The PCT is a climate tour with a permit attached. Desert, Sierra, Oregon, and Washington are different hikes sharing a name.
- Length. Commonly cited at about 2,650 miles.
- Permit. PCTA long-distance permit. In 2025 only 49.6% of hikers got the exact start date they wanted. Plan a window, not a birthday.
- Water. Early desert carries are the skill. Later, snowmelt and a different problem. 79% of 2025 hikers always treated.
- Sierra. Timing is the hike. Too early is snow and fords. Too late is heat and closures. Watch the year you actually have, not the year you read about.
- Who starts. 54.5% first long trail in 2025. It is a common first thru — with a harder logistics load than people expect.