Your guides offer both beginner and intermediate routes—this one is beginner-friendly. Beginner-friendly routes require good physical fitness and the ability to hike up to 10 miles a day over easy to moderate terrain with a 40 lb backpack. No backpacking experience is necessary.
Get a taste of the Pacific Crest Trail, a footpath along West Coast’s backbone, and learn the ropes of backpacking along the way. Over the course of 4 days, you’ll hike through a 30-mile portion of the Cascade’s subdued volcanic landscape with a stellar view of Oregon’s largest and most active volcano: Mt. Hood. Apart from gaining crucial skills for backpacking in the wilderness, you’ll have plenty of time to relax in the lake, smell the wildflowers, and pick blueberries.
Your backpacking adventure begins in Troutdale at the guide’s office, just 20 minutes away from Portland. You’ll meet your team and your guide there at 8 am. You’ll then get dropped off at the trailhead, after which it’s just you, your guide and your group in the woods of the Pacific Northwest! Get ready for a hike to remember!
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Although the Pacific Crest Trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, you’ll only be doing a 25-40-mile portion of it (40-48 km). Enjoy the views of Mt. Hood as you traverse lush temperate rainforests, and take a dip in the lake upon reaching your campsite for the night. Your guides will teach you the basics of backpacking: preparation and planning, wilderness survival essentials, Leave No Trace principles, campsite selection and setup, backcountry nutrition, bear-safe food storage methods, and more!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Tread the last few miles of the trail until you reach the point where you can get transported back to the city. Say goodbye to your guide and your team. If you’d like to stay a bit longer in the area, just ask your guides for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
Your guides aren’t able to tell you the exact section of the PCT you’ll hike in WA or OR due to several reasons:
There are 4 potential route options, and the final choice is made 30 days before your tour, based on the latest weather, trail conditions, and safety factors.
Included:
Not included:
While no backpacking experience is necessary (your guides will teach you everything), good physical fitness is a must! Participants must be able to hike up to 10 miles a day up moderate inclines while carrying a 40lb (or heavier) pack.
The importance of proper physical training cannot be emphasized enough! By arriving with your heart, lungs, and legs in top condition, you maximize your potential for a backpacking trip and your ability to enjoy the wilderness. When training, consider a well-founded routine that includes strength training, yoga or pilates, calisthenics, cardio, swimming, HIIT, and hiking with your full pack weight on.
You’ll be carrying group gear to ensure a safe and successful adventure. Part of backpacking is learning what you do and don’t need, and your guides are here to help you finetune your pack load so it will be manageable for you to carry on your adventure. Group gear will be an additional 5-10 lb to your pack. Keep in mind that you’ll also be carrying your own tent, sleeping bag/pads, clothing, backpack, etc.
There are several routes your guides have in mind, some totally beginner-friendly, some a bit more intermediate. Daily elevation gain won’t exceed 2,000 ft (610 m), mileage is typically 8–13 miles (13–21 km) per day, and you won’t go above 7,000 ft (2,130 m)—so altitude sickness isn’t a concern. Choose the difficulty that suits you best!
There are several routes your guides have in mind, some totally beginner-friendly, some a bit more intermediate. Daily elevation gain won’t exceed 2,000 ft (610 m), mileage is typically 8–13 miles (13–21 km) per day, and you won’t go above 7,000 ft (2,130 m)—so altitude sickness isn’t a concern. Choose the difficulty that suits you best!
Intermediate routes introduce more varied and demanding conditions, including water crossings of different sizes, dry camping without a water source, longer daily distances (30–50 miles total), and greater elevation gain and loss—often up to 2,000 feet per day. Riders can also expect rougher trail sections, such as sandy or rocky terrain, uneven surfaces, and increased sun exposure.
Read more about the required fitness and experience above.
Your guides aren’t able to tell you the exact section of the PCT you’ll hike in WA or OR due to several reasons:
What we can tell you: you’ll be on packed dirt, dirt with light ash, loose rock (pebbles to baseball-size), and duff. Daily elevation gain won’t exceed 2,000 ft (610 m), mileage is typically 8–13 miles (13–21 km) per day, and you won’t go above 7,000 ft (2,130 m)—so altitude sickness isn’t a concern.
There are 4 potential route options, and the final choice is made 30 days before your tour, based on the latest weather, trail conditions, and safety factors.
Backpacking gear
Clothing (all synthetic or wool; no cotton)
Hydration & cooking
Personal items
Optional
Leave at home
Of course! You’ll need to bring your own backpack, sleeping bag, and pad, and if you don’t have your own, there are plenty of rental companies in Portland—the starting point of your tour. You can rent from LowerGear Rentals, Mountain Shop, Portland Paddle, or any other rental company in Portland. Make sure you make arrangements in time. Contact us if you need any help!
All meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 4 are included, including snacks.
Your guides will provide a combination of meals cooked from scratch and pre-packaged trail meals and snacks. Upon booking, you will be provided with a waiver where you can notify them of your allergies and dietary restrictions. You are welcome to bring as much of your own food for the trip, as well as any other personal gear related to food preparation.
Service dogs are welcome on this trip, but just a heads up—weather and trail conditions could be challenging for canine companions.
Generally, non-service dogs are only allowed on private trips, and accommodation cannot be guaranteed for a non-service canine. We are happy to discuss this with you, but the final decision on non-service canines would be dependent on the safety and comfort of our guides and other trip participants.
Finally, your guides cannot take responsibility for the safety and comfort of dogs with respect to the outdoor elements.
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
If you’re looking to join an all-women version of this trip, check out our all-women backpacking along the Pacific Crest Trail.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
Yes, single tents are available for all participants by advance request, just leave us a note at checkout!
The starting point of your tour is your guide’s office in Troutdale, OR, jut a 20-minute drive from downtown Portland. To get to Troutdale, most people fly into Portland International Airport (PDX), 15 minutes away.
You’ll meet your guide and your fellow backpackers at 8 am on Day 1 a the guide’s office, 121 E Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR 97060. The entrance to their office is located at the back of the building (the side away from Historic Columbia River Hwy) in the lower level garage.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.