Washington trails · Pcnst
Pcnst
A 41.2-mile network in Washington, with 2,787 ft of climbing. Reaches Elk Pass and other glacier/lake/pass destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 8,829 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Elk Pass (pass)
- Lutz Lake (lake)
- Tieton Pass (pass)
- Cispus Pass (pass)
- Ginnette Lake (lake)
- Sand Lake (lake)
- Sheep Lake (lake)
- Deer Lake (lake)
- Packwood Glacier (glacier)
Heads up
Getting there
WHITE PASS PCT SOUTH — parking nearby, water. 46.64370, -121.37900 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:52 a.m., the sun rises at 6:23 a.m. and sets at 7:46 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:18 p.m. (PDT) — 13 h 23 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 41.2-mile route works out to roughly 16 h 39 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Midway Connection + Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail + PCNST — 12.3 mi loop, 1,555 ft gain
- Nannie Ridge + PCNST + Walupt Lake — 12.1 mi loop, 3,293 ft gain
- North Fork Tieton + Hidden Springs + PCNST — 10.4 mi loop, 3,055 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Packwood Lake — 12.0 mi
- Pacific Crest - Naches_Central — 16.0 mi
- Eastside Trail — 16.7 mi
- Disappointment Cleaver Route — 21.4 mi