Pacific Crest Trail

North Fork of Bridge Creek as seen from the Pacific Crest Trail. Photo by NPS/K Doering

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) travels from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington and is open to hikers and stock groups. About 18 miles of the trail passes through the South Unit of North Cascades National Park. PCT travelers fall into one of three categories:

• "Thru-hikers" (or -riders) is the term for those traveling the entire 2,650 mile length of the PCT in continuous, single year trip.

• "Long distance hikers" (or riders) are those traveling more than 500 continuous miles along the trail in a single trip.

• "Section hikers" (or riders) includes everyone traveling less than 500 miles in a single trip or doing more than one hiking trip on the PCT in a year.

Permitting Information

Beginning in 2020, North Cascades National Park will honor the long-distance Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hiking permit issued by the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) for camping at specific camps. PCTA long-distance permit holders no longer need to obtain an overnight backcountry camping permit for Six Mile Camp and Bridge Creek Camp within North Cascades National Park.

Any hiker without a PCTA Long-distance Permit must obtain, in advance, a park-issued backcountry permit from a designated ranger station for camping inside North Cascades National Park. Please contact the Wilderness Information Center at [e-mail] for assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What permit(s) do I need to travel on the PCT through North Cascades National Park?

PCTA long-distance permit holders no longer need to obtain an overnight backcountry camping permit for Six Mile Camp and Bridge Creek Camp within North Cascades National Park. All other sites along the PCT in the park still require a separate backcountry permit.

Any hiker without a PCTA long-distance permit must obtain, in advance, a park-issued backcountry permit at designated ranger stations for camping inside North Cascades National Park.

Where, and how, can I get a North Cascades National Park backcountry permit?

Visit our Backcountry Permits page for more information.

NOTE: Many hikers pass through the 18 miles of the PCT within the park without spending the night. If hikers are not spending the night at any camp, a park permit is not needed.

 

Additional information on traveling through Stehekin:

• Camping in the Stehekin valley is first-come, first-served at the following campgrounds:

  • Lakeview Backpacker Group Camp - Near the Stehekin Landing behind the Golden West Visitor Center

• Food Storage

  • Store all food and any items with an odor properly at all times they are not in use. Bear boxes are provided in camps in the Stehekin valley and most camps along the PCT.

  • Report all bear encounters to a ranger or at the visitor center.

• Packages must be sent via US Postal Service (regular mail)

  • Packages sent via non postal services (such as UPS, FedEx, etc.) are not secure and are attractants for wildlife. Non postal service packages will be considered abandoned property.

• North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin may have additional rules and regulations for use at the landing area. Inquire at the general store.

• Shuttle Bus is available seasonally. Contact North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin for schedule and cost.

 

PCT maps are available from many different sources, this one was created by Halfmile and shows the North Cascades National Park boundary.

Camping along the PCT within North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National Park Service Complex is one of the premier "wilderness parks" in the lower-48 states, created in 1968 in the aftermath of the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The permit system is designed to disperse visitors along the trail corridors in order to meet a management goal of protecting wilderness character in the 99% of the National Park that is designated Wilderness. Camping is only allowed at designated sites (no dispersed camping), and permits are limited to the number of sites and site capacity of each backcountry camp.

Although the PCT corridor is one of the busiest in the park, the permit system helps distribute people throughout the corridor, to designated sites that are set off the main trail and away from each other, so that the experience for all hikers is one of solitude, with minimal impact to the corridor's Wilderness resources. When PCT hikers camp without a park permit, they impact other visitors who do have permits by over-filling camps and forcing groups to share camps when they were expecting a higher degree of solitude. This impacts the visitor experience negatively and has the potential to create user group conflicts and/or camping impacts and resource damage along the trail or camps.

Note: Many hikers pass through the 18 miles of the PCT within the Park without spending the night at any camp.

Where can I learn more about the Pacific Crest Trail?

The Pacific Crest Trail Association website is the central source for PCT information, including planning a PCT journey, trail conditions along the length of the trail, maps and guides, crossing the Canadian border, and volunteering to help maintain and manage the PCT.