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…
Hikers “Tinkerbell,” “Roadrunner,” “Iceberg” and “Pacer” travel the Pacific Northwest Trail from Glacier National Park to the Pacific, stopping in trail towns like Republic for supplies and human contact. Photo by Artie McRae. Trail Towns Offer Business, Friendships By Artie McRae This article originally appeared in the September 8th edition of the Ferry County…
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest staff, the PNTA, and SWITMO volunteers scout potential bridge and cable car sites for crossings over Rainbow and Swift Creek, on the PNT. HAZARDOUS CROSSINGS The Swift and Rainbow Creek crossings in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBS) have presented formidable challenges on the Pacific Northwest Trail for decades. Without bridges…
Ron Strickland and Ted Hitzroth arrive at the Pacific Ocean on their 1983 exploratory thru-hike. Photo by Ron Strickland. Record numbers of thru-hikers have flocked to attempt the Pacific Northwest Trail in 2017 — the Pacific Northwest Trail Association estimates that over 100 hikers have attempted end-to-end treks this year, nearly double the largest…