Hikes in California

California is blessed with a variety of beautiful landscapes. You can stroll along beautiful coastlines, summit 14,000-foot peaks, or hike up desert canyons. California has so much to offer!

Hikespeak has write-ups for over 450 hikes in California (including over 175 Los Angeles area hikes). California also has campgrounds and other outdoor attractions that you can learn about on hikespeak.com. California trails have been organized into a few hiking regions. Pick a region from the map below to see a page with a list of trails in that area that can be searched and sorted. These lists offer links to individual write-ups packed with photos, GPS maps, directions, and other useful details. Hiking in California is a wonderful thing!

California Hiking Regions

Hiking in California

Want to visit one of California’s national parks? Jump straight to Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Kings Canyon, Pinnacles, Sequoia, or Yosemite.

Interested in other states? See where else hikespeak has been by switching over to the US page.

Not sure where you want to hike? Check out the latest trail reports below.

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Fallen Leaf Lake Moraine Trail Lake Tahoe Basin South Lake Tahoe Hike
What's better than hiking by a lovely creek - maybe hiking by a lovely lake. You can do both on Moraine Trail, visiting Fallen Leaf Lake and Taylor Creek in the Lake Tahoe Basin National Forest Lands near South Lake Tahoe. This easy and level loop is 1.1 miles long, including a short side trail to Fallen Leaf Lake Dam. The mountain-cradled Fallen Leaf Lake is located just south of Lake... Read more.
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Tagged with · Free Trails · Lake Tahoe Basin National Forest Lands · Lakes · South Lake Tahoe
Distance: 1.1 miles · Elevation change: 35 feet
By: Published: Last updated: July 26, 2023
Way of the Mono Trail Sierra National Forest Bass Lake View Hike Oakhurst California
Interpretive trails are usually good places to appreciate the finer features of a forest, but they tend to lack grand vistas. This is not the case with Way of the Mono Trail, which rises to a splendid view over Bass Lake, a beauty in the Sierra Nevada Mountains south of Yosemite National Park. Way of the Mono Trail is a 0.6-mile loop with 140 feet of elevation change. Panels along this... Read more.
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Tagged with · Bass Lake · Free Trails · Lakes · Morteros · Native American Heritage · Nature Trails · Oakhurst
Distance: 0.6 miles · Elevation change: 140 feet
By: Published: Last updated: June 30, 2021
Social Distancing Los Angeles Coronavirus Hiking
Most trails around Los Angeles have now closed. You are about to read an unusual post for a hiking website, written during the coronavirus pandemic. Hikespeak.com is in no way qualified to offer medical advice. If the government issues any rules or guidelines that contradict something written here, ignore hikespeak and follow the recommendations of government and medical professionals.... Read more.
By: Published: Last updated: April 2, 2020
M Trail Loop Lemon Grove Loop Trail Hike Cerro San Luis Madonna Mountain Hike to the M San Luis Obispo California
The mountain named Cerro San Luis is one of the top places to hike in San Luis Obispo, and its trailhead is actually in walking distance from downtown SLO. If you're drawn to the large white “M” on the side of the mountain, you're in luck! Not only is the “M” reachable as an extension of the hike to the summit, but thanks to trail created in 2017, hikers can touch... Read more.
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Tagged with · Free Trails · Morros
Distance: 2.4 miles · Elevation change: 560 feet
By: Published: Last updated: March 19, 2021
Reservoir Canyon Creek Bypass Trail loop hike San Luis Obispo California
During the late teens of the 22nd century, San Luis Obispo has developed Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve into a versatile hiking destination, with upgraded trails and features. Reservoir Canyon Trail and Summit Trail deliver great half-day hikes. However, a shorter option exists that packs Reservoir Canyon into a one-mile experience with 150 feet of elevation change. Use Creek Bypass... Read more.
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Tagged with · Free Trails · Reservoir Canyon Natural Reserve · Waterfalls
Distance: 1 mile · Elevation change: 150 feet
By: Published: Last updated: February 12, 2019
Hedge Creek Falls Trail Dunsmuir California Mount Shasta Waterfall Hike
Hedge Creek Falls is a 35-foot waterfall pouring over a basalt overhang into a wooded ravine above the Sacramento River south of Mount Shasta. A short trail leads to the waterfall from a trailhead right beside an Interstate 5 offramp in Dunsmuir, so this waterfall hike makes a great break from highway travel. The fun trail actually passes behind the waterfall, going underneath the overhang,... Read more.
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Tagged with · Dunsmuir · Free Trails · Mount Shasta · Waterfalls
Distance: 0.6 miles · Elevation change: 130 feet
By: Published: Last updated: February 4, 2019
Longridge Park Hike Sherman Oaks Santa Monica Mountains Longridge Trail Los Angeles California
The Santa Monica Mountains have significant parks with great hiking getaways. Often overlooked are smaller undeveloped pockets within the mountains that offer quick escapes from the stresses of Los Angeles. Longridge Park in Sherman Oaks is the latter, a 50-acre park with a 0.2-mile long use-trail. Longridge Trail has ridge-top views throughout its short run, like perspectives north... Read more.
By: Published: Last updated: January 14, 2019
Haystack Trail Mount Shasta Hike Klamath National Forest The Haystack Butte California
The Haystack is a diminutive volcanic dome with great views of the enormous, snowy mass of Mount Shasta. Haystack Trail presents a 2.55-mile lollipop loop hike that tours the Haystack's summit plateau, boasting broad views in all directions that include Mount Shasta, the Klamath Mountains, and Shasta Valley. This high desert hike passes through juniper and sage that get embellished by spring... Read more.
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Tagged with · Buttes · Free Trails · Klamath National Forest · Montague · Mount Shasta · Weed
Distance: 2.55 miles · Elevation change: 375 feet
By: Published: Last updated: February 4, 2019
Las Virgenes View Trail Las Virgenes Valley Hike Malibu Canyon Las Virgenes View Park Calabasas California Santa Monica Mountains
Las Virgenes View Park preserves nearly 700 acres of the Santa Monica Mountains adjacent to Malibu Creek State Park. The park has one established trail, Las Virgenes View Trail, which rises to a panorama-boasting ridge. The trail traverses grasslands and oak woodlands near Las Virgenes Road and then runs up a canyon to a ridge where it forms a small loop with mountain views in all... Read more.
By: Published: Last updated: January 11, 2019
Heartbreak Hill Trail Santa Monica Mountains Hike Liberty Canyon Agoura Hills California
The heart pounding on Heartbreak Hill comes from the heavy dose of elevation on this short trail, which climbs 600 feet in a little over a mile. The trail is steep from the start, but does taper out before a rapid rise to Heartbreak Ridge, just below a summit crest. The hike is easy-to-reach, setting out from Agoura Road near the Liberty Canyon Exit of the 101 Freeway. The top of the hike... Read more.
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Tagged with · Agoura Hills · Free Trails · Dog-Friendly Trails · Santa Monica Mountains
Distance: 2.1 miles · Elevation change: 600 feet
By: Published: Last updated: January 11, 2019