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 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 & John Muir Trailheads Coyote Lake, Sierra 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 trail heads & ideas for California trips

Most National Parks, State Parks & Wilderness Areas require a backcountry permit registration previous to getting on the trails if your planning for an over night visit. The purpose of this is to locate backpackers 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 Reserviors

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

backpackers links of interests: Pacific Crest Trail Association Leave No Trace

20s 30s Singles Sierrans Bay Area Hiker Coast Walk - Volunteers California Hikes Hiking around Lake Tahoe