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Here’s the complete list of gear you need for whenever and wherever you head out to do boondocking/dispersed camping. The list is also perfect for your campground adventures.
Click Here to Download the PDF Checklist
The checklist is from my book Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America’s Public Lands. Buy it on Amazon or buy it on Apple, Kobo, Nook, and Scribd and other ebook retailers.
Burney Falls is one of America's most stunning waterfalls. This article has everything you need to make the most out of your visit: details of hiking trails with a trail map, plus info on camping and the human and natural history of McArthur-Burney … [Continue reading]
The Hedge Creek Falls Trail is easy and convenient: just pop off I-5 in Dunsmuir and quickly descend to the sweet little waterfall. You'll also get views of Mount Shasta and visit an inviting swimming hole on the Sacramento River. … [Continue reading]
Making your 2022 summer plans for backpacking and day hiking in California? I urge you to go earlier rather than later.Why? Two main reasons... … [Continue reading]
Do you love day hiking? Ever wish you had a cool notebook/journal so you could record all the important details of your day hikes, along with nature observations, your most vivid memories, and the main things you want to remember for next … [Continue reading]
2022 will continue to see more rule changes for and restrictions on dispersed camping/boondocking in the United States. These changes and restrictions accelerated in 2020 and 2021 as more and more people headed into the backcountry to camp, in part … [Continue reading]
There are six free-entrance days in 2022 for national parks and national monuments in Northern California. Hike your favorite trails, picnic, explore, and enjoy nature with your friends and family.2022 Free Entrance Days to Northern California … [Continue reading]
Looking for the perfect inexpensive gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy?Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my:Northern California hiking … [Continue reading]
The hike to Enderts Beach on the Coastal Trail packs a lot of beauty into its short length: sweeping vistas of ocean and cliff; lush, green forests; the canyon of Nickel Creek; and Enderts Beach itself, with its steep cliffs and opportunities for … [Continue reading]
Here are all the details on Myrtle Beach, a primo swimming hole on the Smith River just outside Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. … [Continue reading]
NEWER UPDATE: Most California national forests will reopen on September 16, 2021. Areas impacted by wildfires will still be closed, so check with the specific national forest ranger district before planning hiking and travel.Update: all national … [Continue reading]
Do you love day hiking? Ever wish you had a cool notebook/journal so you could record all the important details of your day hikes, along with nature observations, your most vivid memories, and the main things you want to remember for next … [Continue reading]
Hike the Shasta area's iconic Heart Lake Trail in 2022 on the recently rerouted path. This article has all the details of everything you need to know to enjoy this popular hike, including a detailed trail description, trailhead directions, and a … [Continue reading]
Walking the lower, middle, and upper falls of the McCloud River is one of the premier hikes in the Mount Shasta area. This post has everything you need, including a detailed description of the trail, directions to the trailhead, a map, and several … [Continue reading]
Making your summer plans for backpacking and day hiking in California? I urge you to go earlier rather than later.Why? Two main reasons... … [Continue reading]
Faery Falls on Ney Springs Creek is one of the most beautiful spots in the entire Mount Shasta area. The fifty-foot waterfall is just a short 0.8 mile hike, and the route also travels through the ruins of intriguing Ney Springs Resort. This article … [Continue reading]
Hidden Falls Regional Park near Auburn contains an extensive network of hiking trails that run near the year-round streams Coon Creek and Deadman Creek, and also along steep hillsides dotted with oaks and pines and open hillsides filled with spring … [Continue reading]
My new all-color guidebook Urban Trails Sacramento is now widely available throughout Northern California! The book has the 35 best trails for hikers, walkers, and runners within an hour drive of downtown Sacramento.Go here for details of all the … [Continue reading]
If you hike long enough in the Trinity Alps or anywhere else in the mountains of Northern California, you’ll see a black bear. In my several dozen backpacking trips and day hikes in the Trinity Alps, I’ve probably seen a black bear about a third of … [Continue reading]
There are six free-entrance days in 2021 for national parks and national monuments in Northern California. Hike your favorite trails, picnic, explore, and enjoy nature with your friends and family.2021 Free Entrance Days to Northern California … [Continue reading]
Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoorsy people on your list, or the people you want to encourage to be outdoorsy?Then I humbly suggest buying your friends and family members one or more of my Northern California hiking guidebooks, or my … [Continue reading]
The Ah-Pah Interpretive Trail is an easy redwoods hike near the north end of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Most people drive right by it, usually because they're headed to the more popular hikes located farther south along Newton B. Drury Scenic … [Continue reading]
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to Cement Bluff above Bluff Lake is an attractive outing in its own right, with gorgeous views of Mount Eddy, Mount Shasta, and the Trinity Alps. This post provides trailhead directions, a map, and a detailed trail … [Continue reading]
Etna Summit sits astride the Pacific Crest Trail and has stunning views of the Russian Wilderness and the Klamath Mountains surrounding the North Fork Salmon River, all part of Klamath National Forest. Easily reached by paved Sawyers Bar Road from … [Continue reading]
Truly a world treasure, Redwood National and State Parks includes Redwood National Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This post presents amazing facts and statistics … [Continue reading]
Hike peaceful redwood groves and rugged coastline: more info.
All my favorite hikes in my home territory! Details here.
Check out the new fourth edition of 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California. Completely updated!
