Picture this: a premier wilderness trek, summertime dips in the lake, and sleeping under the stars—all in the company of fierce women who love wilderness. This is a 4-day Backpacking 101 through Oregon’s share of the Pacific Crest Trail, a footpath along West Coast’s backbone: Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains. The complete trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, amounting to 2,650 miles, but you’ll be doing a 30-mile portion of it. After hiking through lush temperate rainforest with views of the Cascades and scents of wildflowers, you’ll set up your own camp and take a relaxing swim in crystal clear waters. Once you’ve felt the thrill of being off-the-grid, you’ll be planning your next backpacking trip before you know it!
Learn backpacking basics with a great team of outdoorsy women
Experience a portion of West Coast’s greatest footpath
Explore verdant rainforest, colorful meadows and mighty peaks
Backpacking is one of the best ways to unwind and get in sync with nature, but there’s a bit of a learning curve if you want to go out on your own. Join an expert guide and like-minded women on this 4-day tour of the Pacific Crest Trail—or rather, just one spectacular part of it—and learn all there is to know about backpacking. Find out about the preparation process, wilderness survival, Leave No Trace principles, camp setup, nutrition on the trail, and so much more.
Your backpacking adventure begins at your guide’s office, where you’ll meet the rest of your team. You’ll get dropped off at the trailhead, after which it’s just you, your guide and your group in the woods of the Pacific Northwest!
Meals: Lunch and dinner
During the course of your 4-day backpacking trip, you’ll traverse 25-30 trail miles (40-48 km) through lush temperate rainforest of the Pacific Crest Trail. Enjoy the views of Mt. Hood, stop and smell the wildflowers, and soak in the lake after a long day of hiking. Let your guides 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! This being a summer tour only means one thing: mellowing out at the lake and roasting marshmallows under the stars!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Tread the last few miles of the trail. After a challenging, but infinitely rewarding few days, say goodbye to your team and your guide!.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Oregon, please refer to Oregon’s COVID-19 resources and updates.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
No experience necessary—this is a beginner-friendly backpacking trip through a selected part of the Pacific Crest Trail! Your guides will teach you everything you need to know about backpacking. However, you need to be in good shape as you’ll be hiking up to 12 miles/ 19.5 km a day up moderate inclines while carrying a 40 lb/ 18 km (or an even heavier) backpack. Make sure you’re physically fit enough to keep up this tempo for four days.
Here’s a list of personal items you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Of course! You’ll need to bring your own 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!
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your trip cost.
To get to Portland, Oregon, most people fly into Portland International Airport (PDX). From there, you have a 15-minute drive to your guide’s office in Troutdale.
You’ll meet your guide and your fellow backpackers at the guide’s office, 121 E Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR 97060. Their office entrance is located below and behind the storefronts in downtown Troutdale. Turn left off the main street immediately after the “Gateway to the Gorge” arch to access the lower parking lot.
