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11 Best Hiking Places In California

Are you a hiking fan? Do you want to boost your body sugar and pressure levels or do you want to empower your heart with a cardio workout? Hiking is one of the best practices that keep a doctor away. Do you want to keep fit while exploring one of the most grandeur cities in the world? Let us discuss some of the best hiking places in California.

Actually, California is one of the largest states in the West of the U.S. with a mile coverage of 900 miles. It boasts a rich history in Hollywood entertainment, Alcatraz Island, Nevada Mountains, and tremendous breathtaking scenic sites that you can sight-see while hiking. With its terrain of forests, cliff beaches, farmland valleys, and a barren desert, California is a hiking paradise.

Best Hiking Places In California

Below are some amazing trails in California:

1. Yosemite Falls Trail
2. Fern Canyon State Park Redwood Trail
3. Hike to Mount Whitney Summit
4. Low Coast Trail
5. McWay Waterfall Trail
6. Mt Shasta
7. Redwood National Park
8. Sea Lion Point Lost
9. Fortynine Palms Oasis Trails 
10. Solstice Canyon
11. Pomo Canyon to Shell Beach
Best Hiking Places in California

1. Yosemite Falls Trail

This is the tallest waterfall in California. It is a 10 hours round trip that ascends to more than 2425 ft. Upon climbing up the trail, hikers enjoy the mist of the falling water. Another amazing feature from the top of the fall is the panorama of the great valley that outstretches at the floor base. If you are a fan of nature, spring is the best time for you to go hiking as the volume of the water is abundant.

Yosemite National Park, California

2. Fern Canyon State Park Redwood Trail

This park’s main aim is to protect the indigenous redwoods. These are some of the oldest trees now available in the world. The trail takes hikers through the Fern Canyon which has breathtaking nature views and a breeze from the trees. Visitors enjoy the majestic walks with a touch of gentle and serene nature, exploring the tallest trees on the planet. Within the borders of the park are great beaches where hikers can refresh. This is one of the greatest hiking sites in California.

3. Hike to Mount Whitney Summit

This is a one-day round trip. The epic climb to the mountain’s summit provides a glamorous feeling of adventurous conquer. Being the highest point within California’s Nevada range, this is the most visited place in the state. With a height of 14,494 ft, hikers should begin their trail early to make it back within 14 hours. Hiking on this mountain offers epic views as the trail trespasses a wilderness area within it.

4. Low Coast Trail

This is a trail at the northern part of Mendocino in Sinkyone Wilderness Park. The 60-mile trail is mostly for backpackers and is considered more of an expedition since the trail may sometimes get submerged due to high tides as it lies within the coastal line.

Hikers do enjoy the sea breeze from the sea and the grandeur landscape. Great adventures of hiking this trail are sandy beaches, wildflowers, mythical sceneries, and at other times of the year mainly winter you can see the gray whales. This trail is mostly recommended for advanced hikers.

5. McWay Waterfall Trail

This waterfall is found in Big Sur Country in Julia Pfeiffer Park California. The waterfall is found within the park, which borders the coastline on a 3000 ft ridge. Within this park is the trail that leads to the Mcway falls. It is a point of attraction for many people and creates a fascinating and breathtaking point of view.

Along the trail are redwood trees too, which give the site magnificent scenery for the people who love nature. This is a short hike stretch that takes about 30 minutes but offers a wonderful experience.

6. Mt Shasta

This is one of the trail places with a rich history. The mountains are snow-capped and have been over time used as a spiritual manifestation place for many people, so most people hike to the summit of the mountain for prayer purposes.

The mountain has got several hiking trails, one of them being the Gray Butte trail. It offers a conducive environment for meditation. The trail is about 600 ft and can take around 2 hours to complete, therefore suitable for the average hiker. Hiking is mostly preferable during the summer.

7. Redwood National Park

This park lies in northern California far from the big attraction sites. For the people who love nature and countryside getaways or the environment, this is an ideal hiking destination. The scenery of the trail is marvelous with an average walking distance.

Along the trail are tree canopies and more than 2000 years old redwood trees. These trees are gigantic and create a great hiking environment even during the summer when temperatures are relatively high in other sites. This trial site is not recommended for lone hikers since it’s out of the urban setting and it’s scary without company.

8. Sea Lion Point

This is one of the interesting trail sites as it offers a different platform for adventure. If you are a fan of nature, ocean waters, and marine life, this is one of the best-hiking sites for you. The trail which meanders along the seashore offers the hikers a chance to see sea lions, sea otters, and seals swimming along the shore or other sea creatures basking on the rocks offshore.

It is a short trail and therefore, we recommend it to everybody. Hikers are able to pass through the Sea Lion Cove and Headland Cove, best known for the congestion of seals swimming.

9. Fortynine Palms Oasis Trails

These trails are found within the Mojave Desert. Mojave is a desert within California that is greatly known for the Joshua tree. Within it are two distinct trails. The Fortynine Palms is a 3 miles trail that offers oases of water within a desert.

It offers a fascinating experience of being in a desert and finding some great relief in the cool waters within it. The other trail is the Lost Palms Oasis trail, which is a 7-mile hike with lots of fun with water oases and palms.

10. Solstice Canyon

This trail is within Los Angeles near Malibu. Greatly admired for its serene environment and breathtaking views, it’s one of the most in-demand trails in California. It is greatly admired for its different nature backgrounds as it traverses the Santa Monica Mountains recreational area and enters the ragged parts of the mountains and to the amazing oceanic views of the Pacific.

11. Pomo Canyon to Shell Beach

Within the Sonoma Coast Park there lies this great hiking trail. This is one of the most scintillating trails in California, as it traverses through diverse, amazing, and stunning landscapes. From the Russian River through the Pacific Ocean, Sonoma Coastline to the redwood forest, it offers a lively nature walk.

Conclusion

California offers some best-hiking trails in the world. With all the amazing and breathtaking hiking trails including Yosemite falls, Fern Canyon, McWay Falls, Solstice, and Pomo, among others as discussed above, you have a variety to choose from based on your tastes.

Whether you love hiking along the seashore, mountainous regions, riparian regions, or Nature parks, everything is available for you in California. We offer the best for you and deserve the best. So, plan your hike and pack your backpack. Happy Trails.

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