakwa
  3. Gossamer Gear Mariposa
  4. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest*
  5. Osprey Exos**
  6. Osprey Eja**
  7. Zpacks Arc Haul
  8. REI Co-op Flash (Men’s/Women’s)
  9. Atom Packs Pulse
  10. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction*

*The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest and Junction are the same pack but with different exterior pocket materials.
**The Osprey Exos and the Osprey Eja are the men’s and women’s versions of the same pack.

This is just the tip of the proverbial thru-hiking gear iceberg. As mentioned above, I will publish a detailed breakdown of this year’s PCT gear. This will include water treatment, stoves, fleeces, bear canisters, satellite messengers, fitness trackers, snow gear, hiking tops, shoes, and so-called luxury items.

This will also include a look at what hikers didn’t like about their gear, what gear decisions (might have) helped hikers to a successful thru-hike, how hikers would change/adapt their gear for a future hike, and more. I will also publish a women-specific gear post and a couples-specific gear post.

For more gear, check out the Ultimate Pacific Crest Trail Packing List.

Technology on Trail

Gone are the days of the Pacific Crest Trail old when it was a trail sought out by only uber-experienced backcountry orienteers; thanks to the magic of technology, any dodo can grab a phone and have a reasonably good chance of not killing themselves on the trail.

Phones are everywhere on the trail. If the sight of a cellular device in the wilderness distresses you, prepare yourself. Phones are hikers’ cameras, GPS devices, televisions, music players, town-researching devices, and (sometimes) SOS devices (that said, I suggest a Garmin inReach Mini 2 if you’re looking for a satellite messenger with SOS capabilities).

There are several apps commonly used by Pacific Crest Trail hikers – even one specifically for the PCT (that you should most certainly invest in). Here are the apps and phones hikers were using out on the trail this year.

PCT Hiker Phones

  • 65.5% iPhone
  • 34.5% Android
2024 PCT Hiker Phone OS Graph

PCT Hiker Apps

2024 PCT Hiker Apps Graph

Hiker Health & Water Sources

Water treatment and personal hygiene are (or should be) big considerations for hikers. Typically, thru-hikers worry less about these as the trail goes on, but experience isn’t always your friend.

Some hikers religiously filter all water that passes through their face hole – it doesn’t matter if it comes out of a hotel sink or a puddle with a cow pooping in it. Other hikers will “not filter in the Sierra,” “not filter above 10,000 ft / 3,048 m”, or “not filter running water” (this last one is not a good idea – running water can 100% get you sick).

Everyone wants to look cool in front of their friends by not filtering water (note: not filtering your water does not make you cool), but there are risks to the badass thru-hiker lifestyle (and drinking dirty, giardia-infested water).

To find out how good a job everyone is doing filtering their water and sanitizing their hands after pooping (another way to get yourself sick), I ask hikers if they got sick (defined as three or more days of digestive issues or diagnosed giardia), how often they treated water sources, and how these two things compare to one another.

PCT Hiker Illness

  • 90.5% Didn’t get sick
  • 9.5% Got sick
2024 PCT Hiker Illness Graph

Water Treatment Frequency

  • 75.6% Always
  • 18.8% Usually
  • 4.2% Sometimes
  • 1.5% Never
2024 PCT Hiker Water Treatment Frequency Graph

Looking at these two questions together, we can see the following.

  • 75.6% of hikers always treated their water, and 8.6% of these hikers got sick
  • 18.8% of hikers usually treated their water, and 11.3% of these hikers got sick
  • 4.2% of hikers sometimes treated their water, and 18.8% of these hikers got sick
  • 1.5% of hikers never treated their water, and 9.1% of these hikers got sick
2024 PCT Hiker Water Treatment and Illness Graph

A reported 9.5% of hikers came down with something akin to giardia, and 1.5% never filtered. That said, those who don’t filter are typically quite staunch in their commitment to their strategy; read: don’t readily admit to becoming sick from not filtering.

Favorite and Least Favorite Sections

This may come as a shock, but the Pacific Crest Trail is a long hike with a lot to see (mostly bears). Here is a look at hikers’ favorite and least favorite sections.

PCT Section Rankings

  1. Sierra
  2. Washington
  3. Desert
  4. Oregon
  5. Northern California
2024 PCT Hikers' Favorite Section Graph
2024 PCT Hiker Favorite to Least Favorite Sections Graph

Favorite Section
John Muir Trail
Sierra (29.2%)

Least Favorite Section
The Aqueduct
Desert (31.2%)

Favorites

  • Desert: Mount San Jacinto State Park (12.0%)
  • Sierra: John Muir Trail (29.2%)
  • Northern California: Desolation Wilderness (10.4%)
  • Oregon: Three Sisters Wilderness (14.6%)
  • Washington: North Cascades National Park (25%)

Runners-Up

  • Desert: Mexico Border to Warner Springs (10.4%)
  • Sierra: Kings Canyon National Park (14.6%)
  • Northern California: Emigrant Wilderness (4.2%)
  • Oregon: Crater Lake National Park (6.2%)
  • Washington: Goat Rocks Wilderness (16.7%)

Least Favorites

  • Desert: The Aqueduct (31.2%)
  • Sierra: Yosemite National Park (9.4%)
  • Northern California: Dixie Burn Area (25%)
  • Oregon: Southern Oregon (21.9%)
  • Washington: Southern Washington (6.2%)

Runners-Up

  • Desert: Mexico Border to Warner Springs (18.8%)
  • Sierra: None
  • Northern California: Beforegon, i.e., the northernmost part of CA (12.5%)
  • Oregon: None
  • Washington: Snoqualmie to Stevens Pass (3.1%)

Best, Worst, Scariest, and Most Surprising Moments

I will share more of these in future posts, but here are some examples that stood out when I asked hikers about their best moments, worst moments, terrifying moments, and most surprising moments from their thru-hikes.

Best PCT Moments

I asked all survey respondents about their best moments on the Pacific Crest Trail. Below are a select few of the responses; each represents a single thru-hiker. These will be covered in more detail in an upcoming post.

  • 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.
  • Not seeing a single person for 3 days through Glacier Peak wilderness. Made the highway of a trail seem wild for a little bit!
  • Stayed 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 very last time. The shooting stars were plentiful. It was a special evening.
  • 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!

Worst PCT Moments

I asked all survey respondents about their worst and/or lowest moments on the Pacific Crest Trail. Below are a select few of the responses; each represents a single thru-hiker. Check out this post if you want to read more about hikers’ worst moments on the Pacific Crest Trail.

  • Getting a repetitive stress injury on the climb out of Cascade Locks was my low point. Not only did I have to find a way off the trail when every single step hurt, but this injury would linger and get in the way of continuing my thru-hike, as even a full week off-trail wasn’t enough to heal it. It was intensely frustrating as I couldn’t explain why it happened then, after having hiked half the trail without any similar issues.
  • Hiking through smoke and a giant burn scar in the blistering heat between Hyatt and Mazama Village in Oregon. All while almost shitting my pants and having to reuse my already-used toilet paper. I had to take a nap almost every hour that day because the smoke from the fires in the north was making me weak.
  • Sitting on a log at camp after popping two of my many blisters during the July heat wave in Northern California. It was day ten or eleven of over 100°F/38°C degree days. I had to painfully shove my dirty, sweaty, throbbing feet back into my shoes because I had no camp shoes. That specific moment, for whatever reason, made me feel so low and desperate. The heat was by far the hardest challenge for me on the trail.
  • I desperately wanted to quit between Sierra City and Chester. I was hiking by myself, and I had spent every day since Sonora Pass trying to talk myself out of quitting, and at that point, I was just done. I skipped going into Quincy, but the day I hiked by those roads, I cried the whole day while hiking. I didn’t see a single other hiker, so I called my mom from a ridge to start looking up flights.

Scariest PCT Moments

I asked all survey respondents about their scariest moments on the Pacific Crest Trail (or when they felt the most unsafe). Below are a select few of the responses; each represents a single thru-hiker. If you want to read more about hikers’ scariest moments on the Pacific Crest Trail, check out this post.

  • I was in my tent, alone, and a problem bear would not stop circling my campsite. It took hours to get it to leave, and came back in the middle of the night, forcing me to pack up and hike out at 1:00 a.m.
  • Night hiking out of Big Bear. It was my first time night hiking alone and I didn’t know how much battery my headlamp had. I was terrified of the threat of mountain lions, forded Holcomb Creek in the middle of the night because I didn’t want to risk slipping on a rock hop and breaking something, ended up soaked to the waist, then emerged out the other side soaking wet, cold and terrified and immediately got lost and spent twenty disorienting minutes wandering in a wide arc through thick bushes unable to make sense of what FarOut was telling me.
  • SCARY HITCH DRIVERS.
  • One traverse in particular stands out on a foggy, cold, windy day on Old Snowy in Goat Rocks. We had no visibility as to the consequence of slipping on the three traverses we hiked that day. It looked like a bottomless pit below while the wind whipped rain into us. The last snow traverse concluded with a scramble up some very loose scree on top of a mandatory no-fall zone atop a cliff (which, of course, we couldn’t see the consequence of due to the aforementioned weather). I don’t think I’ve ever felt as relieved as I did while I hugged my wife after we both made it back on the trail safe and sound.

PCT Surprises

I asked all survey respondents about the things or moments that surprised them most about the Pacific Crest Trail. Below are a select few of the responses. These will be covered in more detail in an upcoming post.

  • All your time is accounted for. Before starting the hike, I thought, sure, I’d spend most of the day hiking, but we’d have a chance to relax at camp at the end of the day for a while. Nope. You are walking 90% of the time, and even when you’re breaking or at camp, you’re always pitching your tent, making a meal, reapplying sunscreen, looking at the next waypoints on Far Out, and on and on. I loved that the trail was all-consuming in that way, but I didn’t quite expect the extent to which there’s never an idle moment. If there is an idle moment, it’s on a town day, but not even every town day. Sometimes, town day is even busier than the trail!
  • I expected the physical challenge. I did not know how challenging it would be mentally – the isolation coupled with extreme exhaustion and any number of hazards can take the mind to very dark places.
  • How many emotions you can go through in a single day. You can wake up drenched and cold, alone, thinking about quitting but set up camp with a beautiful view, surrounded by amazing people, thinking you had one of the best day of your life.
  • I didn’t expect how so many times I didn’t feel like a PCT hiker. And I think this is unique to how much I dreamed about hiking this amazing trail; I had a vision in my head of the type of people that hiked this, and the experiences. But at the end of the day, none of us are really special; we’re just dirty tent-people on the side of a road who decided to walk somewhere. There’s nothing magical that makes you feel a certain way, and so the trail taught me that life has meaning where you place it. So, to feel like a PCT hiker, I couldn’t wait for that feeling, I had to go get it, go live it, go believe it in myself. But more importantly, I couldn’t hold onto that expectation as an indication of success; I just had to be happy where I was, and once I realized that it became a lot easier.

Social Issues on the PCT

The Pacific Crest Trail is, for the most part, an amazing place filled with incredible people.

However, just as the trail itself can be not so amazing at times – thunderstorms, fires, horrific weather events – the people, too, can occasionally be awful on the PCT.

There will be an upcoming article covering social issues on the trail in more detail.

Social Issues on the PCT in 2024 Graph

Ageism

Overall, 14.6% of hikers experienced ageism on the Pacific Crest Trail. 11.8% experienced ageism from other hikers, 1.4% from people in town, and 1.4% from both their fellow hikers and people in town.

*As ageism was reported by hikers with a wide variety of ages, these percentages encompass all hikers.

Homophobia/Transphobia

Overall, 23.1% of LGBTQIA+ hikers experienced homophobia or transphobia on the Pacific Crest Trail. 4.3% experienced homophobia or transphobia from other hikers, 8.7% from people in town, and 10.1% from both their fellow hikers and people in town.

Racism

Overall, 17% of BIPOC hikers experienced racism on the Pacific Crest Trail. 1.9% experienced racism from other hikers, 5.7% from people in town, and 9.4% from both their fellow hikers and people in town.

Sexism

Overall, 35.3% of women experienced sexism or sexual harassment on the Pacific Crest Trail. 9.7% experienced sexism or sexual harassment from other hikers, 13.9% from people in town, and 11.7% from both their fellow hikers and people in town.

Trail Magic

Trail angels can be a tricky bunch. Sadly, there are trail angels who are likely responsible for some of the behavior in the above section. However, many (I would hope most) trail angels are well-meaning folks out to help hikers.

I asked hikers about the frequency with which they encountered or received trail magic. This could mean a friendly person on the trail sharing some fresh fruit with them or a trail angel hanging out at a trailhead giving cold drinks and rides to hikers.

Hikers reported, for each section, how often they encountered trail magic on a scale of 1 (never) to 10 (every day).

  • 4.09 – Desert
  • 0.92 – Sierra
  • 3.43 – Northern California
  • 4.16 – Oregon
  • 2.97 – Washington
2024 PCT Trail Magic Frequency Graph

For more on the thru-hiker/trail angel relationship, I suggest the following:

Advice for the Future

Now for Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker wisdom. I ask hikers what they would have done differently before their hikes if they were to do it all over again.

Pre-Hike Changes

  1. 28.6%% – Trained more/gotten in better shape
  2. 23.8%% – Gotten base weight down/bought lighter gear
  3. 17.1%% – Saved more money
  4. 14.8%% – Done more practice hikes
  5. 14.5%% – Had gear more dialed in
  6. 13.8% – Started earlier
  7. 9.8% – Planned less
  8. 6.6% – Started later
  9. 3.8% – Planned more

Thru-Hikers
22.71 lb
The average base weight of hikers who said they would have liked to have gotten lighter gear before starting their hikes (10.301 kg)

In addition to asking hikers what they would have done differently before their thru-hikes, I asked them what they wished they had done differently during their hikes. Here are the top responses (regrets):

During Hike Changes

  1. 49.9%% – More pictures of people
  2. 21.0%% – Maintained a journal/blog
  3. 17.3%% – Fewer zero days
  4. 16.2% – Slowed down
  5. 12.1%% – Sped up
  6. 11.7%% – More trail zeros
  7. 10.9%% – Less time in town
  8. 55.2%% – More zero days
  9. 4.6%% – More time in town

Thru-Hikers (1)
23
The average number of zero days taken by hikers who said they wish they had taken fewer during their thru-hikes

Thru-Hiker Advice

I asked Pacific Crest Trail hikers for their advice for future PCT hikers. An upcoming post will thoroughly document this, but here is a sample. Each of the following represents a response from a single thru-hiker.

  • Be open, honest, helpful, and kind to others. You will receive it back tenfold! Do the work physically and mentally before getting on the trail. Perhaps younger hikers can get away with little or no prior physical training. Still, in my experience, the better you’re prepared (strategies for miles hiked per day, trail safety, LNT, needed gear, resupplies, navigation, physical/ mental, support systems, friends and family, etc.), the more you will enjoy the adventure ahead.
  • Enjoy the ride. There will be the highest highs and the lowest lows – the adage of “don’t quit on a bad day” might sound like trite advice, but until you’re there on a bad day, you don’t know how easy it is to throw in the towel. You can be your own worst enemy, but you can choose to be your own best friend. Know that the body is stronger than the mind and that you are capable. As someone who didn’t grow up going outside or being entrenched in outdoor culture, the whiteness was a shock, but the more that you’re able to break people’s facades down and realize that you’re all achieving the same goal can be a great common ground. These reckonings are so important, and they will carry you to the end. YOU CAN DO IT!
  • If you want to thru-hike the PCT, know you will often be uncomfortable. You will be exhausted. You will be overheated. You will be freezing. You will be hungry and thirsty and hungry. Did I mention being hungry? But if you want to successfully hike the PCT, you need to accept these things as part of the reality of a thru-hike. Once you do, every day on the trail will be the best day of your life.
  • You don’t need to plan so much, especially regarding resupply, in advance. It’s much more fun to go with the flow. You’ll be surprised how quickly plans can change. Be flexible with what the trail provides! I do, however, think that having gear planned out in advance is best because it can be tricky to coordinate getting stuff sent to you on trail.

Animal Sightings

Some data that doesn’t quite fit anywhere else? What kind of wildlife did Pacific Crest Trail hikers see on the trail? The most common animals? Deer. The worst. The rarest of the animal kingdom? Porcupine.

I would wager that some of the 7.2% who reported seeing a mountain lion saw some eyes in the dark that were probably (most certainly) not a mountain lion. Just saying. I’m probably just jealous because the only time I’ve seen one and it was from a car.

  • 98% – Rattlesnake
  • 97.8% – Deer
  • 97.8% – Marmot
  • 95.3% – Other snake
  • 88.8% – Pika
  • 88.1% – Grouse
  • 85.8% – Bear
  • 60.0% – Mountain goat
  • 50.6% – Coyote
  • 50.1% – Elk
  • 42.7% – Owl
  • 31.9% – Fox
  • 31.2%% – Scorpion
  • 21.8% – Pine Marten
  • 18.7% – Skunk
  • 13.3%% – Tarantula
  • 13.0% – Big horn sheep
  • 11.9% – Bobcat
  • 7.2 – Mountain lion
  • 6.7% – Tortoise
  • 4.0% – Porcupine
Animals Seen on the PCT in 2024 Graph

Support the Survey

Every year, I get a lot of people asking how to support the surveys. Beyond sharing them with your close-knit bubble of weird hiker friends, the best way to support the survey is to contribute via Patreon. You’ll get access to exclusive posts, discount codes, live streams, and super, extra cool stickers so that everyone will know how cool you are.

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Halfway Anywhere Zelle

Finally, another HUGE THANK YOU to all the hikers who completed this year’s survey, including (but not limited to): 1871, 10/10, (Snot) “Rocket”, 2-Pack, 40 Count, 5 Spice, 50/50, AB (A Bitch), AC, Ace, Admin, Advisor, Aka, Almost There!, Analog, Analogue, Animal Accountant, Anti-Gravity, Anyway, Appetizer, Argonaut, Ash, Asterix, Atlas, Avalanche, Baby Chair, Back Track, Backpacking_Scouser, Bacon, Bacon, Bagel, Bags Bunny, Bait, Ball Buster, Bambi, Banana Bread, Barber, Barbie, Barnacles, Baywatch, Baz, Beans, Bear, Bear Bait, Bearbait, Beefcake, Berlin Falling, Big Dill, Big Guy, Big Marmot, Big Owl, Big Papi, Big Shrimpin’, Bigfoot, Bigs’R, Bin Chicken, Bird, Bird Bath, Birdcall, Birdie, Biscuits, Blackout, Blue Paws, Blues Clues, Bobcat, Bobo, Bonehead, Bones, Boof, Book Club, Boomer, Boomerang, Boonedock, Boss Lady, Bougie, Boyscout, Brainstorm, Brand-Aid, Break Down Barbie, Breakpoint, Breeze, Buckles, Bumjuice, Butane, Butter, Butter, C.B.C., Cable, California, Camel, Camel Down, Can Do, Carver, Cashew, Caterpillar, Catnap, Catpost!, Chameleon, Chaos Turtle, Charm, Chase, Chaski, Chatterbox, Cheddar, Chef, Cherry Bomb, Cheshire, Chestnut, Chimney Boy, Chops, Chronos, Chuckanut, Cinderella, Cleansheets, Cliff Dancer, Clifford (the Big Red Dog), Cloaca Clomper, Clumsy, Codger in Training, Coffee Girl, Colossal Crotch or C.C., Columbia, Cookie, Corn Lily, Cougar, Cowboy, Cowgirl, Coyote, Crackerjack, Cramppa, Critter, Crockets, Cruise Control, Crumbs, Crusty Kaiser, Dagwood, Dancy Pants, Delight, Delish, Diamondback, Diesel, Dijon, Dionysus, Dipper, Disco, Disney Princess, Diy, Dizzo, Doctor Olive Oil, Double Oh Seven, Dougie Mac, Downhill, Dr Danger!, Dr Pepper, Dragonfly, Dreamer, Dreamland, Duke, Dust, Dynamite, Easy Day, Egg, Eggnado, Emperor, ET, Ewok, Extra Mile, Fancy Feast, Fern, Fight Club, Firecracker, Firehose, Fizz, Fjallbroken, Flaps, Flow, Footlooze, Foxy, Francois, Free Bird, Free Mile, Freebie, Frog, Frosty, Frozen, Fuji, Funtcucker, G-String, Gabagool, Gadget, Gains, Gang Signs, Garnet, Ghost, Ghosttown, Giddyup, Gimpy, Glowstick, Gnarly, Golden, Golden Shower, Goldilocks, Good Karen, Goose, Gravity, Greasy, Great Dane, Greens, Grey Bear, Grimace, Grizzly Adams, Guac, Gummy Bear, Haiku, Han Solo, Happy Feet, Hard Egg, Hattie, Hawk Eyes, Hazy, Headshot, Helium, Herbs, Hiker Box, Hobo, Hollywood, Hopper, Hopscotch, Hot Dog!, Hot Honey, Hot Sauce, Houdini, Huck, Hype, Icarus, Icebreaker, Impala, Impulse, Indy, Injury, Irene, Irish, Jack, Jackrabbit, Jelly Belly, Jenergy, Jet!!, Jimmy Biscuits, Johnboy, Jolly, Josh!, Juicey Popsicle, Jukebox, Jumpscare, Just Ken, Just Tammy, Kanga, Karma, Kerplunk, Kettle, Killdeer, Kimchi Wanders, Kismet, Kite, Knuckleball, Kodiak, Lala, Lamb Chop, Last Call, Legend, Legs, Leukocheeks, Lifeguard, Lifeline, Lilo, Lion Tamer, Little Dog, Little Mermaid, Little Pee, Lively, Liz, Lizard Shoe, Locomotive, Lōgêr, Loki, London Bridge, Lost Sole the Rat King, Lost&Found, Lothar, Lotto, Lowflow, Lucky, Lucky Thong, Lumberjack, Luxe, Lynx, M&M, Machine, Magic Mike, Manifest, Margarita, Maxi Strength, Mayonnaise, Meat Stik, Mechanic, Medic, Medicine Man, Megaphone, Mellow, Menace, Merlin, Micah, Milkman, Milkpig, Milkshake, Milky Way, Mimosa, Miss Side Quest, Mister Ed, Mo, Mom, Monarch, Monochrome, Mooey, Moon, Moonburn, Moonfall, Moonfire, Morel, Morgan, Moses, Mother Toeresa, Mountain Dewde, Mountain Lion, Mozart, Mtns_Hiker, Muad’Dib, Murica, Mystery Soup, Nails, Nanatuk, Nap-Time, Nemo, Nick, Night-Owl, Nightvision, Ninja, No Cap, Noco (No Commitments), Numbers, Nuz, Oats, Old Yeller, Olive, One Call, One Town, One-Z, Onepole, Onward, Options, Orange, Oreo, Overflow, Oxy Clean, Oz, Pace, Pacemaker, Pacman, Panda Express, Pandora, Pantry, Papabear, Paradise, Partypack, Pasta Pants, Patches, Paw Patrol, Pebbles, Penguin, Pep Talk, Philosopher, Phy$$, Pickles, Pilgrim, Pillows, Pine Nut, Ping, Pinhead, Pinwheel, Pirouette, Piss Cheeks, Platinum, Ponderosa, Pope, Poppins, Portrait, Postman, Potter, Prada, President (Prez), Prizm ’24, Procket (Pocket Rocket), Professor, Project Manager, Pump, Pumpkin, Purple Haze, Queen Bee, Quick Oats, Rabid Deer, Raccoon, Radagast, Rainbow Fish, Ranch Fingers, Ranger, Raspberry, Raven, Raw Dog, Red Stripe, Redberry, Reiki, Remi, Reroute, Riddick, Ridgerunner, River, Road Runner, Road Soda, Roadrunner, Roadrunner, Roadsalad, Rooster, Roundhouse, Route Finder, Rubberband, Runaway, Rusty, Safari, Sailor, Sauce, Savory, Scavenger, Scenic Route, Scout, Scrambles, Screentime, Secondhand, Secretariat, Seeker, Sesame, Seven, Shade, Shazam, Sherlock, Shifu, Shmoody, Shock, Shuffles, Siesta, Sips, Skippy, Skippy Shitlipz, Skittles, Skywalker, Sleepwalker, Slide, Slim, Sling Shady, Slip, Slippy, Slipstream, Slosh, Slow Burn, Slow Down, Slowcamp, Sly, Smelly Socks, Smiles, Smiley, Smokin’ Okies, Snack Daddy, Snax, Sneaky, Snix, Snots, Snowcom, Snowdancer, Snowman, Snugs, Soda, Sodapop, Soggy, Solar, Solar Power, Solonotsolo, Songwriter, Sort Of, Space Cadet, Sparkle!, Sparky, Sparrow, Speedbumb, Spice, Spicy, Spicy Air, Spike(Less), Spitfire, Spokes, Spotter, Sprouts, Stardust, Stats, Steady, Steely Dan, Stinkerbell, Stoplight, Stories, Storm, Story, Storyteller, Stowaway, Strawberry Shortcake, Stretch, Subzero, Suds, Summit, Sun Fish, Sundance Kid, Sunflower, Sunny, Sunshine, Swiss Machine, Tables, Tamir, Tank, Tanker, Tarzan, Tdubs, Tea Time, Tesla, The Bard, The Barista, The Enforcer, The Goat, The Littlest Hobo, The Mad Scientist, The Monarch, The Navigator, Thimbleberry, Thinner, Thirsty, Tiger, Tigger, Timebomb, Tinker, Today, Toledo, Toodles!, Tooth Fairy, Top Gear, Toucan, Tough Cookie, Tourguide, Town Skipper, Trail Mama, Trenchie, Triplestep, Tripod, Trooper, Troutslayer, Tumbleweed, Tune, Turbo, Turmeric [The Destroyer, Camel Siren of the Sauce], Tux, Twinkle Toes, Twist, Two Time, Ultralight, Upchuck, Uts, Uturn, Valentine, Valkyrie, Vibes, Waddle, Waldo, Waldorf, Wasabi, Waterboy, Werewolf (Wolfie), Whippet, Whispers, White Rabbit, Whizza, Wild Card, Wildfire, Wildflower, Windwalker, Wing, Wolf Girl, Wonder Woman, Worldwide, X-Runner, Yahoo, Yard Sale, Zach Galifianakis, Zach The Ripper, Zero, Zillow, Zipper, and Zone.

If you have any feedback, comments, suggestions to improve the survey, or data you would like to see in future posts or surveys, leave a comment below and let me know!

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