Pacific Crest Trail Hike Section Review: The Desert

Hello all! As I continue to prep for the Appalachian Trail, I can’t help but think about where I was at this time last year for my 2024 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. This has been a great time for reflection and while reflecting, I wanted to share some of the information I wish I had known. I started the trail on March 22nd, 2024.

I wrote individual section posts that go over mileage day over day (section by section), other statistics, and a narrative. If you are diving head first into what a realistic hike would/could look like, I’ve linked those below for easy access.

Remember that my PCT Desert Highlights/Lowlights are completely subjective to my experience. No one’s experience will look exactly the same.

I’ve tried to list out as much town information as I remember and can recommend. Please reach out (email and socials below) if you have any specific questions about a location.

I’m so excited for your journey!

Individual Section Posts:

PCT Desert Highlights:

Starting my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail after years of dreaming.
Feeling confident that I did enough training and my body feels strong - minus my feet.
Getting good sleep on the trail, which was one of my biggest concerns.
The town stops were always a treat!
Pushing myself physically and mentally more than I ever thought I could.
Finding a community on trail of like minded people that offered more support than I realized I needed.
- Specifically finding someone on Day 2 that I would hike the entirety of the desert with - Bobcat!
Getting my trail name that I love; Kanga!
Arriving at Kennedy Meadows South after completing the section I was most scared of on the Pacific Crest Trail.

PCT Desert Lowlights:

The weather and the consistent storm systems for the first 4 weeks that forced zero days.
Lower average daily mileage than originally planned/hoped.
Forced to switch out gear based on poor performance despite my best efforts of research.
My feet! I struggled with debilitating blisters and general below the ankle injuries (achilles) the entire way through the desert.
Getting a tick bite, which I got antibiotics for, which lead to me being sick for 10 days. Hiking while fighting a respiratory illness was not fun.
The wind farms. (One of the only times I almost quit the trail)

Town Stops in the Desert

Here I’ve outlined all of the town stops I made while in the desert and included things I would recommend. If you see something on here missing, i.e. accommodation or a restaurant, it is because I do not recommend it and therefore will not be mentioning it. Please note that weather forced me to take a lot of time off in towns so I feel like I experienced them more than I originally thought I would.

Julian (Section A)
- Food: Mom’s Pie House! They had a gluten free option for me, which was a delight. Julie Cafe + Bakery served some solid breakfasts that any hiker would love.
- Post Office: It is close in town and has sweet postal workers that helped me plan my first box.
- Laundry: Though my accommodation advertised ‘hiker laundry’, I was told that the only laundry facilities were industrial grade and would ruin my clothes. I did bathtub laundry and drying my items was a mess with the humidity from the storms.
- Resupply: Resupply options are limited and expensive, small shops that have the basics but if you have any dietary restrictions (me) - this is a hard one. I primarily resupplied at 2 Foot Adventures who also coordinated my ride back to the trail.
Warner Springs (Section A/B)
- Post Office: Off trail, but easy to access. The Post Master is a hoot - say hi to Wally!
Idyllwild (Section B)
- Food: Red Kettle had great hiker sized portions for breakfast!
- Post Office: Conveniently located in town.
- Resupply: Near the Post Office, Fairway Market, has most things you would need.
- Laundry: The laundromat in town that was clean, but expensive.
- Extra Curriculars: Do meet Mayor Max! Check his meet and greet times.
Big Bear Lake (Section C)
- Food: Teddy Bear Restaurant (cash only) was good for breakfast. El Jacalito Grill had delicious food and a margarita the size of my head.
- Post Office: Conveniently located and had more hours than I thought.
- Resupply: Big Bear Sporting Goods was the highlight though. It has a great hiker section that has obviously been curated with PCT hikers in mind. Resupply was a little out of the way and required an uber (Vons), but there are several stores in that area so you will be able to find everything you need.
- Laundry: The laundromat was clean and was overall fine.
Cajon Pass/Cajon Junction (Section C/D)
- Other chores: I only stopped here to get my tick medication from a nearby town. My accommodation had laundry and that was about the only positive thing I will say :)
Wrightwood (Section D)
- Food: Wrightwood Brewery was a highlight. Such a great community spot that loves hikers. Mile High pizza was delicious and had gluten free options!
- Resupply & Post Office: No Post Office so Mountain Hardware is the hiker spot! They accept packages and have hiker specific resupply items that you may need. I cannot say enough great things about Mountain Hardware. There was a grocery store that had all other items, though very expensive.
- Laundry: My accommodation had laundry, so I utilized that.
Agua Dulce (Section D/E)
- Accommodation: Serenity’s Oasis. This is a family run hiker service that allowed hikers to set up in their yard.
- Food: Maria Bonita was good Mexican food and accommodated our large group of 9 easily.
- Post Office: Serenity’s Oasis accepted hiker packages ($)
- Laundry: Serenity’s Oasis had laundry on site.
HikerTown (Section E)
- Accommodation: I just camped here and used no other services. Good jumping off point for the LA Aqueduct.
Tehachapi (Section E/F)
- Accommodation: Fairfield Inn & Suites was lovely. Breakfast buffet in the morning was perfect for my hunger. Bathtub was also big enough for me to do the bathtub method of fixing holes in my sleeping pad. Laundry facilities were on site, so I utilized that
- Food: ThaiHachapi was delicious and the name cannot be beat. TK Pizza & Pasta was a great brewery and had gluten free options for me - Hallelujah!
- Post Office was on the other side of town, but is an overall easy walk. I got hitches with Post Office patrons both times when heading back to town.
- Resupply: Walmart was within walking distance and offered a lot of resupply options.
Ridgecrest (Section F/G)
- Accommodation: Springhill Suites was great. Another breakfast buffet, another happy hiker. Laundry facilities were on site, so I utilized that
- Food: Casa Corona served some great Mexican food; tortilla chips and margaritas were in my trail fantasies often.
- Post Office: Conveniently located in the middle of town on the main road.
- Resupply: Though there is a Walmart, I chose Stater Bros Market as it was closer to my hotel.
- Extra: There is also a (relatively elusive) shuttle that picks you up to bring you back to Walker Pass near the Post Office.

My favorite desert town stop: Wrightwood!

*Note that California Section G does include the first bit of the Sierra Nevada, but I will stop my commentary at mile 703 aka Kennedy Meadows. Kennedy Meadows and the preparation for the Sierra Nevada will be included in that section review.

Advice to new hikers:

Enjoy every day and the feeling that comes from the freedom of thru-hiking. This doesn’t mean it will be easy - in fact it will be hard - but in those tough times, zoom out and see what you are doing is brave.
Embrace the difficult moments. This is where you grow.
Be kind to your body. You are asking it to do things that it has never done before (assuming this is your first thru).
Take your time, you can push big miles later on.
Be adaptable. Things will go wrong. Even the best laid plans end up getting changed.
Don’t think about Canada too much, this is overwhelming. Just get to the next town. This will make the 2600+ miles feel more digestible.
Remember your ‘Why’.

Here are some of my favorite Desert memories in photos below.

xoxo Kanga/Leeann