Best backpacking trips in California
Mileage
Ascent
Duration
Popularity
194 trips
Half Dome Day Hike
PopularYosemite National Park
Mt. Whitney Day Hike
PopularInyo National Forest
Lost Coast Trail: Mattole to Black Sands Beach
PopularKing Range Wilderness
Mt. Whitney Backpacking
PopularInyo National Forest
Rae Lakes Loop
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Half Dome via Little Yosemite Valley
PopularYosemite National Park
Minaret Lake
PopularInyo National Forest
Thousand Island Lake via River Trail
PopularInyo National Forest
Cottonwood Lakes
PopularInyo National Forest
High Sierra Trail: Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Cottonwood Lakes Loop
PopularInyo National Forest
San Bernardino Peak
PopularSan Gorgonio Wilderness
Thousand Island Lake via PCT
PopularInyo National Forest
Big Pine Lakes
PopularInyo National Forest
Coast Trail / Bear Valley Trail Loop
PopularPoint Reyes National Seashore
Big Pine Lakes and Palisade Glacier
PopularInyo National Forest
Ediza Lake
PopularInyo National Forest
Cathedral Lake
PopularYosemite National Park
Little Lakes Valley to Gem Lakes
PopularInyo National Forest
Pear Lake
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sabrina Basin to Moonlight Lake
PopularInyo National Forest
Onion Valley to Mt. Whitney
PopularInyo National Forest
Thousand Island Lake from Rush Creek
PopularInyo National Forest
John Muir Trail
PopularYosemite National Park
Blayney Hot Springs
PopularSierra National Forest
Tuolumne Meadows to Yosemite Valley via JMT
PopularYosemite National Park
Little Five Lakes and Big Five Lakes Loop
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Rae Lakes Loop (counter-clockwise)
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Pohono Trail: Wawona Tunnel to Glacier Point
PopularYosemite National Park
San Gorgonio Peak from Fish Creek Day Hike
PopularSan Gorgonio Wilderness
Young Lakes via Dog Lake
PopularYosemite National Park
Rae Lakes Loop via Kearsarge Pass
PopularInyo National Forest
John Muir Trail: Devil’s Postpile to Yosemite Valley
PopularInyo National Forest
Duck Lake
PopularInyo National Forest
Monarch Lakes
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
San Gorgonio Peak from Vivian Creek Day Hike
PopularSan Gorgonio Wilderness
Rancheria Falls
PopularYosemite National Park
Pohono Trail: Wawona Tunnel to Old Inspiration Point
PopularYosemite National Park
Vogelsang and Lyell Canyon Loop
PopularYosemite National Park
San Bernardino and San Gorgonio Peaks
PopularSan Gorgonio Wilderness
Little Five Lakes and Big Five Lakes Loop Counter-Clockwise
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Emerald Lake
PopularSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Lake Aloha Trail
PopularDesolation Wilderness
Emerald Lakes
PopularInyo National Forest
Upper Yosemite Falls
PopularYosemite National Park
Lost Coast Trail: Black Sands Beach to Mattole
PopularKing Range Wilderness
Sunrise High Sierra Camp
PopularYosemite National Park
Canyon Creek Lakes
PopularTrinity Alps Wilderness
Kearsarge Lakes
PopularInyo National Forest
Ten Lakes from White Wolf Trailhead
PopularYosemite National Park
Dewey Point (winter)
PopularYosemite National Park
Sykes Hot Springs
PopularVentana Wilderness
Ten Lakes via Lukens Lake
PopularYosemite National Park
North Lake to South Lake Loop via Lamarck Col
PopularInyo National Forest
Dusy Basin via Bishop Pass
PopularInyo National Forest
Ten Lakes
PopularYosemite National Park
Young Lakes via Glen Aulin Trail
PopularYosemite National Park
Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp
PopularYosemite National Park
North Lake to South Lake Loop
PopularInyo National Forest
Trans-Catalina Trail
PopularCatalina Island Conservancy
San Gorgonio Peak from South Fork Trail Day Hike
PopularSan Gorgonio Wilderness
Jordan Hot Springs
Inyo National Forest
Oneida Lake
Inyo National Forest
Steelhead Lake from Saddlebag Lake
Inyo National Forest
Helen Lake
Inyo National Forest
Meysan Lake
Inyo National Forest
Woodchuck Lake
Sierra National Forest
Fleming Lake
Sierra National Forest
Paradise Valley
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
North Rim Route: Porcupine Creek to Tamarack Creek
Yosemite National Park
Upper Jackass Lake
Sierra National Forest
Island And Twin Lakes
Desolation Wilderness
Golden Trout Lakes via Piute Pass
Inyo National Forest
Fontanillis Lake and Dick’s Peak
Desolation Wilderness
Franklin Lakes
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Devils Bathtub
Sierra National Forest
Upper Chain Lake
Sierra National Forest
Chiquito Lake
Sierra National Forest
Alta Peak and Alta Meadow
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Chief Lake Loop
Sierra National Forest
Hilton Creek Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Lake Vernon and Rancheria Falls
Yosemite National Park
Mather Ranger Station to Smith Meadow
Yosemite National Park
Graveyard Lakes
Sierra National Forest
Mono Pass from Tioga Road
Yosemite National Park
Mildred Lake
Inyo National Forest
Lake Aloha to Mt. Price
Desolation Wilderness
Lamarck Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Eagle Lake
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Aspen Grove
San Gorgonio Wilderness
Middle Fork Trail to Mehrten Creek
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
North Dome from Tioga Road
Yosemite National Park
Ostrander Lake
Yosemite National Park
Twin Lakes
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Mono Meadow to Lower Ottoway Lake
Yosemite National Park
Crescent Lake via Chilnualna Falls
Yosemite National Park
Finger Lake
Inyo National Forest
George Lake
Sierra National Forest
Smith Peak
Yosemite National Park
Hockett Meadow via Atwell Hockett Trail
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
White Chief Bowl
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Farewell Gap and Franklin Pass Loop
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Seville Lake
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Charlotte Lake via Kearsarge Basin
Inyo National Forest
Matlock Lake and Kearsarge Pass
Inyo National Forest
Sawmill Lake
Inyo National Forest
Mirror Lake, Snow Creek, and Yosemite Falls Loop
Yosemite National Park
Harden Lake
Yosemite National Park
Yost Lake
Inyo National Forest
Loon Lake to Rubicon Reservoir
Desolation Wilderness
Lillian Lake Loop
Sierra National Forest
May Lake and Mount Hoffman
Yosemite National Park
Gilmore Lake
Desolation Wilderness
Merced Lake from Glacier Point
Yosemite National Park
Rosalie Lake via Devils Postpile
Inyo National Forest
Lake of the Woods
Desolation Wilderness
Longley Lake
Inyo National Forest
Edith Lake from Laurel Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Lake George to Deer Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Mosquito Lake
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Middle Velma Lake
Desolation Wilderness
Four Lakes Loop
Trinity Alps Wilderness
Fern Lake from Devils Postpile
Inyo National Forest
Emerald Lake
Trinity Alps Wilderness
George Lake
Inyo National Forest
Tamarack Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Snow Creek from Tioga Road
Yosemite National Park
Ropi Lake via Horsetail Falls
Desolation Wilderness
Jennie and Weaver Lakes Loop
Sequoia National Forest
Comanche Meadow Loop
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Lake Genevieve and Crag Lake
Desolation Wilderness
Polly Dome Lakes
Yosemite National Park
Granite Lake
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Birch Lake
Inyo National Forest
Horton Lake
Inyo National Forest
Fern Lake
Inyo National Forest
Valentine Lake
Inyo National Forest
Berk Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Hart Tree Loop
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Susie Lake
Desolation Wilderness
Gibbs Lake
Inyo National Forest
Iva Bell Hot Springs
Inyo National Forest
George Lake via Potter Cut-off
Sierra National Forest
Dana Lake
Inyo National Forest
Boulder Creek Lakes
Trinity Alps Wilderness
Upper Sardine Lake
Inyo National Forest
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River
Yosemite National Park
Iceberg Lake
Inyo National Forest
Waterwheel Falls
Yosemite National Park
Lake Italy via Italy Pass
Inyo National Forest
Cliff Lake
Sierra National Forest
Glen Alpine Loop
Desolation Wilderness
Granite Park
Inyo National Forest
Elba Lake
Inyo National Forest
Upper Pine Lake
Inyo National Forest
Red Peak Pass Loop
Yosemite National Park
Hockett Meadow via Garfield Grove
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Tyee Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Schmidell Lake
Desolation Wilderness
Sapphire Lake
Trinity Alps Wilderness
Red Lake
Inyo National Forest
Gable Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Steelhead Lake
Inyo National Forest
Treasure Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Taboose Pass
Inyo National Forest
Lake Lois
Desolation Wilderness
Mt. Lyell
Yosemite National Park
Pioneer Basin Lakes via Mono Pass
Inyo National Forest
Mt. Whitney Mountaineer’s Route
Inyo National Forest
Scorpion Anchorage to Prisoner’s Harbor
Channel Islands National Park
Parker Lake
Inyo National Forest
Shepherd Pass
Inyo National Forest
Half Moon Lake
Desolation Wilderness
Baker Lake
Inyo National Forest
Clouds Rest via Little Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park
Ladybug Camp
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River loop
Yosemite National Park
Dobbs Cabin
San Gorgonio Wilderness
Dry Lake
San Gorgonio Wilderness
Pohono Trail: Glacier Point to Dewey Point
Yosemite National Park
Steelhead Lake via Lundy Canyon
Inyo National Forest
San Bernardino East Peak from Forsee Creek Day Hike
San Gorgonio Wilderness
Ontario Peak Day Hike
Cucamonga Wilderness
El Capitan
Yosemite National Park
Mammoth Crest Loop
Inyo National Forest
Parson’s Landing from Two Harbors
Catalina Island Conservancy
Purple Lake
Inyo National Forest
Alger Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Thousand Island Lake and Iceberg Lake Loop
Inyo National Forest
Buckeye, Cruikshank, Salmon Creek Trail Loop
Silver Peak Wilderness
White Rock Lake
Tahoe National Forest
Matlock and Kearsarge Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Cinder Cone from Summit Lake
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Buck Lakes from Crabtree Trailhead
Emigrant Wilderness