The Pacific Crest Trail is a national park that runs parallel to the West Coast of North America. It goes north and south through California, Oregon, Washington, and ends in British Columbia, Canada. All together, it is roughly of serene hiking and views, and it is the second largest collection of trails anywhere in the world.[1] To hike the entire trail would take roughly 6 months, but most people spend less than a week on the trail. Keep in mind, you need to file for the proper permits before going out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.
[Edit]Steps
[Edit]Planning Your Hike
- Choose at least one other person to go hiking with you. Portions of the trail are pretty remote, and you could end up in serious danger if you injure an ankle or run into trouble and there’s no one around to help you out. Reach out to a friend or contact a fellow hiking enthusiast to go with you. If you don’t know any viable candidates, go online to a community hiking site or social media group and look for a travel buddy there.[2]
- In parts of the trail, it’s actually illegal to hike on your own. This is entirely for safety reasons—there are just too many things that can go wrong if you hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone.
- The Pacific Crest Trail is not an everyday hike. In many portions of the trail, the going can get pretty rough. Consider hiking another trail first if this is your first time going hiking.
- Pick the direction you want to hike the trail. The southern portion of the trail is mostly deserts and rocky terrain. Then it runs through Central and Northern California, which includes the famous Sierra Nevada and features dozens of mountains. Next, Oregon is mostly flat and filled with forests, before Washington and British Columbia become mountainous again. Choose the direction you want to go based on the terrain you’re looking to experience.[3]
- Take the weather into account based on the direction you’re going. You cannot start a 2-week northbound trip in late August if you’re starting off in Washington since you’ll risk running into snow. Similarly, it’s going to be dangerous to try hiking in Southern California in the summer. Check the weather for the area you plan on hiking and try to line your hike up so that you aren’t running into terrible temperatures and extreme precipitation.[4]
- Check the forecasts in 1-month increments in the time leading up to your hike. This will keep you from getting pumped for a hike that probably needs to be rescheduled.
- You can pull up a detailed set of forecasts for each portion of the trail on the PCTA’s website.[5]
- Schedule your hike between April and May if you’re northbound. Over 90% of hikers head out in the early spring and go northbound. Whether you start out near the Mexican border, Central California, or somewhere in Oregon or Washington, the best time to head out is between April and May after the snow melts and the weather warms a little.[6]
- If you’re hiking for a long period of time, this will make sure you’re north by the time the weather gets really hot. If you’re hiking a short period of time, you’ll beat the brutal heat in the southern half of the trail by a month or so.
- Go hiking in late June or July if you’re going south. If you’re starting in British Columbia, Washington, or Oregon, wait until the late summer to hike south. This way, you won’t be south until the hot weather has dissipated. If you’re only hiking a short period of time, hiking the northern half in the summer will keep you comfortable.[7]
- Even in the height of summer, the weather in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon doesn’t get that hot. For example, Seattle averages roughly during July. This is not hot enough to wear yourself out on the trail but warm enough to comfortably fall asleep at night.
- Stay out of the southern third of the trail in the summer months. It will get extremely hot in the desert.
- Avoid hiking the north end in the winter and the south end in the summer. Regardless of when you’re going and where you’re hiking, the ultimate goal is to avoid the northern half in the winter and the southern half in the summer. Not only is the trail uncomfortable during these times, it’s extremely dangerous.[8]
- The average low in Washington during January is . When it’s that cold, you can’t sleep, and you’re at risk of frost bite, hypothermia, and freezing to death.
- The average high in Southern California during August is around , but it regularly exceeds , especially in the desert. You’d be at risk of dehydration, heat stroke, and sunburn if you go hiking in this kind of weather.
[Edit]Selecting Your Route
- Buy or find a detailed map of the Pacific Crest Trail. You can use an online map while you’re planning, but you’ll need a physical copy when you’re out on the trail. Make sure that you map includes the name of every national park and wilderness area since you’ll need these names for permit planning. Any official trail map should work just fine for this.[9]
- Choose a route to hike based on proximity and desired terrain. One way to plan your route is to simply start in the area closet to where you live. If you’re traveling to the region specifically to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, you can start wherever you’d like based on the type of terrain you’re looking to hike. Much of the trail is mountainous, but Oregon is mostly forested and the southern end of the trail is mostly desert. Select a specific route based on where you enjoy hiking.[10] off of the Pacific Crest Trail in Central California.}}
- Some hikers pick an end to start at and hike the entire trail in portions over the course of their lifetime.
- There’s no wrong place to start. The entire trail is beautiful and you really shouldn’t focus too much on finding the “best” spot. Just choose a type of terrain you want to see!
- Determine how much time it’ll take based on how far you want to go. With lightweight gear, a quick pace, and a serious lack of breaks, you’ll make it a day. Under normal conditions though, you’re probably only going to get a day. Sit down and figure out how much time it’ll take based on your initial route.[11]
- This is especially important if you’re taking time off of work or plan on hiking during a break from school.
- Identify the resupply points and adjust your route accordingly. There are various towns and shops along the trail. Identify all of the resupply points in the area where you’re planning to hike. Then, shift your starting point up or down so that you reach the first resupply point when you think you’ll be down to roughly ½ of your food and water supply. This way, you’ll ensure that you never run dangerously low on food and water.[12]
- Many people mail themselves resupply packages along the route so they don’t need to spend 1-2 hours shopping at each supply point.[13]
- You can find a complete list of resupply points online.[14]
- The resupply points are kind of designed to be reasonably close to one another if you’re hiking in California. There are a few stretches in the norther half where you won’t find one for . Always check your map before leaving a supply point to make sure you have enough food and water.
[Edit]Getting Your Permits
- Identify every park and wilderness area you’re hiking through. About half of the Pacific Crest Trail requires a permit, especially if you’re spending the night on it. You need permits specifically to enter or camp in designated/protected wilderness areas (usually shown in green on a map), national parks, and you need separate permits for California State Parks. Compile a list of every permit-restricted area you plan on passing through.[15]. If you’re going more than , apply for a long-term permit through the PCTA (Pacific Crest Trail Agency). You may need additional permits, but they’ll walk you through it. Visit https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/pct-long-distance-permit/ to apply.}}
- Start applying for permits at least 3 months before your hike. You’ll need to register them 3 weeks in advance, and they can take time to process.
- If you’re hiking only through Oregon or Washington, you can get permits at the kiosks where you enter the parks. You do not need to worry about permits if you’re hiking through these states alone.
- You need your passport if you’re doing the entire trail. You’ll need it to get across the Canadian-US border.
- Go to each individual park agency’s website to file for your permits. This is where things get a little complicated. You need a permit from every park and wilderness agency to hike or camp through it. Pull up the website for every agency you’re traveling through and apply for a permit on their website. Fill in all of the details and submit your personal information to apply.[16]
- Almost all of these permits are free. The parks require them so they can monitor how many people are on the trail, limit the environmental impact, and ensure that there’s record of where you are in the event you get lost or go missing.
- In the United States, you’ll apply for the vast majority of permits on the USA’s government recreation page.[17]
- Get a California fire permit to cook in the state of California. If you’re hiking in any portion of California, you also need a California fire permit if you plan on cooking any hot meals. If you aren’t bringing a burner or personal stove, don’t worry about it. Otherwise, complete an online course and take a quiz to print one off online.[18]
- Apply for a Canada PCT permit if you’re crossing the border at any point. If you plan on hiking from the United States to Canada, You need a Canada PCT permit to enter Canada. The PCTA has a special agreement with Canada, but the permit lets the authorities in Canada know that you’re coming so they can do a preliminary background check.[21]
- Fill out an application online at the PCTA’s website.[22] Then, email your application to pacificcresttrail@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.
- If you’re American or Canadian, you don’t need a special permit to go from Canada to the United States. You only need your passport. You do need a visa if you’re a foreign national, though.
[Edit]Enjoying Your Hike Safely
- Pick up your hiking gear 2-3 weeks before your trip. Get your hiking shoes and boots, your paper map, a compass and GPS unit, and all of your weather-appropriate clothing. You’ll also need a flashlight, emergency fire kit, emergency signal, and first aid kit. Get a tent, sleeping bag, and sunscreen as well. Pick up everything you need 2-3 weeks before you plan on heading out to give yourself time to pack and prepare your backpack.[23]
- Purchase enough food and water to make it to the first supply point. Get some high-calorie dehydrated food to make sure you have plenty of energy before you reach your first supply point. Get at least of water for every hour of hiking you’ll be doing. Include of food per day. Pack plenty of snacks and cooking equipment to prepare your food.[24]
- In addition to dehydrated food, include some cereal, sauce packets, trail mix, jerky, or canned fish just to mix things up.
- Stick to your schedule to avoid violating permits or losing time. Don’t mess around with your schedule. If you need to hike at least a day to reach a supply point in 2 days, hanging out in a spot for an entire day could be extremely dangerous. In addition, you may end up violating your permit dates and risk getting fined and kicked off of the trail.[25]
- Watch your footing while you’re out and stay on the trail. Pay attention to where you’re walking, especially if you’re in a mountainous area. If you lose your footing and get hurt, you could end up in a sticky situation. Similarly, if you aren’t paying attention, you may accidentally wander off of the trail and get lost. Just keep an eye on your compass and check to make sure you’re heading the right way while you hike.[26]
- Abandon the hike if you’re injured or the weather gets too rough. If you get injured, it’s key that you get help as soon as possible. If something goes wrong on the hike, you can’t just power through without risking your life. Similarly, if a storm pins you in place for more than a few hours, you probably need to abandon the hike. You may run into supply problems if you don’t call it and you’re close to running out of food or water.[27]
- If you get injured, call 911. They’ll pass you through to a rescue team that will retrieve you from the trail.
- If it’s a non-emergency but you’re in a sticky situation, call the sheriff’s office for the country you’re in. They’ll tell you what the best course of action is and will come out to assist if you need anything.
- If it snows, you basically have to call your hike. If you wake up with of snow on the trail, you could be in serious danger.
- Take plenty of photos and enjoy your hike. While you’re out on the trails, take plenty of photos to share with friends back home, crack jokes with your travel companion, and enjoy some of the freshest air you’ll ever find. Take the views in and enjoy the adventure.[28]
[Edit]Video
[Edit]Tips
- Only 2,607 people have ever hiked the entire trail. Out of those hikers, only 47 people have completed the trail more than once. Roughly 800 people attempt to hike the entire trail every year. This makes it one of the most difficult thru hikes in the world![29]
[Edit]Warnings
- You must travel with a hiking group and hike at least a day if you’re going to do the entire trail. The vast majority of full trail hikes go northbound from the Mexican border. If at any point it snows on your trip, you must abandon it. Keep in mind, the vast majority of attempts to do the entire trail are not successful.[30]
- Unless you’re an absolute pro, do not go hiking in the snow. It’s too hard to make progress and you’re seriously risking your health if you get stuck in the snow.[31]
[Edit]Related wikiHows
[Edit]References
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/2013/how-many-people-have-completed-the-pct-11441/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/take-a-hike/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/geography/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/weather-forecasts/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/weather-forecasts/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/northbound-vs-southbound/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/thruhiker-faq/
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/opinion/nicholas-kristof-you-think-your-winter-was-rough.html
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/day-and-section-hiking/
- ↑ https://pctplanner.com/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/thruhiker-faq/
- ↑ https://www.postholer.com/PCT-Resupply
- ↑ https://youtu.be/6vxC_xU6NCg?t=11
- ↑ https://www.postholer.com/PCT-Resupply
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/under-500-miles/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/under-500-miles/
- ↑ https://www.recreation.gov/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/pct-long-distance-permit/
- ↑ https://www.readyforwildfire.org/permits/campfire-permit/
- ↑ https://www.readyforwildfire.org/permits/campfire-permit/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/pct-long-distance-permit/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Canada-PCT-Entry-Permit-Aug-13-2019.pdf
- ↑ https://americanhiking.org/resources/10essentials/
- ↑ https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/snack-and-meal-ideas/food-tips-for-camping-and-hiking
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/under-500-miles/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/thruhiker-faq/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/safety-tips/
- ↑ https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/take-your-kids-hiking-10-tips-make-adventure-fun-whole-family
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/2013/how-many-people-have-completed-the-pct-11441/
- ↑ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/thruhiker-faq/
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/opinion/nicholas-kristof-you-think-your-winter-was-rough.html
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