Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail is a 54.8-mile trail in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2 to 3, moderately developed to developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Desolation Wilderness and Granite Chief Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 38.6963° N, 119.9904° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 39.1562° N, 120.2511° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 7 segments.
The trail
| Length | 54.8 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed; 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Scenic or Historic Trail |
| Trail numbers | PC2000 |
| Forest | Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (unit 0519) |
| States | California |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Wilderness
- Desolation WildernessFS · about 39% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Granite Chief WildernessFS · about 5% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
Echo Lakes Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedFy27 Hemlock Rx
34 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedBig Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx
44 mi from the trail midpoint · 170 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Desolation Wilderness and California
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Pacific Crest Trail?
The Forest Service records 54.8 miles under this name in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, the sum of 7 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Pacific Crest Trail?
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Pacific Crest Trail start?
The line begins at 38.6963° N, 119.9904° W and ends at 39.1562° N, 120.2511° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Echo Lakes Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Pacific Crest Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Desolation Wilderness and Granite Chief Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Desolation Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Pacific Crest Trail?
Woods Lake (0.9 mi), Caples Lake Campground (2.4 mi) and Bayview Trailhead and Day-Use Area (2.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 8 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Pacific Crest Trail?
Trail class 2 to 3, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed to developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Pacific Crest Trail?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Pacific Crest Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Pacific Crest Trail?
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Forest Service unit 0519. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Pacific Crest Trail?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Fy27 Hemlock Rx at 34 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 7 segments named Pacific Crest Trail in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0519. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.