Top Backpacking Trails in California
19 routes. Each page shows when we last checked it. Updated October 2026.
California’s backpacking on this site spans four regions: the Sierra Nevada, the northern mountains, the coast, and Southern California. Most trips are in the Sierra, from the Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon and the overnight route up Mount Whitney to shorter alpine trips such as Little Lakes Valley and Echo Lakes to Lake Aloha. These are granite-and-lake routes at high elevation, mostly hiked in summer and early fall, and most of them use quota permits reserved through Recreation.gov.
Farther north, the Trinity Alps and Marble Mountain Wilderness are national forest trips with dispersed camping and lighter permit systems, and Lassen Volcanic adds a loop past Cinder Cone. On the coast, the Lost Coast Trail is a beach route with three sections that can’t be passed at high tide, while Point Reyes and Henry W. Coe State Park offer reserved or designated camps closer to the Bay Area. In the south, the Trans-Catalina Trail, San Gorgonio, San Jacinto, and Joshua Tree’s Boy Scout Trail mostly use designated campsites, and heat and scarce water are the main concerns.
Bear canisters are required on many trips, and on many federal lands a California Campfire Permit is needed even to run a stove. Fire closures and seasonal fire restrictions are common, so check the managing agency’s alerts before any California trip.
Quick picks
- Best for beginners: Little Lakes Valley to Gem Lakes
- Longest trip: Rae Lakes Loop
- Beach backpacking: Lost Coast Trail (Mattole to Black Sands Beach)
- Waterfall overnight: Point Reyes Coast Trail to Wildcat Camp
- Desert trip: Boy Scout Trail (Joshua Tree National Park)
California Coast
- Henry W. Coe State Park: Coe Ranch to Mississippi Lake Henry W. Coe State Park, California State Parks (Coe Ranch Entrance, east of Morgan Hill) 24 miles Hard Designated sites in the western area; dispersed in outlying zones; first-come permit
- Lost Coast Trail (Mattole to Black Sands Beach) King Range Wilderness, King Range National Conservation Area, Bureau of Land Management (Humboldt County) 24.6 miles Hard Beach and creek-mouth camping with a wilderness permit
- Point Reyes Coast Trail to Wildcat Camp Phillip Burton Wilderness, Point Reyes National Seashore (Palomarin Trailhead, near Bolinas) 11.2 miles Moderate Reserved hike-in campground (Recreation.gov)
Northern California
- Butte Lake, Snag Lake, and Cinder Cone Loop (Lassen Volcanic) Lassen Volcanic National Park, National Park Service (Butte Lake, northeast corner of the park) 12.5 miles Hard Backcountry camping by zone; wilderness permit required (no quota)
- Canyon Creek Lakes (Trinity Alps Wilderness) Trinity Alps Wilderness, Shasta-Trinity National Forest (Canyon Creek Road, north of Junction City) 15.6 miles Hard Wilderness camping with a free, self-issued permit (no quota)
- Sky High Lakes Loop from Lovers Camp (Marble Mountain Wilderness) Marble Mountain Wilderness, Klamath National Forest (Lovers Camp, near Fort Jones) 15 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping; no wilderness permit required (California Campfire Permit needed for stoves)
Sierra Nevada
- Big Pine Lakes via the North Fork of Big Pine Creek John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest (Glacier Lodge Road, west of Big Pine) 13 miles Hard Wilderness camping with a quota permit
- Crabtree Trailhead to Bear Lake (Emigrant Wilderness) Emigrant Wilderness, Stanislaus National Forest, Summit Ranger District (near Pinecrest) 8 miles Moderate Wilderness camping with a free permit (no quota); one-night limit at Bear Lake
- Echo Lakes to Lake Aloha (Desolation Wilderness) Desolation Wilderness, Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (Echo Summit, near South Lake Tahoe) 12.2 miles Moderate Wilderness camping by destination zone; overnight permit required year-round
- Little Lakes Valley to Gem Lakes John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest (Mosquito Flat, end of Rock Creek Road) 7.2 miles Moderate Wilderness camping with a quota permit
- Little Yosemite Valley and Half Dome Yosemite Wilderness, Yosemite National Park (Happy Isles, Yosemite Valley) 15 miles Hard Designated backpackers' campground; wilderness permit required
- Monarch Lakes (Mineral King) Sequoia National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (Mineral King, east of Three Rivers) 8.4 miles Hard Backcountry camping area with a bear box and pit toilet; wilderness permit required
- Mount Whitney Trail (Overnight) Mount Whitney Zone, John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest (Whitney Portal, west of Lone Pine) 22 miles Hard Designated camping areas; lottery permit required
- Rae Lakes Loop Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (Road's End, Cedar Grove) 41.4 miles Hard Wilderness camping with a permit; camping limits at Paradise Valley and Rae Lakes
- Thousand Island Lake via the River Trail Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest (Agnew Meadows, near Mammoth Lakes) 16 miles Hard Wilderness camping with a quota permit; camping closures near lake outlets
Southern California
- Boy Scout Trail (Joshua Tree National Park) Joshua Tree National Park, National Park Service (Keys West Backcountry Board to Indian Cove) 8 miles Moderate One of 14 designated backcountry sites; permit reserved on Recreation.gov
- San Gorgonio via the Vivian Creek Trail San Gorgonio Wilderness, San Bernardino National Forest and Sand to Snow National Monument (Forest Falls) 16.2 miles Hard Designated wilderness camps only; free permit required
- San Jacinto Peak via Round Valley (from the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway) Mount San Jacinto State Park and State Wilderness (Long Valley, above Palm Springs) 11 miles Hard Designated wilderness campgrounds only; camping permit required
- Trans-Catalina Trail Santa Catalina Island, Catalina Island Conservancy (Avalon to Parsons Landing and Two Harbors) 38.5 miles Hard Five designated campgrounds only; reservations required
Backpacking in California: common questions
Do you need a permit to backpack in California?
Usually, but rules vary by managing agency. The Inyo National Forest requires wilderness permits for overnight trips in the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wildernesses, with trailhead quotas from May 1 to November 1, and the Desolation Wilderness requires an overnight permit year-round. Sequoia and Kings Canyon permits are quota-limited in summer (May 22 to September 26 in 2026) and free and self-issued outside that season, while the Trinity Alps use free, self-issued permits with no quota. Check the managing agency's permit page for your trip.
Are bear canisters required in California?
On many trips, yes. Yosemite requires approved bear-resistant canisters throughout its wilderness and says hanging food is not legal, Sequoia and Kings Canyon require them in most of the parks, and the Desolation Wilderness and the Lost Coast (King Range Wilderness) require hard-sided canisters for overnight visitors. The Inyo National Forest requires bear containers where trees aren't adequate to hang food, and sources disagree on some Inyo trailheads, so confirm with the agency before you go.
Do you need a California Campfire Permit to use a backpacking stove?
On many federal lands, yes. The Eldorado National Forest says a campfire permit is required for wood fires, charcoal, and portable gas stoves on federally managed lands, including national forests in Northern California, the Sierra Nevada, and BLM land, and that it is valid through December 31 of the year issued. The BLM's King Range permit page also requires one for stoves on the Lost Coast. Seasonal fire restrictions can limit or ban fires even with a permit, so check current orders.
When is the best time to backpack in California?
It depends on the region. High Sierra trips such as the Rae Lakes Loop and Mount Whitney are mainly summer and early fall trips, and passes can hold snow into July. Lower and drier places such as Henry W. Coe State Park and Joshua Tree get hot in summer, so many backpackers go in the cooler months, and the Lost Coast depends on tide windows that the BLM publishes for each year.
Can you camp anywhere, or only in designated sites?
Rules vary by managing agency. Some trips allow dispersed wilderness camping, such as the Trinity Alps and the Inyo National Forest lakes, while others require designated camps, including Little Yosemite Valley, the Trans-Catalina Trail campgrounds, the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto wilderness camps, and the 14 reserved sites on Joshua Tree's Boy Scout Trail. Where dispersed camping is allowed, Yosemite and other agencies set minimum distances from water and trails, so check the agency's regulations.
Can you bring a dog backpacking in California?
Often not. Yosemite does not allow pets in its wilderness, Henry W. Coe State Park does not allow dogs in the backcountry, and dogs are prohibited in the Mount San Jacinto State Park Wilderness. Rules on other trips differ, so check the managing agency before bringing a dog.