My Pacific Crest Trail Hike

I hope to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in coming years. It strikes me as being the most scenic of the trails. I'd love to share the adventure with another person, rather than hiking it alone. Interested? Give me a holler.

---

 

Pacific Crest Trail Statistics

States	California, Oregon, Washington
Distance	2650 miles - trail reroutes happen so this is an estimate of the trail length. When I complete the trail, I'll let you know how many steps it took me since I'll wear a pedometer the distance.
Total Elevation	Estimates vary widely depending on the elevation sampling sizes taken, but the generally accepted number is around 450,000 feet gained over the length of the trail. This is the accumulated elevation from climbing up to passes and ridges and down to valleys and streams.
Terminus	South: Campo, CA on Mexican border North: Manning Park, British Columbia
Highest Point	13153ft at Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada
Lowest Point	180ft at Bridge of the Gods on Oregon-Washington border
Map	Click for Large Map
Terrain	Desert with high daily temperatures and low night temperature in southern California. Very high altitudes in the Sierra Nevada. Generally considered the most scenic of the national scenic trails. Well-marked trail the entire length. Most extreme elevation range of all the National Scenic Trails.
History	Designated into the National Trails System in 1968 and declared 100% complete in 1993.
Challenges	Deep snow in Sierra Nevada. Turbulent water crossings. High altitude sickness. Lightning storms. Incessant rain through Washington for the end of the northbound trek.
Time Window	End of April, beginning of May. Too early and deep snow in the Sierras, too late and snow in Washington. Most start around April 25, northbound.
Time to Hike	record set in 2011 is 64 days by Scott Williamson. Typically takes 140-180 days.
Permits	Thru-Permit required for hikes longer than 500 miles. See PCTA. Shorter hikes require permits in wilderness areas, national parks, and other restricted areas.
Thru-hiker Tally	PCTA registry of names that have been sumitted, certainly not a complete listing. From 2011 back to 2006, totals are: 117, 187, 76, 81, 84, 132

---

 

Trail Links

Google Earth	View Trail with google earth
Full Maps
Agencies	Pacific Crest Trail Association

 

Land Managers and Partners of the Pacific Crest Trail

Forest Service

National Park Service

Bureau of Land Management

California State Parks