No items found.

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

The Pacific Crest Trail, also known as the PCT, is America’s second longest trail, stretching from Mexico to Canada through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Adventurous hikers looking for a challenge will take the high route through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges and witness some of America’s most scenic and varied terrain—from scorching desserts to snowy mountains—along the way. Whether you decide to thru-hike the PCT or enjoy its beauty in sections, here is everything you need to know to prepare for this life-list wilderness adventure.

What Is the Length of the Pacific Crest Trail and Where Does It Start and End?

The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,650 miles long (4,265 kilometers. Starting in Campo, a small town on the United States-Mexico border, it goes through California, Oregon, and Washington before reaching its northern terminus at the United States-Canada border in Manning Park, British Columbia.

The trail is divided into 30 sections: 18 sections in California, 7 in Oregon, and 5 in Washington. The average length of each section is 91 miles.

You might find other sources reporting numbers that are slightly lower or higher than 2,650 miles, and there are two reasons for that discrepancy:

  • The trail gets rerouted every year to provide better treadway, better scenery, or to move the trail away from threats such as wildfires, which can add or subtract up to 10 miles.
  • The trail has only been mapped with consumer-level tools, so the data sets don’t provide a truly accurate length. The Pacific Crest Trail Association thinks that 2,650 miles is the closest accurate measure.

What to Expect When Thru-Hiking the PCT

    Obviously, you’re not going to carry all of your supplies and food with you when you start out. In fact, you won’t carry more than about 10 days worth of food at any time during your trek, and you’ll often have much less. Before you leave, you should ship resupply boxes to resupply towns along the way. These boxes include the clothes and gear you’ll need for the next leg of your trip as well as some food items (see resupply strategy below). You will also send yourself resupply boxes loaded with food while you’re on the trail.

If you are interested in learning more about how to prepare for the Pacific Crest Trail, continue reading the full article here

LAST UPDATED

December 3, 2023

Written by
Photo thumbnail Blog Author

Backpacker

Media Mentions from Backpacker

At BACKPACKER, we inspire and enable people to enjoy the outdoors by providing the most trusted and engaging information about backcountry adventure in North America.

We are committed to honesty, respect, and cooperation in all our relationships.

We understand and respond in a timely fashion to the product and service needs of our consumers.

We take a leadership role in educating and partnering with others who share our interests and values.

We support programs, policies, and behavior that encourages protection of our current wilderness areas and well-considered designation of new ones.

We are committed to display the highest quality of compelling photographs and inspiring stories.

We provide our industry with superior service, resources, and audiences. </p>

We promote sustainable, low-impact use of wilderness.

We support and encourage one another to innovate, lead, grow, take risks, share ideas, and express a passion for the wilderness.

Explore More Content

Media Mentions

Lucky for us trail-goers, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has hundreds of hiking products on sale, and here are 15 of the best deals to stock up for this season’s outdoor adventures.

Travel + Leisure
Media Mentions from Travel + Leisure

Media Mentions

Lastly, before receiving Sawyer filters here, Sinchu Al-Haggi, a village of 9 compounds and 121 residents relied exclusively on drinking straight from these 2 open wells.

Water Charity

Media Mentions

In the meantime, bring your baggage, so that when you are ready, you can learn to let go and carry your weight. Trust me, you’ll unpack things in due time when it’s all done.

Ben Kirkland