Backpacking California: Mountain, Foothill, Coastal & Desert Adventures in the Golden State

by Wilderness Press (Created by)

Overview

Prepare for a Lifetime of Awe-Inspiring Adventures

In California, backpackers can explore wild beaches, enjoy colorful canyonlands, hike amid stunning granite peaks, relax in wildflower meadows, and circle glacier-clad mountains. Discover 74 of California’s best and most diverse backpacking trips with the expert backpackers and experienced authors of Wilderness Press. Backpacking California details the premier opportunities across the entire state.

This fully updated edition describes scenic escapes ranging from one night to two weeks, or 3 to 72 miles. Explore the world-famous California coast and the varying landscapes of the Point Reyes National Seashore. See the peaks of the Trinity Alps and the Klamath Mountains, as well as the iconic natural attractions of Yosemite National Park. Choose from other carefully crafted trips in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Big Sur, Desolation Wilderness, Mount Shasta, the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains, and more. Each itinerary offers geographic diversity, beautiful landscapes, and attainable daily mileage goals.

This in-depth guide provides all the information backpackers need, including trail highlights, mileage, elevation gain, days on the trail, shuttle distances, required permits, and more—not to mention full-color photographs and detailed trail maps. Plus, ratings for scenery, solitude, and difficulty help you to find the exact adventure you seek. Whether you’re a novice backpacker or a veteran hiker, an epic trip filled with spectacular scenery and superb vistas awaits.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780899979588
Publisher:	Wilderness Press
Publication date:	10/27/2020
Series:	Backpacking
Edition description:	3rd Revised ed.
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	1,015,398
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

The authors of Wilderness Press are experts in their fields. They are local, they are travelers, they are outdoors explorers. They present reliable, first-hand information because they’ve hiked the hikes, seen the sights, and have personally been where they are leading you. Some of Wilderness Press’s finest authors contributed to Backpacking California. They include the following: Michel Digonnet, author of Hiking Death Valley; Kathleen Dodge Doherty, author of Day & Section Hikes: John Muir Trail and Walking San Francisco; David Harris, author of Day & Section Hikes Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California and San Bernardino Mountain Trails; Tim Hauserman, author of Tahoe Rim Trail; Analise Elliot Heid, author of Hiking & Backpacking Big Sur; Jessica Lage, author of Point Reyes; Lowell and Diana Lindsay, authors of Anza-Borrego Desert Region; Andy Selters, author of Mount Shasta; Scott Turner, author of Afoot & Afield: San Diego County; Lizzy Wenk, author of Sierra North and Sierra South; and Mike White, author of Trinity Alps & Vicinity.

Read an Excerpt

SAN JACINTO LOOP
by David Harris

• Distance: 16.1 miles
• Recommended Number of Days: 2–3
• Elevation Gain/Loss: 4,500'/4,500'
• Type of Trip: Point-to-point or loop
• Shuttle Mileage: 3 if you exit on the Deer Springs Trail
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Solitude: Crowded
• Scenery: 8
• Map: Tom Harrison San Jacinto Wilderness Trail Map or Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument; USGS San Jacinto Peak
• Best Season: Summer–fall
• Location: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, Mount San Jacinto State Park
• Contact: San Bernardino National Forest San Jacinto Ranger Station, 909-382-2921, tinyurl.com/sanjacintoranger

Permits

Permits are required for both day hiking and backpacking. Permits are free, but quotas fill during summer weekends, so reserve your spot early at fsva.org/forest-information. Campfires are not permitted. A California Campfire Permit is required to use a stove. 

Challenges

Dogs are permitted in the national forest but are prohibited in the state park section of the wilderness. Water can be unreliable in the summer and fall; call the ranger station for current information. 

How to Get There

Humber Park Trailhead: N33° 45.877' W116° 41.155'
Deer Springs Trailhead: N33° 45.176' W116° 43.352' 

From CA 243 by the Idyllwild Ranger Station, turn northeast on Pine Crest Avenue. Continue 0.6 mile to a four-way intersection, and turn right on South Circle Drive. Proceed 0.1 mile, then turn left on Fern Valley Road. After 0.5 mile, turn left to stay on Fern Valley Road. Go 1.4 miles to reach the large Humber Park Trailhead at the top of the road.

If you will be exiting on the Deer Springs Trail, arrange for a second vehicle at the trailhead 0.8 mile northwest of the ranger station on the north side of CA 243 just above the Idyllwild Nature Center.

Take This Trip

At 10,804 feet, San Jacinto Peak is one of the three tallest major summits ringing the Los Angeles Basin. This loop from Humber Park in Idyllwild offers a grand tour of the mountain, taking you past sheer granite cliffs, shady forests of pine and fir, and cool alpine creeks to the stacked summit boulders. If a second vehicle is available, the easiest option is to emerge at the Deer Springs Trailhead and make a 3-mile shuttle. Otherwise, you can drop down a steep climber’s trail next to Suicide Rock to return to Humber Park.

Trip Description

This trip follows the first recorded route on San Jacinto, pioneered by the mysterious Mr. F of Riverside in 1874. From 6,420 feet in elevation in Humber Park, the Devil’s Slide Trail climbs 1,600 feet over 2.5 miles to Saddle Junction. Early cattle ranchers used to drive their herds up through the loose and dangerous slopes to summer pastures in Tahquitz Valley. The trail is now so well graded that some hikers have rechristened it Angel’s Walk, but it nevertheless is strenuous with a heavy pack.

The five-way Saddle Junction delimits the west end of the spectacular Tahquitz Valley. Creeks flow through the meadows and open forest, and there is good camping at Tahquitz Valley and Skunk Cabbage Meadow. If you have an extra day, consider spending the night here and exploring the trails to Tahquitz Peak or the Caramba Overlook.

Otherwise, turn left at Saddle Junction and follow the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) up the ridge to the north. In 1.9 miles, the PCT turns west across the head of Strawberry Valley, but your route continues north. It passes the swampy Wellman Cienega and threads its way up past chaparral and boulders, reaching the Wellman Divide in another mile. Here, another trail branches off to the east, leading a mile to the fine but busy campsites of Round and Tamarack Valleys (seasonal piped water) and out to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

Your trip again continues north across a long slope clad in chaparral beneath Jean Peak. Look for the rocky pyramid of Cornell Peak on the north skyline. The trail switches back and in 2.4 miles climbs to a saddle immediately south of San Jacinto Peak. Scramble 0.3 mile up to the granite summit boulders. Along the way, look out for the stone hut, which offers emergency shelter from storms.

Peer over the north edge of the summit to admire the cliffs of Snow Creek, which drops more than 8,000 feet to the desert over scarcely 3 miles. The precipice is especially impressive when it’s covered with snow in the spring and early summer. Snow Creek is suitable only for advanced mountaineers with ice and rock gear; more than one casual hiker has gotten lost and perished here.

After returning to the saddle, descend west for 1.3 miles to excellent camping at Little Round Valley, with seasonal water. Half a mile down the trail, cross the Bed Springs outlet, the most reliable source of water on this side of the mountain. It flows in all but the driest years. The trail continues southwest for another mile to rejoin the PCT, where you turn left (south). In 0.5 mile, it passes junctions with the Seven Pines and Marion Mountain Trails and then winds around the west flank of Marion Mountain for 2.3 miles to reach Strawberry Junction. The open forests of Jeffrey pine and white fir are some of the most beautiful in Southern California. Strawberry Junction Camp, situated immediately to the east, has good views but no running water.

Leave the PCT again and hike south down a ridge on the Deer Springs Trail. In 1.8 miles, reach the signed turnoff for Suicide Rock. If you left a vehicle at the Deer Springs Trailhead, you can continue down the ridge for 2.3 more easy miles past stands of enormous manzanita to reach the road.

Otherwise, take the Suicide Rock Trail for a mile as it climbs up to the top of the granite outcrop. The way down is via a climber’s trail on the northwest edge of the rock before you reach the true summit. Look for a path that skirts the edge of the rock. Do not be tempted to descend the cliffs directly; there is no safe route without a rope. Carefully follow the faint and confusing climber’s trail, which is occasionally marked with cairns. After passing the base of the rock, it descends steeply southeast to meet dirt roads and eventually Fern Valley Road. Hike uphill on the road 0.4 mile to return to the Humber Park Trailhead.

Build-Up and Wind-Down Tips

Nomad Ventures (54415 N. Circle Drive, Idyllwild; 951-659-4853; nomadventures .com), on the way to Humber Park, sells almost any gear you might need and has friendly and knowledgeable staff who provide expert advice. Many PCT thru-hikers stop here each spring for supplies, and in the store you can admire snapshots of these hardy backpackers.

Possible Itineraries

• Day 1: Little Round Valley: 8.9 miles, 4,400' elevation gain
• Day 2: Out to Deer Springs Trailhead: 7.2 miles, 100' elevation gain

• Day 1: Round Valley: 6.6 miles, 3,300' elevation gain
• Day 2: San Jacinto Peak Little Round Valley: 4.3 miles, 1,700' elevation gain
• Day 3: Out to Deer Springs Trailhead: 7.2 miles, 100' elevation gain

Table of Contents

Locator Maps iv-v

Foreword Mike White xii

Backpacking in California 1

Map Legend 7

Western California

The Peninsular Ranges 9

Cuyamaca Mountains

1 East and West Mesas Scott Turner 13

Pine Creek Wilderness

2 Horsethief Canyon Scott Turner 18

San Mateo Canyon Wilderness

3 San Mateo Canyon David Harris 22

The San Jacinto Mountains

4 San Jacinto Loop David Harris 26

The Santa Rosa Mountains

5 Art Smith Trail David Harris 30

Santa Catalina Island (Channel Islands) 34

6 Trans-Catalina Trail David Harris 35

The Transverse Ranges 43

The San Bernardino Mountains

7 San Gorgonio Mountain Jerry Schad David Harris 46

8 San Bernardino Mountain Traverse Jerry Schad David Harris 50

9 Holcomb Crossing Trail Camp Loop David Harris 55

The San Gabriel Mountains

10 Big Santa Anita Loop Jerry Schad David Harris 58

11 East Fork San Gabriel River Jerry Schad David Harris 62

12 Silver Moccasin Trail David Harris 67

13 High Desert Loop David Harris 73

The Santa Monica Mountains

14 Point Mugu State Park Loop David Harris Doug Christiansen 80

The Coast Ranges 85

Big Sur

15 Big Sur's South Coast: Salmon Beach to Buckeye Meadow Analise Elliot Heid 91

16 Pine Valley Analise Elliot Heid 96

17 Coast to Cone Peak: CA 1 to Vicente Flat and Cone Peak Loop Analise Elliot Heid 102

Diablo Range

18 Poverty Flat and Los Cruzeros Loop Kathleen Dodge Doherty 110

19 Redfern Pond Loop Kathleen Dodge Doherty 117

20 The Ohlone Wilderness Trail Kathleen Dodge Doherty 123

Santa Cruz Mountains

21 Pescadero Creek Loop Michel Digonnet 130

22 Skyline to Big Basin Michel Digonnet 136

Point Reyes National Seashore

23 Coast Trail Matt Heid Jessica Lage 143

24 Bear Valley Loop Matt Heid Jessica Lage 149

Lost Coast

25 Lost Coast Trail North: Mattole River to Black Sands Beach Mike White 155

26 Lost Coast Trail South: Hidden Valley to Usal Beach Mike White 163

Klamath Mountains 171

Trinity Alps

27 Canyon Creek Lakes and L Lake Mike White 173

28 North Fork Trinity River to Grizzly Lake Mike White 181

29 Caribou Basin and Sawtooth Ridge Mike White 189

30 Deadfall Lakes, Mount Eddy, and the Sacramento Headwaters Andy Selters 197

Marble Mountains

31 Sky High Lakes Basin and Red Rock Valley Loop Mike White 202

31 Shackleford to Campbell, Cliff, Summit, Little Elk, Deep, and Wrights Lakes Loop Mike White 207

Eastern California

Desert 216

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

33 Butler and Coyote Canyon Loop Lowell Diana Lindsay 220

34 Rockhouse Valley Loop Lowell Diana Lindsay 225

35 Mountain Palm Springs Extended Loops (includes Indian Valley, Mountain Palm Springs, Bow Willow, and Rockhouse Canyon) Lowell Diana Lindsay 230

Death Valley National Park

36 Marble Canyon to Cottonwood Canyon Loop Michel Digonnet 236

37 Surprise Canyon Michel Digonnet 241

38 Ubehebe Country Michel Digonnet 248

39 Devil's Playground Michel Digonnet 254

White Mountains

40 Cottonwood Basin Loop Andy Selters 260

Southern Sierra Nevada 265

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and John Muir and Golden Trout Wildernesses

41 Mineral King and Little Five Lakes Loop Mike White 269

42 Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal via the High Sierra Trail Mike White 276

43 Lodgepole to Deadman Canyon to Crescent Meadow Mike White 285

44 Rae Lakes Loop Mike White 294

45 Cottonwood Lakes to Upper Rock Creek Loop Mike White 301

46 Horseshoe Meadow to Whitney Portal Mike White 307

47 South Lake to North Lake Mike White 313

48 North Lake to Humphreys Basin Loop Mike White 323

49 North Fork Big Pine Creek Andy Selters 329

50 Kings-Kern Divide Loop Andy Selters 335

51 Middle Fork Bishop Creek Andy Selters 342

Ansel Adams Wilderness

52 Agnew Meadows to Devils Postpile Mike White 347

53 Lillian Lake Loop Elizabeth Wenk 354

Northern Sierra Nevada 359

Yosemite National Park

54 Happy Isles to Half Dome Elizabeth Wenk 363

55 Happy Isles to Merced Lake Elizabeth Wenk 368

56 Glen Aulin and Waterwheel Falls Elizabeth Wenk 374

57 High Sierra Camps Loop, Northwest Part Elizabeth Wenk 379

58 High Sierra Camps Loop, Southeast Part Elizabeth Wenk 385

59 Tuolumne Meadows to Vogelsang High Sierra Camp and Emeric Lake Elizabeth Wenk 391

Hoover Wilderness

60 Virginia Lakes Basin to Green Creek Elizabeth Wenk 396

61 Benson Lake and Matterhorn Canyon Loop via Barney and Peeler Lakes Elizabeth Wenk 401

Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

62 Fourth of July, Round Top, and Winnemucca Lakes Loop Mike White 408

63 Pacific Grade Summit to Bull Run Lake Mike White 413

Desolation Wilderness

64 Glen Alpine to Half Moon Lake Mike White 418

65 Velma, Fontanillis, and Dicks Lakes Mike White 422

66 Meeks Bay to Emerald Bay Mike White 426

Tahoe Rim Trail

67 Tahoe Rim Trail: Showers Lake Tim Hauserman 431

68 Tahoe Rim Trail: Star Lake and Freel Peak Tim Hauserman 436

Plumas-Eureka State Park

69 Little Jamison Canyon to Grass, Rock, Jamison, and Wades Lakes Mike White 440

Bucks Lake Wilderness

70 Bucks Lake Wilderness Loop Mike White 445

Cascade Range 451

Lassen Volcanic National Park

71 Summit Lake to Cluster, Twin, Rainbow, Snag, Horseshoe, and Swan Lakes Loop Mike White 453

Caribou Wilderness

72 Central Caribou Lakes Loop Mike White 460

Mount Shasta

73 Treeline Circumnavigation of Mount Shasta Michael Zanger Andy Selters 455

Warner Mountains 471

74 The Summit Trail: Pepperdine Trailhead to Patterson Lake Mike White 472

Appendix: Trips at a Glance 478

Index 484

About the Contributors 495