If you’re looking for the best California trail to hike, the main difficulty you will encounter is choosing what spectacular part of the state you want to visit. If you love losing yourself in the wilderness, then this state is like El Dorado for hikers. A California trail can take you through a vast variety of terrain, from Coastal Redwood forests around Avenue of the Giants to rugged hikes on the Central Coast.
From the Lost Coast on the Northern Coast to the John Muir California trail in the High Sierra to hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains just north of Los Angeles, there are hundreds of different hikes or varying degrees of length, difficulty, and elevation.
Hikes along the Pacific are some of the most popular in California hiking; the Lost Coast in the North takes you along the dramatic coastal ranges that are blissfully free from traffic, since geologists decided this winding, erratic terrain to unstable to build a highway. This is the setting for a Northern California hiking trail to rival the great Pacific Crest trail.
Since the highest peak around is a mere three miles from the coast, this is some of the most varied California hiking; you can experience the rugged windswept Pacific by day and camp in verdant sub alpine meadows at night. With giant Redwood forests dotted with ferns and filled with mist, the quiet splendor of this area is unforgettable. There is also 25 miles of protected beach to hike on, with isolation and beauty that is perfect for spectacular camping moments on a spectacular Northern California hiking trail.
Stretching thousands of miles and spanning three countries, including three US States, which contains 2,600 miles of it, the Pacific Crest Trail is the most desirable hikes in the world. This trail runs right along the state’s biggest range, taking you through some of the most famous California State Parks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, like Sequoia National Park in the South and Yosemite further north.
Beyond this, the Pacific Crest Trail continues to impress as you go through the Russian River area in remote Northern California. On the way, you’ll pass the magnificent Crater Lake in Oregon as you make your way to the highest peak in Washington, Mount Rainier.
From sub artic alpine meadows to old growth rainforests, you can explore some or part of the Pacific Crest Trail every year. 300 daring hikers attempt to hike the length of this hiking trail, which is not without its hazards. In some parts, there is 20 to 30 miles with no sources of water. A segment of the Northern California hiking trail is among the most challenging; and takes you right through bear country.
Despite this, the rewards are worth the effort if you can manage to hike the entire trail. You will climb 60 of the biggest mountain passes, and hike past three of the deepest lakes
In the west, Lake Tahoe in California, Crater Lake in Oregon, and Lake Chelan in Washington State are three famous, scenic lakes you’ll be ambling by on your journey.
If you love the peace and well being of being outdoors, California hiking is an activity you should make the focus of at least one trip to the Golden State. Beyond the glitzy, crowded, California attractions, there is the impressive mountains, rivers, lakes, and canyons that beg to explored by the adventurous hiker.
