Pacific Northwest Trail Conditions

Last Updated:  May 19th, 2023

Find information about the latest conditions on the Pacific Northwest Trail, here. The PNTA shares the latest information from our Trail Crews, Scouts, and Volunteers, below. You can also find helpful links to our partners’ websites at the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and other land management agencies. PNT users should always be prepared to expect the unexpected; conditions on remote trails can change quickly and may go unreported for some time.

Major issues, such as trail and road closures affecting access to the Pacific Northwest Trail are logged as Trail Alerts, here.

Have you recently visited part of the Pacific Northwest Trail?

You can volunteer with the PNTA by submitting a field report. Contact us here or use our Trip Report Form. This fillable PDF form can be downloaded and printed, or it can be used with the free Adobe Acrobat App on your desktop PC or smartphone. Thank you for helping to scout trail conditions on the PNT!

Crew leader, Forest Reeves demonstrates proper bucking technique.
Download a Trip Report Form
Visiting the PNT in Summer

The best season for hiking the PNT generally falls between July and September. By mid-July, most trails will have become snow free, wildflowers are in bloom, and PNTA and our partners’ trail crews will have removed hundreds of fallen trees from the trail corridor. Visitors should still expect to encounter downed trees on remote parts of the trail system, especially roadless wilderness areas. Several hundred downed trees must be removed from the Boundary Trail in the Pasayten Wilderness each year. It typically takes PNTA crews 8-10 weeks to log-out each year.

By mid-July, seasonal bridges have been installed along the PNT at key locations in Glacier National Park, in Montana. Many other locations along the PNT have unbridged crossings and visitors should be prepared to ford streams safely. Some crossings may be difficult, dangerous, or even impassable on the Pacific Coast and in the Mt Baker Wilderness. During periods of rapid snow melt in mid summer, the crossing at Swift Creek (south of Mt Baker) can be impassable until early August, depending on the snowpack and rate of snow melt. Consult PNTA Strip Maps and our Challenges and Risks webpage for more information about coastal travel and these crossings.

Always check road, weather, trail alerts, and fire danger levels before your visit.  In the Northwest, maintenance projects take place in the dry summer months when mountain trails and roads are most accessible. By mid to late summer, many regions along the PNT will experience hot dry conditions and the risk of wildfire will become greater. Visitors should be prepared to do their part to prevent human-caused wildfires, and to learn about current wildfire activity and closures before they go. Smoke from wildfires burning a significant distance from the trail can impact air quality. It’s always a good idea to check air quality forecasts before a summer trip on the PNT.

Trail Conditions

Land Management Agencies in Section 1
For the most current notices, and to learn about the condition of specific trails, visit our partners’ websites using the links below. Note: the PNT will be described by its local trail name, i.e. Belly River Trail.

Glacier National Park Trail Alerts and Road Conditions
Trail Conditions in GNP, PNT mile 0-20
Trail Conditions in GNP, PNT mile 20-34
Trail Conditions in GNP, PNT mile 34-48

Flathead National Forest Alerts and Notices, PNT mile 55-88
Trail Reports on the Flathead National Forest

Kootenai National Forest Alerts and Notices, PNT mile 88-217
Trail Reports on the Kootenai National Forest

Helpful Links

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