Long Distance Hiking Permit for the PCT
To hike the Pacific Crest Trail you are supposed to have a
permit. Last year I hiked from section K to section N and I never needed to
show anyone my PCT permit. I met a lot
of rangers and people that worked for the Forest Service but all of them were
friendly and didn’t ask to see any permits.
For this year I got my permit and one thing that I didn’t
expect was limited number of people the Pacific Crest Trail Association gives out permits for each day. For each day only 50 people are allowed a permit to start at the Mexican
border. When I went online to get my permit there were no open days in April or
May. That means that there are at least 50 people are planning to attempt the
PCT every day for 50 days straight. I’m not a mathematician but that is a lot
of people. I’m envisioning the beginning of the PCT being something like a mass
cattle drive.
If you still need your Pacific Crest Long Distance Permit
and you want to start at the Mexican border good luck because there aren’t many
free days left. If you are planning to hike the PCT in 2016 I recommend getting on
the PCT’s website and reserving your spot as early as possible.
Permit to Enter Canada
If you complete the entire PCT and get to Canada you will
need a permit to avoid complications returning to the US. There are no border
police or authorities on the PCT at the US Canadian border so you are required
to fill out a permit. I’m going to fill out the majority of the permit and send
it in later because I’m not completely sure when I will be arriving in Canada.
Because you are supposed to put an approximate date for entering into Canada and leaving, it's a little difficult to figure out
when walking there from Mexico and all. Some people might be able to but I’m just not one
of those folks. Also, you will need to bring your passport to get back into the
US.
http://cdn.pcta.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/PCT-Canada-Entry-Form-10.9.14.pdf
California Fire Permit
This is permit basically to use your stove on the trail and
is the easiest permit to get. All you need to do is go online, take a short
quiz and print it out. Since California
is experiencing a massive drought the majority of California forbids campfires
in the backcountry. I personally am planning to start off without a stove
because I will be carrying extra clothes in the beginning and I want to save
weight but I might change my mind and carry one later on.
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