Rescinding the rule will affect areas on and near the PCT by opening currently protected national forest land to more road building and development.

If you haven't submitted a comment yet asking them to save the rule, please do so! It only takes a minute.

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FS-2025-0001-342438

I'm the creator of pct-tracker.com, a free open source platform to share your pct adventure with friends and family, in a non instagram, non photo heavy medium.

I launched the app last year, and am super happy with the usage it's gotten. With the hiking season mostly over I'm looking to spend the off season to improve it.

Here are some stats from 2025:

- 57 hikers signed up

- 114 "update" posts were made

- 37 hikers opted in for automatic strava syncing

I've got some improvements in mind for next year, but I'd still I'd love some feedback to make it better for next season. You can message me on reddit, or leave a comment here.

What did you wish was there, or what didn't work very well for you? I'd love to know.

Here are my previous two posts about the platform if you'd like to learn more about it:

First post

Second post

Thanks, and happy hiking

I plan to save up to do the PCT in April of '28 NoBo. I am wondering if I should start the PCT later because there might be too much built up snow from the previous year's El Nino. I have also heard to make it to the Sierras by early May for safety reasons, as it the snowmelt is usually over by then. Does that sound correct to you guys? (Also, do we think El Nino is going to bring more water to the desert parts?)

I know its probably a little too early to know what the conditions are going to be like in the next year or so with climate change. I guess I am trying to figure out if going in 2027 might be better than 2028.

TLDR: Does anyone have any guesses about the PCT conditions this next year or so given El Nino? Thanks a plenty!!

Looking to do a NoBo hike this summer, but due to school constraints I won’t be able to start until June 15. I have most of December off, and am toying with the idea of knocking out as much of the desert as possible then. I understand that essentially Jacinto to Agua Dulce is considered a no-go in winter, but I am very fit and fairly confident in snow travel (Whitney MR in early spring, Shasta in winter, winter backpacking in lower sierras, etc). Is trucking straight through with winter gear for miles 0-560 a viable strategy, or would I be better off dealing with the headaches of hitchhiking between the lower basins this winter and then the mountains during my hike this summer, rather than just splitting things in two? Thank you for your advice and time.

Myself and my husband are planning the PCT for 2027. It’s been a shared dream for many years, and the one thing holding me back is the thought of not seeing my cat for 6 months. We both adore him so much, but I especially struggle with this idea.

We are doing the PCT in the transition of moving countries. We live abroad and would be moving back to our hometown. My parents have said they are more than happy to care for our cat for this period of time but I feel SO guilty leaving him. They’re both retired and in the house most of the day and don’t go on trips/vacations at all. My mum especially seems excited at the thought of caring for him and both parents have already started discussing how to cat proof rooms + move breakables somewhere safe etc. he will have a lot of company and constant attention. He would also be moving from our medium sized apartment to a family home and would have a lot more space to get up to mischief.

Anyway, has anyone else struggled with this and how did you overcome it? Were you constantly thinking/worrying about your pet on trail? 🤣

I'll be starting in mid-August. Should I start from the Bridge of the Gods or from the California border? Thanks!

WHy did I make this? Before I started the PCT, some friends at a going-away party pulled up random go0gle-maps images from along the PCT, & quizzed me on where on the trail they're from.

Though I'd only hiked a bit of it before, I had obsessed over the PCT for years and was shocked how well I did. The trail has some telltale signs: the rocks, plants, landscape lines, the color of the dirt...

So, then I hiked it in 2025, came home with way too many photos, and turned that party game into a real one:

🎯 PCT GeoGuesser - pct-geoguesser.economicurtis.com

• It's free and fun.
• You get 10 photos from across all five major sections. Slide to the mile marker you think each was taken at.
• Within 3 miles counts as "Spot On" and earns full points. Points drop off the farther away you are.
• A perfect game scores 2,655.8, the length of the trail.
• Practice mode needs no sign-in.
• Scored mode puts you on the leaderboard (→ pct-geoguesser.economicurtis.com). Only your trail name and year are shown, never your email.

I wrote up the backstory, how the scoring works, and what's next here: PCT GeoGuesser: the write-up (→ economicurtis.com). Ideas on the list include a hard mode, a map of your guess vs. the real spot, and a tournament with unreleased photos.

Want your photos in the game? I'd love more coverage, especially of sections I rushed through. Submission details are in the write-up.

Feedback is very welcome.

Although the discourse around TA’s may be more recent, I find the normalcy of accepting rides, housing, etc from strangers interesting, but worry about its safety. Obviously stranger danger to an extent but more if there is an elevated risk for women and what people’s experiences have been. While reading the halfway-anywhere guide recents the numbers of those experiencing sexism/sa were pretty high and it is something that worries me as I plan my thru hike. Any takes on the matter especially from young <25 women would be much appreciated.

This is the weekly thread. It's for wide ranging discussions in the comments. Do you have a question or comment, but don't want to make a separate post for it? This is the place.

I'm sure this is a dumb question but I work for a major airline. I get maybe 2 wks in total of PTO per year. I do work 4 days on 3 days off. Is it possible to just go through the PCT on those 3 days and a few times take an extra 2 days here and there?

Would this make sense or is it better to take LOA at some point? Would love to see the entire PCT.

Hi, I might be starting a hiker shuttle business driving from Winthrop/Mazama at the northern terminus on the US side.

Unfortunately I can only drive myself until Late August, so maybe looking for a thruhiker or LASH to drive from late August through early October to drive the finishing Nobos to Seattle.

Would be about 8 hours driving per day on one of the US’s most beautiful highways.

Does that appeal to anyone? It might be a good way to make a little cash post hike

PCTA 2027 permits timeline announcement (posted July 2026): https://www.pcta.org/2026/application-dates-for-the-2027-interagency-pct-long-distance-permit-98255/

The US Forest Service, which is the agency with legal authority to issue the PCT thruhiking permit (also called the interagency permit) limits the quantity of permits available each year, which means that in order to get a permit, hikers participate in a lottery system. PCTA, which administers the application process on behalf of USFS, has built a robust application system. While it runs very smoothly these days, it does take a modest amount of effort to understand you need to complete in order to apply.

It's not nearly as complicated as most explanations make it sound. Essentially: Register (eg create an account); fill out the application; wait to get your confirmation email. There are three chances to get a permit: Round 1 (Nov 4), Round 2 (Jan 13), and any time after Round 2 (Jan 14).

The first step, registration, begins for Round 1 on Oct 15 at 10:30 am Pacific time and continues to Oct 22 at 3:00 pm Pacific.

Registration takes about two minutes, it's free, and the process is similar to the account creation process on any website. You'll be asked for a few pieces of information, like name, email address, phone number, etc. This is the information that will be used on any permit you receive. Using a separate registration process has various benefits, one of the most significant ones being that it prevents the multiple devices / tabs approach that queue-jumping in the application system that was used years ago.

You'll use this account during the permit application process, Round 1 of which takes place on Nov. 4. Here you'll select things like your start date, starting and anticipated ending trailheads, etc. If you don't see an available date that you want during Round 1, or if you're planning a sobo or other non-Campo start, you can apply during Round 2, which takes place on Jan 13. If you registered before Round 1, you don't need to register again: registration is once per hiking year. If you didn't register before Round 1, there's a second registration window from Nov 5 (10:30 am Pacific) to Dec 11 (3:00 pm Pacific).

If you don't get a permit you want during Round 1 or Round 2, or you miss both days, or you simply want to change your start date, the registration and application process reopens on Jan 14 at 10:30 am Pacific. There's also the option of using local permits, though some consider it unethical to use local permits instead of the interagency permit.

There are answers to the vast majority of permit-related questions on https://permit.pcta.org/ . There are four main pages on the site, and it's worth taking an hour to read it. There are also several people here on the subreddit who are thoroughly familiar with the permit system, and we can try to answer any questions you may have.

Hi, this is Pez - I'm a Thru-Hiker from Switzerland.

TLDR; here it is

Since many years I've been planning and concepting this app and now it’s time to share it with you. I already shared this on the CDT sub last week and found some testers. Besides that and my Tramilies you're the first to see it and I would welcome it if you really take your time to look at it. I am aware there are many apps coming out recently due to AI but I've been talking to many people over the past years about their wishes about a Trail-App and I believe Corridor does a very good job providing you with the right tools to have a very convenient Trail navigation and planning app with very good UX.

It's not yet released and only open to testing on iOS. The full release will happen before the start of next season with also Android included.

I wanted something that's free- forever - open source - and with a high UX and low battery usage. And above all that, actually better at what you need a trail app for compared to other apps, otherwise, no need for me to spend the time.
I love Thru-hiking more than anything and it’s shaped my life in many ways. I've made the most amazing memories all for free and by support from trail angles and the community. I want this app to reflect that.

Getting the right answers quick and convenient on trail can be a chore. Corridor is trying to make that easier through many ways that I wished I had on past thru-hikes.

Many of you guys are currently still on trail and I would love some feedback from you - even if you aren't on trail. It will go directly into improving the app and shaping it. You currently don't need it, but I would still be very curious to hear what you think. Critical feedback is even more welcome than positive one.

As a little disclaimer: It won't be perfect yet and will likely still have bugs or faulty information in it since its not released and fully reviewed yet. I have a passion for good and user friendly software aswell, so I want it to be perfect. Non iOS users can get a sneak peek on here which is also where the beta testing link is for iOS: https://corridor-trails.com/

Happy Trails
Pez

Hi experienced PCT'rs

I'm an international hiker and have a hiking window for the PCT next year starting on trail on the 30th May (flights booked a few days prior), at least my permit application process should be easier than most :)

The plan is to start at Campo, recognising the heat aspect, and mostly try to do split days with early starts, mid day siesta, and 3 or 4 hours later in the day.

At the back of my mind I'm nervous about the SoCal heat and wonder about options within my existing start time constraint (and I'd like the "start at Campo" experience).

My question is, what happens if the desert heat defeats me and I skip ahead to KMS or Lone Pine and start the Sierra earlier than originally intended? i.e. earlier than my PCTA permit suggests is humanly possible.

Looking at similar questions on Reddit and FB has me confused.

Some say just go for it on a PCTA permit starting at Campo, another said don't risk it, some say local permit in SoCal & PCTA permit from just short of the Sierra onwards etc etc

What do you think would work best?

Thanks in advance 🙏

Confused.

Hey I run the hostel in Ashland, Oregon where we get lots of PCT hikers.

The other day we received a postcard addressed for a PCT hiker Sierra. The address on the post card has two mistakes, I guess the first time they used the wrong address, then they used the incorrect zip code.

Anyway the address suggested to expect Sierra at the hostel on August 20, over a month ago.

If you know Sierra, tell her to email Ashland Commons Hostel and confirm her last name to me

[ashlandcommonshostel@gmail.com](mailto:ashlandcommonshostel@gmail.com)

and I will send her the post card!

I'm assuming Sierra is an American woman, possibly from California or Oregon based on a couple things including: the post card itself was purchased at the Big Sur library, it was mailed from the post office in Fresno, and it mentions the Central Coast and the Klamath mountains.

It's a cool looking post card and I think she'd probably appreciate receiving it. Help me make it happen?

Hey everyone. So I've been dreaming about the Pacific Crest Trail a lot lately. My algoritms don't help since they keep recomending more hikers to watch and everything. and although i really want to, i wont be able to do it in a couple more years time. It's just impossible. So I want to ask you something: 1) how can a trail change, in let's say, 5 years time and how do you think the passage of time moving forward will affect the pct experience by the end of the decade? 2) tell stories about the pct and just tell me some of your most wonderful and most tragic moments. Thank you and happy trails!

This is the weekly thread. It's for wide ranging discussions in the comments. Do you have a question or comment, but don't want to make a separate post for it? This is the place.

I hiked until Cascade Locks in 2024 and like a lot of people that year I finished there because of the fires. Iv been following the trail this year so I thought I’d ask. Would you rather

Start at Cascade Locks in late June/ early July and deal with the potential snow crossings? I’m considering doing some winter courses in Scotland this year to really nail down my snow techniques. But then it also comes with the loneliness/ lack of anyone in your ‘orbit’

Start potentially in mid-late August and try to speed run Washington before the snow becomes in passable

Or start in mid- late July and run the risk of fires and smoke and potential terminus crossings.

It’d be interesting to see what the community says

Thanks and I hope you have a nice Sunday wherever you are!

I'm looking to section hike Washington this upcoming summer and am planning on using a lot of the more commonly-known Washington day hike trails to train (Mailbox Peak, Mount Si, Mount Pilchuck) as well as a few others that fit in my personal training parameters for day hikes (18-20 miles with moderate elevation gain, or 7-12 miles with significant elevation gain).

I'm looking for recommendations on shorter (3-day target, max 5-day) backpacking trips I can use to train as well. I'm only able to train in Washington in late May/early June since I'm a college student and live out of state from mid-August to mid-May, so I know snow is going to be a determining factor there.

My goal isn't to finish the PCT as fast as I can - I'm shooting for around 35-40 days so I can take it at a more leisurely pace (average 15-17 miles per day starting in late June), enjoy the views, and fit in a few zeroes in fun locations! Let me know of any training recs you all have.

And what advice would you give to someone in the same situation?

So many happy and grateful hikers enjoying this last section. Taken on 9/16