When Congress designated the Pacific Northwest Trail as a National Scenic Trail, it charged the U.S. Forest Service with administering the trail as a unit across its 1,200-mile route.

On the ground, the trail is managed by local land managers and private property owners with the assistance of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association. The Forest Service and Pacific Northwest Trail Association work cooperatively with other partners and federal, state, and local governments to provide passage for the Pacific Northwest Trail and to protect the trail experience. These local offices maintain authority to make land use and resource management decisions on lands they manage.

Yes, it is currently possible to do a continuous “thru-hike” of the entire Pacific Northwest Trail. In most cases, the paths that connect to form the Pacific Northwest Trail existed on the ground long before the concept of the PNT was first conceived. Upwards of 50 people thru-hike it each year, and that number is steadily growing. Maps of the route are available for free download on our Maps page.

The trail route is subject to change and may be re-routed in response to fires, floods, and other on-the-ground conditions. For the most up-to-date information on routing and trail conditions, visit our Trail Alerts page, our Facebook page or call our office at (360) 854-9415.

The Pacific Northwest Trail provides a 1,200-mile continuous route from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean. Most of the trail, about 80%, is on federal lands. In some areas, particularly in cities and agricultural valleys, land is primarily in private ownership and a connection on public lands is not possible. In these sections, the trail may be along the right-of-way for a public road or highway.

In other cases, such as on some private timberlands, landowners have entered into voluntary agreements with the Pacific Northwest Trail Association to allow passage for the Pacific Northwest Trail.

The National Trails System Act (the legislation that designated the Pacific Northwest Trail as a National Scenic Trail) includes a willing-seller clause that prohibits use of eminent domain to acquire private land for the trail. We respect the wishes of private landowners who do not want the trail on their land, and in those cases we find routes to avoid it.

The Pacific Northwest Trail travels through seven National Forests in two regions.  Region 1: Flathead National Forest, Kootenai National Forest, Idaho Panhandle National Forests and Region 2: Colville National Forest, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Olympic National Forest.

The Pacific Northwest Trail travels through three National Parks: Glacier National Park, North Cascades National Park Complex and Olympic National Park.

Some popular destinations along the trail, such as Deception Pass State Park, draw millions of visitors each year. More remote sections of trail may be visited by only a hardy few.

The popularity of long-distance hiking and “thru-hiking”—hiking the entire trail in a season—has grown in recent years. We estimate that between 65-75 people attempted the 1,200-mile journey in 2019. 

Many more people visit the PNT for shorter trips, either as “section hikers” who complete all 1,200 miles over multiple years, or as day or overnight hikers on a shorter portion of the trail.

The Pacific Northwest Trail is managed for non-motorized recreation.

Hiking and Backpacking: The entire Pacific Northwest Trail can be traveled on foot. This is the most popular way to experience the trail.

Pack & Saddle: Horses can use most of the trail.  Accessibility for equestrian use is at the discretion of local land managers.  In some places where the trail may not be passable for horses, alternate routes may allow for continuous travel.

Bicycling:  Bicycles are allowed where permitted by the local land manager; bicycles are not permitted on the PNT in National Parks or Wilderness areas and may not be permitted in recommended wilderness. Check before you go.

Motor vehicles: Motor vehicles, motorcycles, and OHVs are not allowed trail uses on National Scenic Trails. For now, there are some sections of the Pacific Northwest Trail that are on roads rather than trails. Where the Pacific Northwest Trail makes use of roads, or motorized trails, it does not close those roads/trails to motorized use; in these segments, hikers and horse or mountain bike riders may share the road with vehicles or travel on the shoulder of the roadway.

A long-term objective for the Pacific Northwest Trail is to refine the route to move it off of all roads and onto non-motorized trails wherever practicable. This may mean building new sections of trail in the future. The experience of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail shows us that this process may take decades to accomplish.

Horses can use much of the trail.  Accessibility for equestrian use is at the discretion of local land managers. In some places where the route of the PNT is not open or passable to stock, alternate equestrian trails may exist. In many other areas, continuous equestrian routes do not.

At this stage of development, many portions of the PNT are not currently maintained for equestrian access. While hikers are able to maintain continuous routes along the PNT by bushwhacking or scrambling through undeveloped or unmaintained sections, and by linking established trail segments by walking along the shoulders of open roads, these options are impractical or infeasible for riders.

In high elevation areas, the trail maintenance season for the PNT does not typically begin until July when the snowpack has melted out. Logout for some areas may not take place until late summer. In some areas, like the Pasayten Wilderness, snags can fall regularly and land managers recommend packing a saw so that riders can cut their way out. Always check current conditions before you go. 

See also:  Is it possible to do a thru-ride of the PNT using stock?

Dogs are allowed on many portions of the Pacific Northwest Trail and can be enjoyable companions in the backcountry. Please be aware that dogs are NOT allowed on trails, or in the backcountry, in Glacier, North Cascades, or Olympic National Parks. Dogs are allowed ON LEASH in Ross Lake National Recreation Area.

If you plan to take your dog on a trip to the PNT, know before you go and be aware of the added responsibilities dog-owners have under Leave No Trace to protect wildlife and the experience of other visitors.

While a trip to a city park offers convenient ways to dispose of your animal’s waste, on the PNT, it will be the owner’s responsibility to pack it out, or bury it in a cathole.

While we always recommend that you keep your dog on a leash while enjoying the PNT, local land managers, particularly in bear country, may require it in order to avoid causing stress to local wildlife or creating potentially unsafe interactions between your animal, yourself and bears.

In addition, please remember that food storage orders apply to dog food.  If you carry dog food into the backcountry, you must have the capacity to store it safely.  

The PNT does not affect regulations related to hunting and fishing, which are managed by the states and local landowners and land managers. Many sections of the trail are popular with hunters. We encourage all trail users to wear bright colors, like “blaze orange” for safety — especially in the fall.

Depending on the season, visitors may be able to fish, hunt, and gather wild foods such as berries. Hikers shouldn’t rely on these food sources though. Check local regulations before you go. Follow the rules and respect private lands.

The Pacific Northwest Trail is a unique pathway that travels through some of the most spectacular and scenic terrain in the United States while connecting people and communities across the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest Trail offers a diverse experience, from wilderness to working landscapes to historic downtown Main Streets. Along its east-west route, the trail climbs major mountain ranges and descends into pastoral river valleys and small rural communities. The trail includes a ferry crossing of Puget Sound (the only saltwater ferry crossing on a National Scenic Trail).  PNT users experience the best of the Pacific Northwest: panoramic views of the Rockies, rolling grasslands in the Okanogan Highlands, volcanoes and high-country meadows in the North Cascades, farming and fishing communities on Puget Sound, and mossy trees and sandy beaches on the Olympic Peninsula.

The Pacific Northwest Trail is managed for non-motorized recreation.

Hiking and Backpacking: The entire Pacific Northwest Trail can be traveled on foot. This is the most popular way to experience the trail.

Pack & Saddle: Horses can use most of the trail.  Accessibility for equestrian use is at the discretion of local land managers.  In some places where the trail may not be passable for horses, alternate routes may allow for continuous travel.

Bicycling:  Bicycles are allowed where permitted by the local land manager; bicycles are not permitted on the PNT in National Parks or Wilderness areas and may not be permitted in recommended wilderness. Check before you go.

Motor vehicles: Motor vehicles, motorcycles, and OHVs are not allowed trail uses on National Scenic Trails. For now, there are some sections of the Pacific Northwest Trail that are on roads rather than trails. Where the Pacific Northwest Trail makes use of roads, or motorized trails, it does not close those roads/trails to motorized use; in these segments, hikers and horse or mountain bike riders may share the road with vehicles or travel on the shoulder of the roadway.

A long-term objective for the Pacific Northwest Trail is to refine the route to move it off of all roads and onto non-motorized trails wherever practicable. This may mean building new sections of trail in the future. The experience of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail shows us that this process may take decades to accomplish.

You can find a great hike somewhere on the Pacific Northwest Trail in any season. Low-elevation sections of the trail, like those in the Puget Sound, can be hiked year-round. Some segments of the trail are also used for non-motorized winter recreation by skiers and snowshoers.

Because the trail crosses high-elevation mountain ranges (the Rockies, Cascades, and Olympics) across its route, the thru-hiking season is relatively short. Thru-hikers typically start at Glacier National Park in early July after the majority of the snow has melted. They typically arrive at the Pacific Ocean in September before colder, wetter weather typically comes to the Olympic Mountains. Thru-hikers typically take 60-75 days to complete the entire trail.

If you are planning an overnight trip on the PNT in Glacier National Park, the North Cascades National Park Complex, and Olympic National Park, permits are required for backcountry camping. Learn more about backcountry permits here.

Thru-hiking permits:  At this time, there is no coordinated permit available for Pacific Northwest Trail thru-hikers like what is offered for the Pacific Crest Trail. Hikers must contact each of the parks directly to arrange permits for overnight stays.

Parking a vehicle at a trailhead in a National Forest will typically require an annual pass or day-use fee.  State lands may also require a pass or day-use fee to park at trailheads and recreation sites.

Entrance fees may also be required to visit National Parks and Washington State Parks by vehicle.

State Park and National Forest campgrounds typically charge a fee for overnight camping.

You can learn more about fees and front country camping on the PNT here.

The Pacific Northwest Trail travels through diverse landscapes and wildlife habitat. Some of the iconic species of the region include grizzly bears, black bears, moose, elk, caribou, mountain lions, lynx, wolverines, wolves, salmon, bald eagles, and orcas. Along the coast, tidepools fill with ocean life: shellfish, starfish, and sea anemones.

Hikers commonly see grizzly and black bears, deer, raccoons, picas, osprey, ravens, and jays.

The length of your Crown-to-Coast adventure will depend on your hiking style, how many rest days you take, and if you do any peak bagging or take alternate routes along the way. If you hike an average of 15 miles a day and don’t take any rest days or alternate routes, you will finish in around 80 days. Most hikers seem to finish in 60-70 days.

The 1,200 mile Pacific Northwest Trail has an east-west orientation. This creates a narrow weather window compared to other National Scenic Trails. The best weather for long-distance trips on the PNT generally occurs between mid-June and mid-September. Trails are typically snow free from all but the highest elevation areas by July. You can learn more about snow on the PNT, here.

Besides snow, another factor to consider are potentially hazardous stream crossings, such as the ford at Swift Creek, south of Mount Baker. Rivers and streams run higher in early summer as the snow is melting in the mountains and may be impassable outside of the prime hiking season. Where these hazards exist the PNTA has indicated them on our annually revised mapset. 

Westbound is by far the most popular way to thru-hike, and current guidebooks are written and organized for those walking west. Like a raindrop you start in Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountain peaks at the Continental Divide and end up at the Pacific Ocean.

Eastbound thru-hiking has its advantages as well. You will have more solitude because fewer thru-hikers travel eastbound. In the Olympic Mountains, you will probably experience snow-covered trails until late summer. Eastbound hikers should be especially aware of the potential hazard posed by the ford at Swift Creek, south of Mount Baker. 

Flip-flopping may be a good option for thru-hikers that prefer to avoid snow travel in the Rocky and Purcell Mountains. It involves starting a thru-hike near the middle of the trail in Oroville or Republic and hiking east toward Montana. After reaching the eastern terminus, a thru-hiker will travel back toward where the started and resume the second half of their trip going westbound toward the Pacific Ocean.

The eastern terminus of the Pacific Northwest Trail is located at the Chief Mountain Customs parking area, in the northeast corner of Glacier National Park, Montana.

The western terminus of the trail is located at Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous United States, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, in Olympic National Park, Washington.

The approximate midpoint of the PNT is near the city of Oroville, Washington, which can be reached by public transit.

You can read more about how to get to these locations, on our Directions and Transportation page.

The PNTA mapset shows multiple route options in certain areas. The PNT is a relatively young trail in comparison to the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail and is therefore still in a period of growth and change. The terminology can be confusing.

Ron Strickland’s original full length guidebook describes both a Practical route (one possible to hike at the time of writing) and suggestions for an Ideal route that could be built in the future to fulfill his vision for the ultimate hiking experience.

The Congressional route is the one officially designated by Congress in 2009 when the PNT became a National Scenic Trail.

The Primary route is the route which the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, in partnership with local land managers, has developed in the time since, in order to address practical issues on the ground. This route is indicated with a red line on the PNTA mapset and the official hiking guide app and cumulative mileage for the trail system is based on this route.

Official alternate routes are indicated on the PNTA mapset and app with black or blue lines. These routes may have been part of the vision for the trail at one point, or they may simply be other ways for hikers to get to the same place and have a different experience getting there. Some of these route bypass trail closures on the primary route, or provide a lower elevation alternative that can be used to minimize one’s exposure to adverse weather conditions. Some alternate routes are more suitable to horse riders and pack stock.

Visitors should know that the PNT is still in the process of change. PNTA continuously advocates for opportunities to create a better experience for trail users so that the future trail corridor is safer, more enjoyable, and meets the standards of a National Scenic Trail.

What about other routes not shown on the official PNTA mapset or official hiking guide app? 

While the PNTA works toward solving routing issues on the PNT, we remind our trail’s users that they are effectively acting as ambassadors for the trail and the long-distance hiking community.

The route shown on the PNTA’s mapset and on the official hiking app, produced through a partnership by Atlas Guides, describes the current route of the Pacific Northwest Trail. In some areas, easier, or more direct options may exist on the ground, but access is not guaranteed. These kinds of user-generated routes may inadvertently cross significant portions of private property where no easements or land use agreements are in place. If routes that involve trespassing are promoted within the trail community, via third party maps or user generated routes, it erodes goodwill for the trail and weakens our position to solve routing issues and negotiate for the ideal trail corridor of the PNT.

PNT users should always be prepared to expect the unexpected; conditions on remote mountain trails can change quickly and may go unreported for some time. During the prime hiking season, July-November, the Pacific Northwest Trail Association publishes trail alerts and trail conditions.

Major events that affect access to the Pacific Northwest Trail, such as emergency or planned trail or road closures are published as trail alerts. You can subscribe to receive plain text emails from the PNTA, about wildfire closures that affect the PNT, here.

The PNTA also shares information about trail conditions from our trail crews, scouts, and volunteers, here. You can also find helpful links to our partners’ websites at the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and other land management agencies.

Section hiking involves traversing the length of trail as a series of shorter trips usually over a longer timeframe. Section hiking is a popular option for those unable to commit to a trip which may be 60 days or longer. Some section hikers split the trail in half by starting or ending in Oroville, Washington. Others experience the ten sections of the trail as ten separate trips. Aside from needing shorter time frames to complete, section hikers are not as limited by the PNT’s narrow weather window. Sections 8 and 10, for example, have a much longer season than Section 1. Best of all, section hikers can plan their trips to experience each portion of the PNT during its ideal season, like when wildflowers are in bloom, when blueberry leaves turn crimson, or when temperatures remain mild.

Thru-hiking involves completing an end-to-end hike of a long-distance trail in one season. On a classic thru-hike, one “connects all of one’s steps” and travels in one cardinal direction without skipping any portion of trail. In practice, many thru-hikers are unable to achieve this remarkable feat due to a number of factors beyond their control. Wildfires, weather events, and personal injuries can all lead to practical compromises.

From year-to-year, events such as snow, rainfall and wildfire in the Northwest can vary significantly. These can all affect the start of the prime hiking season or the trail conditions that thru-hikers experience on-the-ground.

You can use this guide to monitor the snowpack in the Northwest, learn about potential hazards, and choose a start date for their trips based on current conditions. Thru-hikers should be aware that they may be among the very first visitors to the trail each season. Some may choose to start hiking when trails are still snow covered in early summer.

They may also pass through areas before they have received annual trail maintenance, such as brushing and log-out of downed trees. Current fine-grain information about trail conditions may not be available early in the season or in remote areas — this should be considered part of a Crown-to-Coast adventure. In designated wilderness areas, visitors should be especially prepared for the unexpected and rugged trail conditions.

Trail information in other areas, such as the Puget Sound is reported more regularly. You can learn more on our Trail Alerts and Trail Conditions webpages and on some of our agency partners’ websites.

The PNTA highly recommends carrying bear spray in grizzly country on the Pacific Northwest Trail. Grizzly bears are known to inhabit roughly 400 miles of the PNT, spanning from the eastern terminus in Glacier National Park to the western boundary of the Colville National Forest in Eastern Washington. In addition, it is believed that a small number of grizzly bears may range near the PNT in the North Cascades Ecosystem. 

Many land managers recommend carrying bear spray in black bear habitat as well. While commonly considered skittish, black bears have been responsible for attacks on humans, including fatalities, in North America. Black bears are common along the entire trail corridor, except in Section 8, the Puget Sound.

Studies have shown bear spray to be effective 93% of the time in causing bears to cease aggressive activity. Firearms are not recommended and have been found to be significantly less effective at deterring bears. Besides being more effective, bear spray is a non-lethal deterrent, is relatively inexpensive, and is much lighter to carry.

Making noise before situations where a bear might become startled, hiking in groups, following food storage orders, and keeping dogs on a leash all greatly minimize the chance of a bear encounter.

Learn more about bear spray and how to avoid an encounter on our Bears webpage.

A bear canister is not required for overnight camping on most of the PNT. At this time, bear canisters are only required on the PNT in Olympic National Park in two areas: the Seven Lakes Basin and Olympic Coast. All but 70 miles of the PNT pass through bear habitat where bears are common. Proper food storage is a very important part of any trip on the PNT. You can learn more on our Food Storage page.

PNT thru-hikers can play an important role in protecting the PNT by following the principles of Leave No Trace. When making camp, choose established sites and durable surfaces at a legal distance from trails and water sources. It is the responsibility of every backcountry visitor to learn the regulations of the local land manager before their trip.

To assist with planning, the PNTA describes approved campsites on our free mapset and calls out areas where camping is prohibited, such as private property or day-use only areas. Much of the Pacific Northwest Trail is on our National Forests where dispersed camping (outside of established campgrounds) is generally allowed and free to the public.

Some state parks units along the PNT have developed campgrounds where drive-in or hike-in sites are available for a fee. Check availability before you go. 

In the three National Parks along the PNT, backcountry camping is only allowed in designated sites. Backcountry visitors are required to obtain a permit from the NPS in advance of their trip. Visitors must camp only at the sites specified on their permit for a given date. Learn more at our Permits and Fees page.

Where the trail crosses private property, camping is not allowed. On private timberland, landowners grant access under a day-use-only agreement. To ensure access for future hikers across private property, it is important to respect the rights of private landowners and plan ahead to avoid camping in these areas.

Camping and lodging options available in towns along the trail vary. These communities may have a range of accommodations from high-end lodges to modest motels, hostels, and private campgrounds. Visit the Trail Towns & Resupply page for a list of trailside communities. Annually revised guidebooks, published by third parties provide useful information about current services available along the trail.

The Pacific Northwest Trail runs directly through ten trailside communities. Others are located a short distance from the trail. Our Trail Towns and Resupply page has more information to help with trip planning and logistics.

The size of these Northwest communities varies between full service cities and small mountain hamlets. Melanie Simmerman’s, Pacific Northwest Trail Town Guide has all of the information a long-distance hiker needs to plan a resupply strategy for a PNT thru-hike. 

For more information about planning a thru-hike, read this article, “How to Prepare,” written by a PNT thru-hiker.

There is no water report for the PNT. Water sources are plentiful along most of the trail corridor. However, there are some areas where water sources along the trail are fewer or may be affected by season or weather.

In areas where water sources are further apart, hikers should plan ahead by noting where the next water source is located. The PNTA mapset and Tim Youngbluth’s PNT Digest share detailed information about water sources to help with day-to-day planning on the trail.

It is strongly recommended to treat water along the PNT to avoid water-borne illness, like giardia.

Some portions of the PNT require advanced navigation skills while other sections of trail may be more straightforward. You can learn more about each section of trail, by studying PNTA strip maps, visiting our Explore the Trail webpages, and reading Tim Youngbluth’s guidebook.

Generally speaking, the navigation challenges on the Pacific Northwest Trail are not to be taken lightly; they require more skill than is needed to follow the longer-established National Scenic Trails (or NSTs).

As our newest NST, the PNT is still being developed. It is mostly unmarked, receives light use, and may not have been recently maintained in some remote areas. Be aware that in some locations, the route of the PNT requires bushwhacking through dense forest, following climber’s scrambling routes, and sometimes follows networks of unsigned and confusing forest roads.

Before you head out on the PNT, prepare for your trip using the resources on our website and by mastering navigation skills before you go. The PNTA recommends you outfit yourself with a combination of back-up navigation tools to help ensure that you have the safest and most enjoyable experience possible.

We are working to make the PNT easier to navigate by improving the quality of information presented on this website and the PNTA mapset, and through working with local land managers on the installation of new trail signage. It is also important to us however, to preserve the sense of adventure first earned by end-to-enders in 1977, through 2077 and beyond.  We believe we can achieve this by protecting the wild character of the trail and the significant challenges that it presents.  For now, as an end-to-end adventure, the PNT appeals to experienced outdoors people looking to test advanced skills as they immerse themselves in the natural world.

The navigation challenges on the Pacific Northwest Trail are not to be taken lightly; they require more skill than is needed to follow the longer-established National Scenic Trails. Increasingly, modern smartphones are used by PNT’ers as GPS units. Smartphones can provide inexpensive alternatives to stand-alone GPS.

If you choose not carry a GPS-enabled device on the PNT, then you will need strong map reading, route-finding and compass skills.

A combination of both PNTA paper maps and a GPS-equipped smartphone with the Guthook’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest Trail app, is recommended for thru-hiking the PNT and for particularly challenging sections of trail. Other popular apps include: Gaia, Topomaps and Backcountry Navigator.

While a GPS-enabled device is not essential to enjoy the PNT, it can aid navigation by verifying ‘point position’ in confusing areas of trail, such as the intersections of forest roads. Additional digital maps can also be downloaded to your device which show a larger area than that shown on the PNTA strip maps, which can be useful to plan an emergency egress from trail, or to simply identify distant mountain peaks, all without adding to one’s ‘carried weight’ burden.

As our newest National Scenic Trail, the PNT is still being developed. It is mostly unmarked, receives light use, and may not have been recently maintained in some remote areas. 

At this stage of development, many portions of the PNT are not currently maintained for equestrian access. Many long rides along the trail are possible in places like the Pasayten Wilderness.

While hikers are able to maintain continuous routes along the entire trail corridor by bushwhacking or scrambling through undeveloped or unmaintained sections, and by linking established trail segments by walking along the shoulders of open roads, these options are impractical or infeasible for riders.

Rugged Trail Conditions:  In high elevation areas, the trail maintenance season for the PNT does not typically begin until July when the snowpack has melted out. Logout for some areas may not take place until late summer. In some areas, like the Pasayten Wilderness, snags can fall regularly and land managers recommend packing a saw so that riders can cut their way out. Always check current conditions before you go. 

Impassable Routes:  In some locations, such as the Selkirk Mountains in Idaho, the current route of the PNT requires bushwhacking through dense forest and following climber’s scrambling routes because no connecting trail has been built. These routes are currently impassable to stock. 

Motorized Routes:  About one third of the PNT currently follows roads or “motorized routes.” Some of these are low-speed gravel forest roads. In other areas, the PNT follows blacktop highways, crosses bridges, and the Admiralty Inlet via the Keystone Ferry. In these areas, transporting stock by trailer is recommended or may be required.