Mount Shasta Area | Lassen Area | Trinity Alps | Shasta-Trinity NF | Klamath NF | Redwood Coast | Wine Country | Bay Area | Sierra Nevada | Hiking Advice
Hiking the trail to the summit of Ellis Peak rewards you with views of Lake Tahoe, Desolation Wilderness, Granite Chief Wilderness, and a vast swath of the Northern Sierra Nevada. You'll also see lots of summer wildflowers and you'll walk through a … [Continue reading]
Surviving a wildfire you encounter while day hiking or backpacking is definitely possible. This post gives key wildfire-survival hiker safety tips to decrease the chance you'll be caught in a wildfire -- and to increase your chance of survival if you … [Continue reading]
Ken DeCamp's all-color Wildflowers of the Trinity Alps is a beautiful book covering 629 wildflower species, subspecies, and varieties. Here Ken discusses the book, his favorite Trinity Alps wildflower hikes, and the course of his career as a … [Continue reading]
Hiking the French Hill Trail in the Smith River National Recreation Area of the Six Rivers National Forest is well worth the effort. You’ll have solitude along the trail, you’ll gain good views of Siskiyou Wilderness and nearby ridges and slopes, and … [Continue reading]
Hike the trail to Ruffey Lake and Meeks Meadow Lake for a day, or backpack in and camp overnight. Ruffey Lake and Meeks Meadow Lake lie just below Etna Mountain in Klamath National Forest, just north of the Russian Wilderness. Both are sweet little … [Continue reading]
Lassen Volcanic National Park hosts a wide variety of hiking trails that will appeal to day hikers and backpackers of all levels of ability. Some trails are flat, short, and easy, while others are steep, long, and challenging. But all reward you … [Continue reading]
Hikers, want to go hiking or backpacking in your favorite California wilderness, national forest, national park, or state park, but all those wildfires have you uncertain about smoke conditions and air quality?This post -- updated for the 2024 … [Continue reading]
The Pacific Crest Trail travels through the rugged Trinity Alps Wilderness from Scott Mountain Summit to Carter Meadows Summit. This post provides PCT section hikers/backpackers details of lakes, campsites, connecting trails, along with a topographic … [Continue reading]
I'm proud to announce the arrival of the fourth edition of the all-color 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California!I have been hard at work on this completely revised and updated edition since 2015 and I'm very pleased with the results. Mountaineers … [Continue reading]
I have several presentations coming up about day hiking and backpacking the beautiful trails of Northern California.I'll be discussing my favorite hiking trails (with lots of pictures, of course), and I'll be telling a few tales of the … [Continue reading]
Big Duck Lake and Little Duck Lake are two of my favorite hiking destinations in the Russian Wilderness. Trails lead to both Duck Lakes, and both offer good camping, swimming, and fishing opportunities.This day hike or overnight backpacking … [Continue reading]
Hikers and backpackers, use these hashtags to make your hiking and backpacking posts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media stand out and get more views. This post discusses why you should use hashtags, best practices for their use, … [Continue reading]
Hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Echo Lakes into Desolation Wilderness and to Lake Aloha, Lake of the Woods, and Ropi Lake, all under the jagged granite of Pyramid Peak, Mount Agassiz, and Mount Price. Backpackers and day hikers will find all the … [Continue reading]
Smith Lake, surely one of the most beautiful lakes in the Trinity Alps, rests on the south side of Sawtooth Mountain, just below Morris Lake. Nature writer Tim Sims shares an excerpt from his excellent book that describes how he backpacked … [Continue reading]
My new guidebook Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions is now widely available throughout Northern California! You can buy it at many bookstores and outdoor stores, and at the usual online sources like Amazon.This is my home … [Continue reading]
The Grizzly Peak Trail is one of the most popular hiking in Southern Oregon. It has broad views of Ashland, the Rogue Valley, Mount McLaughlin, Mount Shasta, and other Cascade Range and Klamath-Siskiyou peaks, and an impressive summer wildflower … [Continue reading]
Day hike or backpack the beautiful Whitney Butte Trail in Lava Beds National Monument to get away from the crowds and experience high-desert solitude. This article contains a detailed trail description and a trail map that give you everything you … [Continue reading]
Ever thought about backpacking sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California? Philip Kramer, author of the new book Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California Section Hiking from Tuolumne Meadows to Donomore Pass (Mountaineers … [Continue reading]
Hikers and backpackers, before backpacking get your 2025 California campfire permit and make sure you understand all the rules and laws pertaining to legally ha1ving a campfire or using a portable gas stove, including summer restrictions and … [Continue reading]
The Mill Creek Trail in Lassen National Forest offers backpackers a challenging spring hiking trip just north of Ishi Wilderness. While hiking trails at higher elevations still lie under winter snow, this trail in the northern Sierra Nevada just … [Continue reading]
I'm excited to announce that my two new hiking guidebooks are now available for preorder! Do it now and you'll be among the first to get them. Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions Available May 1I have an extensive … [Continue reading]
The hike to Feather Falls in Plumas National Forest outside of Oroville has always been one of my favorite waterfall walks. It's a moderate hike on a good trail with a spectacular reward: the Fall River plunging 410 feet down a sheer cliff face to … [Continue reading]
I just launched a Facebook page where I highlight details of hiking trails in Northern California and important tips, updates, and news items. Like Northern California Hiking Trails on Facebook Here's the link:Northern California Hiking … [Continue reading]
This trail is the steepest and most direct route to the soaring summits of Magee Peak and Crater Peak in Thousand Lakes Wilderness in Lassen National Forest. Part of an imposing volcano that towers above the upper reaches of the Sacramento Valley, … [Continue reading]
This hike takes you on the historic Kelsey National Recreation Trail to Bear Lake in the Siskiyou Wilderness, where beauty and solitude await. Day hike or backpack with this full trail description and topographic map.Note that much of the first … [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!
