The last weekend of June (26-28), our Northern Sierra region hosted their annual Tahoe Trail Skills College. As our premier trail maintenance educational program, Trail Skills College takes place up and down the Pacific Crest Trail. These events are designed to go above and beyond; we bring in instructors from all over who love teaching these skills to learners of all ability levels.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn from experts in the field and really dive deep into specific topics in the art of trail work. Whether you’re learning the basics, honing a skill, or learning how to teach others, it’s a great opening to come together with like-minded peers for a weekend of giving back to the places we love to recreate in.

With the help of participating partners such as the U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Truckee Donner Land Trust, Amador Trail Stewardship, and Mono County Parks & Recreation, we hosted a wide array of courses for volunteers and professionals. Students and instructors were able to partake in 5 separate courses, including:

• 100/102 Intro to Trail Maintenance
• 201 Drainage Design
• 203 Waterbars and Checks
• 304 Crew Leadership: Working with Volunteers
• Intro to Mechanical Advantage and Rigging for Trail Work

Our 100/102 Intro to Trail Maintenance is always popular and an excellent first step into trail maintenance and volunteering! The rigging was also quite popular over the weekend and offered a unique opportunity to learn the fundamentals of a more advanced skill set for more complex trail maintenance projects.

“Weekends like this provide outstanding instruction to trail stewards, which in turn is taught to others. It provides a platform to learn skills and techniques that are sustainable and safe, providing a better trail and trail experience for everyone. Once the skills are learned and stewards become empowered, they will practice and implement those skills independently on future trail projects.” – Connor Swift, Northern Sierra Regional Manager

Trail Skills College is fantastic for a plethora of reasons; it offers an amazing networking opportunity that brings together a diverse community of trail maintainers. Events like Trail Skills College bring folks from different geographic regions and agencies together to work side by side and allow for cross-pollination of ideas, techniques, and interests. For some, this may be the perfect intro to the world of trail maintenance and volunteering, inspiring continued interest in serving as a steward of the PCT and other beloved trails.

“I highly recommend folks join a project on the trail that interests them, our volunteers and staff are always willing to provide ready and quality instruction in the field.” – Matt Rump, Northern Sierra Regional Trail Stewardship Coordinator

For anyone who missed Trail Skills College this year, you can still get involved with us!

We equip students with the skills to take back to their favorite trails, whether it be the PCT or elsewhere. Link up with PCTA’s volunteer program or your local trail stewardship organization and practice what you’ve learned. Attending Trail Skills College is not a prerequisite for volunteering; we happily teach in the field and want to encourage your enthusiasm for learning more about the art of trail maintenance.

To those who attended this year, we appreciate your time and willingness to learn immensely. Trail Skills College is a labor of love. Lots and lots of dedicated conversation and collaboration with partners go into making these events what they are.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 Tahoe Trail Skills College a great success! We hope to see you next year.

The post 2026 Tahoe Trail Skills College appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

After poking around for my own site with no success, I took Dapper up on his offer and introduced myself as I pitched my tent next to his. We were perched on a ridge overlooking Oriflamme Canyon, concealed behind some large boulders that acted as a windbreak. The storm that had loomed over my first few days on the PCT finally broke and the sun peaked through just in time for sunset, but the wind was still whipping around us and my phone told me temperatures would drop well below freezing that night.

The boulders that sheltered our tents on the ridge over Oriflamme Canyon.

I felt strange about invading Dapper’s campsite. It was still my first week on trail, and I hadn’t fully adjusted to the thruhiker mentality where normal social etiquette around privacy and personal space often doesn’t apply. More than that, though, I’d spent much of my first few days alone, intentionally trying to find secluded campsites and solitude. I came into the PCT not caring if I made friends or if I found a “tramily” in a traditional sense. I was there to live outside, to test my limits, to reaffirm my love for the great outdoors!

Yes, I’m aware that saying “I don’t want friends; I’m here to do serious hiking” makes me sound like a tool. It didn’t take long for me to throw that approach out the window, though. It turns out if you toss me a beer and start a conversation, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. 

Dapper was a lanky 30-something climber. He was American, but had been living in Amsterdam for several years, and had returned to the U.S. only a few days before he started the PCT. We hung out with a few other hikers that night on the ridge–a trio of teenagers from New Zealand and a woman who’d been hiking with them. Another hiker came in and set up nearby. I was pretty sure I’d run into her that morning as I was leaving Mount Laguna, but I wasn’t 100% positive. We did that awkward “great to see you again and/or meet you for the very first time” dance. Sure enough, she introduced herself to some of the others as Natalie, confirming my suspicions.

That morning, I’d woken up on the floor of a bar.

Thankfully, that was a first for me. No, I hadn’t fallen off a barstool after a few too many drinks and gotten accidentally locked in for the night. Mount Laguna had been expecting snow, and the owner of the pub took pity on a few other hikers and me since all the accommodations in town were booked up. He offered to let us sleep on the ground amongst the scattered tables and chairs, and I readily accepted. Laying my sleeping pad down next to the roaring fire made me feel like a hobbit at the beginning of my own journey there (but not really back again).

The fireplace at the pub in Mount Laguna.

Little did I know, my time at the pub and on the ridge over Oriflamme Canyon the next day would also begin the formation of the fellowship that would be by my side for the vast majority of the PCT.

Among the hikers seeking refuge at the pub was a burly bearded guy named Lightweight, though instead of joining us on the floor, he graciously slept on a couch in the other room to insulate us from his snoring. He was from Southern California and served in the Navy before working as a lineman building electric transmission infrastructure in California. He’d only gotten a permit on a whim a couple of weeks before starting and was carrying way too much weight (hence the name). When I say he was carrying too much, I’m not saying he forgot to saw his toothbrush in half and had a couple extra ounces. I’m pretty sure when I met him, he was carrying three sleeping pads and a four-person tent.

Another hiker named Radish came by to hang out with Lightweight. He was hiking the PCT with his fiancée, Happy Hour, whom he’d met hiking the Appalachian Trail a few years earlier, though she was holed up at the tiny houses out back. We all drank beers and watched My Cousin Vinny on TV–an experience I don’t generally recommend since I have a nasty habit of yelling every line a moment before it’s delivered.

The next morning, I was the last one out (this won’t surprise anyone who knows me). On my way out the door, I ran into a middle-aged couple.

“Are you a thru-hiker?” the man asked me. “I hiked the first four days with my daughter, but she’s hiking the whole thing.”

“That’s great! I actually talked about starting with my dad too, but he’s meeting me in Idyllwild instead,” I told him.

A young woman, clearly the aforementioned daughter, emerged from the bathroom and came up to us. We exchanged pleasantries. Her name was Natalie, and she’d grown up outside of Philadelphia but now lived in New Orleans. I left them to their breakfast and made my way back to trail.  

At the time, none of these interactions seemed particularly significant. There was standard small talk, some excited reminiscing about early days on trail, sharing of tips and tricks and gear notes. All of it fun, but nothing that would indicate the deeper bonds that would begin to form. 

Back on the ridge, it turned out to be one of the coldest nights on trail, but I managed to drag myself out of bed for sunrise. The brisk dawn air was calm and peaceful compared to the wind, hail, snow, and rain of the past few days. As I sat behind my tripod firing off the occasional shot and waiting for the sun to peak over the horizon, I turned around and saw Natalie walking around among the boulders eating her breakfast. I waved over to her, and she smiled and waved back. I thought she might come over and watch the sun come up, but instead she disappeared back among the rocks.

Sunrise on the ridge.

By the time I packed up and got back to my campsite, everyone else was gone, and I was alone again. 

The photos from that morning overlooking Oriflamme Canyon aren’t necessarily my favorites, but I still look back at them all the time. It reminds me of the people I met in those first few days. I broke camp that morning alone, but suddenly there were familiar faces everywhere. Even if it took 700 miles for us to really come together, they became my closest friends. 

I hiked with Radish and Happy Hour on and off through parts of the desert, but didn’t fully join them until the Sierra. Of the thousands of photos I took on trail, the most important by far was for their wedding Save the Date announcement at the summit of Mount Whitney.  

Lightweight and I also occasionally hiked together in the desert. In the Sierra, though, we were inseparable. After the first week or so, I didn’t see Natalie again until Kennedy Meadows South, but we then spent the next 2,000 miles within ten feet of each other all the way to Canada. She and Lightweight became my main hiking partners.

I ran into Dapper again in the Sierra, too. We hiked together for several days, including over Mather Pass (one of my favorite spots on trail!) before he split off to continue recovering from a bout of giardia. I got to see him again in NorCal and Washington after that. We even got a bit of a victory lap together when I walked into a trail magic tent in the pouring rain at Harts Pass after I’d touched the Canadian border, and he was sitting there about to head for the terminus himself.

There’s nothing quite like sharing a beer a few miles from the Canadian border with the same people you met so many months before, just a few miles from Mexico.

Dapper, Lightweight, and Natalie climbing Mather Pass

In the months since I left the trail, Radish, Happy Hour, Lightweight, Natalie, and I have traveled halfway around the world to Vietnam together to visit other friends we met on the PCT. We got to see Happy Hour and Radish get married at a beautiful venue just off the Appalachian Trail where they met. Lightweight came and lived with me for a few weeks. I got to re-meet Natalie’s parents at their house on the Jersey Shore and go skiing with her and her sisters in Colorado. They aren’t just my trail friends or even my tramily anymore. They’re people I’ll know for the rest of my life. That I’ll continue to hike with, sure, but who I’ll laugh and cry and share all the moments in between with too. 

You don’t have to start hiking with the first people you meet on trail, but things have a strange way of coming full circle on the PCT.

That person you bumped into at the southern terminus might just be standing by your side when you touch Canada. Even more importantly, you might find yourself sharing not just trail memories with the people you meet along the way, but major milestones back in real life. “The trail provides” is an oft-overplayed cliché, but sometimes it rings true. The things you need, be it a warm place to sleep by the fire or the friends you thought you didn’t want, might just find their way to you, even if you didn’t know you were looking for them. 

The post Friends? I Don’t Need Any Friends appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

This is the latest installment in a series that follows the PCT Class of 2026 on their trek north as it passes through eight of the unique ecoregions defined by the Environmental Protection Agency. For each region, we’re highlighting one example of mutualism, or a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship between two or more native species. We hope that this series will remind readers that no single species can exist alone—humans, least of all.

A young black bear grazing in a trail-side meadow at Blue Bell Pass, near Crystal Mountain Resort, Washington. Photo by: Ann Marshall

Perhaps no animal found along the Pacific Crest Trail is as recognized or mythologized, as feared or revered, as the American black bear (Ursinus americanus). We couldn’t keep our blog’s proverbial paws off this species, or its many cases of seed distribution mutualism, for long once the Class of ‘26 made their way into the southernmost reaches of black bear territory in the Sierra Nevada.

In July 2022, Abigail Bassett, a frequent volunteer contributor to the PCT Association blog, succeeded in spooking a bear on the trail near Mile Marker 1480 in Northern California. “The bear seemed so confused as to why I was yelling at it,” Abigail recalled on their own blog, adding, “Poor thing.” That’s likely to be the sentiment of most hikers who meet black bears on the PCT. In temperament, they’re sometimes compared to 300-pound raccoons; their more aggressive cousin, the California grizzly bear (Ursus arctos californicus), was hunted to extinction by the 1920s. (Other grizzly populations are still thriving further north, but not near the PCT).

Relaxing cinnamon-colored juvenile black bear near Wilma Lake in Yosemite National Park. Photo by: Ulrich Arnold

Still, maintaining diplomacy with these wild animals requires tact and vigilance from every hiker.

Proper food storage techniques and leave-no-trace practices aren’t just in place to keep humans and bears safe from one another. The consequences of shrugging off those rules could be felt even by some of the smallest beings in the Sierra ecosystem.

Later in Abigail’s thru-hike, near Mile Marker 2450 in Washington’s Central Cascades, they spotted another black bear. This time, they later wrote, the bear was “just chillin’” some distance from the trail, “munching on berries.” That bear was doing an excellent job at demonstrating its ecological niche as a seed distributor. Our previous installment in this series described Clark’s nutcracker, a bird species that is specialized to distribute whitebark pine seeds by harvesting and caching the seeds (and inevitably forgetting about a few caches). Black bears manage to play a similar role with far less specialized evolution, and in far fewer steps. 

If you think the beauty of the Sierra Nevada is unbeatable, wait until the colourful huckleberry bushes on a sunny fall day in Washington’s Glacier Peak Wilderness may change your mind (mile 2.502). Photo by: Alexander Hormann

They chow down on a wide variety of flora, which in the Sierra Nevada includes berries like the Sierra huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum), shrubs like hairy manzanita (Arctostaphylos columbiana), and grasses like Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis). The bears are none the wiser when they uphold their end of the mutualism deal later by distributing the seeds later via their scat.

At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

Black bear habitat in the Sierra Nevada.

Grant Briedenbach, a bear enthusiast and the Marketing & Sales Manager for the food canister company BearVault, a partner of the PCTA, explained recently that black bears live in a “survival of the smartest” universe, and that “once they’ve learned where and when to find human food, they don’t forget that easily.” A 2019 study found that even bears in the Sierra who don’t live near urban centers have begun to rely in part on human food. That could mean an increase in dicey human/bear encounters and poor-quality nutrition for the bears, as well as a decrease in biodiversity along the trail and throughout bear country. (Check out our recent bear safety webinar, featuring Grant, right here).

“Any edible plant along the PCT—you have a bear to thank for that,” Briedenbach said.

Hiker admiring his bear canister in the Sierra Nevada. Photo by: Natalie Celmo

He urged hikers who are frustrated with the added weight of the recommended bearproof canisters to visualize a network of scroll-like, bony structures called turbinates inside their own nasal cavity, which when unscrolled, he said, would cover about the area of a postage stamp. Bloodhounds have a sheet of printer paper’s worth of turbinates under the hood, Briedenbach explained, and an “average Joe” black bear boasts four sheets’ worth. That’s supposed to mean a lot of natural foraging and seed distribution, and very few Snickers bars.

“It’s important that we take the stewardship of the landscape seriously,” Briedenbach said. “How cool is it that we get to share it” with these “awesome megafauna”?

Abigail agreed. Reflecting on the berry-munching black bear up in the cascades, they wrote that “it was so neat to see a happy, healthy bear just living its best life.” With cooperation and care, hikers can ensure that future generations will feel the same way—and live their own best lives as a result.

The post Ecoregions: Sierra Nevada appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

We can’t wait to meet you, and we’re thrilled that you’re coming to the trail. It’s an incredibly special place. As you plan your trip, from physical training to prepare for the adventure to refining your wilderness skills, we know that getting a permit is a key part of the journey.

This was our first look at Marie Lakes after going over Selden Pass. Photo by Julianna Tsao

Thirty-three different areas along the Pacific Crest Trail have permit systems in place, representing about a third of the trail. These are special places, typically designated Wilderness, where a permit helps to protect the area and ensure you have an enjoyable experience. If you plan on hiking or horseback riding 500 or more miles along the PCT in a single, continuous trip, you can apply for a PCT Long-distance Permit. The U.S. Forest Service authorizes the PCTA to issue the interagency PCT Long-distance Permit on behalf of federal and state agencies to simplify your planning, provide for long-distance travel and improve information about the trail. It allows you to travel and camp along the PCT in the many places that require permits.

Instructions to successfully apply for a PCT Long-distance Permit are located on our permit page.

Application dates for 2027 PCT Long-distance Permits

If you’re hoping to apply on a Permit Release Day, you will need to register in advance. Registration is done once per permit-year. If you registered in previous years, you must still register again if you would like to apply for a 2027 permit.

• October 15 at 10:30 AM Pacific Time through October 22 at 3 PM Pacific Time: 1^st registration period
• November 4: 1^st Permit Release Day
• November 5 at 10:30 AM through December 11 at 3 PM Pacific Time: 2^nd registration period
• January 13: 2^nd Permit Release Day
• January 14 at 10:30 AM: registration and application reopen

Learn more about when and how to apply for permits.

Learn more about PCT Long-distance Permits

Not sure when or where to start? First, read our page about PCT Long-distance Permits. Then, learn about when to hike the PCT. Choose a start date that meets your level of experience and ability; many people who start too early or too late encounter challenges beyond their skill level. Just because a permit is available doesn’t mean that conditions are favorable for all skill levels.

The PCT Long-distance Permit requires that you start on the date and at the location that is listed on your permit. This term is in place to spread people out to better protect the PCT experience and environment for everyone.

These permits are free to the public. While applying, you will have the opportunity to donate to support the management and maintenance of the trail.

Submitting a permit application secures your requested date. Wait until your application is reviewed and approved before making travel arrangements.

While you are waiting, this is a great time to learn about the trail

Please take a moment to check out our PCT specific Leave No Trace information. It’s up to all of us to take care of the trail and the surrounding landscape. Your choices and behaviors can help protect the environment and ensure that the PCT provides a wild experience for all hikers and horseback riders for years to come.

After you’ve studied up about protecting this special place, keep learning about how to have a wonderful and safe time on the trail in our Backcountry Basics section.

Have a wonderful year on the trail!

The post Application dates for the 2027 interagency PCT Long-distance Permit appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

The PCT does that to people. For many, the feeling fades when real life creeps back in. Sometimes, the sweeping wave of a dream can become so much more. For these four people, the PCT inspired them to produce something truly unique and to give back to the trail.

A shared story with four different paths taken.

Tina Tempest built a way to wear the trail. Goda Latvys wove it into art. Dylan Tonkin stitched it into clothing that connects hikers who have never met. And Zach Davis turned it into a media company that has helped hundreds of thousands of people mentally prepare for the journey. Their businesses are different in every way except one: none of them would exist without the trail.

Photo credit: Tina Tempest

Tina Tempest stepped off the Appalachian Trail in 2009 with a head full of ideas and no real plan for any of them. One became The Quarter Way Inn, a hiker hostel near Marion, Virginia, now in its 11th season. Another took a decade to find its shape: a way to make the enormity of a thru-hike visible and wearable, something you could carry with you long after the miles ended. 

“If you have a unique idea, take the risk of putting it out into the world,” Tina says. “When you find your people and they do love what you make, it’s pretty amazing.” 

Photo credit: Tina Tempest

Each necklace in her Bead by Bead Adventures line is a map of a long-distance trail, with each bead representing roughly 30 trail miles and different colors marking each section: the orange of the desert, the white of the Sierra, the green of Oregon, the purple of Washington’s huckleberries. A moveable tracking ring lets hikers, or the people waiting at home, follow every step of the journey.  What began as a single AT design has grown to fourteen trails, carried forward the way everything travels in the hiking community: by word of mouth, with total conviction. 

Her reason for giving back is simple. “If it weren’t for the organizations that maintain, protect, and advocate for the trails, there would be no trails, and I would have no business. Pretty simple, really.” 

Tina’s answer to the post-trail ache was to make something that kept the trail alive for other people. Goda Latvys found her answer in much the same place, just expressed through different hands. 

Goda thru-hiked the PCT in 2019, all 2,653 miles of it, and came home changed. She had always been an artist, a writer, and a maker of things. But the trail deepened all of it, gave it direction and purpose. Her calling, as she describes it, is to help people tune back into nature and rediscover themselves through natural fibers, meditation, and sustainable living. She channels that through GoodVibeGoda, a brand of hand-knotted macramé clothing, paintings, and home décor rooted in her life on trail. 

She scrapbooks every trail she hikes, a habit that turns out to be its own kind of medicine against the post-trail blues. “By the time I finish up a scrapbook, I’m on my way to another trail,” she says. The grief of finishing doesn’t disappear. She just keeps moving through it into the next thing. 

For every purchase made through her shop, Goda donates 20% of profits to the PCTA. Her reason is both personal and generous. Most of the people who find her work have never heard of thru-hiking. She sees her business as a door. “I give back so that others can look into where I’m donating and hopefully inspire them enough to get up and go out there.” 

Where Tina and Goda turned the trail’s influence into physical objects, something to hold and wear and keep, Dylan Tonkin turned it into community itself. 

Dylan, known on trail as Pickle, hiked the AT in 2016 and the PCT in 2018. He wasn’t looking to start a business. He was looking for a way to stay inside the community that, as he put it, makes him the best version of himself. After completing the PCT and feeling the sting of post-trail blues, he launched Town Shirt Co. from his home in Baltimore, partnering with artists to create Hawaiian-style sun shirts printed with the plants, birds, and landscapes that hikers carry in their memories long after the trail ends. 

Town Shirt’s first release honored PCT Trail Angels Terrie and Joe Anderson and their beloved hiker refuge, Casa de Luna, with a design celebrating the manzanita forests behind their home. From there the line grew into desert mariposas, Steller’s jays, golden-winged warblers. Images that may not mean much to most people but everything to the right ones. The kind of image that makes a stranger across a trailhead do a quiet double take that says, without saying anything: you get it too. 

For Dylan, giving back is part of the mission. Supporting the PCTA helps protect the trail, the people who maintain it, and ensures it will still be there for future hikers, including his own family. 

“Thru hiking isn’t just about hiking,” Dylan says. “It’s about the community, the nature we’re immersed in, and the memories we make along the way.” 

That belief, that the trail is really about what it does to people and what people then do with it, is also exactly what drove Zach Davis to build something entirely different. 

Photo credit: Zach Davis

Zach hiked the AT in 2011 with zero backpacking experience and came home with one conviction: a thru-hike is not primarily a physical challenge. It is a mental one. He wrote a book about it. Appalachian Trials was followed by Pacific Crest Trials, both written specifically to mentally prepare aspiring thru-hikers for what lay ahead. The company, The Trek, grew from there. 

The Trek now features more than 300 active long-distance backpackers writing about their lives on trail, alongside dozens of former thru-hikers sharing gear reviews and hard-won wisdom. Their flagship podcast, Backpacker Radio, the site’s contributors are not observers of trail culture. They are trail culture. “I don’t see it as a good deed but as my duty as a member of the hiking community to support the organizations that make these incredible experiences possible,” said Zach.  

Photo credit: Zach Davis

And his advice for anyone sitting on an idea, waiting for the right moment: “Life is short. It’s better to fail while chasing something meaningful than to watch your dreams evaporate.” 

What the PCT hands you, if you let it, is not just blisters and a story. It’s a new way of seeing what matters, and an almost irresistible urge to do something about it. In every bead strung onto a necklace, every knot pulled tight in a macramé dress, every shirt printed with a desert mariposa, every article helping someone prepare for the journey ahead; the trail keeps going long after the miles end. 

We’re deeply grateful to Tina, Goda, Dylan, and Zach for turning their love of the trail into something that gives back to it. Find their work on our Shop page and support the trail every time you shop with our partners. 

The post Trail-Born: How the PCT Inspired Four Entrepreneurs to Build Something Real appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Photo by: Scott McCorquodale

Traveling the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is an amazing adventure, whether it’s done on foot or by riding a four-legged friend. There are endless sights to see and people to meet. Each day brings something new and unexpected. This is one of the many great experiences of being out on the trail – the unexpected. We don’t know what lies behind the next turn or over the next pass, it’s an ever-ongoing journey of discovery.

While the unknown is exciting and intriguing, knowing what lies ahead and access to accurate, up-to-date trail information is extremely beneficial. Much of the PCT can be enjoyed without the need for an abundance of information ahead of time, though there are sections where it can be helpful to know the current trail conditions.

Although the Northern Sierra is a magnificent region of the PCT, it has been impacted by catastrophic wildfires, such as the Dixie Fire in 2021 and the North Complex (Bear Fire) in 2020. Five years later, the region is still recovering from the impacts, and the trail continues to be affected by post-wildfire damage.

Current Trail Conditions in the Northern Sierra

The PCTA has been hard at work maintaining the trail (over 1000 trees have been removed thus far in 2026), but we are still finding extremely high numbers of downfall within the burn areas. In addition to the vast number of down trees, we are experiencing rapid growth of brush, making the trail difficult to follow in many of these places. The following sections of the trail in the Northern Sierra will be particularly difficult for hikers and equestrians due to these challenging conditions. Some of these areas may be impassable for pack and saddle, so please plan accordingly.

• The PCT on the south side of the Middle Fork of the Feather River on the Plumas National Forest (north of Quincy LaPorte Rd.) will be difficult to follow due to a high volume of down trees across the trail. The North 350 Blades, a volunteer trail group from WA, started tackling this work at the beginning of June 2026. The crew cleared hundreds of trees from the PCT, as well as hundreds of trees from the road that provides access to the trail. 

• The north side of the Middle Fork of the Feather River on the Plumas National Forest is overgrown with brush and impacted by hundreds of downed trees. The PCTA, the Plumas National Forest, and the American Conservation Experience are scheduled to clear and repair this section of trail in September 2026.
• The Bucks Lake Wilderness on the Plumas National Forest (just north of the Middle Fork of the Feather River) also has hundreds of downed trees across the trail. The USFS Trail Crew from the Mt. Hough Ranger District will be clearing the PCT of downed trees throughout the summer.
• The PCT in Upper Chips Creek, heading north from Hwy 70 toward CA-36 on the Lassen National Forest, experienced a tremendous amount of blowdown this past winter. In addition, the trail in Upper Chips Creek is unidentifiable from overgrown brush. PCTA’s goal is to have this section of trail cleared and passable by October 2026.

While many miles of the PCT in the region continue to experience post-wildfire impacts, most of the trail remains clear, passable, and in excellent condition. The southern portion of the region has not been impacted by devastating wildfires, allowing for much easier travel on the PCT.  

Aside from the West Fork of the Walker River Bridge closure, the PCT is currently passable and in excellent condition on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Stanislaus National Forest, Eldorado National Forest, Tahoe National Forest, and the Lake Tahoe Basin.  

That said, crews continue to perform annual maintenance and logout work in these areas in conjunction with the post-wildfire repairs in the northern part of the region. 

Maintenance Efforts & Collaborations

The region’s focus in 2026 has been on clearing the trail corridor. This includes cutting back the overgrown brush, removing noxious plants (such as poison oak), and cutting out all the down trees with chainsaws and crosscut saws. PCTA volunteers & staff have completed a significant amount of work, both through individual efforts and through larger groups projects. Our trail crews have been working across the entire region, with notable projects occurring at Bucks Summit and Bucks Lake Wilderness, Belden, Hat Creek Rim, and across much of the Feather River Ranger District on the Plumas National Forest.  

The region will also host a trail crew from the American Conservation Experience (ACE) for 4 months this summer. The trail crew will be paired with a PCTA Field Project Specialist, diligently working through the worst sections of trail in the burn areas and completing much-needed technical repairs in the region. Approximately half of their time this season will be spent at the Sierra Buttes and the Granite Chief Wilderness on the Tahoe National Forest, and the other half of their time will be focused on the burn areas. 

In addition, many partner organizations assist with trail maintenance and support our work as a whole. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) maintains approximately 55 miles of the PCT along the west shore of Lake Tahoe and through the Desolation Wilderness, hosting a number of volunteer projects and funding other trail crews from organizations like the California Conservation Corps (CCC) and ACE. In addition, PCTA partners with the Gold Country Trails Council and the Truckee Trails Foundation to complete annual maintenance and trail construction throughout the Tahoe National Forest.  

In special situations and when resources are available, PCTA will hire private contractors and trail crews to perform work. The region recently began collaboration with a local company from the Quincy area, Mountain Surf Creative, and we are excited to implement a large project repairing some extensive wildfire suppression damage during the Bear Fire near Quincy LaPorte Rd and Chimney Rock.  

Safety Alert & Conclusion

PCTA has been hard at work maintaining the trail throughout the region, but there are many things to still consider if hiking or riding in the Northern Sierra. As mentioned previously, much of the region has been impacted by wildfire, and these landscapes continue to change. The PCT is still experiencing downfall in large numbers and extensive erosion on steeper slopes. Rain and wind events are often the trigger, so be mindful if traveling on the trail shortly after either of these situations.  

Please follow local fire restrictions and regulations and help us protect our public lands from unnecessary impacts. For those seeking out a volunteer opportunity, please check out our Project Schedule for the trail.

Come join us for a great time on the PCT! 

The post State of the trail: Northern Sierra appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

It’s time to saunter into the High Sierra and say hey to the mountains that drew many of us to trail work in the first place.

We’ve been hard at work in the Southern part of the Sierra and are about to start hitting the High parts in the region.

We have been cutting out dozens of blowdowns, attacking thick brushy sections, and training up volunteers, staff, and corps crews. Logouts in the Piute Mountains and the Owens Creek Wilderness cleared blowdowns that have been long awaiting their new location off trail. Brushy areas in Tehachapi have received a heavy trim. Volunteers have been putting in miles to get the trail passable and ready for future seasons. A number of ultra-dedicated individuals have been leading, training, and returning time after time to expertly work the trail. Our community of trail workers is growing and rising to the occasion.

We have seen loads of hikers, rated backpacking meals, been bitten by many an ant, and had a few surprisingly cold weather spells. Summer feels like it is finally here to stay, and we are headed up and up. Marmots, mosquitoes, dirt, and abundant sunshine await us. We have a full summer and fall schedule of work ahead of us. From Olancha Pass to the Sierra National Forest, we will be out there making the trail a little better.

A well-designed trail is built for minimal maintenance. There are numerous factors, such as slope, grade, soil type, and terrain, that influence the features and the amount of maintenance a section of trail needs. Cutting out blowdowns, some brush work, and drainage, if needed, are the bare minimum. Larger projects address trail problems and improvements.

Erosion happens fast.

If a trail is neglected completely, it becomes a sprawling web of user trails and ruts which water has its way with. Only part of the problem is our ability to follow the trail. The other factors are the spreading size of the area hiking impacts (no trail… lots of unofficial trails) and the soil loss that occurs on paths that are not correctly retained and graded. Anyone who has hiked a trail that is not maintained or hiked a popular cross-country route has seen these impacts.

Our volunteers know the work, skill, and time it takes to keep trails accessible while preserving the land we are fortunate to travel on. I am consistently blown away by their desire to contribute hours, sweat, tears, and gas money to make this work happen.

A special thank you to:

• Volunteer Abel for opening his home to us, signing up for all the projects, tabling at Wind Wolves, and his exceptional work pace.
• Walker Pass Wiley Trail Coyote’s Chapter Leader, Howdy, for his ever-present work on and off the trail. He plans trips and works with such enthusiasm that we often need to tell him to stop for the day.
• Volunteer saw instructors Lynn and Steve for making our saw trainings possible.
• The 2 awesome Corps Crews we had the pleasure to work with (American Conservation Experience and Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps).
• Volunteer Jeff for becoming a regular in our core crew.
• ALL the volunteers who traveled from far and near. It has been so nice seeing both returning and new folks!

The post Southern Sierra Maintenance: Season Transition appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Photo by: Kyle Tisdale

As the country is set to celebrate its 250th birthday next month, the Pacific Crest Trail Association and other trail, recreation and conservation groups are urging members of Congress in both parties to work together to extend the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF).

In the first round of funding approved through the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 (GAOA), PCTA volunteer and corps crews spent $3.2 million from this targeted grant program on deferred PCT maintenance. The PCTA hired 6 full-time staff to support GAOA projects and volunteer efforts and partially funded the hiring of 10 Field Project Specialists to oversee PCT maintenance. That spending harnessed 65,651 volunteer and corps crew hours during projects that maintained 872 miles of trail—in addition to our regular annual maintenance efforts.

Photo by: Julianna Tsao

The LRF expired last September, but there is more work to do.

For decades, federal budgets have not kept pace with maintenance needs on public lands. The government estimates that there is more than a $40 billion maintenance backlog nationwide. Another round of dedicated funding will help the trails community restore and improve our national trail infrastructure.

The increased frequency and severity of wildfires, hurricanes, erosion and other disruptive weather-related events are adding to the maintenance needs on trails, campgrounds, access roads and buildings. Without the LRF funds, we’ll only get further behind.

A bipartisan bill in the Senate, the America the Beautiful Act, has 64 co-sponsors. A second bill was introduced last week by the House Natural Resources Committee’s Republican and Democrat leaders that would extend the LRF funding. While the two bills are different, they include many of the same goals. We are urging members in both chambers to work together to get this funding approved.

The PCTA believes that underfunding our public lands is shortsighted given the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy and the 5 million jobs these lands support. This is a huge part of the economic engine that sustains rural communities and families living in the gateways to our national parks and forests.

Photo by: Alexander Ure

We need your help.

Please urge your elected representatives in the House and Senate to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund. Let them know why the PCT and public lands are important to you and your loved ones. Tell them to work together and get this legislation to the president’s desk as soon as possible. Raise your voices! It makes a difference.

Thanks for all you do for the PCT and public lands.

The post Action Alert: Tell Congress to Reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund ASAP! appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

Photo by: Kevin Mullen

Most are stepping into the Sierra Nevada now, if they haven’t already. As always, it’s a good crowd, walking north through the spring from all over the world, and we’re grateful to share the trail with them.

Our southbounders are chomping at the bit. We can’t wait to hear their stories. If you’re aiming for a SOBO start, read the Washington notes below first. Last winter’s rainstorms did real damage up north, conditions are still settling, and we want to hear what you see out there.

Section hikers, backpackers and day hikers: the snow is melting fast and people are already heading into the high country. It’s still early, though. The high passes stay buried well into summer, and most trouble comes from going up before the mountains are ready.

Get together with the trail community! 

Photo by by Gray Feather Photography

PCT Days returns Aug. 14-15 in Cascade Locks, Oregon, two days of booths, camping and fun in the Columbia River Gorge.  

The American Long Distance Hiking Association-West holds its annual Gathering Oct. 9-11 in Nevada City, California. 

Trail conditions and safety 

Southern California. Last winter’s rains, worst on Christmas Eve, tore up the PCT between Big Bear and Neenach. The trail through Mission Creek, in Sand to Snow National Monument, was heavily damaged already and deteriorated even more. Expect washouts, rockfall, blowdown and heavy erosion across the region. The town of Wrightwood lost homes; if you pass through, consider spending locally while the community rebuilds. Highway 2 is closed just east of Three Points which is a much larger closure than normal and will be in place for a long time. We’re at work on repairs, and you can pitch in by volunteering or reporting what you find. 

Sierra Nevada: PCTA crest runners have relayed several reports of a bear near Gomez Meadow, around mile 730. In one, a bear tore into tents. In another, a bear approached a group on a break, ignored their noise-making and bluff-charged even as they slowly backed away. We’ve passed these reports on to federal and state authorities. If you’re headed through, store all food, trash and scented items in a bear canister, keep anything with a smell out of your tent, and never leave your pack unattended. If a bear approaches, group up, make yourself look big, make noise and haze it off. Good food storage protects you and the next hiker, and it protects the bear, since one that learns to raid people rarely ends well.

Reds Meadow Road is being reconstructed and will be regularly closed. If you’re in the area, it’s very important that you read and understand the information posted here.  When the road is closed, it’s closed to all traffic including pedestrians.

The post office and store in Tuolumne Meadows are open. The campground, including the backpacker’s campground, is still closed. There is a four-mile no-camping zone on each side of Highway 120 and Tuolumne Meadows. That’s eight miles between places you can camp. If you are traveling north on the PCT, you must camp at least 4 miles south of Highway 120 in Lyell Canyon, then cross Highway 120 and continue for at least 4 miles until the first legal camping at Glen Aulin Backpackers Camp.

Bear Fire and Dixie Fire, Plumas and Lassen National Forests. The PCT is officially open here, but post-fire conditions are rough from about mile 1237 to 1333, between Quincy-LaPorte Road and Highway 36. Dense brush and heavy blowdown make the tread hard to follow in places, especially near the Middle Fork of the Feather River and in the Upper Chips Creek drainage. You can exit at Quincy-LaPorte Road, Bucks Summit, Belden or Highway 36. Remote miles. Use caution. 

Bartle Gap, Northern California. From about mile 1448 north to Pigeon Hill, expect dense brush and likely blowdown. PCTA, the Back Country Horsemen of California and the Forest Service have worked this stretch in recent years and are back at it this summer, with volunteer logout and Corps crews planned. Thanks for your patience. 

Eagle Creek. Some good news from the Gorge: we’ve done a ton of work to repair the area and the Eagle Creek Trail is open again. We’re glad to have it back.  

Glacier Peak Wilderness, Washington. Rough, remote, wild country that demands respect right now. Downed trees, washouts and damaged tread persist; the Milk Creek drainage is heavily damaged, and the upper Suiattle River Road is closed after severe damage last December, putting an already remote area further out of reach. The PCT here is largely unsuitable for stock until it’s repaired. PCTA and the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest have made it a priority with substantial work planned this year. Serious caution is advised, and many would be wiser to plan elsewhere this season. 

Harts Pass, Washington. The road is closed to vehicles after storm damage, though it’s open to foot traffic. The Forest Service hopes to finish repairs this summer, with no firm timeline yet. This one’s for southbounders especially: Harts Pass is the usual jumping-off point to walk north to the border and start a SOBO hike. With cars shut out, plan on the extra road miles, and confirm the latest before you head out.

Planning your trip 

Photo by: Dave (Razor) McVicker

New to the PCT, or just after a good day out? Start with Explore, our online guide at explore.pcta.org, now up to 106 recommended day hikes and growing, plus 487 trailheads, printable maps and filters to narrow things down. The PCT isn’t just for thru-hikers. It never was. A few PNW picks for this summer: the Ramona Falls Loop on the west side of Mount Hood, Naches Peak Loop near Chinook Pass, and Lake Valhalla near Stevens Pass. 

Before any trip, check the PCT Closures App at closures.pcta.org. We steward it with our agency partners so you have current information whether you’re at home or in the backcountry. Apps can’t do everything, though, so carry paper maps, keep your bearings and trust your gut. 

For snow, the first place we look is the Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at pcta.org/maps, under the “Imagery and Conditions” layer. It generally updates every few days and is detailed enough to plan around lingering snow. Pair it with our webcam layer and the “When to hike the PCT” page. Cold, fast stream crossings and steep snow are some of the season’s real hazards. See the risk so you can manage it, make your safety calls from the bank, and carry a satellite messenger. 

Have a great season. Tell us what you see, send your stories, and help us keep this trail open and safe for everyone. 

The post June 2026 on the PCT: An Update appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.

In late May, we closed escrow on the 80-acre Kelso Ridge property. The property lies at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the region ties together the Great Central Valley, the Mojave Desert, the Transverse Range, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains themselves. Hikers will soak up the scenic vistas preserved by this project. Standing on the ridgeline of the Kelso Ridge property, you can pretty much see them all on a clear day.

Permanent protection of the PCT is our primary goal, but that’s not just to ensure that PCT adventurers have a trail to travel on. People are seeking the kind of beauty that drops our jaws and fills our hearts with wonder. Clean water and thriving populations of creatures great and small are essential to preserving these landscapes for generations to come.

For Kelso Ridge, PCTA was able to marry all of those noble efforts through one single conservation project.

The property includes the headwaters of Caliente Creek, a tributary to the mighty Kern River that sustains farmland in the Central Valley, a ridgeline in a wildlife corridor that connects continental ecoregions, and, of course, a critical puzzle piece for the PCT, a trail storied for its healing, if not transformative powers.

By protecting Kelso Ridge, we can prevent future development that could permanently alter the PCT experience. New roads, power lines, homes, or logging can quickly disrupt the viewshed, fragment habitat, and force the trail onto property edges and fence lines, diminishing both ecological integrity and the hiker experience.

PCTA feels honored to carry forward another successful land protection effort in a time when public and protected lands feel increasingly threatened. Amid efforts to sell off our shared and cherished lands, we must not lose sight of the increasingly urgent need to protect the places that help make the PCT whole. We’re happy to report that Kelso Ridge is forever protected, and that’s great news for many, many reasons.

The post Kelso Ridge Acquisition Preserves PCT Vistas and Diverse Habitat appeared first on Pacific Crest Trail Association.