As someone who has thru-hiked the PCT during the spring, I remember this section being very hot and dry with little water. The trail climbs up to near 5,700 feet near Liebre Mountain. The Ridgetop Junction concrete tank is at 5,296 feet is one of the highest points on this section and had some snow-though not enough to feel dangerous. I recently hiked this section and found some snow around the Sierra Palona Mountain Range. From the Acton KOA at mile 444.5 to Highway 58 near the trail towns of Tehachapi/Mojave, hikers can expect just a little manageable snow. Luckily, the PCT re-enters in the lower elevations in the desert giving hikers another good 100 miles of snow-free hiking. That’s one reason I’d advise backpackers to end their trip at Paradise Café, at least for the winter. San Jacinto can be quite dangerous in the winter-in fact, even during early thru-hiker season, it’s taken the lives of a few hikers. After Paradise Café, the PCT gains some significant elevation as it nears Mount San Jacinto, an 11,000 peak that develops its own weather cycle. Other than that, backpackers can expect temperatures must milder than the usual northbound thru-hiker experiences. Laguna may also have some more serious snow, although that section tends to be short. There may be a few flurries-and occasionally there can be a very big rain storm. 1 PCT Campo (Mile O) to Paradise Café (Mile 151.8): 151.8 milesįrom the Mexican border at Campo all the way to Paradise Café (mile 175) remains mostly snow-free during winter times. Luckily, big sections of the Southern California portion of the PCT remain snow-free or still accessible even in the winter. There’s a special excitement that thru-hikers get whenever they “return home” to the PCT. Here are a few of my go-to backpacking spots in California.Īs a thru-hiker, I’m always drawn to the Pacific Crest Trail. While Southern California mountains aren’t all sunshine and warmth (temperatures can get below freezing and snow, hail, sleet, and rain are all possibilities), a prepared hiker should be able to manage the trails listed below under normal October to March conditions.
Sure, the Sierra are covered in snow, but there are plenty of mountains, foothills, canyons, and deserts to explore during the wintertime. Lastly, it will discuss urban thru-hikes, which are accessible even in the winter most places in the world.Īs a Californian, one of the things I love the most about living here are the many places that are hike-able in the winter. Then, it will outline some of the more famous Southern Hemisphere thru-hikes, which experience summer when the northern hemisphere is in winter.
This story explores some winter thru-hikes in the United States. Sometimes, it takes a little creativity, but winter trails exist-even for hikers who won’t want to be on skis or snowshoes. Many backpackers desire a snow-free (or snow-light) trail where they can spend a week or more exploring from October through March. Just because it is winter doesn’t mean that distance backpackers need a break.