PCT hikers detour to Joshua Tree

A small but visible group of 2026 Pacific Crest Trail hikers is adding Joshua Tree National Park to the start of a northbound walk instead of treating Campo as a straight shot north. (thetrek.co) The Pacific Crest Trail begins at the Mexican border near Campo, California, and runs about 2,650 miles to Canada. The Pacific Crest Trail Association said the Class of 2026 began arriving at Campo in late March, with hikers coming from across the United States and abroad. (fs.usda.gov) (pcta.org) Joshua Tree is not on the official Pacific Crest Trail route, but it sits within reach of Southern California trail logistics, especially for hikers already moving through San Diego, Palm Springs, or other desert transit hubs. A Pacific Crest Trail Association guide says Campo is about two hours from San Diego by bus, and a recent Trek essay described Joshua Tree as “relatively close” to Palm Springs at the end of a 151-mile desert section. (pcta.org) (thetrek.co) The detour fits a broader trail culture that treats some off-route stops as part of the experience. The Trek reported in January that many popular Pacific Crest Trail “side quests” are blue-blaze detours shown in FarOut, including Mount San Jacinto, Mount Whitney, and Yosemite side trips. (thetrek.co) That shift comes as the opening weeks of the 2026 season have pushed hikers to pay closer attention to conditions than to purity. The Pacific Crest Trail Association told hikers on March 27 that parts of Southern California were damaged by recent flooding, footing could be loose, and desert hikers should start early, rest at midday, and carry extra water. (pcta.org) Permits also help explain why some hikers are comfortable breaking the walk into pieces. The Pacific Crest Trail Association says its long-distance permit applies only to trips of 500 or more continuous miles, while other parts of the trail use local permit systems. (pcta.org 1) (pcta.org 2) Joshua Tree has its own draw. National Park Service figures show the park logged 2,991,874 visits in 2024, and park visitors spent an estimated $179 million in nearby communities that year. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) The Pacific Crest Trail itself already passes through seven national parks, but Joshua Tree offers a desert park experience outside the official red line. Britannica and the Forest Service both describe the trail as a 2,650-mile route through California, Oregon, and Washington, with national parks and wilderness areas shaping much of the hike. (britannica.com) (fs.usda.gov) Some hikers still prefer a stricter northbound start from Campo, where the monument at the border remains the symbolic beginning of a thru-hike. After months of access confusion near Mile 0, the Pacific Crest Trail Association said on March 27 that hikers could again visit the wall and take the traditional start photo. (pcta.org) For the Class of 2026, the early desert is looking less like a single line and more like a cluster of choices. Campo is still the start, but for some hikers Joshua Tree has become part of the opening chapter. (pcta.org) (thetrek.co)