Pacific Crest Trail final stretch closed

The Pacific Crest Trail’s northern finish is closed, and for 2026 northbound hikers that means the last miles to Canada are off-limits. The Pacific Crest Trail Association updated its Ptarmigan Fire notice on July 31 and said the trail is closed from the Northern Terminus south to its junction with the West Fork Methow Trail at mile 2612.7. The closure includes the Harts Pass area, one of the main access points for the northern end of the route. Teton Gravity Research reported on Aug. 5 that the shutdown has blocked the final stretch for thru-hikers heading north. ### Which part of the trail is actually closed? The Pacific Crest Trail Association said the closed section runs from the Canadian border south to the West Fork Methow Trail junction at mile 2612.7. The notice says Harts Pass is included, and it adds that the West Fork Methow Trail is also closed and does not provide access to Monument Creek Trailhead. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest said its Ptarmigan Fire closure covers a wider set of roads, trailheads and trails in the Pasayten Wilderness. (closures.pcta.org) The Forest Service alert names Harts Pass Campground, Harts Pass Trailhead, Slate Peak Trailhead, Monument Creek Trailhead and a long list of connected trails in the Methow Valley Ranger District. ### What fire is driving the shutdown near Canada? Teton Gravity Research said the Ptarmigan Fire in the Pasayten Wilderness forced the immediate closure of the PCT’s northern terminus area. Its report said the closure cut off the final miles for 2026 thru-hikers and described smoke, zero containment and shifting conditions near the high country finish. (fs.usda.gov) The Forest Service said the fire closure was updated and expanded, and that the restrictions were put in place for public safety and to protect firefighting resources. The agency’s order says the closure took effect July 29 and remains in place through Oct. 30 unless it is lifted earlier. ### Does this mean every PCT fire issue is in Washington? (tetongravity.com) Oregon has a separate fire problem, but the PCT itself remained open near Mount Hood as of the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s Aug. 4 update. The association said the Grasshopper Fire is burning east of the trail in Mount Hood National Forest and that county evacuation warnings overlap sections of the corridor, though “the PCT remains open.” (fs.usda.gov) Outside reported on Aug. 5 that the Grasshopper Fire had threatened Mount Hood landmarks and ski areas, including Timberline Lodge, while affecting parts of the broader recreation network around the PCT. The distinction matters for hikers because the Washington closure blocks the northern finish itself, while the Oregon fire has produced alerts and nearby disruption without a full PCT closure in that section. (closures.pcta.org) ### What does this change for northbound thru-hikers? The Aug. 5 Teton Gravity Research report said hikers who had spent months walking north now face a stop short of the Canadian monument. The outlet said fire crews were sweeping trailheads and that access hubs such as Harts Pass had been evacuated. The Pacific Crest Trail Association says closures on the trail are implemented by government agencies, not by the association itself, and its closures page is intended as the current public tracker. (outsideonline.com) That leaves hikers relying on agency orders and PCTA updates rather than expecting a fixed reopening date. ### Where should hikers look before making plans? The Pacific Crest Trail Association’s closures page listed the Ptarmigan Fire as “closed” in Washington and the Grasshopper Fire as an “alert” in Oregon when accessed on Aug. 6. (tetongravity.com) The Forest Service’s Methow Valley Ranger District alert carries the operative closure order number, 06-17-04-26-27, and says the current order runs to Oct. 30 unless rescinded sooner. The next concrete updates are likely to appear first on the Pacific Crest Trail Association closures map and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest alerts page, which names the Methow Valley Ranger District contact as 509-996-4000. (closures.pcta.org) (fs.usda.gov) (closures.pcta.org)