Gaia GPS
  • 7-Day Free Trial Gaia GPS Premium
  • Out and Back Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

      December 1, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

      January 21, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper

      November 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Planning a Thru-Hike Next Year? Here’s What You…

      October 21, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      A Definitive Guide to the Best Camp Coffee

      September 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Owls and UFOs with Ultralight Expert Mike Clelland

      September 9, 2021

  • Offroad Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

      January 25, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Monique Song: How a City Girl Became the…

      April 7, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      TrailRecon Explains How to Become an Overlander Overnight

      March 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Stay Married on a Long-Distance Adventure

      February 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Go From ‘Desk to Glory’ in…

      January 12, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia GPS’s Best New Overlanding Maps and Features…

      December 23, 2021

  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      OpenSnow Weather Now Available at-a-Tap on the Map

      November 9, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      New Edit Tools: Creating Your Own Routes Just…

      September 1, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

      August 30, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Meet Map Packs: A Totally New Way to…

      May 9, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Discover & Reserve Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

      February 22, 2022

  • New Maps
    • Backcountry Skiing

      New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

      January 11, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

      December 14, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Activate Snow Mode with Gaia Winter

      October 26, 2022

      Adventures

      Take a Trip to Baja California with Nat…

      September 13, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia Overland: One Map to Rule Them All

      May 24, 2022

  • Home
Gaia GPS
  • 7-Day Free Trial Gaia GPS Premium
  • Out and Back Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

      December 1, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

      January 21, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper

      November 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Planning a Thru-Hike Next Year? Here’s What You…

      October 21, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      A Definitive Guide to the Best Camp Coffee

      September 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Owls and UFOs with Ultralight Expert Mike Clelland

      September 9, 2021

  • Offroad Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

      January 25, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Monique Song: How a City Girl Became the…

      April 7, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      TrailRecon Explains How to Become an Overlander Overnight

      March 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Stay Married on a Long-Distance Adventure

      February 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Go From ‘Desk to Glory’ in…

      January 12, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia GPS’s Best New Overlanding Maps and Features…

      December 23, 2021

  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      OpenSnow Weather Now Available at-a-Tap on the Map

      November 9, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      New Edit Tools: Creating Your Own Routes Just…

      September 1, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

      August 30, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Meet Map Packs: A Totally New Way to…

      May 9, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Discover & Reserve Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

      February 22, 2022

  • New Maps
    • Backcountry Skiing

      New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

      January 11, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

      December 14, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Activate Snow Mode with Gaia Winter

      October 26, 2022

      Adventures

      Take a Trip to Baja California with Nat…

      September 13, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia Overland: One Map to Rule Them All

      May 24, 2022

  • Home

Pacific Crest Trail Maps Available in Gaia GPS, Starting with Washington

by Corey Buhay March 26, 2019
by Corey Buhay March 26, 2019

In 2017, renowned thru-hiker and mapmaker Lon Cooper (Halfmile) partnered with National Geographic to craft meticulously accurate maps of the Pacific Crest Trail. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve joined that historic partnership to bring you those same PCT maps in Gaia GPS.

We’re rolling out the maps one state at a time, starting with Washington. The NatGeo Pacific Crest Trail map layer currently details a 10-mile-wide trail corridor of the PCT as it stretches from the Canadian border to the Columbia River. In it, you’ll find everything from labeled terrain features and amenities, to points of interest, annotated mileages, and hand-curated notes from Halfmile’s original maps.

https://blog.gaiagps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ScreenRecording_01-11-2019-14-07-51.mp4

What is the Pacific Crest Trail?

The PCT traces the spine of the western coastal ranges, carving out a 2,650-mile trail that winds through some of the most storied landscapes of Washington, Oregon, and California. Traditionally, the trail begins at the California/Mexico border and finds its terminus at the Canadian border. In between, it connects desert, volcanic slopes, temperate rainforest, and the rocky alpine crown of the High Sierra.

The PCT was originally conceived of in the 1920s, and has since become the stuff of both American heritage and recent pop culture. Its length and variety makes it ideal for staging day-hikes and section-hikes of any shape and size, in addition to end-to-end hikes. These full-length hikes, called thru-hikes, take most people four to six months to complete. According to the Pacific Crest Trail Association, just 6,636 people have completed the entire trail.

Why National Geographic Maps?

National Geographic consistently sets the standard for quality and accuracy in outdoor recreation mapping. The NatGeo Pacific Crest Trail map is a perfect example. All information is fact-checked and reviewed by long-distance hikers, local land managers, and NatGeo’s own cartographic editing team. The layer also uses a trail-centered map format specially designed for long trails.

This PCT map stands out for its comprehensive campsite coverage. Unlike other maps, this one labels both official and unofficial campsites, and marks over-camped spots. If land managers report that a campsite is heavily impacted by human traffic and no longer recommended for camping, the NatGeo PCT map uses a grayed-out tent icon to indicate discouraged use.

How to Use the NatGeo Pacific Crest Trail Map

The NatGeo Pacific Crest Trail map source is available to any Gaia GPS user with a Premium Membership. To add, simply open the United States category in the map manager. Then tap the plus sign next to the NatGeo PCT map layer. Because NatGeo maps are extremely detailed, we recommend using this one as a primary base map under any of your favorite weather forecasts or feature overlays.

You can find other tips for using Gaia GPS to navigate on thru-hikes and extended backpacking trips here.

More to Come

Keep an eye out for Oregon and California PCT maps, which we plan to add in the coming months. When complete, this will be the second prong of the Triple Crown to be included in the Gaia GPS map catalog. (We added the full NatGeo Appalachian Trail maps in 2018.)

gaiagpsnatgeopctwashington
0
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Corey Buhay

previous post
Forrest Fenn’s Treasure has been Found
next post
See More Stars: Light Pollution Map from Gaia GPS

You may also like

How to Plan a Backcountry Ski Tour with...

January 26, 2023

Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

January 25, 2023

New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

January 11, 2023

How to Get Started Overlanding

January 9, 2023

Our Favorite New Maps and Features

December 23, 2022

2022 Mapped: Gaia GPS Year in Review

December 22, 2022

Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle...

December 14, 2022

How to Use Maps to Help Avoid Avalanches

December 14, 2022

How to Find a Christmas Tree Using Gaia...

December 1, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

December 1, 2022

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

Popular Posts

  • 1

    How to Read Topographic Maps

    July 1, 2021
  • 2

    How to Download an Entire State Map with Gaia Topo

    August 19, 2021
  • 3

    How to Save Phone Battery Life in the Backcountry

    March 25, 2021
  • 4

    Using Gaia GPS to Find Free Camping in National Forests

    March 9, 2022
  • 5

    Unlock Adventure with Gaia GPS on Outside+

    September 30, 2021

Categories

  • Adventures
  • Android
  • App Comparisons
  • App Updates
  • Backcountry Skiing
  • Boating
  • Company News
  • Emergency Response
  • Featured
  • Fishing
  • Gaia GPS
  • Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast
  • GaiaCloud
  • Hikes
  • How-To
  • Hunting
  • iOS
  • New Features
  • New Maps
  • Newsletter
  • Offroading
  • Out and Back Podcast
  • User Profiles
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • RSS

@2022 - All Right Reserved. Gaia GPS


Back To Top