Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail in the western U.S. running along the highest portions of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles from the Pacific coast. The trail's southern terminus is next to the Mexico–U.S., just south of Campo, California, and its northern terminus is on the Canada–U.S. border]], upon which it continues unofficially to the Windy Joe Trail within Manning Park in British Columbia; it passes through California, Oregon, and Washington.
The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,653 mi (4,270 km) long and ranges in elevation from roughly 110 feet (34 m) above sea level near the Oregon–Washington border to 13153 ft (4009 m) at Forester Pass in California's Sierra Nevada. The route passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks.[1] Its midpoint is near Chester, California (near Mt. Lassen), where the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges meet.[2] The overall elevation gain for the Pacific Crest Trail is approximately 489,000 ft (149,000 m).[3]
The Pacific Crest Trail was conceived by Clinton Churchill Clarke in 1932.[4] It received official status under the National Trails System Act of 1968 but was not officially completed until 1993.
The Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail form what is known as the "Triple Crown of hiking" in the U.S.[5]
The Pacific Crest Trail is also part of the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop.
Attribution
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References
- ↑ "Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail." Parks Directory of the United States. 2004 ed.
- ↑ Backpacker Magazine. Pacific Crest Trail: CA Section 31. Trimble Outdoors.
- ↑ Crater Lake: Reflections Visitor Guide. National Park Service (2022). Retrieved on February 26, 2024.
- ↑ Gally, Sid. The Pacific Crest Trail had its roots in Pasadena, Pasadena Star News.
- ↑ Berger, Karen (2001). Hiking the Triple Crown: How to Hike America's Longest Trails : Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail. Seattle: Mountaineers Press. ISBN 978-0-89886-760-2.