Planning a 2,650-mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail from the U.S.-Mexico border to Canada? Prepare to turn around.
On Monday, the Canada Border Services Agency announced it will no longer issue permits for hikers to cross from Washington鈥檚 Pasayten Wilderness into E.C. Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia, formally ending a long-held practice.
Instead of continuing eight miles north from the border to Manning Park Resort and the nearest road (where, presumably, a ride home awaits), hikers now must backtrack 30 miles to Hart鈥檚 Pass, outside Mazama, to reach civilization.
A CBSA spokesperson said the proposed change was in the works before the American presidential election and aligns Canadian policy with longstanding U.S. policy, which does not permit southbound hikers to cross into Washington.
An estimated 700 people completed the long-distance trail in 2024, per the Pacific Crest Trail Association. Trail information manager Jack Haskel said most prefer hiking through to Manning Park rather than back to Hart鈥檚 Pass.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 blue skies and conditions are great, most people aim to enter Canada as opposed to turning around,鈥� he said.
The move comes five weeks after the Canadian government announced a CA$1.3 billion (about $900 million) border security plan. Canada has already deployed 60 new drones along its southern border and will eventually install additional surveillance towers, X-rays and handheld chemical analyzers.
鈥淭he CBSA is working alongside its partners to support the national security and public safety at our borders,鈥� the spokesperson said via email. 鈥淲e operate in a constantly evolving environment and regularly evaluate our programs and operations to ensure we carry out our mandate to efficiently and effectively manage a secure border.鈥�
PCT thru-hikers 鈥� who already have to plan the logistics of resupplying on a multimonth hike, train for physical exertion and prepare for obstacles ranging from heavy snow to wildfires 鈥� are taking the decision in stride. Some see the extra 30 miles of hiking through the North Cascades as a 鈥渧ictory lap,鈥� a chance to high-five hikers still trudging north.
Ruston resident Amelia Ehrens got an inkling of the coming change in November, when her border-crossing permit application for this year was rejected without explanation. Now that the new policy is official, she no longer has to sort out the logistics of getting from E.C. Manning Provincial Park back to Washington, but she was looking forward to finishing her hike by crossing the border.
鈥淚 thought it was a really cool idea because you鈥檙e essentially crossing the entire country by foot and ending at the border of another country,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o have that trust to just be able to walk over the border without anyone checking was really nice, but I completely understand why, especially if you can鈥檛 enter the U.S. from Canada. It鈥檚 fair.鈥�
For the Pacific Crest Trail Association, the decision is 鈥渁 disappointing development,鈥� said Haskel, who hiked the PCT northbound in 2006.
鈥淭he opportunity to cross into Canada has been a cherished part of the experience for many people for decades,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I hiked across America, the final steps into Canada helped provide closure and a sense of accomplishment and also added to the bewilderment that I felt reentering society in a new place.鈥�
Finishing the PCT in British Columbia was also off-limits to thru-hikers in 2020 and part of 2021 during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, when Canada prohibited nonessential travel over the border.
One ancillary outcome of the policy shift: a heavier stream of hikers heading into Mazama, the closest U.S. town to the Northern Terminus.
Volunteer 鈥渢rail angel鈥� Mary LaVerne Garber-Williams will be ready to welcome hikers at her 2-acre property, Lion鈥檚 Den, which she has opened for the last three PCT seasons. Thru-hikers can pitch their tent and avail themselves of her hiker鈥檚 hut, equipped with a kitchen, shower and living room. She even does laundry 鈥� and offers the whole operation by donation to over 1,500 hikers annually.
With everyone who makes it to the end turning back around in 2025, she鈥檚 anticipating even more traffic this year.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 going to be extra busy,鈥� she said.
