Pacific Crest Trail

Pacific Crest Trail category on thruhikingwiki.com. This is an independent, neutral reference section about long-distance hiking and backpacking. It is not an official trail guide, safety manual, or planning service.

Articles containing information regarding Pacific Crest Trail

  • Acton and Agua Dulce

    Acton and Agua Dulce form a closely spaced pair of resupply and rest locations around miles 444–454 of the Pacific Crest Trail, including campground-based services and a small town main street setting.

  • Ashland and the Siskiyou Corridor as a Pacific Crest Trail Transition Hub

    Ashland and nearby facilities along the Interstate 5 and Siskiyou corridor form a major resupply and rest hub for Pacific Crest Trail hikers just north of the California–Oregon border.

  • Belden and the Feather River Canyon as a Pacific Crest Trail Stop

    Belden, located in the Feather River canyon along a highway corridor, is an on-trail or near-trail stop in Northern California that offers limited but strategically placed services for Pacific Crest Trail hikers.

  • Bend and Sisters via Elk Lake and Santiam Pass

    Bend and Sisters in central Oregon form a major urban-services cluster for PCT hikers, typically accessed via trailheads and road crossings near Elk Lake on the Cascade Lakes Highway or at Santiam Pass on Highway 20.

  • Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake

    Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake are mountain communities accessed from the Pacific Crest Trail near Highway 18 around mile 266. They form one of the major full resupply and rest hubs in Southern California.

  • Big Lake Youth Camp and the Highway 20 Corridor as a PCT Resupply Option

    The Big Lake Youth Camp area and the broader Highway 20 corridor near Santiam Pass provide an intermediate resupply option in central Oregon for PCT hikers who prefer mail-based logistics or shorter food carries between larger town stops.

  • Burney and the Hat Creek Rim as Pacific Crest Trail Logistics Points

    Burney and nearby hiker-focused facilities serve as key resupply and rest locations for Pacific Crest Trail hikers moving through the Hat Creek Rim and surrounding Northern California terrain.

  • Campo and the Southern Terminus

    Campo is the community adjacent to the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail at mile 0. It serves primarily as a starting point, with most hikers arriving already provisioned from larger nearby cities.

  • Cascade Locks and Stevenson: Washington Gateway Towns

    Cascade Locks and Stevenson serve as practical gateway communities for the Washington segment of the Pacific Crest Trail, clustered around the Bridge of the Gods at the Columbia River.

  • Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods: Northern Terminus of the Oregon PCT

    Cascade Locks, located on the Columbia River at the foot of the Bridge of the Gods, functions as the northern terminus town for the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail and a key staging point for entering Washington.

  • Chester and the Lassen Region as a Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Hub

    Chester is a small Northern California town near the PCT’s crossing of a regional highway, often used as a full-service resupply stop at the southern edge of the broader Lassen area.

  • Crater Lake and Mazama Village as a PCT Resupply Hub

    The Crater Lake area and Mazama Village provide a mid-Oregon resupply option for PCT hikers, combining national park services with a small commercial complex that is typically reached around PCT mile 1,830 on common northbound mile charts.

  • Dunsmuir, Mount Shasta, and Castella as Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Options

    The I-5 corridor near Castella, Dunsmuir, and Mount Shasta provides multiple resupply and lodging options for Pacific Crest Trail hikers in Northern California, roughly midway between the Hat Creek region and the Klamath Mountains.

  • Echo Lake and South Lake Tahoe Corridor

    Near the Tahoe region, the Pacific Crest Trail passes by Echo Lake and crosses the Highway 50 corridor, providing access to South Lake Tahoe, Stateline, and adjacent communities that serve as a major resupply and rest hub.

  • Etna as a Northern California Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Town

    Etna is a small Klamath Mountains community accessed from Etna Summit by road and is widely regarded as a classic, hiker-friendly resupply stop for Pacific Crest Trail hikers in Northern California.

  • I-10 Corridor: Cabazon, Banning, and Nearby Towns

    Near mile 209, the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the I-10 corridor, providing access to communities such as Cabazon and Banning as well as larger regional centers. This area offers an optional resupply opportunity.

  • Idyllwild and the San Jacinto Area

    Idyllwild is a mountain town serving the San Jacinto region of the Pacific Crest Trail, accessible from several points between roughly miles 151 and 179. It is a major resupply and rest hub in Southern California.

  • Julian (via Scissors Crossing)

    Julian is a small town accessed from Scissors Crossing around mile 77 of the Pacific Crest Trail by road to the west. It is a popular early resupply and rest stop.

  • Kearsarge Pass: Independence and Bishop Access

    Kearsarge Pass provides a major east-side exit from the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail corridor, leading to the Onion Valley trailhead and road access to the towns of Independence and Bishop in the Owens Valley.

  • Kennedy Meadows North

    Kennedy Meadows North is a lodge and resort area near Sonora Pass that provides lodging, food, and resupply options for Pacific Crest Trail hikers at the northern edge of the high Sierra region.

  • Kennedy Meadows South

    Kennedy Meadows South, around mile 702 on the Pacific Crest Trail, is widely recognized as the traditional gateway to the Sierra Nevada. It serves as a major resupply and gear transition point at the northern end of the Southern California section.

  • Lake Morena (Early Desert Stop)

    Lake Morena is an early stop on the Pacific Crest Trail around mile 20, where a campground and small store near the trail provide limited services and a chance to adjust gear and routines.

  • Lone Pine Access (Cottonwood Pass and Trail Pass Area)

    Lone Pine is an eastern Sierra town that Pacific Crest Trail hikers can access early in the high Sierra, typically via side trails near Cottonwood Pass or Trail Pass, followed by a road descent to the Owens Valley.

  • Mazama and Winthrop: Northern Washington Town Resupply Options

    Mazama and Winthrop are road-connected towns in north-central Washington that offer substantial resupply and lodging options for Pacific Crest Trail hikers near Rainy Pass and Hart’s Pass.

  • Mount Laguna

    Mount Laguna is a small mountain community near mile 42 of the Pacific Crest Trail that offers early resupply and gear adjustment opportunities in Southern California.

  • Northern Terminus and Manning Park Access Context

    The northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail is located on the United States–Canada border in the North Cascades. Historically, some hikers have continued to or from Manning Park in British Columbia, subject to current cross-border and permitting rules.

  • Old Station and the Hat Creek Corridor as a Pacific Crest Trail Stop

    Old Station and nearby facilities along the Hat Creek corridor provide a small but strategically located resupply and rest point for Pacific Crest Trail hikers approaching or leaving the Hat Creek Rim in Northern California.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California Overview (Tahoe to Oregon Border)

    The Northern California section of the Pacific Crest Trail runs roughly from the Tahoe region to the Oregon border, transitioning from granite-influenced high country into long forested ridges, volcanic plateaus, and the Klamath Mountains.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California Section

    The Northern California section of the Pacific Crest Trail runs approximately from the Lake Tahoe region to the Oregon border. It transitions from the high Sierra into a mixture of forested ridgelines, volcanic landscapes, and warmer summer conditions, with a combination of moderate and longer resupply intervals.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon Section

    The Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail runs from the California–Oregon border to the Columbia River at the Bridge of the Gods. It is known for relatively smoother tread, long forested corridors, volcanic and lake features, and opportunities for sustained high-mileage days in many conditions.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon Section Overview (Oregon Border to Cascade Locks)

    The Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail runs from the California–Oregon border to the Columbia River at Cascade Locks, covering roughly 460 miles of generally smoother tread, frequent forested corridors, volcanic landscapes, and a comparatively dense network of road crossings and resupply options.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Overview

    The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance hiking and equestrian route that spans roughly 2,650–2,660 miles between the Mexican and Canadian borders. It follows the general crest of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges through California, Oregon, and Washington, linking desert foothills, high alpine passes, volcanic plateaus, and temperate rainforests into a single continuous corridor.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Sierra Nevada (Kennedy Meadows South to Tahoe Region)

    The Sierra Nevada segment of the Pacific Crest Trail runs roughly from Kennedy Meadows South to the Tahoe region, covering approximately miles 702–1,100 northbound. It is characterized by high mountain passes, extended food carries, complex weather, and slower average daily mileage for many hikers.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Sierra Nevada Section

    The Sierra Nevada section of the Pacific Crest Trail extends approximately from Kennedy Meadows South to the general Lake Tahoe region. It is characterized by high mountain passes, extensive stretches above treeline, and longer food carries, with snow travel and high water crossings possible in certain seasons.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California (Campo to Kennedy Meadows South)

    The Southern California segment of the Pacific Crest Trail runs approximately from the Mexican border near Campo to Kennedy Meadows South, covering about 0–702 trail miles northbound. It is characterized by water management, heat, wind exposure, and relatively frequent access to resupply towns compared with some later sections.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California Desert Section

    The Southern California desert section of the Pacific Crest Trail covers the approximate stretch from the Mexican border near Campo to Kennedy Meadows South. Northbound, it passes through lower-elevation chaparral, desert foothills, and several isolated mountain ranges, combining arid stretches with higher, forested sky-island terrain.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Washington Section

    The Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail begins at the Columbia River crossing near the Bridge of the Gods and continues north to the Canadian border. It is characterized by steeper terrain, frequent elevation changes, prominent mountain ranges, and more variable weather, with relatively shorter resupply intervals in many segments.

  • Pacific Crest Trail: Washington State Overview (Cascade Locks to Canadian Border)

    The Pacific Crest Trail in Washington runs from the Bridge of the Gods at the Columbia River to the northern terminus on the United States–Canada border. It features substantial elevation change, frequent high passes, complex weather patterns, and a sequence of resupply points that require more deliberate planning than many earlier sections.

  • Red’s Meadow and Mammoth Lakes

    Red’s Meadow is a trail-adjacent facility near Devils Postpile, with road and shuttle links to the larger town of Mammoth Lakes. Together they form a major resupply and gear hub for Pacific Crest Trail hikers in the central Sierra.

  • Seiad Valley and the Klamath River Corridor as a Pacific Crest Trail Stop

    Seiad Valley is a small Klamath River community that the Pacific Crest Trail passes near or through, serving as one of the final on-trail or near-trail resupply points in Northern California before the Oregon border.

  • Shelter Cove Resort at Odell Lake as a PCT Resupply Point

    Shelter Cove Resort, located on the shore of Odell Lake in central Oregon, serves as a well-known PCT resupply stop reached by a short side trail from the Pacific Crest Trail corridor.

  • Sierra City as a Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Point

    Sierra City is a small Northern California community near the Pacific Crest Trail, commonly used as a convenient resupply stop after the I-80/Donner Pass corridor for northbound hikers.

  • Snoqualmie Pass: Interstate 90 Crossing and Resupply Hub

    Snoqualmie Pass is a major Pacific Crest Trail resupply and lodging node where the trail crosses Interstate 90 in central Washington.

  • Soda Springs and Truckee as Pacific Crest Trail Resupply Hubs

    Soda Springs and nearby Truckee form one of the first Northern California resupply options for Pacific Crest Trail hikers after the Tahoe region, accessible from the PCT near the Donner Pass and Interstate 80 corridor.

  • Stehekin: Remote Lake Chelan Resupply and Rest Stop

    Stehekin is a small, road-inaccessible community on the shore of Lake Chelan that serves as a distinctive and remote resupply point for Pacific Crest Trail hikers in northern Washington.

  • Stevens Pass, Skykomish, and Leavenworth: Glacier Peak Approach Resupply

    Stevens Pass, along with the nearby towns of Skykomish and Leavenworth, provides a critical resupply and rest opportunity before and after the Glacier Peak Wilderness section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington.

  • Tehachapi and Mojave

    Tehachapi and Mojave are desert corridor towns accessed from Pacific Crest Trail crossings of Highway 58 and nearby roads around miles 558–566. They provide the last major Southern California town services before the transition toward Kennedy Meadows South.

  • Timberline Lodge and the Mt Hood Corridor on the PCT

    Timberline Lodge and the surrounding Mt Hood corridor provide a late-Oregon landmark and partial resupply opportunity for PCT hikers, combining historic architecture, views, and limited food and lodging services directly adjacent to the trail.

  • Tioga Pass and Sonora Pass: Lee Vining and Bridgeport Access

    Highway corridors near Tioga Pass and Sonora Pass provide Pacific Crest Trail hikers with access to east-side towns such as Lee Vining and Bridgeport when on-trail or in-park services are limited or when additional resupply options are desired.

  • Trout Lake: Goat Rocks Vicinity Resupply Option

    Trout Lake is a small community in Washington that functions as an optional early resupply point for Pacific Crest Trail hikers approaching or exiting the Goat Rocks and Mount Adams region.

  • Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite National Park)

    Tuolumne Meadows is a high-country area within Yosemite National Park that the Pacific Crest Trail passes directly through, offering potential in-park resupply when seasonal facilities are operating.

  • Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR)

    Vermilion Valley Resort is a remote lakeside outpost near the Lake Edison area that PCT and JMT hikers can reach via side trails. It is an optional but notable resupply stop in the central Sierra.

  • Walker Pass: Lake Isabella and Onyx Access

    Near mile 652, the Pacific Crest Trail crosses Highway 178 at or near Walker Pass, offering optional access to communities such as Lake Isabella, Kernville, Onyx, or Ridgecrest for an additional resupply before Kennedy Meadows South.

  • Warner Springs

    Warner Springs is a community near miles 109–110 of the Pacific Crest Trail that has long served as a classic desert resupply point, with services that can vary from year to year.

  • White Pass: Mid-Washington Resupply Node

    White Pass is a highway pass and ski-area complex on U.S. Highway 12 that functions as a key mid-Washington resupply location for Pacific Crest Trail hikers.

  • Wrightwood

    Wrightwood is a mountain town in the San Gabriel range that PCT hikers typically access from Highway 2 around mile 369. It provides a classic Southern California resupply and rest stop near Mount Baden-Powell.

Illustrative hiking footage

The following external videos offer general visual context for typical hiking environments. They are not official route recommendations, safety instructions, or planning tools.