Trips

WHITE PASS to CHINOOK PASS: This 25.6-mile leg traverses meadows dotted with lakes to the Cascade Crest for pin-up views of Mts. St. Helens and Rainier. Anderson Lake, just inside Rainier National Park, makes for a stellar final camp.

CHINOOK PASS to TACOMA PASS: Sticking to a craggy ridge over countless passes and peaks, this 37.4-mile leg features full-circle vistas over the central Cascades.

TACOMA PASS to SNOQUALMIE PASS: Hike through a patchwork of woodlands and lakes on this 25.3-mile stretch stocked with blueberries and long-range Rainier views.

STEVENS PASS to KENNEDY RIDGE: This 40.4-mile leg serves up plenty of challenge and isolation: bottomless canyons, long talus slopes, and raging creeks add an extra edge to the overall beauty.

KENNEDY RIDGE to HIGH BRIDGE RANGER STATION: Climb the rugged topography around Glacier Peak then cross two passes on this 42.1-mile rollercoaster leg into Agnes Creek.

HIGH BRIDGE RANGER STATION to RAINY PASS: Wind along the roaring banks of a steep 1,000-foot gorge on this 18-mile stretch in North Cascades National Park.

RAINY PASS to HARTS PASS: This 25.6-mile ridge-to-river leg runs under a glacier-carved outcrop and its centerpiece, the 8,366-foot Golden Horn.

HARTS PASS to CANADA: The last 34-mile leg of the PCT might be one of the grandest, and possibly the least-traveled. In the remote Pasatayen Wilderness, hikers are the minority compared to the prized wildlife populations (grizzlies, gray wolves, lynx).

SONORA PASS to EBBETTS PASS: Curve between sharp ice-hewn boulders on this 27.2-mile stretch surrounded by red volcanic peaks.

CA 88 to US 50: Start at the headwaters of the Truckee River and get an early glimpse at Lake Tahoe before winding through lush canyons on this 12.5-mile section.

I-80 to SIERRA CITY: This 32-mile leg runs from ridge-to-river and offers incredible campsites.  Add a wildcard to this adventure by overnighting at a backcountry hut.

SNOQUALMIE PASS to STEVENS PASS: It's you and the mountain goats on this 56.7-mile stretch along the crest of Alpine Lakes Wilderness to colorful meadows exploding with paintbrush and tiger lilies.

This moderate 14.4-mile trek meanders through meadows teeming with wildflowers and delivers epic vistas one of North America's largest volcanoes.

OROVILLE-QUINCY HIGHWAY to BELDEN: Travel a scenic 16.3-mile rim route above alpine ponds to one California’s most isolated campsites under a canopy of red firs.

Find big views and small crowds on this 18-mile loop in the Marble Mountains that tops above northern California at a secluded lakeside campsite.

Every hiker's life list should include the 270 miles between Mt. Whitney and Sonora Pass. It may take a month, but it's a trivial sacrifice to make for the most unrelenting wilderness eye-candy you'll ever feast on.

I-10 to BIG BEAR CITY: This 48.9-mile segment offers plenty of crowdfree miles through twisty canyons, past wind farms and into fragrant fir groves.

BIG BEAR CITY to CRAB FLATS ROAD: Follow the forested high ridges across the San Bernardino Mountains to creekbeds tangled in sagebrush on this 21.6-mile leg.

Keep an eye out for horned lizards and other desert creatures on this 42.4-mile crest section.

SOUTHERN TERMINUS to BOULDER OAKS CAMPGROUND: From the US-Mexico border, begin this 21.2-mile leg with a traverse of Hauser Mountain's broad slopes before descending into the lowlands near Lake Morena.

Editor's Note: Wildfires forced our map contributor to abandon the PCT and jump ahead to the next section. We hope to collect details on this 57-mile section soon.

This interactive map is the next best thing to hiking the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. Check out the trail on seamless topo maps, aerial photos, or fly over the terrain by clicking on the Google Earth link.

This hike, a best-kept secret among locals, climbs 3,000 gritty feet to spring-fed conifers, aspens, and meadows in the Wasatch Range outside Provo.

This scenic 4.2-mile hike in the Blue Hills Reservation loops under pines and passes by a rare Atlantic white cedar bog, home to 17 endangered species.

Explore canal relics and tucked-away overlooks of the Mason-Dixon Trail on this 3.6-mile dayhike in Holtwood Environmental Preserve.

A 1,900-foot gain in 2 miles rewards with stellar views of James Peak on this 6.6-mile round-trip hike beneath the Continental Divide.

This 15.2-mile route runs over gemstone deposits of quartz and aquamarine to a rocky summit in the southern Sawatch Range.

String together three Sawatch summits on this popular circuit with long alpine traverses overlooking the Continental Divide.

Tour three 14,000-foot peaks (and one unranked 14er) on this loop in the Mosquito Range.

Rocky scrambles and a knife-edge ridge lead up one of the most challenging Fourteeners. Stellar views over the untamed Elk Range are endless.

This stiff climb to the tallest peak in the Elk Range offers unforgettable views of the Roaring Fork River and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area.

This 11.6-mile route wanders through a lovely forest, climbs wind-swept slopes and ends with top-of-the-world vistas on Colorado's tallest peak.

The long waiting list to climb the airy spine of Culebra (located on private property) makes this summit one of the hardest to check off your 14er life list.

A well-marked trail unfurls up this mountain and leads to sublime panoramas across a sea of granite and ice in the Sawatch Range.

Solitude rules on this remote trek through wildflower meadows to a skyscraping post above the rugged backcountry of the San Juan Mountains.

Trek up sparsely-covered slopes and a broad talus ridge in the Sawatch Range to an overlook with endless alpine vistas.

Escape the cars and crowds and take this 11.8-mile trip up the glacier-carved slopes of Pikes Peak, a legendary summit noted for its gold rush in the late 1850s.

Tackle the iron-stained slopes of two secluded summits to photograph pristine views of the rugged San Juan Mountains.

A stout 3,382-foot climb up scree-filled gullies ends with rewarding sights on this solitary Sangre de Cristo summit.

Bag a rugged fourteener on this 20.8-mile lasso loop linking shady evergreens and long sunny scrambles to a beautiful peak high above the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.

Drawn-out switchbacks lead past jumbled boulder gardens and old mining ruins to a sweeping finale above the high tundra. Post-trip bonus: Soak in the steamy baths at Princeton Hot Springs.

Traverse slippery shale and narrow sandstone ledges up this exposed pinnacle. Helmets recommended and a stomach for gut-clenching scrambles is mandatory.

The perfect prelude to the rest of Colorado's 14ers is this gentle 8.4-mile climb up talus slopes, past old mines to a broad summit in the Mosquito Range.

Link the bare summits of the Sawatch Range's southernmost 14ers for far-reaching views over the San Isabel National Forest.

Sample a classic stretch of the Appalachian Trail on this 11.5-mile route around a 1,000-foot gorge, with overlooks and eye-candy vistas of the Smokies.

Scale three lofty summits on this route in the sheer contours of the Sangre de Cristo Range, including the signature, knobby face of Crestone Peak.

Walk 8.2 miles through blooming rhododendron patches and towering hemlock stands to a double-spouted waterfall in Chattahoochee National Forest.

Hike 'Bama's longest trail to reach its highest peak on this 20.6-mile out-and-back near the southern anchor of the Appalachian Mountains.

This backcountry trek to two classic San Juan summits, serves up vertical scrambles, formidable ridges, not to mention miles of stunning scenery.

Grab your boots or hop on your bike to hit one of the Dairyland’s newer trails on this 11.8-mile out-and-back along an old railroad trestle.

Get away for a night or three on this 12.8-mile lasso loop that delivers you to the high reaches of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Link sandy hills with cypress swamps on this 3.7-mile tour of Little Ocmulgee State Park. Keep an eye out for gators and tortoises.

Earmark 3-5 days for this backcountry trek to a campsite in Chicago Basin, where you’ll have a chance to climb a cluster of three 14ers in the San Juan Mountains.

Lasso two 14ers in 3 hours during the most moderate (and popular) 5-mile ascent you'll find in Colorado's Front Range.

Find an oasis of thick cypress groves, lakeside coves, and nesting bald eagles on this 4.8-mile lollipop loop in Ray Roberts Lake State Park.

Wandering fom remote hollows to picturesque ridges on Winding Stair Mountain, this 13-mile loop in the less-traveled Ouachita country is a must-hike.

A leg-busting 8.4-mile round trip up Yale’s relentless southwest slopes culminates with soaring views over the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and Arkansas River Valley.

Sheltered camps with bugling moose. Coves with ancient rock art. A raging waterfall. You'll find even the portages delightful as you paddle this 38-mile, 3-day route through Minnesota's million-acre water park into Canada's Quetico Provincial Park.

Follow this popular route up a long, gentle ridge to gain intimate views of the Tenmile Range and the Continental Divide.

Two different routes climb to the summit of this craggy San Juan peak.

Travel 12 miles through dense evergreen groves and wildflower-dotted meadows to a lonesome fire outpost overlooking Boise National Forest.

This 8.2-mile out-and-back is rarely hiked. If your legs can take a stiff, 3,434-foot climb, the payoff is best-in-show vistas of Rainier and its neighbors.

Walk into a hikers' heaven on this 7.7-mile loop past waterfalls and through blooming meadows to a geologic hotspot of lava flows and active glaciers.

This 3-day, 29-mile loop around Mount St. Helens links old-growth forests to alpine lakes and meadows and offers a front-row look at the leftovers of this volcano's famous eruption on May 18, 1980.

This 9.6-mile overnight in the Russian Wilderness is pine-studded, alpine lake-riddled, and in-your-dreams beautiful.

Crave big views? Get your fix on this challenging 15-mile dayhike in the San Gorgonio Wilderness and bag SoCal's third-highest summit.

Where do the locals go? To the lovely waterfalls, big ocean views, and hidden ruins on this 4.3-mile dayhike in the Santa Monica Mountains.

This 22-mile Toiyabe Range loop offers a front-row vantage of vibrant aspen glades, crowdless peaks, and the frozen-wave geography of central Nevada.

Lazy folks drive to the top. Be a champ and hike the 7.8 miles from farm fields and hardwood forests to the highest summit in Massachusetts.

This 11.2-mile hike strings together the five summits of Colorado's second-highest peak where supreme vistas open over a landscape of glacial till and alpine lakes.

Big summit views, cascading waterfalls, and rocky overlooks highlight this 8.4-mile loop through the lesser-traveled forests of Maine's White Mountains.

Life on the old canal was tough, but you can take it easy as you hike or bike these pleasant, flat-as-a-pancake 8.7 miles in a historical setting.

Explore one of the last undeveloped shorelines in Connecticut on this 6.2-mile hike through Bluff Point Coastal Preserve.

This 4.4-miler winds through mixed forest, ascends rock slabs, and climbs to an exposed summit with endless views of New England.

Water is abundant here, compared to the arid high desert below. This 15.2-miler links fish-filled creeks with the forested hills of San Pedro Parks Wilderness.

Miles from anywhere, this 5.3-mile dayhike slides over sandstone mounds, into a shallow canyon, and under orange spires in the Needles District.

Quiet meadows, lonesome tundra slopes, and elk highlight this crowd-free summit tucked in La Garita Wilderness.

See for yourself why early explorers and painters adored these beautiful peaks. This trip highlights two classic routes to the double crowns of the Front Range.

The payoffs at the top are huge, but tricky, technical scrambles and advanced route finding make these photogenic peaks in the Elk Range anything but easy.

These challenging routes run through a land of rugged spires, swift streams, snowy gullies, and golden aspen stands. Experts: Connect the knife-edged ridge between Mount Wilson and El Diente.