Lake Morena (Early Desert Stop)
Overview
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.
Key points
- Located at approximately mile 20 on the Pacific Crest Trail.
- Campground and small store lie directly on or near the trail corridor.
- Commonly used for a short top-off rather than a full long-range resupply.
- Provides an early opportunity to assess initial gear choices and packing systems.
- Often associated with early-season gatherings or hiker meetups in some years.
Details
Lake Morena appears early in a northbound hike and provides one of the first on-trail opportunities to purchase limited supplies, rest briefly, and evaluate how initial gear decisions are working in practice. The proximity of the campground and store to the trail makes this stop straightforward, without the need for extended off-trail travel.
Hikers typically arrive here with most of the food they began with at the southern terminus, so Lake Morena is often used for minor additions, snacks, or adjustments rather than a full resupply. It can also serve as a psychological checkpoint where new thru hikers observe how their bodies respond to the first days of walking and make small refinements before moving into longer dry stretches.
Related topics
- pct-campo-southern-terminus
- pct-mount-laguna-resupply
- pct-southern-california-campo-to-kennedy-meadows-south
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Illustrative hiking footage
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