I focused on how to get to the eastern trailhead at Chief Mountain in Glacier National Park. From Seattle I will hop on Amtrak’s Empire Builder Train which runs all the way from Seattle to Chicago. After not even one third of the way I will hop off at the small station of East Glacier, situated in Glacier National Park.
From the train station a hike of about 11 miles will take me to the Two Medicine Ranger Station where I will get my overnight permits for Glacier National Park. From there another hike of about 70 miles along the Continental Divide Trail will take me to Chief Mountain, the eastern trailhead of the PNT.
Getting to and from Cape Alava – the western trailhead of the Pacific Northwest Trail – is not less complicated. From Cape Alava it is a 3-miles-hike to Ozette Ranger Station and from there another 26 miles to Clallam Bay. From Clallam Bay it is possible to reach Seattle with public transportation by choosing a variety of busses.