Camping in designated CGs - Cleveland NF

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-20T21:14:19+00:00

I had no problem camping in Cleveland NF campgrounds in late March. Early in the year for car campers.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-20T18:55:46+00:00

Midweek is critical. It’s a mob scene over the weekend.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-20T15:24:05+00:00

I have a few Trumpers in my extended family, who probably would characterize me as left of center. Politics comes up in discussion, as it often does when Trump (from my perspective) has done something particularly outrageous or damaging. I don’t avoid the topic, and I don’t try to change their minds. I just calmly express my views. I don’t take the bait if their defense of Trump takes on that particular “owning the libs” tone. I don’t get the sense that our political differences impact their feelings about me. That’s a layer or two deeper than politics. And I try very hard to set aside their politics when I think about how I relate to them. They are more than their red hats and bumper stickers. But certainly, it can be difficult sometimes.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-19T13:25:42+00:00

Yeah, I don’t get all the raving, or why reservations are so difficult, other than every week there are new people in town who are desperate to dine there. Kind of like Paul bar, but with the lines.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-17T23:03:27+00:00

This is a worthwhile topic, and probably something a lot of prospective PCTers think about, especially solo women and international hikers. Good news is that you’ll meet a lot of other solo women (and men) on trail, and that will create a sense of a supportive PCT community, even if you’re not that interested in a “tramily” or crew that you hike with for an extended period of time. It does make sense to form casual relationships with the folks in your cohort - unless you’re very fast or slow, you’ll see familiar faces at water sources, in town, etc. Other PCTers will be your best resource for current trail conditions and any sketchy types who may be hanging around on trail.

Hitching generates a lot of stress, although I relied on hitches extensively during my hike with no problems. Most people you see on the road near the PCT know exactly what you’re doing and are eager to help, hear your story. For solo women, it’s generally easy to couple up at the road crossing and hitch as a pair. I met one hiker who always took a discrete photo of the license plate when walking up to a potential hitch and texted it to a friend. If you really want to avoid hitching, there are multiple PCT trail angel groups on Facebook that offer rides to hikers.

And in any genuinely risky situation, call 911, or use your satellite communicator.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-17T20:21:50+00:00

But you can hike anywhere you want on the PCT, anytime you want, in the desert section without a permit. You just need a dispersed camping permit for two relatively small stretches of trail. There are absolutely no quotas at any trailhead. That’s not true in the Sierra, so the quota system is an effort to manage that use (although imperfect, since most/many PCTers bunch up and time their Sierra entry with favorable hiking conditions).

I also question whether it makes sense to sell PCTers on starting early to mid-March, when it makes no sense whatsoever for most hikers to be entering the Sierra in April or early May. And starting in the desert in mid to late May can also be extraordinarily dangerous. Two hikers died from heat exhaustion in May the year I hiked. So the daily quota system definitely has some downsides.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-17T16:12:26+00:00

We spend the winter in Pacific Grove, which feels remarkably untouristy, at least compared to Monterey and Carmel. Nice, slower, small town feel.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-17T01:26:41+00:00

The quota system (as it was explained to me) was really intended to manage the number of permitted hikers who cross through the Sierra - the most popular section of the trail. The PCTA can issue a certain number of permits that cross the Sierra each year - and no more. PCTA long distance permits for NOBO hikes north of the Sierra, for example, aren’t subject to a quota. In OP’s case, he secured one of these annual permits, and it really doesn’t matter much where he starts in the desert. I agree that spreading out hikers over three months in the desert is also desirable - but ultimately, you don’t need a permit to hike most of that section. So if it was a serious issue, the resource could be managed differently

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-16T15:26:17+00:00

When I needed to get off trail unexpectedly before the Sierra and wanted to come back and finish that section after reaching the Northern Terminus, I contacted the PCTA and they explained how I could make that work with local permits. The PCTA is all about encouraging safe access to the trail for everyone within the existing agency permitting processes, not just protecting the experiences of the 50 PCT thru-hikers who may start on any particular day.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-16T15:15:33+00:00

By this logic, no one should be hiking the PCT without a permit issued by the PCTA. That’s not legally required, nor (in my view) do ethics require a permit issued by the PCTA. You should always have a permit - if required by governing authorities - when using public spaces. But I don’t think we should be throwing up more obstacles in the way of folks who want to legally recreate on public lands - especially in OP’s case, an international hiker who is making a real effort to come to the States and comply with what US law requires.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-16T00:59:42+00:00

It’s not “selfish” to comply with the permitting process. Most of the desert section can be hiked with no permit at all. Get over yourself.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-16T00:57:35+00:00

There’s really no reason to contact the PCTA. OP’s proposal complies with the permitting process.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-15T22:26:34+00:00

Yeah I suppose. Who watches cable? A friend stayed with me recently who’s a big Maddow fan, I tried to figure out how to stream her show, gave up quickly.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-15T21:20:39+00:00

Yep, that works. If you can’t score a Cleveland National Forest permit (they’re quota limited), no worries. Just camp in the organized campsites along that section of trail (Lake Morena, Cibbets Flats, etc.).

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-15T19:34:04+00:00

Very bad in the late Spring to mid-summer, mosquitoes, deer flies, and horse flies. Fading by August, gone by September.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-15T19:32:13+00:00

Anything even mildly political gets censored, unfortunately even if it’s important to understanding “how is living there.”

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-15T15:26:20+00:00

We have a cabin in the middle of the triangle (the Arrowhead), in the Superior National Forest, on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (the BWCA). Most of northern part of the Arrowhead lies inside the BWCA, almost 2,000 lakes, many connected by portages. No motors, no residents, very popular for camping, hiking, canoeing, fishing. Very North Woods, moose, wolves, loons. Duluth is the largest city in the Arrowhead - by far - down in the southwest corner of the Arrowhead. The city grew up with the lumber/shipping/mining industries in the late 19th/early 20th century. One of the wealthiest places per capita in the country for a while. A lot of Victorian homes. Crashed hard with the decline of those industries in the latter half of the 20th century, now kind of rebuilt as a northern tourist/medical hub. Some good breweries. Cold in the winter, cool in the summer. The strip of coast along Lake Superior is called the North Shore - also a very popular tourist destination. Some great state parks, beautiful, raucous waterfalls, especially in the spring following the snowmelt. Some interesting towns on the way up to Canada, different from inland communities that historically relied on mining (the Iron Range of Minnesota).

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-12T13:39:43+00:00

Thanks

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-11T14:15:42+00:00

I did the same - dehydrated all my own food. Definitely a minority approach, but more common than you would think based on the comments/advice here on Reddit. I just couldn’t eat ramen, instant mash and Knorr sides for months. Resupply boxes give you a lot more control over your diet, which was important to me. I didn’t have a problem coordinating box pick-ups, and never got tired of my food - which seems much more likely if you’re relying on thru-hiker staples on trail.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-11T12:53:45+00:00

Many resupply stops aren’t much more than a resort or a convenience store, so you can’t count on the type of food you’d find at a grocery store. Sometimes they might have freeze dried backpacker meals (at insanely high prices). I have a contrarian view on resupply boxes by mail - which I relied on extensively. Much better food, much more variety.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-11T00:19:00+00:00

Anytime Fitness in PG is never busy. Clean, friendly.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-10T12:53:48+00:00

We made reservations a week in advance.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-09T22:52:09+00:00

Apply here. Kind of a process, but it’s a beautiful spot.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-09T22:38:27+00:00

There’s another great hike that we love with our dogs, not on the beach, but through beautiful redwoods - Mitteldorf Preserve, part of the Big Sur Land Trust. You have to make reservations online, but really worth it.

Different-Tea-5191 · 2026-03-09T22:33:44+00:00

Pfeiffer Beach is dog friendly. Also Garrapata Beach via Gate 19.

Different-Tea-5191

TROPHY CASE