Note: this is the first part of reflections from PCT Volunteer Brian Wagenaar. Stay tuned for part two in March!
I am tremendously lucky. Over the last six years, I’ve spent much of my time engaged in conservation, crisscrossing the country to find myself in beautiful, diverse places, working outside ... Read more
This story was written by PCTA’s Spencer Valenti, featuring narration from a fictionalized hiker who encounters Spencer on the PCT and learns about our work. Though the specific hiker might be made up, encounters and conversations like this are not uncommon. We hope you enjoy this chance to get to ... Read more
Many of us have been on the Pacific Crest Trail and heard the percussive roll of a woodpecker, seen swallows darting overhead at dusk, or watched from a high ridge as hawks soar thermals below. Whether you’re new to birding (the preferred term for “birdwatching”) or an experienced birder, the ... Read more
Every year, members of the PCT community donate their photos of the trail to us. Over the years, these photos have grown into a huge archive of more than 15,000 images of the Pacific Crest Trail and the people who travel it. We’re grateful for these images, because they ... Read more
PCTA Note: Longtime trail angel Donna “L-Rod” Saufley is loved by countless long-distance hikers who benefited from Donna and her husband Jeff’s hospitality at their famous “Hiker Heaven” in Agua Dulce, California. Now Donna is in a fight for her life and needs our help. On February 24 Donna was ... Read more
Note: This story also appears in the Summer 2022 issue of the Communicator magazine.
As a land protection professional, Virginia Esperanza Lorne is deeply influenced by her outdoor play as a child growing up in San Francisco. She is guided by a desire to protect wild places, with the knowledge ... Read more
Note: This story also appears in the Summer 2022 issue of the Communicator magazine.
In 2004, Ian Nelson was in his second year as an associate regional representative for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) when he applied to be the first regional representative for the Pacific Crest Trail.
After the ... Read more
Out of an abundance of caution, the PCTA will not participate in PCT Days this weekend, August 20-22.
We made this difficult decision based on rapidly rising Covid cases in Oregon and nationwide—and the extreme transmissibility of the Delta variant. Throughout the pandemic, our top priority has been the safety ... Read more
Welcome to the blog of the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Check back often for news about the trail.