Pacific Crest Trail

Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, with a view of the Ritter Range
Length	2,659 mi (4,279 km)
Location	California / Oregon / Washington, USA / British Columbia, Canada
Designation	National Scenic Trail
Trailheads	Campo, California Manning Park, British Columbia
Use	Hiking Horse riding
Elevation
Elevation change	420,880 ft (128,284 m)
Highest point	Forester Pass, 13,153 ft (4,009 m)
Lowest point	Cascade Locks, 140 ft (43 m)
Hiking details
Months	Late April to Late September
Sights	Sierra Nevada (U.S.) Cascade Range
Hazards	Severe Weather Dehydration Wildlife

The Pacific Crest Trail (commonly abbreviated as the PCT, and officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail) is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km) east of the U.S. Pacific coast. The trail's southern terminus is on the U.S. border with Mexico, just south of Campo, California, and its northern terminus on the Canada–US border on the edge of Manning Park in British Columbia; its corridor through the U.S. is in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.

The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,659 mi (4,279 km) long and ranges in elevation from just above sea level at the Oregon–Washington border to 13,153 feet (4,009 m) at Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada. The route passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks. Its midpoint is near Chester, California (near Mt. Lassen), where the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges meet.

It was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968, although it was not officially completed until 1993. The PCT was conceived by Clinton Churchill Clarke in 1932. It received official status under the National Trails System Act of 1968.

It is the westernmost and second longest component of the Triple Crown of Hiking and is part of the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop.

The route is mostly through National Forest and protected wilderness. The trail avoids civilization and covers scenic and pristine mountainous terrain with few roads. It passes through the Laguna, Santa Rosa, San Jacinto, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Liebre, Tehachapi, Sierra Nevada, and Klamath ranges in California, and the Cascade Range in California, Oregon, and Washington.