CA · Pacific Southwest
8 forest guides within driving distance
913,000 acres of remote Coast Range wilderness in northern California: the only national forest in California with no paved roads through its interior, with wild turkey, black bear, and spring wildflowers unmatched in the state.
6 min read
Complete guide to Tahoe National Forest in California. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, permits, seasonal tips, and everything you need to plan your trip.
12 min read
The Eldorado National Forest spans 616,000 acres of California's Sierra Nevada foothills and high country between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, with granite peaks, volcanic terrain, and year-round recreation.
7 min read
A Sierra Nevada national forest covering nearly 900,000 acres from the Central Valley foothills to the Emigrant Wilderness, with 800 miles of trails, the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus River, and high-country access from Sonora Pass.
7 min read
154,000 acres surrounding America's most iconic alpine lake: crystal-clear water, granite peaks, forest ridgelines, and year-round outdoor recreation from South Lake Tahoe to Truckee.
8 min read
1.1 million acres of the northern Sierra Nevada and Cascades foothills: the Feather River canyon, a dozen glacially carved lakes, and one of California's most diverse mountain forests between Sacramento and Reno.
6 min read
A 1.3-million-acre national forest in the central Sierra Nevada bordering Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia, featuring the Kaiser Wilderness, Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, and hundreds of miles of trails from foothills to alpine peaks.
6 min read
Complete guide to Los Padres National Forest in California. Condor country, Big Sur coastal mountains, Ventana Wilderness, chaparral backcountry, and trail planning for Santa Barbara and Monterey.
10 min read
A 4.5-mile out-and-back to Sanhedrin Mountain (6,175 ft) in the southern Mendocino National Forest, with views across the inner Coast Range and a historic fire lookout.
3 min read
A strenuous 8.5-mile out-and-back to the summit of Snow Mountain (7,056 ft), the highest peak in the Coast Range south of the Trinity Alps, with panoramic views from the Sacramento Valley to the Sierra Nevada.
3 min read
Guide to the Condor Gulch Trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. A 4-mile out-and-back through chaparral canyon with condor roosting habitat, rock formations, and Salinas Valley views near King City.
4 min read
A 5-mile out-and-back to a dramatic volcanic rock formation in the Snow Mountain Wilderness of Mendocino National Forest, with views across the northern Coast Range and the Sacramento Valley.
3 min read
A 6-mile out-and-back along a creek corridor in the Snow Mountain Wilderness of Mendocino National Forest, through mixed oak and conifer forest with good wildflower and wildlife viewing.
3 min read
A 6-mile loop around Lake Pillsbury, the largest lake in Mendocino National Forest, through mixed oak and conifer forest with consistent lake views and fishing access.
3 min read
A 4-mile out-and-back along Mill Creek near the Mendocino National Forest headquarters in Willows, through riparian oak and alder forest with fishing access and easy terrain.
3 min read
Guide to the Vicente Flat Trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. A strenuous 12-mile out-and-back from Highway 1 into the Ventana Wilderness, reaching a ridgeline camp above the Big Sur coast.
6 min read
A 3.2-mile hike to the summit plateau above Lovers Leap, one of Northern California's premier rock climbing walls, with American River canyon views and accessible terrain near Strawberry, California.
3 min read
A 4-mile out-and-back to a spectacular Sierra Nevada waterfall in the Twin Bridges area near Strawberry, one of the most dramatic spring and early summer hikes accessible from US-50.
3 min read
An 8.6-mile out-and-back through the Crystal Basin high country with panoramic granite lake views, connecting the Loon Lake area to the historic Wentworth Springs area in the northern Eldorado National Forest.
3 min read
A 7-mile out-and-back from the Pinecrest Lake area climbing through red fir forest to a granite viewpoint at the edge of the Emigrant Wilderness, with panoramic views of the Stanislaus high country.
4 min read
A 5.6-mile out-and-back to a high-elevation granite lake on the edge of the Desolation Wilderness, accessible from the Wrights Lake Trailhead with views of the Sierra Nevada high country.
3 min read
Guide to the Palisade Creek Trail in Tahoe National Forest, California. A 12.7-mile out-and-back from French Meadows Reservoir into a remote granite canyon draining the Granite Chief Wilderness.
6 min read
A 10-mile loop through the western Emigrant Wilderness visiting two alpine lakes in a granite and volcanic landscape, one of the few loop options in the wilderness accessible without technical cross-country travel.
4 min read
A 6-mile loop around Silver Lake in the Amador County section of the Eldorado National Forest, combining reservoir views with mountain meadow hiking at 7,200 feet elevation near Kirkwood.
3 min read
A 7.2-mile out-and-back to a remote lake in the Mokelumne high country via a historic emigrant route, with views of volcanic Sierra peaks and excellent solitude in the southern Eldorado National Forest.
3 min read
A 10.4-mile out-and-back following the Rubicon River through a glacially carved Sierra Nevada canyon with swimming holes, granite scenery, and connections to the Desolation Wilderness trail network.
3 min read
A strenuous 14-mile out-and-back to the 9,332-foot summit of the Mokelumne Wilderness, the defining summit hike of the Eldorado National Forest with views of the Sierra Nevada from Lake Tahoe to the Central Valley.
3 min read
A 0.5-mile interpretive loop along the Middle Fork Stanislaus River to a dramatic basalt column formation in Stanislaus National Forest, one of California's most striking examples of columnar basalt geology.
3 min read
A 9.5-mile out-and-back to Feather Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the continental United States at 410 feet, through mixed conifer forest in the southwestern foothills of Plumas National Forest.
3 min read
A 9.4-mile loop to one of the tallest waterfalls in the United States, dropping 640 feet into the Middle Fork Feather River canyon in the Plumas National Forest-adjacent corner of Lassen National Forest.
3 min read
Guide to the Loch Leven Lakes Trail in Tahoe National Forest, California. A 7.5-mile out-and-back from the I-80 corridor through pine and granite terrain to three alpine lakes between 6,800 and 6,900 feet.
6 min read
A 2.5-mile out-and-back to a historic fire lookout on Anthony Peak (6,054 ft) in the northern Mendocino National Forest, with panoramic Coast Range and Sacramento Valley views.
3 min read