Do you have questions about the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT)? The Pacific Northwest Trail Association has a long-standing partnership with the US Forest Service in the management of the Pacific Northwest Trail. As the lead agency responsible for the administration of the PNT, the Forest Service is responsible for providing trailwide coordination,…
After thru-hiking the Pacific Northwest Trail from end-to-end last year, Christian “Blues Clues” Frey returned to the PNT for his Fourth of July holiday, not to hike the trail, but to lend a hand with maintaining it. Thoughtful and unassuming, Christian earned the trail name, Blues Clues for his ability to reunite other thru-hikers…
If NICC forecasts prove to be accurate, fire danger ratings could become elevated across the Pacific Northwest Trail this year. Areas from the Rocky Mountains to the North Cascades are expected to have “significant wildfire potential.” Yet, with a few basic precautions, elevated fire danger does not have to lead to a wildfire. Although wildfires caused by lightning…
10 years ago today, legislation was introduced to both houses of Congress, which led to the designation of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Though the history of the Pacific Northwest Trail extends back to the early 1970’s, the journey through Congress that culminated in the Trail’s designation as a national scenic trail began on…
The Pacific Northwest Trail tours some of the most outstanding public lands in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Yet, many PNT visitors avoid large stretches of the trail in Washington’s Skagit and Whatcom Counties, home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. Scenic beauty is not the problem, it’s the route of…
Each year, the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West brings together a diverse group of hikers for a series of fun backpacking clinics, called “Rucks” across the Western States. New for the 2018 season, ALDHA-West and the Pacific Northwest Trail Association formed a partnership to host the first-ever Ruck in Northwest Washington. The mission of ALDHA-West…
Inspired by the Packing It Out team, Granite Gear’s Grounds Keepers Program was created to inspire others to value our outdoor areas and pack out trash as they hike along. Every Grounds Keeper has previously completed a thru-hike or various section hikes, has a passion for Leave No Trace ethics, is strong in mind and…
Did you know? You can find a great trip somewhere on the Pacific Northwest Trail in any season. Low-elevation sections of trail, like those in the temperate Puget Sound, can be hiked any time of year. For those prepared for snow travel, there are opportunities to #GetOutside and enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, and backcountry camping along…
Above: A hiker follows the congressional route of the PNT on DNR lands near Mount Josephine. Over 300 concerned citizens, including PNTA staff and members, joined Washington DNR to review maps, watch presentations, and submit comments at two community meetings as part of the ongoing Baker to Bellingham recreation planning process this February. With…
In a USDA press release, the Methow Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest was named one of 15 national trail maintenance priority areas by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Over 90 miles of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail falls within the selected portions of the Methow Ranger District within the Pasayten Wilderness, a…
With the Pacific Northwest Trail buried under heavy snow and with some mountain roads blocked by avalanche debris, thru-hiking season is still months away. Until then, here is a collection of some of our favorite videos about the trail made by PNT thru-hikers. We hope they help inspire you to #findyourtrail in 2018. This assortment…
Each February, advocates from the Partnership for the National Trails System, the American Hiking Society, and over 30 nonprofit National Trail Organizations flock to Washington DC for the annual Hike the Hill event. The Pacific Northwest Trail Association was represented by Executive Director, Jeff Kish, who alongside other trail associations, met with members of Congress…
Above: Thru-hikers, Jess “Dust Bunny” Foster and Joe “Tickled Pink” Loubier were among the last to traverse the Boundary Trail in 2017. Foster snapped a photo of the wildfire still a few miles south while it torched the flanks of Ashnola Mountain. They would be among the last in a generation to see the wilderness…
The Pacific Northwest Trail Association is proud to announce our partnership with Atlas Guides. We teamed up to develop a new smartphone hiking guide to the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Guthook Guides, an Atlas Guides project, are detailed, map-based smartphone hiking guides for your favorite long-distance trails, created by a team…
The New PNT.org If you haven’t visited our home on the web recently, we invite you to come explore the changes we’ve made at pnt.org. To adapt to the latest changes on the web, and to improve access to the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail by providing comprehensive trail information, we rebuilt our website from…