PCT: Gifford Pinchot
PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail is a 151-mile trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and motorcycle. 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 | 45.6623° N, 121.9007° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.2336° N, 121.5528° 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 17 segments.
The trail
| Length | 151 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Scenic or Historic Trail |
| Trail numbers | 2000 |
| Forest | Gifford Pinchot National Forest (unit 0603) |
| States | Washington |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
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
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 05/01 to 10/31 (month/day) |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| Motorcycle | Allowed 06/01 to 11/30 (month/day) |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Goat Rocks WildernessFS · about 22% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Mount Adams WildernessFS · about 13% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Indian Heaven WildernessFS · about 8% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- William O. Douglas 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
Trailhead: Trout Creek No season published Closed to All Motorized Use. Bicycle Use Prohibited. | under 0.1 mi |
Trailhead: Sawtooth No season published Wilderness Regulations apply in Indian Heaven Wilderness. | under 0.1 mi |
Trailhead: Forest Road 88 - Pacific Crest Trail No season published Pacific Crest Trail is closed to all motorized use and bicycles. | under 0.1 mi |
Trailhead: Potato Hill - Pacific Crest Trail No season published · listed temporarily closed Wilderness Regulations apply within Mt Adams Wilderness. | under 0.1 mi |
Trailhead: Midway - Pacific Crest Trail No season published · listed unreachable Wilderness Regulations apply in Wilderness. | under 0.1 mi |
Trailhead: Williams Mine No season published Wilderness Regulation s apply in Mt Adams Wilderness. Closed to All Motorized Use. Bicycle Use Prohibited. | under 0.1 mi |
Pacific Crest Tr North - White Pass Trailhead No season published | under 0.1 mi |
White Pass Day Use/Boat Launch/Trailhead No season published Wilderness regulations apply | 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
- Prescribed66Rd PCT Pile Rx - South
4 mi from the trail midpoint · 167 acres
- PrescribedOpal Piles Rx -South
4 mi from the trail midpoint · 73 acres
- PrescribedRed Top Piles Rx - South
5 mi from the trail midpoint · 42 acres
- PrescribedTyee Piles Rx - South
7 mi from the trail midpoint · 329 acres
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
Guidebooks for Goat Rocks Wilderness and Washington
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail?
The Forest Service records 151 miles under this name in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the sum of 17 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and motorcycle are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail start?
The line begins at 45.6623° N, 121.9007° W and ends at 46.2336° N, 121.5528° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Trailhead: Trout Creek, 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 PCT: Gifford Pinchot 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
Where can I camp near the PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail?
White Pass Lake Campground (0.1 mi), Panther Creek Campground (0.1 mi) and Trailhead: Crest Camp (0.1 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 PCT: Gifford Pinchot 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 PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail?
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0603. The trail is in Washington.
Is there a fire near the PCT: Gifford Pinchot Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest 66Rd PCT Pile Rx - South at 4 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 17 segments named PCT: Gifford Pinchot 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.