Pcnst
Pcnst Trail is a 136.5 miles trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Goat Rocks Wilderness, Mount Adams Wilderness and Indian Heaven Wilderness and 1 other wilderness areas.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest 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 | 45.6615, -121.9065 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.2826, -121.5049 · 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 11 segments.
The trail
| Length | 136.5 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| National designation | National Scenic or Historic Trail |
| Trail numbers | 2000 |
| Forest | Gifford Pinchot National Forest (unit 0603) |
| States | Washington |
| 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.
Wilderness
- Goat Rocks Wilderness WildernessFS · about 21% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Mount Adams Wilderness WildernessFS · about 14% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Indian Heaven Wilderness WildernessFS · about 9% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- William O. Douglas Wilderness WildernessFS · about 1% 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
No season published Closed to All Motorized Use. Bicycle Use Prohibited. | 0 mi |
No season published Wilderness Regulations apply in Indian Heaven Wilderness. | 0 mi |
No season published Motorized & Bicycle Use Prohibited. | 0 mi |
No season published Pacific Crest Trail is closed to all motorized use and bicycles. | 0 mi |
No season published · listed temporarily closed Wilderness Regulations apply within Mt Adams Wilderness. | 0 mi |
No season published · listed unreachable Wilderness Regulations apply in Wilderness. | 0 mi |
No season published · listed none | 0 mi |
No season published · listed closed · <p> See video</p> | 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. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
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
- WildfireHigh Lava
16 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,899 acres · 80% contained
- WildfireGrasshopper
48 mi from the trail midpoint · 93,996 acres · 98% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Park units nearby
Historic places nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Pcnst Trail?
136.5 miles, the sum of the 11 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Pcnst Trail?
Gifford Pinchot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Pcnst Trail start?
The line begins at 45.6615, -121.9065 and ends at 46.2826, -121.5049. The nearest recorded trailhead is Trailhead: Trout Creek, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Pcnst Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Goat Rocks Wilderness, Mount Adams Wilderness and Indian Heaven Wilderness and 1 other wilderness areas. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Goat Rocks Wilderness Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Pcnst Trail?
White Pass Lake Campground (0 mi), Panther Creek Campground (0.1 mi) and Trailhead: Crest Camp (0.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Pcnst Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Pcnst Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Pcnst Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Pcnst Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Pcnst Trail?
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0603. The trail is in Washington.
Is there a fire near the Pcnst Trail?
2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest High Lava at 16 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 11 segments named PCNST in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0603. 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 September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.