The Pacific Crest Trail, commonly abbreviated the PCT, is officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. The PCT is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie between 100 to 150 miles east of the Pacific west coast and traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. The trail travels between United States-Mexico border, near Campo, California, and the US-Canada border. From the Canada border, there is a path, which officially is not a part of the PCT which travels into Canada to the Windy Joe Trail within Manning Park in British Columbia,

The Pacific Crest Trail is 2,653 mi (4,270 km) long and ranges in elevation from roughly 110 feet (34 m) above sea level near the Bridge of the Gods on the Oregon–Washington border to 13,153 feet (4,009 m) at Forester Pass in the Sierra Nevada. The route passes through 25 national forests and 7 national parks. Its midpoint is near Mount Lassen close to Chester, California, where the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges meet.

The PCT was conceived by Clinton Churchill Clarke in 1932, it was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968 receiving official status under the National Trails System Act, and in 1993, the trail was officially completed. The PCT together with the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, are known as the Triple Crown of Hiking in the United States,

The Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail form what is known as the Triple Crown of Hiking in the United States.