PCT transportation

Remote and wild, with thousands of access points, the Pacific Crest Trail is still remarkably accessible. Even by bus. Getting to and from the trail can be logistically complicated. We hope this page helps.

Eastern Sierra Transit is one of the outstanding rural transit companies that services the Pacific Crest Trail. We appreciate them so much. Photo courtesy of Eastern Sierra Transit.

Eastern Sierra Transit is one of the outstanding rural transit systems that provide service to the Pacific Crest Trail. We appreciate them so much. Photo courtesy of Eastern Sierra Transit.

Getting to the Pacific Crest Trail

Using a car is the easiest option.

Having your own car (or a good friend to drive you!) is the most convenient way to access the PCT. If you are trying to access a trailhead on a major paved road, you can use google maps or another online mapping tool to find a route. If you’re trying to get to a trailhead farther into the backcountry or on a dirt road, it’s not necessarily so straightforward. If you’ve ever driven around lost looking for a trailhead, you know that they’re not always easy to find.

Be sure to bring accurate and quality information. Dirt roads on public lands often necessitate specific National Forest or BLM maps. Road names and numbers, conditions and closures change frequently. Contact the local land management agency or search online for the status of the road before you drive it. Remarkably, you can sometimes search Google Maps for Forest Service roads and their intersections with the PCT. While you can use the “Directions” feature to find driving directions to that intersection it’s imperative that you compare the results with paper maps and other sources. Don’t trust online mapping information in remote areas.

Car-free transportation is environmentally friendly and a great option.

While there are many PCT trailheads that are accessible by bus, most public transit can only take you as far as a town close to the trail. Some rural transit services are very small operations. They may only run a few days per week, require reservations, or have limited space. Sometimes towns near the trail can’t be reached by public transit. Google Maps’ transit directions are very helpful – many, but not all, transit agencies share their routes there.

There are surely more taxi and shuttle companies than listed here. If you’re having trouble figuring out how to get to a particular part of the trail, you can always reach out to the community and ask for advice.

Plan ahead and be prepared. Public transit can be challenging. We have put a lot of effort into this page for you, but you should do additional research. Be aware that cell service is often not available at trailheads.

If you’re paying for transportation, ask the company for details about their licenses, insurance, and permits. Special use permits are required for operating a shuttle on public land. Do not assume that a listing here implies anything. Check with the local land management agency for lists of permitted shuttle providers in their area.

Please note that this map doesn’t show absolutely everything – use it in conjunction with the information on this page.

Trail Wide Transportation Resources

These services may be available in many places along the trail.

  • Amtrak is a nationwide train company and it also operates the Amtrak Thruway Bus Service. Most relevant stops: San Diego, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Victorville, Lancaster, Mojave, Tehachapi, Bakersfield, Merced, Sacramento, Fresno, South Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Truckee, Soda Springs, Reno, Redding, Dunsmuir, Klamath Falls, Eugene, Portland, Vancouver (U.S.A.), Hood River, Bingen-White Salmon, Ellensburg, Seattle, Everett, Wenatchee, Vancouver (Canada).
  • Greyhound is a nationwide bus company. Most relevant stops: San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, Reno, Redding, Weed, Eugene, Salem, Portland, Vancouver (U.S.A), Yakima, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett.
  • Jayride provides links to airport shuttle companies that may serve trail towns, regional hubs or trailheads
  • Lyft
  • Uber

Southern California

Getting to the PCT Southern Terminus

We’ve got a whole page with directions to the Southern Terminus of the PCT. It explains how to take the shuttle, bus, how to drive, and more.

Airports in Southern California

Kern Transit will take you right to the Pacific Crest Trail. How wonderful! Photo courtesy of Kern Transit.

Kern Transit will take you right to the Pacific Crest Trail. How wonderful! Photo courtesy of Kern Transit.

Public Transit Options in Southern California

  • San Diego Metropolitan Transit System runs bus service from San Diego to Campo, Lake Morena, Julian, Shelter Valley, Ranchita, and Lake Henshaw. By calling ahead, you may be able to organize pickup/drop-off at Barrel Springs. The schedule for their service to rural communities is here.
  • The Forest Folk community shuttle bus runs within Idyllwild and also makes trips to Banning, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, San Jacinto, and Hemet to make regional connections. They have more information on connections here.
  • Palm Springs Aerial Tramway travels between the desert floor in Palm Springs and the high elevations of Mount San Jacinto.
  • Riverside Transit Agency serves Casino Morongo in Cabazon on Route 210 in addition to Riverside, Hemet, Beaumont and Moreno Valley.
  • The City of Banning has local bus connections to Cabazon. Banning has a Greyhound and many more options.
  • Pass Transit (another good link here) services Casino Morongo, Banning, Beaumont and the San Bernardino Transit Center with connections to Metrolink, Omnitrans and Mountain Transit.
  • SunLine Transit Agency operates the Commuter Link 220, which stops at the Riverside Metrolink Station, Beaumont Walmart, Casino Morongo, Thousand Palms, and Palm Desert.
  • OmniTrans is a major bus system that connects to transit hubs and Metrolink, the San Bernardino Transit Center and Ontario International Airport.
  • Mountain Transit provides service to Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City and Lake Arrowhead (access to Deep Creek area), and up from San Bernardino.
  • Victor Valley Transit operates bus 21W between Wrightwood and Victorville, which has connections to Metrolink and San Bernardino.
  • The Acton & Agua Dulce Shuttle connects Acton and Agua Dulce with the Newhall Metrolink station.
  • Metrolink is an essential part of Southern California’s transit network. Most transit systems on this list connect to Metrolink. Antelope Valley Line brings you to the Agua Dulce area, running from Los Angeles to Lancaster and Palmdale. There are Metrolink stations at LAX and Hollywood Burbank airports, amongst others. Other Metrolink lines can bring you toward the Whitewater region of the PCT and even to San Diego.
  • Antelope Valley Transit Authority has commuter service that connects Los Angeles to Lancaster and Palmdale.
  • Kern Transit has routes to Lancaster (Metrolink, Eastern Sierra Transit and others), Tehachapi, Mojave (Eastern Sierra Transit), Lake Isabella, Onyx, Ridgecrest (Eastern Sierra Transit in Inyokern), and Bakersfield (Greyhound and others.) Kern Transit stops at two PCT trailheads in the region: Cameron Canyon Road near Tehachapi (Route 100) and Walker Pass on Highway 178 (Route 227). Stand at the Kern Transit sign at PCT crossing and call 800-323-2396 to request the bus stop to pick you up. They are generally on the lookout as well.
Take the bus to Walker Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail. Photo courtesy of Kern Transit.

Take the bus to Walker Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail. Photo courtesy of Kern Transit.

Private Shuttles and Taxis in Southern California

Central California

Most transit options between Walker Pass and South Lake Tahoe are on the east side of the Sierra.

Airports near Central California

  • Fresno Yosemite International Airport is in Fresno, west of the Sierra Nevada. YARTS bus and VVR Shuttle stop at the airport.
  • Mammoth Yosemite Airport is a small airport near Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite with year-round and seasonal (winter) flights to LAX and other locations. From the airport, take a taxi to town.
  • Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, CA, is less than 100 miles west of the PCT at Walker Pass. Kern Transit connects to the PCT and the city also has Amtrak and Greyhound stations.
  • Merced Regional Airport has flights to and from LAX and Oakland by Boutique Air. From Merced, you can take YARTS to Yosemite and beyond or travel to Fresno for connections to western Sierra trailheads.
  • Reno International Airport is a major airport in Reno, Nevada, about an hour’s drive east of the PCT at Donner Pass, near Truckee and Lake Tahoe. It’s also a good option for getting to Lake Tahoe and the eastern and northern Sierra, and the southern Cascades. Eastern Sierra Transit stops at the airport.
  • Sacramento International Airport is a major airport in Sacramento, less than a two-hour drive west of the PCT near Truckee and Lake Tahoe. Also provides access to northern and central California PCT.
  • San Francisco International Airport is the largest airport in central or northern California, several hours drive west of Yosemite and South Lake Tahoe. BART station links you to Amtrak and Greyhound.
  • Oakland International Airport is a major airport near San Francisco, several hours drive west of Yosemite and South Lake Tahoe. The airport has a BART station.

Public Transit Options in Central California

  • Eastern Sierra Transit connects all the major towns on the east side of the Sierra to each other and Reno (airport and more), as well as to Lancaster (Metrolink and more). It also connects to YARTS. Local service in the Mammoth area connects to PCT-relevant trailheads in Reds Meadow Valley, Lakes Basin, and June Lake.
  • Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) connects Yosemite with east- and west-side towns including Sonora, Merced, Mammoth Lakes, Fresno, and Lee Vining. Possible connections include Sacramento, Fresno, Reno, Oakland, and San Francisco airports.
  • Yosemite National Park has information on how to get around inside the park, including to the PCT at Tuolumne Meadows, and how to get there with public transportation.
  • Sequoia Shuttle runs between Visalia (Amtrak, Greyhound and more) and Sequoia National Park. Note that it’s a long hike from these western Sierra trailheads to the PCT.
  • El Dorado Transit connects the greater Sacramento area with South Lake Tahoe.
  • Tahoe Transportation District connects Carson City (Eastern Sierra Transit) and Gardnerville (Eastern Sierra Transit) to South Lake Tahoe.
  • Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART) reaches Donner Lake, Truckee (Amtrak and Greyhound), Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Tahoe City and other locations on the shore of Lake Tahoe.
  • North Lake Tahoe Express connects the Reno airport to North Lake Tahoe locations including Truckee, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, and Tahoe City.

Shuttles and Taxis in Central California

Northern California

Airports near Northern California

These rural transit companies are seriously wonderful. Take the bus! Photo courtesy of Siskiyou STAGE, run by Siskiyou County

These rural transit companies are seriously wonderful. Take the bus! Photo courtesy of Siskiyou STAGE, run by Siskiyou County.

Public Transit Options in Northern California

  • Incorporated Seniors Citizens of Sierra County offers service in eastern Sierra County; and Golden Rays Seniors Citizens offers service in western Sierra County. Learn more here. Communities accessed include Truckee, Portola, Sierra City, Graeagle, Quincy, Reno, Grass Valley, Sacramento, and more.
  • Plumas Transit services the Chester and Quincy region. It connects to Lassen Rural Bus.
  • Lassen Rural Bus stops at the PCT trailhead on Highway 36 and connects Chester to Susanville (Sage Stage).
  • Redding Area Bus Authority (RABA)’s Burney Express runs between Redding and Burney.
  • Sage Stage connects Reno, Susanville, Fall River, Burney, Redding and Klamath Falls.
  • Siskiyou STAGE stops at Castle Crags State Park, the PCT trailhead at Soda Creek Road, Dunsmuir (Amtrak), Mount Shasta City, Weed (Greyhound), Yreka, and Etna.

Private Shuttles/Taxis in Northern California

  • High Sierra Taxi is based in Truckee.
  • Burney Taxi (530-605-7950 – no website) is based in Burney.
  • Mt Shasta Taxi is based in the Mount Shasta area and runs shuttles to the Redding and Medford airports.

Oregon

Airports near Oregon

  • Rogue Valley International Medford Airport is a mid-sized airport in Medford, Oregon. RVTD services the airport.
  • Eugene Airport is a mid-sized airport less than a two-hour drive west of the PCT near the Three Sisters and Mount Washington. Lane Transit District brings you towards the PCT.
  • Redmond Municipal Airport is a mid-sized airport about an hour drive east of the PCT near Sisters and Bend, Oregon. Many ground transportation options are listed here.
  • Portland International Airport is the largest airport in Oregon and less than an hour drive west of the PCT near the Washington border.

Public Transit Options in Oregon

Private Shuttles/Taxis in Oregon

  • Ashland Mountain Adventures services trailheads between Castle Crags and Hwy 140 near Crater Lake.
  • Cascade Shuttle is an Ashland area airport and local shuttle service.
  • Pacific Crest Bus Lines drops hikers off at the PCT crossing on Highway 140 and Highway 20 near Santiam Pass, but they do not pick up at these locations. Normal service also connects to Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend, Medford and Klamath Falls.
  • Shuttle Oregon travels daily between Bend/Sisters and Salem/Portland, crossing the PCT at Santiam Pass. They also offer charter services.
  • X Cab is a Bend-based outdoor recreation focused taxi.
  • Mount Hood Teleporter services Bend, the Redmond airport, Sisters and Portland.
  • Bridge of the Gods Shuttle services all area destinations, including Trout Lake and Portland.

Washington

Getting to the PCT Northern Terminus

We’ve got a whole page with directions to the Northern Terminus of the PCT. It explains how to take the bus, how to drive, and more.

Airports near Washington

Public Transit Options in Washington

  • Columbia Area Transit (CAT) runs between Portland, Cascade Locks and Hood River.
  • Skamania County Transit runs between Vancouver and the Pacific Crest Trail at Stevenson, Washington.
  • Mount Adams Transportation Service runs between Bingen/White Salmon (Amtrak) and Hood River (Greyhound, CAT). Call to see if rural service has space for other destinations.
  • Lewis Mountain Highway Transit services Packwood, Randle, Centralia (Greyhound, Amtrak, Twin Transit). They do not have a website. Their Facebook page is here. Centralia College has info on the bus here. Phone: 360-496-5405 or 1-800-994-8899.
  • Northwestern Trailways services much of eastern Washington and connects those communities to Seattle and Spokane. Their Apple Line is described below. The Spokane-Wenatchee-Seattle-Tacoma route includes an “on call” stop at the PCT at Stevens Pass.
  • Link Transit operates in Chelan County and services Leavenworth, Wenatchee, and Chelan.
  • Lady of the Lake is the ferry on Lake Chelan, connecting Stehekin, Holden Village and the town of Chelan.
  • The North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin runs the Red Bus between Stehekin village to the PCT trailhead at High Bridge.
  • TranGO services Chelan, Pateros, Twisp, Winthrop, Mazama, Okanogan, Omak and more.
  • Apple Line services Omak, Pateros, Wenatchee, and Ellensburg.
  • Skagit Transit has a line to Marblemount, west of the PCT on SR 20.

Private Shuttles/Taxis in Washington

  • Leavenworth Shuttle and Taxi offers a shuttle service to Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass.
  • To The Mountain Shuttle has regular summer service to Snoqualmie Pass, and winter service to Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass and Crystal Mountain.
  • Central Washington Airporter runs between Yakima, Ellensburg, Cle Elum, North Bend, and Sea-Tac but it does not stop as it crosses Snoqualmie Pass.
  • Mountain Motion services Wenatchee, Bellingham, Sea-Tac, Methow Valley, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, North Cascades National Park, trailheads, and public transit connections.

Canada

Entering the U.S. from Canada via the Pacific Crest Trail is illegal. If you are planning on entering Canada via the PCT, you must obtain a Canada PCT Entry Permit.

Getting to the PCT Northern Terminus

We’ve got a whole page with directions to the Northern Terminus of the PCT. It explains how to take the bus, how to drive, and more.

Airports near Manning Park, British Columbia

Public Transit Options in Canada

  • Via Rail Canada has a train line from Hope to Vancouver once a day with a stop in Chilliwack.
  • BC Transit oversees a number of small regional transit systems with buses from Hope to Agassiz to Chilliwack to Abbotsford where there is a local line that goes to within a couple hundred feet of the U.S. border crossing (or walk a mile from where the bus from Chilliwack stops). After crossing the U.S. border on foot into the town of Sumas, Washington, Whatcom Transportation Authority has a bus line to Bellingham, which has Greyhound and Amtrak connections in addition to the airport.

Private Shuttle/Taxi in Canada

  • Canadian Craft Charters has a shuttle service with a fixed rate for up to 14 people from Manning Park to Vancouver.
↑ Back to top