Best Hiking Trails in California
From Sierra granite to desert wash to Pacific cliff — the 10 hikes our team comes back to, plus how to plan around California's wildly different regions.
California is the state where our team spends the most trail time, and it's not particularly close. Jake lived out of a Tacoma in the eastern Sierra for a full season; Mia splits her weekends between the Marin Headlands and Joshua Tree; Owen keeps claiming the King's Canyon high route is the best backpack in the lower 48 and we keep not disagreeing.
What makes California different isn't just the volume of trail — it's that you can be on a 14,000-foot granite ridge on Saturday and walking a fog-soaked coastal bluff on Sunday. This page is our working picks: trails we've actually walked, grouped by region, with honest notes on when to go and what to carry.
Our top 2 hikes in California
The one everyone wants to do. Jake did it on a 2022 permit day and says it's worth the hype — but plan for 12 hours, carry two liters more water than you think you need, and don't do it in thunderstorm season.
Yosemite National Park · expert · 23.00km · 1460m elevThe approach hike most California trips start with, for good reason. Go early; by 10am the bridge is a scrum.
Yosemite National Park · moderate · 4.50km · 300m elev
By region
Sierra Nevada
The spine of the state. Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, the Eastern Sierra out of Bishop. High-altitude granite; snow-free window is roughly July–early October.
Desert (Mojave, Joshua Tree, Anza-Borrego)
October through April only. Summer desert hiking in CA is a medevac waiting to happen — we don't recommend it.
North Coast + Redwoods
Year-round hiking thanks to the marine layer. Prairie Creek and Redwood NP for old-growth, Lost Coast for multi-day.
Bay Area + Central Coast
Marin, Santa Cruz, Big Sur. You can hike here 11 months a year; January storms are the only reliable off-week.
Southern California
San Gabriel, San Jacinto, and the coastal chaparral. Best in winter/spring; summer is fire season and 100°+ inland.
When to go
Plan a hike in California
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More hikes in California
Common questions
- Do I need permits for day hikes in California?
- Most day hikes no. Wilderness permits for overnights, and lottery permits specifically for Half Dome (day + overnight) and Mt Whitney. Check the managing park 3–6 months out.
- When is the worst time to hike the Sierra?
- Late April through mid-June. Trails above 8,000 feet are snow-covered or postholey; the high country isn't really walkable until July.
- Can I do California hikes in running shoes?
- For valley-floor trails in Yosemite, the Marin Headlands, or coastal stuff — yes. For the Sierra above treeline or anywhere with talus, wear boots.
- What about wildfires?
- Check inciweb.nwcg.gov and the park's own alerts page day-of. Never trust a route plan made the night before.