PCT AT CDT

Only 1 in 4 thru-hikers finish.
Plan like the ones who do.

Trail-specific fillable PDF planners for the PCT, AT, and CDT. Real survey data, real resupply towns, real permit requirements — built for serious hikers, not lifestyle aesthetics.

See the Planners View on Etsy

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~25% PCT completion rate
20.6 mi PCT avg daily miles (finishers)
$10,149 avg PCT total cost (2024)
60% AT dropouts before mile 471
10 pages per planner, fillable PDF

The Planners

One planner. One trail.
Everything you actually need.

Each planner is built for its specific trail — not renamed and resold. Real section data, real resupply towns, real permit requirements. Buy the trail you're hiking, or get all three.

PCT
Pacific Crest Trail Planner
Campo, CA → Manning Park, BC · 2,653 miles
  • ✓34 resupply towns pre-filled with access method & notes
  • ✓8 PCT permits incl. JMT quota, Yosemite zones, Desolation
  • ✓16 trail sections with miles, windows & key hazards
  • ✓Desert water carry planning (Mojave section)
  • ✓Sierra snow season & ice axe checklist
  • ✓Trail wisdom + common mistakes from PCT survey data
  • ✓Fully fillable PDF — works in GoodNotes or Acrobat
$22 USD
View on Etsy →
AT
Appalachian Trail Planner
Springer Mtn, GA → Mt. Katahdin, ME · 2,194 miles
  • ✓33 resupply towns pre-filled with notes (Doyle Hotel, Shaw's, etc.)
  • ✓8 AT permits incl. Smokies shelter reservations, Baxter SP
  • ✓15 sections incl. Virginia Blues strategy & White Mountains
  • ✓100-Mile Wilderness food carry calculator
  • ✓Katahdin deadline tracker (closes mid-October)
  • ✓Trail wisdom + common mistakes from AT survey data
  • ✓Fully fillable PDF — works in GoodNotes or Acrobat
$20 USD
View on Etsy →
CDT
Continental Divide Trail Planner
Antelope Wells, NM → Glacier NP, MT · ~3,100 miles
  • ✓21 resupply towns incl. Pie Town Toaster House, Dubois, East Glacier
  • ✓8 CDT permits incl. Yellowstone campsites, Glacier NP backcountry
  • ✓15 sections with NM water carries & CO altitude notes
  • ✓Grizzly bear protocol checklist (WY & MT)
  • ✓Navigation decision log (trail is 70% marked)
  • ✓Trail wisdom + common mistakes from CDT hiker data
  • ✓Fully fillable PDF — works in GoodNotes or Acrobat
$20 USD
View on Etsy →
Best Value
TRIPLE CROWN BUNDLE
PCT + AT + CDT — All Three Planners
~8,000 combined miles · 30 total pages · Instant download
  • ✓All three trail planners in one download
  • ✓88 resupply towns across all three trails, pre-filled
  • ✓24 permit entries across PCT, AT, and CDT
  • ✓6 wisdom + common mistakes pages (2 per trail)
  • ✓Save $14 vs buying separately
$48 USD
vs $62 bought separately
Get the Bundle →

Inside Every Planner

10 pages built for the trail,
not for the shelf.

Every page is fillable. Designed to use on your tablet in camp or print and carry. No decorative filler — every page solves a real planning problem.

PAGE 1
Cover & Hiker Profile
Trail, name, direction, dates, permit number, emergency contact
PAGE 2
Trail Sections Overview
All sections pre-filled with real miles, windows, and key hazards
PAGE 3
Permit Tracker
Trail-specific permits pre-loaded with how-to-get and cost
PAGE 4
Resupply Master Plan
Every resupply town with access method, hours, and ship column
PAGE 5
Water & Weather by Section
Seasonal water reliability and weather windows, pre-researched
PAGE 6
Mileage Pacing Planner
20-week daily log with adjusted daily average calculator
PAGE 7
Daily Trail Log
Two logs per page with end-of-day checklist — print as many as you need
PAGE 8
Post-Trail Debrief
Trail-specific reflection prompts — Katahdin moment, Virginia Blues, border monument
PAGE 9
Trail Stats Dashboard
Real survey data by the numbers + Trail Wisdom callout boxes by section
PAGE 10
Common Mistakes Log
8 data-backed mistakes with checkboxes — verify your planning before you start

vs Everything Else on Etsy

This is a field tool.
Not a lifestyle planner.

ThruTrail Planner
✓Trail-specific resupply towns pre-filled (34 for PCT, 33 for AT)
✓Permit entries with exact how-to-get and deadlines
✓Real survey data: completion rates, avg miles, quit reasons
✓Fully fillable PDF — type directly in Acrobat or GoodNotes
✓Grizzly protocol, ice axe checklist, desert water carry planning
✓Trail-specific debrief (Katahdin moment, Virginia Blues, etc.)
Other Etsy Planners
✗Generic "trail name + distance" fields — fill in yourself
✗No permit information — research everything separately
✗No data, no context, no research baked in
✗Static print-and-handwrite only
✗Designed for vacation hikes, not thru-hikes
✗Generic "favorite moment" prompts that fit any trip

Trail Wisdom Preview

Research baked in,
not bolted on.

Pages 9 and 10 of every planner contain real hiker survey data and section-specific wisdom — the kind of thing that takes weeks to research and is now waiting for you on page 9.

PCT · Desert Section (Miles 0–700)
Desert Survival Wisdom
~1,256 mi
Average mile where PCT hikers quit — N. California. Most cite injury from early overuse.
Between Scissors Crossing and Paradise Valley Cafe, water sources can be 20+ miles apart. Plan for 6L minimum carry. Caches are unreliable — verify on FarOut before every stretch.
AT · Virginia (Miles 470–860)
Virginia Blues — Real Talk
60%
of AT dropouts quit before Damascus, VA (mile 471) — less than 20% of the trail.
Virginia is 550+ miles — nearly a quarter of the entire AT. The "Virginia Blues" are documented in every survey as a leading cause of mid-trail dropout. Identify your "why" before Virginia. You'll need it.
CDT · New Mexico (Miles 0–550)
Desert Start Reality
25 mi
Longest waterless stretch in NM. Springs on maps are seasonal — verify every source before committing.
New Mexico has the most serious water carries on any Triple Crown trail. Start in April. May brings heat exceeding 100°F. Most NM dropouts cite heat and water mismanagement as the cause.

Questions

FAQ

Is this actually fillable, or do I have to print and handwrite?
Fully fillable. You can type directly into every field in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) or import into GoodNotes / Notability on iPad. You can also print it if you prefer pen — it's designed to work both ways.
What's the difference between the individual planners and the bundle?
The individual planners are trail-specific — each is built only for that trail with its own data, permits, resupply towns, and wisdom pages. The bundle contains all three as separate files in one download. If you're only hiking one trail, buy that trail's planner. If you're Triple Crowing or want reference across all three, the bundle saves you $14.
How current is the data — permits, resupply towns, etc.?
The planner was built in 2025 using current permit systems, town data, and survey results. Permit fees and resupply availability change seasonally — always verify current conditions on PCTA.org, appalachiantrail.org, or FarOut before your hike. The planner gives you the structure and starting point; verify the details closer to your start date.
Where does the survey data in Pages 9–10 come from?
The stats are drawn from publicly available sources: the Halfway Anywhere PCT Hiker Survey (halfwayanywhere.com), The Trek AT Thru-Hiker Survey (thetrek.co), the PCTA's official visitor use statistics (pcta.org), and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's official thru-hiker FAQs. Each page cites its sources.
Can I use this on my phone or tablet on trail?
Yes. The fillable PDF works in most PDF apps on iOS and Android. For best experience on iPad, open in GoodNotes or Notability — both support typed text and stylus annotation. The layout is optimized for US Letter size (8.5 × 11 in).
What if I'm section hiking, not thru-hiking?
The planners work well for section hikes too — just use the relevant section pages and leave others blank. The resupply and permit pages are especially useful for section hike planning because the data is already there.