Pacific Crest Trail Distance Calculator: Plan Your PCT Hike

The Pacific Crest Trail, usually called the PCT, ranks among the most remarkable hiking adventures on Earth. It extends for around 2 650 miles from the Mexican border in California to the Canadian border in Washington. The path follows the highest sections of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains, that sit between 100 and 150 miles east of the American Pacific coast.

It crosses three states: California, Oregon and Washington. Compared to other known paths it covers fewer regions. For instance, the Continental Divide goes across seven states, while the Appalachian Trail sits in fourteen.

The Pacific Crest Trail: A Long Hike from Mexico to Canada

The south starting point sits a bit north of the wall along the American-Mexican border, in a place called Campo. The land right south of that monument belongs now to National Forest, and public access ends beside barbed wire fence only some feet ahead. The whole Distnace of the way changes yearly, to create space for nice views and to improve the path.

To cover the whole thing requires a lot of time. With 20 miles daily, it would require around four and a half months. The most common through-hikers pass around five months on the path, usually from May until September.

One of them ended the whole PCT on August 7th after 201 days on the way. Some people even take a photo each won mile during the whole 2 600 miles. That is a lot of photos.

Even so not everything is enjoyable. On the way there is also a lot of sameness. The physical drain is a real challenge.

Shoulders and feet can hurt from rubbing, and muscles become fully tired. Going around 30 miles daily, to end before the weather changes, requires big effort. Preparing for the march can involve a long period, because the hikers must arrange food and water for the remote parts.

Forest fires form another serious problem. Fires commonly close sections of the path, sometimes only some miles before the finish, thus stopping the hikers from reaching the target. Campfires are widely banned in Southern California and during warm dry summers.

They also do not count on private land, that covers more than 10 percent of the way. In California you need a campfire permit to use even a portable cooking stove, except in parts of the Sierra. Oregon and Washington do not have such asystem for fire permits.

Mountain bikes are not allowed on the Pacific Crest Trail. Only the section of the Mount Hood National Forest spans 130.1 miles. In Oregon there are almost 200 campsites along the path.

Long-Distance hikers must get a permit issued by the Pacific Crest Trail Association. The PCT ranks either second or directly competing with the Appalachian Trail as the most famous long-Distance path in the world.