CA · Pacific Southwest
8 forest guides within driving distance
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
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
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
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
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
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
Complete guide to Inyo National Forest in California's Eastern Sierra. Trail recommendations, campgrounds, permits, Mount Whitney, and trip planning resources.
13 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
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 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 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 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 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
A 3-mile out-and-back to a broad subalpine meadow in Stanislaus National Forest near Sonora Pass, with mountain views, wildflowers through July, and one of the more peaceful short walks in the central Sierra Nevada.
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 5-mile out-and-back from the Clark Fork campground area along the Stanislaus River to Kennedy Meadow, one of the finest subalpine meadow walks in Stanislaus National Forest with minimal elevation gain.
4 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
An 8-mile out-and-back climbing through lodgepole pine forest and open volcanic terrain in Stanislaus National Forest to a high ridge with views of the Emigrant Wilderness and the Sonora Pass corridor.
3 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 6-mile out-and-back from the Kennedy Meadow Trailhead along the Stanislaus River through one of the Sierra Nevada's finest subalpine meadow systems, at the gateway to the Emigrant Wilderness.
4 min read
A 9-mile out-and-back from Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir in the Emigrant Wilderness, following the Stanislaus River through a volcanic landscape to a large backcountry reservoir at 7,226 feet.
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
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 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 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
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 6.5-mile out-and-back from Fallen Leaf Lake into the Desolation Wilderness along a historic wagon road through Glen Alpine Springs, with access to Grass and Susie Lakes in the Sierra Nevada high country.
3 min read
A 9.4-mile out-and-back to the 9,735-foot summit of Mount Tallac in the Lake Tahoe Basin, with 3,300 feet of elevation gain through the Desolation Wilderness fringe and a summit panorama ranked among the finest in the Sierra Nevada.
3 min read
A 7.0-mile out-and-back on the Tahoe Rim Trail from the Big Meadow Trailhead on Luther Pass, traversing the south shore ridgeline above 8,000 feet with Lake Tahoe views and access to the Round Lake and Dardanelles area.
3 min read
A 6.5-mile loop around Fallen Leaf Lake south of South Lake Tahoe, through old-growth Jeffrey pine and white fir with shoreline views of one of the Tahoe Basin's most beautiful secondary lakes.
3 min read