I was unfortunately laid off 6 days after the close of registration for the first round of PCTA permits so I missed the opportunity to register for the first round, but I signed up for the second round of permits on January 8, and I actually already got a permit even though the second round permit release has not happened yet and every single slot is full. How did I do this?!
The Pacific Crest Trail Association issues 4,600 long distance wilderness permits for the PCT each year for NOBO (Northbound) hikers. This is ultimately 50 permits per day for the months of March, April and May that serve as a one stop shop for all the various National Parks and Forests permits needed along the trail in all the various parks and forests. You can still hike the entire PCT on local permits even if you don’t get the PCTA permit, it just requires a lot more logistical planning, so it’s worth getting the PCTA permit, which is also free, whereas some of the local permits require payments.
The permits are required in order to protect the land, and not have too many people hiking at the same time, because that can negatively impact wildlife and the ecosystems and put a strain on local resources. I don’t know how 50 permits per day became the magical number, but that’s what it is.
Based on my various calculations, my ideal start date is April 6, 2025. Part of the reason for this exact date is based on highly scientific and mathematical rationale, and the rest of it is complete and utter superstition. I need to leave early enough when it’s still cold(er) in the desert and give myself enough time to go at a slow pace and get up to speed (literally) in order to make it to the Canadian border by October, but I also need to arrive at the Sierra late enough that I won’t be hiking in dangerous conditions, so based on my estimated pace, early to mid April seemed to be the best time to leave. However, it’s bad luck to depart on a sailing voyage on Fridays, Tuesdays, the 13th of any month or Easter, with Sundays being the best luck day, so this left only two dates in April that I could possibly leave for the PCT, even though this voyage has absolutely nothing to do with sailing. But, in the same way that I would never keep items with an old boat name on board, I don’t want to jinx myself or have Poseidon or the wind gods mad at me even out in the mountains. Just in case. So, April 6th it is!
The first round of permits were released on November 15, but you had to have signed up before October 15 to get assigned an allotted time, which I didn’t because I hadn’t been laid off from my job yet at that point. During that round, 3,320 permits are released, or 35 total permits per day for every day in March, April and May with the remaining 15 permits per day being released in January. The day before the release, if you had registered by the deadline in October, you get assigned a time to login to the system and select your start date. I didn’t get assigned a time and didn’t get a permit in the first round.
However, I did still register for the second round basically the day after I got laid off from my job, which you had to do anytime prior to December 19th. On January 7th, everyone who registered before December 19th will get assigned a second round permit sign up time for January 8th, even people who already selected a permit in the first round.
BUT! Since I am now registered, I have been checking the portal every day for cancellations and I was actually able to snag, not one, but two permits at this point. The first permit date that was available was March 10. It was nice to get a permit, but that’s so much earlier than I want to start. But then I saw another permit for May 23 was open so I switched dates to that one, and my March 10 date was released to someone else.
There are several strategies here which one can take advantage of to get a permit for your ideal start date:
- Get your ideal start date at your assigned registration time. You lucky bastard!
- Start your hike on whatever date the hiking gods determine – AKA whatever start date you happen to get at your registration time.
- Get a date that’s later than your ideal start date and then change the starting location to where you would be on that date if you had started hiking on your ideal date. Hike on local permits up until that point. Example: Start hiking on April 6, but select Tehachpi as my starting location, which is where I will be around May 23. I would then only need to get a couple permits for those first 650 miles and would then be all set for the entire rest of the PCT after Tehachapi.
- Keep checking the portal like it’s your job. People are going to keep cancelling after the holidays and leading up to the spring. Just keep checking every single day, and you will likely be able to change your permit date.
Good luck my friends!
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