Hiker Trash Haven Home Page

Follow the links below to find the maps you desire.  Download any or all that you may be able to use, absolutely free.  If you would like to aid in keeping these maps updated as accurately as possible, you're feedback regarding production errors or route changes will always be greatly appreciated by all who will use them.  Especially if you hike with a GPS, providing any GPS data point information will be of great help.  The entire trail has not been verified by GPS yet, and I'm compiling all the GPS data provided to me with the hope of eventually producing an online data book available free to everyone.  Simply e-mail maps@hikertrash.net with any changes or data you can offer.

UPDATE!!!  After being stalled by the 9/11 attacks nearly eight years ago, I'm finally heading back out to finish my PCT hike!  In preparation for hiking those last 187.1 miles, I finally completed the Washington map sections K and L.  I am taking a different tact in this latest generation of maps, however.  I am now producing the completed map page in PDF format.  This should alleviate any formatting and printing problems that existed in the past with the other sections that are posted in JPEG format.  Eventually, hopefully during this winter, I should have all the PCT maps completed and posted in PDF format.

Southern California, Sections A1-F13

Central California, Sections G1-M11

Northern California, Sections N1-R10

Oregon, Sections A1-G7

Washington, Sections H1-L9

This is the most accurate and useful map set for PCT hikers available anywhere at this time.  The most popular set of guide books, The Pacific Crest Trail in two volumes by Schaffer, Schifrin, Winnett, and Jenkins, available from the PCT Association's online store, provide excellent information about the trail and are a recommended purchase, but the maps are too small to use for orienteering or major side trips.  Of course, you could purchase USGS topographic maps, but at around six dollars each they would cost nearly as much as a complete thru-hike.  I'm using Topo USA v7.0, from DeLorme to produce a custom set of topographic maps which will include annotations for mile markers from Benedict "Gentle Ben" Go's Pacific Crest Trail Data Book, also available from the PCT Association, plus campsite, shelter, resupply, Post Office, and overnight town stop opportunities.  Although DeLorme is using the newest USGS National Elevation Dataset, and updated road data, their trail data is not always correct.  So, I've traced the correct PCT route manually when I've found their data to be incorrect, and have included popular side trip routes and alternate PCT routes.  The route you'll see on these maps has been verified by personal experience hiking the PCT, limited GPS data points provided by a number of hikers, USGS maps, and NIMA satellite imagery.  Additionally, a route profile and statistics such as gross elevation gain/loss and average grade are included on each map.  Final image formatting was completed using Adobe Photoshop Pro v6.0, and those images are posted here in JPEG format.  The maps are produced in 1:50,000 scale, and each map will cover a trail segment averaging about fourteen miles.  Map images average about 220 KBytes in size, and will print at approximately 7.5" x 10.25", at 150dpi.  You should be able to print these maps on any average quality color inkjet printer using 8.5" x 11" letter size paper or A4 paper.  Be sure to set your printer to print at maximum quality, which means slower speed, and set to use the maximum printable area.  As stated above, newer generations of these maps will be posted in PDF format for ease in formatting and printing.

Other sources for free, downloadable maps, although not customized, are:
        TopoZone - The Web's Topographic Map
        EROS Home Page, USGS Maps

Another excellent trail mapping program, offered by National Geographic, is Topo!  Although, this software is a great deal more expensive than DeLorme's software, and Topo! does not provide maps of the entire United States, as DeLorme does.  Professional sources for GIS and mapping software can be obtained through ESRI.  Green Trails Maps provides online sales of hardcopy maps of many popular trails.