Trails covered in my hiking guidebooks may be closed for a variety of reasons, with wildfires being the most common. For each trail closure I list the hike name, hike number, and book name.
I also list trails that have had major recent changes, usually meaning a wildfire burned through the area, although the trail is still open.
Note: I try my best to keep this list up to date, but you should always double-check with the relevant government agency for the latest information. Also be aware that this list only covers the trails in my books, not the many other Northern California trails that may also be closed.
Note also: this list does not address trails and trailheads that are inaccessible due to snow, short-term weather events, or short-term wildfire fighting. I do my best to stay on top of trail closures due to larger wildfires.
Most recent update: September 15, 2021
All Northern California National Forests Opening Starting September 16, Including for Hiking
- Shasta-Trinity National Forest, including Shasta Lake National Recreation Area
- Lassen National Forest
- Klamath National Forest
- Modoc National Forest
- Six Rivers National Forest
- Mendocino National Forest
- Plumas National Forest
- Tahoe National Forest
- Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Northern High Sierra Nevada
The Caldor Fire burned near Echo Lake and the southern edge of Desolation Wilderness, so trails there likely won’t be accessible for a while.
The 2020 North Complex Fire burned much of the land around the Feather Falls Trail. The earliest it will open is spring of 2021. More information here.
Feather Falls, Plumas National Forest. CLOSED through at least the spring of 2023. Hike 25, 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e
Lassen Area
2021 Dixie Fire Update for Lassen Volcanic National Park Trails
Right now: all of Lassen Volcanic National Park is closed due to the Dixie Fire.
Much of Lassen Volcanic National Park has burned in the 2021 Dixie Fire. Most or all of the hiking trails will be closed in the area until at least the summer of 2022, and this includes all the Lassen Volcanic National Park hikes in my guidebooks.
2021 Dixie Fire Update for Lassen National Forest, including Caribou Wilderness
Much of the Caribou Wilderness has burned in the 2021 Dixie Fire. Most or all of the hiking trails will be closed in the area until at least the summer of 2022. See details of the Dixie Fire Lassen National Forest closure, in effect through November 30.
The following hike in 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e, is not open:
Caribou Wilderness (Hike 28)
The following hikes in Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions are not open:
Beauty, Posey, and Long Lakes Loop (Hike 123)
Emerald, Rim, and Cypress Lakes (Hike 124)
Gem, Black, and Cowboy Lakes Loop (Hike 125)
In addition, the Dixie Fire burned near Old Station, which may have affected trails there.
Lava Beds National Monument
The 2020 Caldwell Fire burned much of the eastern portion of Lava Beds National Monument. The following trail in Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions is closed:
Schonchin Butte (Hike 90) CLOSED for repairs to the lookout on top.
More info here.
Redding Area and Nearby
The devastating 2018 Carr Fire burned nearly all of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and much of the BLM land in west Redding and nearby.
West Redding
You will see major evidence of the Carr Fire along the following trails in west Redding (all in Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions):
Piety Hill Loop, Bureau of Land Management, Redding. Hike 6
Sacramento River Trail Loop, City of Redding. Hike 8
Sacramento River Rail Trail, Bureau of Land Management, Redding. Hike 9
FB Trail, Bureau of Land Management, Redding. Hike 10
Mule Mountain Pass and Black Bear Pass, Bureau of Land Management, Redding. Hike 13
Mule Mountain Ridge to Mule Mountain Summit, Bureau of Land Management, Redding. Hike 14
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
Nearly all the trails in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area suffered major burning in the Carr Fire, with the Shasta Divide Nature Trail an exception. The following trails from Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions are open:
Shasta Divide Nature Trail, Hike 15
Oak Bottom Water Ditch, Hike 16
Crystal Creek Ditch Trail, Hike 19
Whiskeytown Falls, Hike 20
Mount Shasta Mine Loop, Hike 21
Guardian Rock and Clear Creek, Hike 23
Davis Gulch, Hike 24
The following trails from Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions are closed:
Boulder Creek Falls, Hike 17 CLOSED
Tower House Historic District and Mill Creek, Hike 18 CLOSED (also Hike 62 in 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e); Note: the Camden Water Ditch Trail at the beginning of the hike is open.
Kanaka Peak, Hike 22 CLOSED
Brandy Creek Falls, Hike 25 CLOSED
Shasta Lake National Recreation Area
The following trail from Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions is partially closed:
Hirz Bay, Hike 29: The first mile of the trail south from the Dekkas Rock picnic is open, but the last portion of the trail to Hirz Bay Campground is temporarily closed until sometime in summer 2021 while the Forest Service does hazardous tree removal.
Mount Shasta and Nearby
In early July of 2021, Mud Creek on the north side of Mount Shasta flooded Pilgrim Creek Road and covered it with mud and other debris. This affects:
Clear Creek Trail on Mount Shasta, Hike 46, Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions.
Here’s the most relevant Facebook post (July 12) from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest page:
Mud Creek, on the Shasta McCloud Management Unit, is continuing to have significant surges with the high temperatures the area is experiencing. Over the weekend, about 2 feet of mud and debris flowed up onto Pilgrim Creek Road. Because of all the sediment, Mud Creek is now flowing across the road and not under the bridge. Pilgrim Creek Road remains closed until further notice. To access Shasta Forest subdivision, wilderness trailheads, and other areas of the Forest vehicles need to use the Esperanza Road.”
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The Castle Lake to Heart Lake Trail was recently rerouted and improved. It’s a lot easier to both follow and hike. See my detailed blog post about the Heart Lake Trail improvements. The hike is in Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions and 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, fourth edition.
Trinity Alps Wilderness
All Trinity Alps Wilderness Trails are closed through November 15, 2021, due to wildfires and wildfire danger.
The following trails in Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions are closed:
Canyon Creek Lakes, Hike 67
Long Canyon to Deer Creek Pass, Hike 68
Granite Lake, Hike 69
Parker and Mumford Meadows, Hike 70
Boulder Lakes, Hike 71
Big Bear Lake, Hike 72
PCT Southwest from Scott Mountain Summit, Hike 73
East Boulder and Upper Boulder Lakes, Hike 74
Fox Creek Lake, Hike 75
Hidden Lake, Hike 76
South Fork Lakes, Hike 77
Trail Gulch and Long Gulch Lakes, Hike 78
The following trails in 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, fourth edition, are closed:
Big Bear Lake, Hike 56
Caribou, Emerald, and Sapphire Lakes, Hike 57
Horseshoe and Ward Lakes, Hike 58
Granite Lake and Seven Up Gap, Hike 59
Four Lakes Loop, Hike 60
Canyon Creek Lakes and Boulder Creek Lakes, Hike 61
Marble Mountain Wilderness and Russian Wilderness
Some trails in the Marble Mountain Wilderness may be closed due to the River Complex Fires.
Yolla-Bolly Middle-Eel Wilderness
The 2020 August Complex wildfire burned much of Mendocino National Forest and parts of adjacent forests, including a big chunk of Yolla-Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness.
North Yolla Bolly Trails, Shasta–Trinity National Forest, Yolla Bolly Ranger Station. Hike 77, 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e. The 2020 August Complex Fire burned the upper portion of the Pettijohn Trail, plus North Yolla Bolly Lake and the summit of North Yolla Bolly Mountain.
Redwood National & State Parks and Nearby
Here are the current trail closures and important issue:
Highway 101 south of Crescent City is undergoing major work at Last Chance Grade. Delays can be several hours or more. More info here.
Lost Man Creek Trail, Redwood National Park. Hike 19, Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks. The access road is closed through December 2021.
Rhododendron Trail, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Hike 19, Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks. The section of the Rhododendron Trail from the Brown Creek Trail to the South Fork Trail is closed. This means you can’t complete the loop described in Hike 19: Brown Creek, Rhododendron, and South Fork Loop. You can, however, hike the Brown Creek Trail and the South Fork Trail.
Damnation Creek Trail, Redwood National & State Parks. Hike 25, Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks. The trail is open most of the way down, but the bridge is out, preventing hiking the last 200 yards to the ocean.
Hiouchi Trail, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Hike 31, Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks. Closed until Fall of 2021 due to a large tree across the trail.
Mill Creek Trail, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Hike 36, Hike the Parks: Redwood National & State Parks. Due to major improvements related to the Grove of the Titans project, the first mile of the Mill Creek Trail beginning at Howland Hill Road is closed through late summer of 2021. The remaining two miles of trail running northerly to the Smith River is closed until sometime in 2022.
Wine Country
The 2020 Walbridge Fire (LNU Complex Fire) burned much of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Austin Creek State Recreation Area. More information here.
East Ridge and Pool Ridge Loop, Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Austin Creek State Recreation Area. CLOSED. Hike 77, 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e
The 2020 Glass Fire in Sonoma County burned much of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, but nearly all the trails are open, including:
Bald Mountain, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Hike 79, 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e
Bay Area
Most of Butano State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park burned during the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fires. Big Basin Redwoods State Park is closed through at least summer of 2021. More information here for Big Basin Redwoods State Park and here for Butano State Park. As of August, 2021, portions of the two parks are opening, but the hikes in 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e are partially or totally closed off.
Butano State Park. CLOSED. Hike 93, 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e
Berry Creek Falls and Silver Falls, Big Basin Redwoods State Park. CLOSED. Hike 94, 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e
Skyline to the Sea Trail to Berry Creek Falls, Big Basin Redwoods State Park. CLOSED. Hike 95, 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California, 4e
Sacramento and Auburn State Recreation Area and Nearby
Some Auburn State Recreation Area hiking trails are closed due to the Bridge Fire, which started September 5, 2021. Check here for the current status.
The Blue Ridge Trail and the Homestead and their surroundings near Lake Berryessa completely burned in the August 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire. They are open for much of their lengths; however, as of now the connector trail that allows the combination of the two trails into a loop is closed. More information here.
Blue Ridge Trail, Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. Hike 34, Urban Trails Sacramento
Homestead Trail, Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve, Hike 35. Urban Trails Sacramento
