Pacific Crest Trail Maintenance Volunteers - California

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 California include Southern California (Mexico to Northern boundary of the Angeles National Forest), Southern Sierra (Northern boundary of Angeles National Forest through Yosemite National Park), Northern Sierra (Northern boundary of Yosemite National Park to southern boundary of McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park), and Northern California/Southern Oregon (Southern boundary of McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park to Windigo Pass).

Projects are dependent on the needs of the trail in a particular area. Volunteers in the mountainous terrain of the High Sierra may have a different experience than those in the desert landscapes of Southern California. 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/