Recreation

California Trailhead Recommendations: The Sonora Pass, corridor between Carson-Iceberg & the Emigrant Wilderness Inyo High Country, near Bishop & Mount Whitney in the majestic Eastern Sierra California. Let us not forget the fierce, alpine bowl of Onion Valley w/ aspen campground, plus the amazing Kearsarge Pass & Rae Lakes Loop. Yeah baby! Monache Meadows, the Upper Kern, where Golden Trouts are born; Big Sequoias & Mineral King Kaiser Pass, Mono Hot Springs, the High Country, near Ansel Adams Wilderness & John Muir Trailheads Coyote Lake, Sierra NF / Tamarack Creek Castle Crags State Park w/ views of Mount Shasta Point Reyes National Seashore Ventana Wilderness, Prewitt & the Big Sur Coast Trinity Alps Wilderness, Hwy 3 near Trinity Lake NorCal Red Buttes Wilderness, near Oregon Klamath's Marble Mountain Wilderness Courtright Reservoir & Wishon, Western Sierra Downieville , Sierra Buttes, Lakes Basin, Gold Lake see more hiking trailheads & ideas

Most National Parks, State Parks & Wilderness Areas require a backcountry permit registration previous to getting on the trails - if you are planning for an over night visit, or any through hike. The purpose of this is to KEEP TABS on your whereabouts (as much as possible). Authorities can locate backpackers/hikers of an emergency (wildfires or storm dangers). Free permits can be obtained free at most visitor centers or ranger stations. Many parks have trail head parking spots with self-registration.

Access roads to the Wilderness trailheads are sometimes dirt & may be ungraded, very long & very remote. Pick your trailhead depended on the road conditions, grading & snowfall amounts. Call a field ranger for more up-to-date info. And know your cars limitations. Mud or creek crossings are quite common. Plus the Waterproof maps by Tom Harrison are the best choices for backpacking.

Below are the pages to all parks & forests in California, some lakes, plenty trailheads, plus the high Sierra bliss.

National Park	National Forest	State Park	BLM Lands	OHV SVRA	Back Roads	Coastal Beach	Mtns Forest	Country Oak Hills	Desert Parks	Lakes Reservoirs

Angeles National Forest	Cleveland National Forest
Los Padres National Forest	San Bernardino National Forest

see more on California Backpacking Guides & Backpacking Tours

Physically not up for carrying a pack?

Llama Pack Tours, Horse Pack Trips or Primtive Camping on Back Roads

links of interests: Pacific Crest Trail Association

Sierra Club Angeles Bay Area Hiker Coast Walk - Volunteers Hiking Lake Tahoe

Leave No Trace