Pacific Crest Trail Maintenance Volunteers - Washington

Join the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) for a day in the dirt, a weekend in the wilderness, or a stint in the backcountry!

Trail maintenance volunteers are a vital component in building, maintaining, and protecting the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), one of the first trails designated as a National Scenic Trail through the National Trails System Act in 1968. Our volunteer crew leaders and PCTA staff lead new and seasoned volunteers across the trail, which stretches 2,650 miles from Campo, CA (near the US-Mexico border) to Manning Park, BC (near the Canada-US border). Our work is divided into 6 regions, which allows our staff to work closely with community members and local volunteer chapters - PCTA regions in Washington include Central Cascades (Windigo Pass to Potato Hill) and North Cascades (Potato Hill to Manning Park, Canada).

Projects are dependent on the needs of the trail in a particular area. Volunteers working in the dense forests of the Columbia River Gorge may have a different experience than those surrounded by snowfields in the North Cascades Range. Trail work may include:

• Cutting and removing fallen trees to clear the trail corridor (trail corridor = like a tunnel through the woods, it includes all the elements of a trail affected by trail maintenance)
• Brushing the trail (brushing = removal of overgown vegetation, saplings, and tree limbs to open the trail corridor)
• Maintaining and improving the trail tread (tread = the area where people and stock walk)
• Maintaining and constructing structures such as rock walls, steps, or bridges

Most PCTA projects do not require prior trail maintenance experience, and we encourage all levels of experience to get involved. You will receive a training session by the trail crew leaders before you begin working on a project, including proper techniques and appropriate tool use.

View upcoming projects and register to volunteer on PCTAConnect: https://connect.pcta.org/volunteer/s/project-schedule

Find answers to frequently asked questions on PCTA.org: https://www.pcta.org/volunteer/new-volunteers/