huckepack

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail

Length

Stated
About 1,931 km, the stated length (Pacific Northwest Trail Association)
Map line
Not used: only 83 % matched on its weakest stage
Search
Compares this trail by the stated length

about1,931km

Ascent · descent

This trail
70,238 m up, 71,850 m down
Source
The sum of the 10 main stages (Pacific Northwest Trail Association)

70,238m ↑71,850m ↓

Difficulty

What
How hard the trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days
Scale
Easy to Hard, with the same thresholds for every trail; each takes its hardest measure
Keep in mind
It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get
  • Terrain: DemandingPath grade: ≈ T3
  • Climate: Moderate in Jul–AugHeat: 23 °C by day (August)
  • Effort: HardLongest day: ≈ 110 h (stage 7)

All measures

Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Moderate in Jul–Aug; Effort: Hard
Suggested
60–75days

Per stage

How
The 10 main stages' totals over their number
Source
Pacific Northwest Trail Association, so the averages come from one source

200.9km· 7,020 m ↑
Season

Landscape

Source
ESA WorldCover satellite land cover, along the main route
  • Forest: 79%
  • Grassland and shrubs: 13%
  • Farmland and villages: 4%
  • Water, snow and ice: 2%
  • Bare rock and sand: 1%
  • Moss and lichen: 1%

Landscape along the route

Mostly Forest

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons by Spenceregan7, trukdotcom, Jami Dwyer, BLM Oregon & Washington, brewbooks and Greg Schechter; each photo's licence in the gallery

Location

Country
United States
Regions
Montana, Idaho, Washington
Start
Chief Mountain Customs (Glacier National Park)
Finish
Cape Alava (Olympic National Park)
Route type
Point to point
Permit
Required
Travel hubs
  • East Glacier Park station (Amtrak)92.3 km by road · 74 min
  • Glacier Park International Airport (FCA)219.1 km by road · 169 min
Protected areas
Glacier National Park; Salmo-Priest Wilderness; Pasayten Wilderness; Ross Lake National Recreation Area; North Cascades National Park; Stephen Mather Wilderness; Mount Baker Wilderness; Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve; Buckhorn Wilderness; Olympic National Park; Daniel J. Evans Wilderness
Managed by
Pacific Northwest Trail Association, USDA Forest ServiceOfficial website
Waymarking
Most of the trail is not yet marked with signage, and the right combination of paths is often not obvious; the association advises carrying its strip maps, a compass and a GPS app.
GPX
GPX trackOur tracing from OpenStreetMap
  • Trail
  • By boat
  • Start
  • Stage start
  • Finish
  • Contour lines

Difficulty

Terrain

Rates
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot?
How
Rated over the whole main route.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Path grade
the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated
  1. EasyT1
  2. ModerateT2
  3. DemandingT3
  4. HardT4 to T6
Climbing
ascent of the main stages over their length
  1. Easyunder 15 m per km
  2. Moderate15–30 m
  3. Demanding30–50 m
  4. Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches
share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model)
  1. Easyunder 5 %
  2. Moderate5–15 %
  3. Demanding15–30 %
  4. Hard30 % or more
Natural ground
share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own
  1. Easyunder a third
  2. Moderatea third to two thirds
  3. Demandingtwo thirds or more

Demanding

  • SAC hiking scale

    This trail
    T3 (our estimate)
    Basis
    The association calls the trail rugged and harder to follow than other National Scenic Trails: bushwhacking through dense forest where no trail exists, mixed Class 2 and 3 scrambling in rocky areas (the Selkirk Crest, "the most rugged terrain found on the PNT"), cross-country travel, overgrown connector trails and logging roads, snow on high passes early in the season, a hazardous ford at Swift Creek, and on the Wilderness Coast headlands crossed at low tide or by steep overland trails and rope ladders. Demanding mountain hiking (T3) with some harder scrambles.
    Scale
    The Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard)
    Why
    Trails rate difficulty in many local scales, or only in words; we translate each into this one so trails compare
    Keep in mind
    An estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather
    T1 · Hiking
    Well-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
    T2 · Mountain hiking
    A continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
    T3 · Demanding mountain hiking
    The path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
    T4 · Alpine hiking
    Often no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
    T5 · Demanding alpine hiking
    Mostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
    T6 · Difficult alpine hiking
    Pathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.

    The scale at the Swiss Alpine Club

    estimated T3
  • Climbing35 m per km
  • Steep stretches6 % of the way
  • Natural ground63 %

Climate

Rates
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get?
How
From 30 years of daily weather (ERA5), rated per month. Without months picked: the trail's best run of at least two season months, each measure at its hardest month. Pick months in the search to rate it for yours.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Heat
mean daily high at the lowest point
  1. Easyunder 22 °C
  2. Moderate22–27 °C
  3. Demanding27–32 °C
  4. Hard32 °C or more
Cold
mean nightly low at the highest point
  1. Easy8 °C or more
  2. Moderate3–8 °C
  3. Demanding−2 to 3 °C
  4. Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days
days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points
  1. Easyunder 10
  2. Moderate10–14
  3. Demanding14–18
  4. Hard18 or more
Snow
days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point
  1. Easyunder 1 day
  2. Moderate1–3 days
  3. Demanding3–6 days
  4. Hard6 days or more
Wind
mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points; over land: a point whose 25 km weather cell is mostly sea takes the nearest mostly-land cell's
  1. Easyunder 15 km/h
  2. Moderate15–20 km/h
  3. Demanding20–25 km/h
  4. Hard25 km/h or more

Moderate in Jul–Aug

  • Heat · August23 °C by day
  • Cold · July5 °C at night
  • Wet days · July10 days
  • Snow · August0 days
  • Wind · July12 km/h

Effort

Rates
How long are the days?
How
Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end.
Level
The hardest measure sets it
Longest day
walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466
  1. Easyup to 4 h
  2. Moderate4–6 h
  3. Demanding6–8 h
  4. Hardmore than 8 h

Hard

  • Longest day · stage 7estimated 110 h

Climate

Days in season · lowest point
20–23°C
Nights in season · highest point
1–5°C
Wet days a month
9–10
Daylight
12.5–15.8h
SeasonDay high and night low−20 °C−10 °C0 °C10 °C20 °C30 °CWet days, at the highest point5101520Daylight8.7 h10.1 h11.7 h13.6 h15.2 h16.1 h15.8 h14.3 h12.5 h10.7 h9.1 h8.3 hJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Climate by month, 1995–2024 average
MonthLowest point, day high / night low (°C)Highest point, day high / night low (°C)Wet daysSnow daysFrost nights at the highest pointDaylight (h)
January7 / 1.5-6.1 / -12.515.814.2318.7
February8 / 1.3-5.1 / -12.412.210.828.310.1
March10.2 / 2.8-2.4 / -10.315.713.83111.7
April13.1 / 4.81 / -7.614.411.229.813.6
May16.5 / 8.55.7 / -4.114.2729.115.2
June19 / 11.510.3 / -0.514.23.418.816.1
July22.5 / 14.417 / 4.59.60.22.715.8
August22.9 / 14.916.9 / 4.79.10.32.414.3
September19.9 / 12.512 / 19.81.612.112.5
October14.4 / 8.23.8 / -4.912.59.127.810.7
November9.4 / 4.2-3.4 / -11.515.113.3309.1
December6.2 / 1.4-7.3 / -1415.213.5318.3

Climate by month

Source
ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, averages for 1995–2024
Places
The trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to their height
Bars
From the mean night low to the mean day high
Wet days
At least 1 mm of rain; snow days at least 1 cm of snow
Daylight
Sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month
Shading
The trail's season

Stages

RouteDistanceAscentDescentElevationTime
1Chief Mountain (Glacier National Park) Eureka, Montana243.0 km7,304 m ↑8,138 m ↓1,630 → 790 m81 h 00
2Eureka, Montana Bonners Ferry, Idaho (Kootenai River)159.0 km7,076 m ↑7,101 m ↓780 → 540 m58 h 45
3Bonners Ferry, Idaho (Kootenai River) Northport, Washington245.0 km9,291 m ↑9,639 m ↓540 → 420 m86 h 15
4Northport, Washington Sweat Creek206.0 km8,189 m ↑7,531 m ↓410 → 1,080 m72 h 45
5Sweat Creek Cold Springs (Loomis)159.0 km5,030 m ↑4,246 m ↓1,070 → 1,680 m52 h 30
6Cold Springs (Loomis) Ross Lake NRA (Ross Dam)192.0 km7,234 m ↑8,578 m ↓1,700 → 500 m68 h 45
7Ross Lake NRA (Ross Dam) Oyster Dome315.0 km11,528 m ↑11,999 m ↓560 → 640 m110 h 00
8Oyster Dome Coupeville113.0 km1,529 m ↑1,567 m ↓630 → 10 m32 h 15
9Coupeville Forks274.0 km11,325 m ↑11,256 m ↓0 → 80 m98 h 45
10Forks Cape Alava103.0 km1,732 m ↑1,795 m ↓70 → 10 m30 h 30

Totals and averages count the main stages only. On stage 9, from Coupeville (Keystone) ferry terminal, the way on is by boat to Port Townsend ferry terminal, not walked and in no figure (Pacific Northwest Trail Association); the map shows it. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 500 m), to the nearest 10 m; walking times from each stage's distance, ascent and descent by the German hiking standard DIN 33466 (4 km/h, 300 m/h up, 500 m/h down), without breaks.

Terrain

Highest · lowest point
2,294m high0m low

Gradient

Steepest climb
38 % (21°), 188 m up over 500 m, stage 7
Steepest descent
−32 % (18°), 162 m down over 500 m, stage 3
Gradient
Height per distance: 20 % is 20 m up per 100 m forward; 100 % is 45°, not 90°
Keep in mind
Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: steps and ladders within them are steeper
GradientAngleFeels like
10 %6°Noticeable on a road
20 %11°A steep path, slow going
30 %17°Very steep, often steps
100 %45°Scrambling

38% ↑−32% ↓

Steep stretches

This trail
53 km up, 64 km down: the darkest parts of the profile
Steep
15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), in 500 m stretches
Why it matters
Slow going uphill, hard on the knees downhill

117km

Surfaces

  • Natural ground: 63%, 1227.7 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
  • Gravel: 26%, 503.2 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
  • Paved: 11%, 203.2 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.
  • Unknown: 1%, 9.4 km. Stretches whose surface OpenStreetMap doesn't record.

63% natural26% gravel11% paved
200 m600 m1,000 m1,400 m1,800 m2,200 m2,294 mStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 78Stage 9100 km1943.6 km

Terrain along the route

Heights
Copernicus terrain model, 30 m grid, every 500 m along the main route; in forests it reads the treetops
Colours
Each 500 m by its gradient in walking direction: climbs warm, descents violet, darker when steeper (to ±30 %)
Ground
The strip below, from OpenStreetMap; the 42% without a surface tag is read from the way type (footpaths natural, tracks gravel)

Landscape

Forest79%Grassland and shrubs13%Moss and lichen1%Bare rock and sand1%Water, snow and ice2%Farmland and villages4%Stage 12Stage 3Stage 45Stage 6Stage 78Stage 9100 km1943.6 km

Landscape along the route

Source
ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite map
Points
Every 500 m along the main route; each takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground
Groups
Its eleven classes, folded into the six shown
Keep in mind
What the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there

Sleeping

Wild camping is restricted. Dispersed backcountry camping is free on the national forests (follow local rules and Leave No Trace); in Glacier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks camping is allowed only at the designated backcountry sites on the permit, and in the Puget Sound section only in designated campgrounds.

243.1 km without a bedCamping179Huts4Hostels3Rooms3Stage 12Stage 3Stage 45Stage 6Stage 78Stage 9100 km1943.6 km

Places to sleep along the route

Ticks
One per place to sleep: 179 campsites, 4 huts, 3 hostels, 3 guest houses
Counted
Within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail); no hotels or day shelters
Shaded
The longest stretch without any, km 222.3–465.4
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list closed ones, so book or check locally

Water & Supply

Clean water

This trail
243.1 km without clean water, km 222.3–465.4, stages 2–3
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Within 500 m: 22 taps, fountains and drinking springs, 8 places to sleep with drinking water, 126 refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites
Refills
Guests come first and many close out of season: ask, and carry a little extra. Places marked without drinking water are left out
Source
OpenStreetMap; the counts include the approach and variant, the chart shows the main route

243.1kmScarce

Any water

This trail
243.1 km without any water, km 222.3–465.4
Rating
  1. Frequentup to 10 km
  2. Regularup to 20 km
  3. Scarcebeyond
Counted
Clean water, plus the 7 springs within 500 m
Keep in mind
Spring water's quality is unknown: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer

243.1kmScarce

Shops

This trail
552 km without a shop, km 935.9–1487.9
Counted
36 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol station shops, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end
Keep in mind
Small village shops are often missing in OpenStreetMap, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one

552km
Water · 243.1 km withoutPublic drinking water · 1044.2 km withoutSprings (treat before drinking) · 792.4 km withoutRefills at places to sleep · 245.4 km withoutShops · 552 km withoutSupermarkets · 969.5 km withoutConvenience and general stores · 552 km withoutStage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 78Stage 9100 km1943.6 km

Water and shops along the route

Ticks
One per place along the main route
Counted
Drinking water and springs within 500 m; refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m; shops within 1 km, or 3 km of a stage's end
Shaded
Each lane's longest stretch without. "Water" counts every kind and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own
Source
OpenStreetMap: it may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally

Wildlife

Wildlife

Shows
Animals that can be dangerous to hikers on this trail: large animals, venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders, ticks, and plants that harm on touch
Level
Ours, read from the official source
High
A bite of a species it calls common can be life-threatening within hours
Moderate
It warns of attacks or serious harm, or places the trail in a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis
Low
The harm is mostly minor or treatable, or avoidable by how you behave
What to do
From the official sources: National Park Service, Glacier National Park; National Park Service, Olympic National Park
Pictures
Silhouettes from PhyloPic, not to scale, each maker named with its advice; the landscape is the trail's own, drawn by us

Grizzly bear and black bear HighCougar Low

Grizzly bear and black bear

High danger

Grizzly bears live along about 400 miles of the trail, from Glacier National Park to the Colville National Forest, and black bears along all of it but the 70 miles of Puget Sound; Glacier alone is home to nearly a thousand bears, and proper food storage is required.

If you meet one

  • Calling out and clapping at regular intervals are better ways to make your presence known
  • Carry bear spray. Be sure you know how to use it and that you are carrying it in an accessible place
  • If a bear or other animal is moving in your direction on a trail, get out of its way and let it pass
  • Back away slowly. Stop if it seems to agitate the bear
  • If the attack is prolonged, FIGHT BACK!

Don't

  • Never intentionally get close to a bear
  • Never leave food, garbage, or anything used to prepare, consume, store, or transport food unattended
  • Do not run!
  • DO NOT LET THE BEAR GET YOUR FOOD!

Advice: National Park Service, Glacier National Park. Level: ours. Silhouette: Abby Weber (Ursus americanus), PhyloPic, public domain.

Cougar (mountain lion)

Low danger

Cougars range throughout the Olympics; seldom seen, they are potentially dangerous animals, although attacks on humans are rare.

If you meet one

  • Keep your kids between adults and don't let them run ahead
  • Face the animal, stand upright, talk calmly and firmly to the cougar and give it a way to escape if you can
  • Do all you can to appear larger. For example, open your jacket and raise or wave your arms
  • Fight back if attacked

Don't

  • Do not approach.
  • Stop, stay calm and do not turn your back. Do not run.

Advice: National Park Service, Olympic National Park. Level: ours. Silhouette: Margot Michaud (Puma concolor), PhyloPic, public domain.