Photos from an old trip to the Sierra buttes fire lookout. I found the trail on all trails and went for sunrise. There was a lot of fog in the morning but it cleared around 10am. Had the entire place to myself until about noon on a weekday

Highly reccomend this one!

•3,800ft total gain

•logged 14.1 miles on the route

• 6hrs 15 mins to finish loop

worth the effort

👋

I'm looking for backpacking trail suggestions that are 1. dog friendly 2. beginner friendly (ideally 2 ish days) and 3. still pretty good in December. I've read a lot of suggestions that cover two out of three, but not everything. We're okay with cold weather or rain, but would prefer not to have to deal with snow. We hike a decent amount, but I've never tried backpacking, so beginner-friendly is a must.

Alternatively, we'd be okay with suggestions for car camping if anyone knows of options that are still dog friendly and would allow us to set up a campsite and hike with our dog from there.

We live in the South Bay area but honestly could go anywhere in California or the closer parts of Nevada.

Secret cove and Secret harbor beach. Be careful with parking and don’t get a ticket!

Hoping y'all can provide some guidance to a recent transplant from the East coast.

I'm heading up to Desolation wilderness in a couple of days and the route I planned in onX has a couple of trails that are not on the Trails Illustrated map. I'm wondering if y'all know if there is actually a trail between Grass Lake and Lake Lucille. Also from Pyramid TH onX has a trail past Avalanche Lake to Lake of the Woods which doesn't appear in Trails Illustrated.

Coming from the East coast this would result in hours of bush whacking, but maybe the open country out here makes this the norm?

Planning a quick overnighter from Shelter Cove to Glitchell Creek (out and back).

The weekend I'm looking at falls under the impassable dates (provided by recreation.gov) I understand impassable zone is from Big Flat to Gitchell Creek. From what I can see, the impassable zones are bit north of the creek.

Will I still be able to camp at Glitchell Creek?

I am currently planning a January backpacking trip with my girlfriend out of the bay area and am not sure which loactions are safe/enjoyable during the winter months. We're trying to minimize having to deal with snow or too much intense weather (though I realize the rainy coast might have some of our best options). Our goal is to do a 5-6 day trip around 50 miles or so. We have both done our fair share of backpacking and are comfortable with moderate-difficult hiking.

Do you guys have any recommendations or favorite backpacking spots?

Hi 👋 I just finished the northern part of Lost Cost Trail in the King Range. We did Mattole to Black Sands in 3 nights, 4 days. It was wonderful and I’m already wanting more. I’m used to backpacking in the Sierras and have hiked all over NorCal’s redwoods. I understand LCT in Sinkyone is very much the road less traveled. Anyone have experience to share?

Many thanks in advance

These photos are from May of this year.

It's that time again! The third Wednesday of the month and time for a meetup of hikers in the South Bay.

Hikers and backpackers in the South Bay will congregate at Das Bierhauz in Mountain View (135 Castro St) Wednesday, October 14 at 7PM.

You don't have to have hiking or backpacking experience to attend - just interest! The season is winding down and we're starting to look at what 2027 might have in store as far as outdoor adventures. Let's hear where you'd like to hike next year.

We'll likely be outside so bring something to keep yourself warm. Look for the blue bear can on our table, that's where we'll be.

A was struggling to figure out which route to do in this area but very happy with what I settled with. You can see bear valley ski area in the 3rd pic. I saw a couple hunters and no one else until I got down from the mountain. If you have any trail recommendations in the area let me know.

I’ve been making my own app for calculating hikes routes based on time spent on the trail and tracking workouts. If you have any interest here is the link but that’s what I used to track my hike and I have tested it over hundreds of miles. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trailtime-hike-planner/id6790474186

I have Steep Ravine campsite EN04 from 10/11-13 (In tomorrow, out Tuesday) but I can’t make it :( DM me if anyone is interested in taking over ($58) - gonna be a gorgeous weekend, sad to be missing it!

I'm looking for hike to take a friend on for their birthday this Thursday. We're looking for easy to moderate hikes in the 5ish mile range within about 3 hours from the Stockton area.

We've recently hiked Point Lobos and Yosemite (lower Yosemite falls > mirror lake > happy isles and around the valley floor). We have a national park pass so would be open to visiting Yosemite again with different trail suggestions.

Thanks for any recommendations you can give!

Hey wilderness explorers out there! I’m wanting to plan a two day trip to the Redwoods rugged style and a friend of mine said that staying the night in national forests is chill to do apparently! Has anyone ever car camped in Six Rivers National Forest and done the Redwoods that way or am I an idiot? lol
This is my first time doing anything like this and would appreciate some gentle feedback and advice 🫶

My boyfriend loves backpacking and he's been going to the trinities most of his life. I know he already has a guide book that he brings with him when he backpacks, but he mentioned he wanted one that was more in depth. Or maybe it was a guide specifically for plants and animals? I can't remember the exact name, but I'm trying to get him a nice birthday gift and would like it to be a surprise. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

Check out this real life rescue story on the Pacific Crest Trail!