Hiking in California

Piero Scaruffi

A suggested calendar | Bay Area hikes | Disclaimer | This year's log

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Read my suggested calendar before you jump straight to the epic hikes.
For each destination i usually list the easiest route for day hikers.
The pictures of these hikes complement these trail descriptions.

Northwestern California

  1. Mendocino region
  2. Mt Shasta via Avalanche Gulch (Mt Shasta, 20kms, strenuous, 4.322m)
  3. Mt Shasta via Clearcreek (Mt Shasta, 20kms, strenuous, 4.322m)
  4. Lost Coast (Garberville, 30kms, easy)
  5. King Range and Lost Coast (Garberville, 30kms, moderate)
  6. Feather Falls (LaPorte, 6kms, strenuous) - sixth tallest waterfall in US
  7. Devil's Punchbowl(Crescent City, 20kms, strenuous) - granite landscape
  8. Stuart Fork (Weaverville, 40kms, strenuous) - lakes and views
  9. King's Castle trail (Yreka, 9kms, strenuous, 2.800m) - great views
  10. Wilderness Falls (Crescent City, 20kms, moderate) - pretty falls
  11. Big Blue Lake (Yreka, 10kms, moderate) - pretty lake
  12. Salmon River South Fork (Callahan, 20kms, moderate) - pretty lake
  13. Canyon Creek Lakes (Weaverville, 20kms, moderate) - pretty lakes
  14. Preston Peak(Crescent City, 18kms, strenuous, 2.700m) - great view
  15. Seven Lakes Basin (Mt Shasta, 8kms, easy) - pretty lakes

Northeastern California

  1. Mt Lassen (Red Bluff, 7kms, moderate, 3.400m) - volcano
  2. Trinity Alps
  3. Sierra Buttes (Sierra City, 8kms, modrate) - great views
  4. Prospect Peak (Redding, 10kms, moderate, 2.700m) - great view
  5. North Emerson Lake (Alturas, 11kms, strenuous) - Warner Mountains landscape
  6. Summit Lake (Redding, 13kms, easy) - pretty lake
  7. Juniper Lake (Chester, 20kms, easy) - pretty lakes
  8. Indian Meadow (Chester, 10kms, easy) - pretty lakes

San Francisco Bay Area (See the full list)

  1. Pt Reyes coast trail from Palomarin (Bolinas, 28kms, moderate) - waterfalls, lakes, cliffs, beaches
  2. Muir Woods to Stinson Beach to Mt Tamalpais (Stinson Beach, 29kms, moderate) - great views, forest, beach
  3. Waddell Beach to Berry Creek Falls to Chalk Mountain (Big Basin, 25kms, strenuous)
  4. Portola Redwoods to Big Basin to Waddell Beach (Big Basin, 38kms, strenuous)
  5. Portola Redwoods Park to Skyline Ridge Preserve via Peters Creek Grove (Portola Redwoods Park, 28kms, moderate)
  6. Ohlone Wilderness from Sunol to DelValle via Rose Peak
  7. Fremont to Mission Peak to Sunol
  8. Abbott's Lagoon (Olema, 5kms, easy) - lagoon, sand dunes, beach
  9. Three Lakes (Fairfax, 9kms, moderate) - pretty lakes
  10. Murietta Falls (Livermore, 17kms, moderate) - tallest waterfall in bay
  11. Tomales Point (Olema, 10kms, easy)
  12. Sweeney Ridge (San Bruno, 7kms, easy)
  13. San Pedro Park to Montara Mountain (Pacifica, 12kms, moderate)
  14. Mt Diablo (Blackhawk, 15kms, easy) - great view
  15. Berry Creek Falls (Big Basin, 18kms, easy) - voted #1 trail in bay
  16. Alpine Lake to Mt Tamalpais East Peak (Stinson Beach, 12kms, moderate) - great views
  17. Land's End (San Francisco, 5kms, easy) - great views

Sacramento to Lake Tahoe

  1. Lake Tahoe rim trail (also this page)
  2. The Pacific Crest trail at the Echo Lakes in Desolation Wilderness
  3. Mt Tallac (South Lake Tahoe, 16kms, 3.000m) - the highest peak of Desolation Wilderness
  4. Velma Lakes and Dick's Peak (South Lake Tahoe, 30kms, 3.040m)
  5. Horsetail Falls and Pyramid Peak (Desolation Wilderness)
  6. Round Top (Mokelumne Wilderness, 3164m)
  7. Snowshoeing
  8. Sailor Flat (Auburn, 10kms, strenuous) - the American River
  9. Loch Leven Lakes (Sacramento, 12kms, strenuous) - pretty lakes
  10. Beyers Lakes (Auburn, 20kms, moderate) - pretty lakes

Central western California

  1. Monterey
  2. Condor Gulch to High Peaks to Balconies to Bear Gulch cave (Pinnacles, moderate)
  3. Pfeiffer State Beach (Big Sur)
  4. Partington Canyon (Big Sur)
  5. Sykes Hot Springs (Big Sur 32 kms, moderate)
  6. From Santa Lucia Memorial to Arroyo Seco (34/40 kms, strenuous)
  7. China Camp to Big Sur in the Ventana Wilderness (37 km, moderate)
  8. Junipero Serra Peak in the Los Padres National Forest (30 km, moderate)
  9. Bottchers Gap to Double Cone, Ventana Wilderness (50 km, strenuous)
  10. Bottchers Gap to Pico Blanco to Mt Manuel to Pfeiffer (32 km, moderate)
  11. Pfeiffer Park to Tin House Camp (30 km, strenuous)

Yosemite and Mammoth

  1. El Capitan trail and Upper Falls (Yosemite)
  2. Misty Trail to Half Dome (Yosemite, 24kms, strenuous) - waterfalls, great views
  3. Tenaya Lake to Cloud's Rest to Mist Trail (8)
  4. Ten Lakes Trail & May Lake (Yosemite, 38 kms)
  5. Tenaya Canyon (Yosemite)
  6. Mt Dana - second highest mountain in Yosemite (Yosemite, 19 kms)
  7. Saddlebag Lake to McCabe Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite, 40 kms)
  8. Mt Conness (Yosemite)
  9. Mt Lyell - highest mountain in Yosemite (Yosemite, 46 kms)
  10. Mt Warren - highest mountain in the Hoover Wilderness
  11. Mirror Lake to Snowcreek Falls to North Dome to Upper Falls (Yosemite, 26 km)
  12. Pohono trail
  13. Upper Yosemite Falls (Yosemite, 11kms, strenuous) - tallest waterfalls in the Us
  14. Cathedral Lake
  15. Tuolumne and Waterwheel Falls
  16. From Tuolumne Meadows to Saddlebag Lake
  17. Wawona to Glacier Point road via Chilnualna Falls
  18. Convict Lake to Lake Genevieve (Lee Vining, 26kms, strenuous, 3.300m) - pretty lakes
  19. Silver Lake to Waugh Lake (Lee Vining, 32kms, moderate, 3.000m) - pretty lakes
  20. Bishop Pass (Bishop, 17kms, moderate)
  21. Mt Ritter, Ansel Adams Wilderness (Mammoth, strenuous)
  22. Lakes of the Ansel Adams Wilderness (Mammoth, moderate)
  23. Mt Abbot (Mammoth, strenuous)
  24. Mt Morgan and Morgan Pass (Mammoth, 24 kms, moderate)
  25. John Muir Trail

Kings Canyon to Death Valley

  1. Mt Whitney/ North Fork (Lone Pine, 27kms, strenuous) - highest mountain in the contigous US, three lakes
  2. Mt Whitney (Lone Pine, 33kms, strenuous) - highest mountain in the contigous US, four lakes
  3. Mt Russell (Lone Pine, 26kms, strenuous) - not much shorter than Whitney
  4. Mt Muir (Lone Pine, 28kms, strenuous) - not much shorter than Whitney
  5. Mt Langley (Lone Pine, 33kms, strenuous) - not much shorter than Whitney
  6. Hiking across the Sierra from Roads End to Onion Valley
  7. Shephard Pass (Independence, 36kms, strenuous)
  8. Glen Pass and Rae Lakes (Independence or Roads End, strenuous)
  9. Telescope Peak (Death Valley, 22kms, strenous) - great view
  10. White Mountain (Bishop, 26kms, strenuous) - third highest mountain in the contigous US
  11. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (Big Pine, easy)
  12. Sphinx Lakes, Kings Canyon
  13. East Lake, Kings Canyon
  14. Alta Peak, Sequoia National Park
  15. Seven Lakes circuit
  16. Palisades glacier
  17. Thunderbolt via Bishop Pass
  18. Mt Darwin
  19. Mt Hawkins
  20. Mt Humphreys
  21. Evolution loop
  22. Souther Evolution loop
  23. Split Mt
  24. Edison Lake to Silver Pass & Goodale Pass
  25. Hiking across the Sierra from Lake Edison to Mosquito Flat
  26. Hiking across the Sierra from Lake Edison to Rovana via Italy Pass
  27. Hiking across the Sierra from Lake Florence to North Lake via Piute Pass
  28. Hiking across the Sierra from Mammoth trailhead to Devils Postpile
  29. Lake Florence to Lake Edison via Selden Pass
  30. My Brewer
  31. Lucy's Pass and Milly's Pass
  32. Mt Stanford via University Pass
  33. Charlotte Lake via Charlotte Creek
  34. Hell's Hole (Brown, 35kms, strenuous) - waterfalls
  35. Sirretta Peak (Kernville, 16kms, moderate, 3.300m) - views

Southern California

  1. San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek (Redlands, 20kms, strenuous) - highest San Bernardino mountain
  2. Cactus to the Clouds from Palm Springs to Mt San Jacinto (strenuous, 35 kms)
  3. Mt San Jacinto via Idyllwild (15kms, strenuous) - great view
  4. Sespe Gorge
  5. Buckhorn (Pasadena, 5kms, easy) - waterfalls
  6. Rattlesnake Canyon (Joshua Tree, 5kms, easy) - Wonderland of Rocks
  7. 49 Palms (Joshua Tree, 5kms, easy) - oasis
  8. Arroyo Tapiado (Ocotillo, 12kms, moderate) - caves
Most spectacular views

A selection of mountain trails

My favorite hikes in California

(in parentheses the degree of difficulty)
  1. Mt Whitney/ North Fork (9)
  2. Roads End to Onion Valley via Kearsarge Pass (8)
  3. Mt Williamson from Shepherd Pass (10)
  4. Sphinx Lakes and Pass (8)
  5. Mt Whitney/ Regular trail (8)
  6. Tenaya Lake to Cloud's Rest to Mist Trail (8)
  7. Pt Reyes coast trail from Palomarin (6)
  8. Mt Langley via Cottonwood Lakes (8)
  9. Florence Lake to North Lake via Piute Pass (7)
  10. Thunderbolt Peak via Bishop Pass (10)
  11. Mt Keith (8)
  12. Junction Peak (7)
  13. Caltech Peak (8)
  14. Mt Tyndall (9)
  15. Mt Russell (10)
  16. Silver Pass & Goodale Pass (8)
  17. Muir Woods to Stinson Beach to Mt Tamalpais (6)
  18. Golden Canyon to Zabriskie Point in Death Valley (6)
  19. Portola Redwoods to Big Basin to Waddell Beach (7)
  20. Palisades Glacier via Sam Mack Meadow (8)
  21. Split Mt (8)
  22. Mt Conness (6)
  23. Mt Lyell (8)
  24. Half Dome via Mist Trail in Yosemite (7)
  25. Waddell Beach to Berry Creek Falls to Chalk Mountain in Big Basin (7)
  26. McClures Beach to Kehoe Beach in Pt Reyes
  27. China Camp to Big Sur in the Ventana Wilderness (7)
  28. Three lakes to Mt Tamalpais (6)
  29. Loop from Sam McDonald Park to Portola Redwoods Park (7)
  30. Telescope Peak in Death Valley (6)
  31. Mt San Gorgonio (7)
  32. Ohlone Wilderness from Sunol to DelValle via Rose Peak (7)
  33. Land's End in San Francisco (4)
(10 = mission impossible, 0 = piece of cake)

Most spectacular views

  1. Williamson Bowl from Mt Tyndall, Eastern Sierra
  2. Mt Keith, Eastern Sierra
  3. Mt Agassiz, Eastern Sierra
  4. Caltech Peak, Eastern Sierra
  5. Crest of Mt Whitney's regular trail, Eastern Sierra
  6. Sphinx Pass, Kings Canyon
  7. Middle Palisade, Eastern Sierra
  8. Old Army Pass, Eastern Sierra
  9. Clouds Rest, Yosemite
  10. Glen Pass, Eastern Sierra
  11. Sentinel Dome, Yosemite
  12. Bishop Pass, Eastern Sierra
  13. Mt Russell, Eastern Sierra
  14. Mt Hawkins, Evolution Region
  15. Split Mt , Eastern Sierra
  16. Mt Ritter, Ansel Adams Wilderness
  17. Kearsarge Pass, Eastern Sierra
  18. Mt Tamalpais, Bay Area
  19. Mt Sill, Eastern Sierra
  20. Dewey Point, Yosemite
  21. Mono Lake from Mt Dana, Yosemite
  22. Glacier Point, Yosemite
  23. Dick's Pass, Desolation Wilderness
  24. Half Dome, Yosemite
  25. Mt Brewer, Kings Canyon
  26. Mt Shasta, North California

My favorite lakes

  1. Sphinx 3 and 4 (Kings Canyon)
  2. Cottonwood 4 and 5 (Army Pass)
  3. East Isosceles (Bishop Pass)
  4. Long Lake (Bishop Pass)
  5. Cathedral Lake (Yosemite)
  6. Evolution Lake
  7. Finger Lake (north of Middle Palisade)
  8. Ray Lakes
  9. Darwin Canyon (between Mt Lamarck and Mt Mendel)
  10. Garnett Lake (Ansel Adams Wilderness)
  11. Lake Mills (below Mt Abbot)
  12. Fontanillis Lake (Desolation Wilderness)
  13. Upper Kearsarge Lake
  14. Lake Fontanillis, Desolation Wilderness
  15. Mono Lake
  16. Potluck Lake (west of Potluck Pass, south of Scimitar Pass)
  17. Bass Lake (Point Reyes)
  18. Lake Tulainyo (Mt Russell)
  19. Middle Velma Lake (Desolation Wilderness)
  20. Lake Tahoe
Highest mountains in California

Easiest of the high Sierra:

  1. White Mountain
  2. Mt Morgan
  3. Mt Whitney's main trail (the high number of failures is only due to the high number of inexperienced hikers who try this one)
  4. Mt Langley

Toughest of the California mountains (that can be hiked without climbing gear), as measured in the number of hours it takes me from the nearest parking lot:

  1. Mt Williamson (11h)
  2. Mt Sill (10h)
  3. Split Mt (9h)
  4. Thunderbolt Peak (9h)
  5. Mt Russell (8h30')
  6. Mt Keith (8h)
  7. Mt Tyndall (8h)
  8. ....
By comparison:
  • Mt Shasta (7h)
  • Mt Whitney's mountaineering route (6h30')
  • Mt Whitney's regular trail (5h30')
  • Half Dome (3h)

Bureaucracy

"Red tape" has been escalating in all state and national parks, and even in National Forest. What is worse is that exceptions are no longer tolerated: the modern ranger is a Nazi-style police officer that is not interested in your story but just in punishing you for whatever trivial offense. Contrary to what you read in the papers, all these agencies (state parks, national parks and national forests) have a virtually infinite amount of money, and they can afford to hire a virtually infinite number of "rangers" to enforce a virtually infinite number of rules. The "wilderness" is rapidly being transformed into a concentration camp. If you care for the wilderness, write to your representative and/or senator demanding a 90% cut in the budget of these agencies. These are the only budgets that keep growing regardless of how the economy does, and they were already way too big 20 years ago. Ask that the money be spent to maintain roads, to build much needed public transportation, and to remove all fees from all national parks and forests (that are, after all, paid with your tax money).

General links about hiking

  • My pictures
  • Summit Post
  • Topomaps
  • Great Outdoor Recreation
  • Backpackers forum
  • National Park Service
  • Sierra National Forest
  • Directory of trailheads
  • Campgrounds in the Bay Area

    Most epic hikes of my life