Overview of PCT Canada Entry Permit Program

For many years, the Government of Canada had a unique permit that was available to PCT thru-hikers that allowed them to cross into Canada, after reaching the border, not at an official port of entry. At the end of January 2025, Canada has terminated this program due to changes in foreign policy and relation with the United States. For more specific details, please read here.

Previously, there were 2 options of how to proceed after touching the border.

Option 1: Apply for a Canada Entry permit. If approved, it would be approximately 30 miles from Hart’s Pass Campground to the border and then 8 more miles (in Canada) to Manning Park, Canada. Manning Park, CA is where you could access larger roads and eventually make your way to Vancouver, CA and fly to your home destination from there.
Option 2: Hike the approximately 30 miles from Hart’s Pass Campground to tap the border, then turn around and hike the 30 miles back.

With the changes, Option 2 is now the only option. Coincidentally, this is the option that I chose to utilize at the end of my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 2024.

I had applied for the Canada Entry permit in Southern Oregon remotely - which presented challenges unto itself. Finding a printer, providing a wet signature, and rescanning these documents along with your passport was difficult while on trail. I finally heard something back from the Canadian government by mid-Washington and I had been approved for the permit. Several folks I was hiking around got denied, several times over, for small procedural things.

The reason why I chose not to use my Canada Entry permit was purely based on timing. Though I am sure hiking 8 miles would have been more easier than hiking the 30 miles back, I am so happy that I chose to end the trail the way I did. Note that when I got home, I called the PCT Canada Entry permit office in Canada to alert them that I had not used it. This helped with their data and knowing who is in the country or not.

Pros/Cons to hiking back to Hart’s Pass Campground

Pro: The 60 miles out and back was some of the most beautiful terrain I had seen across the entire trail. By doing this as a boomerang, you see these views from completely different perspectives. A few of my favorite photos from my PCT hike were taken on the 30 miles back to Hart’s Pass from the Canadian border.
Pro: Seeing and interacting with the other hikers! While heading towards the border, you are seeing people who have just completed the trail. There is a sense of accomplishment and celebration amongst these folks in addition to the ‘congratulations’ and other positive remarks between hikers. This also works the opposite way, that you will be seeing hikers heading towards the border while walking back. There were a ton of high fives along the way amidst the sentiment of pure joy. A victory lap, if you will.
Pro: Even with this program in place, it was not guaranteed that you were going to get a border crossing permit. There were many restrictions on the timing (apply between 6 months and 6 weeks out) and logistics (printing, signing with a wet signature, and scanning documents) were a bit difficult while on trail. There could be lingering unknowns about your terminus plans if it takes longer than expected to receive word from the Canadian government.
Pro: For northbound folks, this is the ending of a journey. This section has a lot of vertical gain, but by this point NOBOs are seasoned and strong. I would encourage NOBOs to think of southbounders during this section because this is what they are starting with. It gave me much more appreciation for the SOBOs tenacity in starting (and continuing) this thru hike.
Pro: Potential slackpack depending on how many miles/days you need for 60 miles therefore making the last bit of tough terrain easier.

Con: Logistically, it is more difficult to be moved to and from Hart’s Pass. This also depends on if the section before it is open or closed - it was closed in my case. It would be easier if you could just continue on from Rainy Pass through to the border, but this was not an option for me. The road from Mazama, WA to Hart’s Pass Campground is twisty and is a proper mountain road. Depending on the weather and road conditions, not all cars could get up to the top. There is no cell service there so prearranged rides will be necessary.

My Experience to and from Hart’s Pass Campground

Days: 3

Full hiking days: 1
Zeroes: 0
Neros: 2
Total Trail Miles Hiked: 61
Total Northbound Trail Miles Hiked: 30.5
Total Miles Hiked: 61.1
Trail Elevation Gain: 12,292 ft
Trail Elevation Loss: 12,292 ft

My two trail companions and myself ended up renting a car because the public transport was not on the timeframe we needed. We had planned to go to PCT Trail Days so there was a time limit for us with a quick hiking schedule. Even though we had the ease of a rental car, there had been a mudslide on Highway 20 which would have been the quickest way to get to Hart’s Pass. Because this highway was closed, it added approximately 2 extra hours of driving as we had to go across the state and up the east side rather than approaching from the west side. Be sure to check road conditions.

Our goal was Mazama, Washington. There was a hostel and a store there and this is the closest town to Hart’s Pass. I did not go to this hostel, but I know that it is a huge resource for hikers. We made our way up to Hart Pass Campground, which was up a much twistier and windy road than anticipated. We talked to a Ranger upon arrival and confirmed that our rental car was okay to be parked there for two nights while we hiked in and then hiked back out.

The plan was to hike in about 16 miles, which would set us up for a slackpack to the border. By hiking in 16 miles, we could slackpack the near 30 miles the following day (15 miles to the border and 15 miles back) because our sleeping items would remain set up. Therefore we would not have had to bring our tents and sleeping gear – which lightens the load significantly. This also saved time in the morning and in the evening by not having to take down or set up my tent/sleeping gear.

One of the biggest treats of the day was seeing hikers head southbound because they had already touched the border. It was a slurry of ‘Congratulations’ and ‘It is worth it to get there’ on both sides.

I arrived at the border by myself as Prick and Bags were a bit behind me. In a surprise Washington weather day, it was completely sunny and clear skies by the time I got there. I was gifted with 30 minutes alone with the monument. As someone who hoped and dreamed for this hike for literal years, it was overwhelming. I had an ugly, ugly cry for some time thinking about what the last 5 months of my life had looked like. There had been so many barriers for this hike getting off the ground before it even started. Then along the way there had been even more barriers that popped up. The sheer fact that I was standing at the Canadian border while having traveled from the Mexican border on foot was (and is?) still unfathomable to me.

I begrudgingly left the monument and headed south, bound for our already set up campsite.. The rest of the day provided great views – with a different perspective than before. It felt like a different 15 miles than I had already hiked because of this new direction. When I ran into hikers heading north, while I was heading south, I got to be the one to say Congratulations and other celebratory statements.

From this point there was 16 miles back to the parked rental car. This morning had relatively dense fog that obfuscated some of the views that I had seen 2 days prior. There was one amazing cloud formation that floated over a saddle between two peaks that was reminiscent of a table cloth. Similar to the day before, I ran into some trail friends heading north while I was heading south and I was so excited for them to finish their journey as well!

The miles came fast and the day flew by as the views continued to be delicious. Once I arrived at the rental car, I waited for my compatriots, and we drove down the east side of the state again to our next destination.

In Summary:

Though the change in the Canada Entry on the Pacific Crest Trail can be upsetting, I would encourage everyone to find the silver linings where they can. It is a gorgeous section to walk through (northbound and southbound) and it should be celebrated.

I’ve included some of my favorite photos from the southbound leg of my boomerang.

xoxo Kanga/Leeann