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10 Overnight Backpack Trips in Southern California

April 13, 2016 By Jeff H 29 Comments

The word is out. Southern California has a veritable plethora of hiking trails. And a plethora and a half of hikers exploring them. 99.9% of hikers are firmly in the day-hike only camp, and usually it’s just a matter of not knowing how to start and where to go to gain some backpacking experience.

With this in mind, I’ve come up with a list of ten great overnight backpacking trips. Most of these trips can be modified to make them easier or more challenging, depending on what you’re after. But they all provide a taste of outdoor adventure that can be enjoyed by anyone with a free night.

1. Crystal Cove State Park

Photo: teakwood

Most people don’t realize this, but Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County has several backcountry camps that you can use — and they have sweeping ocean views! The trails are busy during the day, but you can hike up and setup your camp after work and still have time to cook dinner and watch the sunset. And as the sun goes down, the day-hiker (and mountain biker) crowds go with it, leaving you with a pretty sweet view.

Why this trip rocks? My friend Tracy uses this park for what she calls a “gear shakedown” before any bigger trips, testing new gear in a relatively low-risk situation. It’s a great way to dip your toes into backpacking without traveling far.

2. Santa Cruz Trail

Spring wildflowers in the Santa Barbara backcountry

This is a longer, more strenuous out-and-back trip in the Santa Barbara backcountry that’s best done in the spring (it gets a bit too hot in the summer). Hike 10 miles in with 2,500′ vertical gain, setup camp by a stream under the shade of 100-year old oaks, and hike back the next day.

Why backpack this? The distance and elevation gain are an almost perfect match for a typical day on the John Muir Trail (although at a much lower altitude). It’s a good way to see how your body responds to the climb and the distance. Time it right, and you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular wildflower show.

3. Barker Valley in the Palomar Mountains

Fellow hiking blogger Scott Turner has a super guide to this great little overnight trip to Barker Valley in the Palomar Mountains in northeast San Diego County. It’s what I call an “upside-down” hike, meaning you go down 1000′ feet to the river, camp overnight, then hike up 1000′ to get back to the trailhead. But at 6.5 miles round trip, it makes a gentler introduction to backpacking.

Backpack this for… meadows, a river and a waterfall. And it’s dog-friendly. Woof!

4. Santa Anita Canyon

 

Rising out of the valley

You can stay at Hogee’s on Winter Creek, or Spruce Grove on the Gabrieleño Trail. And if you’re feeling ambition in the morning, you can bag Mt Wilson — one of the Six-Pack of Peaks. Here’s a guide to a grand loop up Gabrieleño to the summit and down via Winter Creek. You can hike it either direction, or modify it to suit you time and energy.

I love this overnighter for… a healthy dose of LA’s hiking history. Hoagie’s and Spruce Grove campgrounds date back a hundred years. And these lush canyons feel like a world away from the freeways and traffic jams.

5. Cucamonga Peak

Joan on the Approach to Cucamonga Peak

Joan and I backpacked to Cucamonga Peak and spent the night for our Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge (that’s her silhouetted in the setting sun en route to the summit. Pack in all your water (I took six liters).

Hike this for… the sunset. And the sunrise. And the stars and city lights in-between. We even saw the Disneyland fireworks from the summit! Did I mention this hike is also dog friendly? Woof!

6. Mt Baldy

 

Full Moon hike up Mt Baldy

Full Moon hike up Mt Baldy

Camping on the top of Mt Baldy is an experience. You have to pack in all your water. It’s cold, windy and exposed. But oh those sunrise and sunsets! And it’s dog friendly.

7. San Bernardino Peak

 

Photo: Mitch Barrie

Photo: Mitch Barrie

The San Bernardino Trail goes all the way up to San Bernardino Peak (and beyond). But you can stop at Limber Pine Flat and camp overnight.

Why on earth? For views like the one shown above. Says it all.

8. Catalina Island

Camp at Parsons Landing

Camp at Parsons Landing

You don’t have to hike the entire Trans-Catalina Trail to enjoy overnight backpacking on Catalina. Take the ferry from San Pedro into Two Harbors, and you can day hike to either Little Harbor or Two Harbors to Parsons Landing. Each is on a different side of the island, and each has it’s own distinct vibe.

Why backpack here? Are you serious? If you live in SoCal, you must do this at least once!

9. San Gorgonio

Sunset from our campsite at High Creek

Most people hike up San Gorgonio — the highest peak in Southern California — in a single day hike. But they would be missing out on views like this one, from my High Creek campsite in 2013. Another great option is Halfway Camp (supposedly halfway to the summit from the trailhead). And once you’ve spent the night, you don’t have to continue to San Gorgonio. But you probably will.

Why backpack San Gorgonio? Because it’s the tallest damn mountain in SoCal, and you should make the journey last as long as you can.

10. San Jacinto

First Look at Round Valley

San Jacinto is my personal favorite! I’ve been backpacking on this mountain since I was a teenager, and I’ll never tire of it. You can hike in from Idyllwild or take the tram up. I took my daughter up there on an overnight backpack trip before she even was walking!

Why is San Jacinto my favorite? Options to bag San Jacinto, or just go check out Wellman’s Divide. Beautiful alpine meadows, and peaks that remind me of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Here’s a peek at our overnight trip from the Tram to the summit of San Jacinto.

Wrapping Up

All of these overnight these overnight trips include some bureaucracy, usually in the form of a wilderness permit obtainable from the local ranger station.

Those are some of my top picks for short overnight backpack trips all over Southern California. Leave a comment to share your favorites. 

Filed Under: Backpacking, Hiking News Tagged With: Backpacking, Catalina, Crystal Cove, San Bernardino, San Gorgonio, Six-Pack of Peaks

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Jeff H

About Jeff H

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

Comments

  1. Robert says

    April 14, 2016 at 7:54 am

    I love Santa Anita canyon, but not all the poison oak! If you wanted a higher mileage option, You could hike up the Gabrielino Trail past Spruce Grove, head over Newcomb pass, and down to Devore trail camp. One of my favorite camps in the San Gabriels. Then back up to Newcomb pass, and take the Rim trail to Mount Wilson, then down Winter Creek.

    Reply
  2. Wild Southland says

    April 16, 2016 at 9:42 pm

    The Sespe Trail to Willet Hot Springs (or Sespe Hot Springs) in the SLP is a classic.

    Reply
  3. Kristen says

    April 25, 2016 at 7:13 am

    I love that every place seems to have it’s own Mt. Baldy. I’ll definitely be forwarding this list to a few friends…

    Reply
  4. Vandrestøvler says

    May 7, 2016 at 11:09 am

    I am surpriced about the landscape, which looks much more green that I expected. I would love to go hiking there sometime.

    Reply
  5. Larry H says

    May 10, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Camped at the summit of San G and loved it up there. Sunset over Baldy in the distance and sunrise on that moonscape made the trek up (with 7 liters of water) worth it!

    Reply
  6. Ryan says

    July 9, 2016 at 10:58 am

    Really love this list, I’ll definitely share this to my friends. Thanks for sharing with us, Jeff!

    Reply
  7. Tom Brown says

    August 11, 2016 at 11:32 pm

    Love the Mt Baldy picture. Thanks for sharing this great list.

    Reply
  8. William Douglas says

    August 22, 2016 at 11:09 pm

    As a resident of Palm Desert, I was hoping you’d mention Jacinto! I love it up there. Great hikes halfway down the hill too. Cactus Springs leads 6.5 miles up to snowy forest with running water. Absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply
  9. Nancy RNancy R says

    September 18, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    I agree on San J. It’s my favorite too. I complete all hikes as day hikes but I’m seriously considering branching out to overnight camping next year.

    Reply
  10. Bobby says

    January 1, 2017 at 9:29 am

    Hi Jeff! I did round valley solo a few months ago because of this article. It was a great intro as a first time solo backpacker. Thanks for that!

    Which of these do you recommend to do early January?

    Reply
  11. Danielle Schear says

    January 2, 2017 at 1:42 pm

    Hi! Looking to do some guided backpacking in SoCal in march 2017. I am inexperienced with backpacking but would look to give it a go- however i’m having some trouble finding a relatively priced- 2 night 3 day tour. Any ideas?

    Reply
  12. Edie says

    January 6, 2017 at 6:17 am

    Trans Catalina Trail is amazing!

    Reply
  13. Anne Bernard says

    January 6, 2017 at 8:21 am

    I have so many great memories of Crystal Cove State Park – would definitely recommend if you’re in the area!

    Reply
  14. Byron says

    January 12, 2017 at 7:50 pm

    Hey everyone,

    So my wife and I are looking to do our first so-cal backpacking trip this spring and we have run into a wall with our planning. We have one big issue–a dog! He has done parts of the PCT with us and we were all set to go to Catalina for three nights and then boom! We found out he is not allowed in the campgrounds there! 🙁 We really wanted to do Catalina and will wait a few years to do the Trans-Catalina trail, but does anyone have any suggestions for a 3-5 day trip, that is 30-50 miles, in So Cal that is close to the ocean, with water, and is dog friendly? If not close to the ocean, then something scenic?? Thanks for any suggestions!

    Reply
  15. Rob says

    July 6, 2017 at 11:53 am

    Hi
    Does this work the same as site camping?
    Do you need to make reservations?
    How does this work? can you just find a trail, hike it, and pick a random spot to pop up a tent?

    Reply
  16. Gloria J. Britt says

    August 6, 2017 at 5:04 am

    You post ten beautiful area for outdoor backpack trips in southern California. I am love hiking. Every vacation goes out with my husband. We are planned next destination Cucamonga Peak. Please let me know about your Cucamonga peak.

    Reply
  17. Ruben says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    I am looking to do a weekend backpacking trip with a buddy in the fall. I would like to keep it in southern California. Anything from a 6-10 mile hike is good enough. Somewhere that we can actually get rugged and take in the wilderness… Maybe some place between beginner and intermediate camping/backpacking experience..Any suggestions?

    Reply
  18. Phil Goodrich says

    August 29, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    A hidden gem is Lower Bear Creek off of the West Fork of the San Gabriel. You hike exactly one mile in on the fire road and come to a bridge. Scramble down the rocks; go under the bridge, and there is a lovely little trail meandering up Bear Creek. Its an easy hike, very level, shaded, and you have the creek for company almost the entire time. There are a lot of stream crossings so it is a little problematic in the spring. There are three trail camps. Hold out for the third which is under a huge oak (and next to a field of poison oak). This is my go to spot for an overnight getaway with my dog. Beautiful, peaceful, good swimming holes, and I have only seen three people in the six times I have been there.

    Reply
    • Jeff HJeff Hester says

      August 29, 2017 at 3:20 pm

      Thanks for the tip, Phil! We will definitely check it out!

      Reply
  19. Yanni says

    September 8, 2017 at 2:32 pm

    Does anyone know about any of these hikes with a dog? Thanks

    Reply
  20. Thomas S says

    September 14, 2017 at 12:38 am

    Great list! Thanks for sharing. I’m always looking for overnight/weekend hikes in SoCal and will definitely have to check a few of these out.

    Reply
  21. Ash says

    April 23, 2018 at 10:29 am

    Hi, I’m a native Californian living in Australia with my husband and two daughters ages three and one. I’ve done plenty of trails in the Santa Ynez mountain range but none down south. We would love to find a day trail we could backpack with our girls. What could you recommend to us? We are looking for a challenge but need to keep our girls in mind.

    Thanks

    Reply
  22. Michelle Jenn says

    January 22, 2019 at 6:28 pm

    Hi Jeff,
    My husband and I are avid backpackers from Georgia and will be in LA for a wedding in late March. I’d like to arrive early for a 3 night backpacking trip in SoCal (28 – 38 miles). Any suggestions of a trail that will be possible that early in the spring? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
  23. Karthik S says

    August 5, 2019 at 1:37 am

    Hi,
    I was looking for some information to create an infographic on Hiking with dogs and came across your site.
    Very informative and thanks for taking the effort. After completing the infographics., I would like to share it.

    Reply
  24. Sarah Higgins says

    May 1, 2020 at 10:57 am

    Wow, your 10 overnight backpack trips southern tips is really so helpful, thanks for sharing with us.

    Reply
  25. Sarah Higgins says

    October 15, 2020 at 9:18 am

    I don’t have any idea about southern california tour at the past. This is an amazing article about 10 overnight backpacking about the southern california. Many many thanks for sharing with us.

    Reply
  26. Oliver John says

    April 5, 2021 at 6:00 am

    amazing content. love it

    Reply
  27. David says

    June 14, 2021 at 2:35 pm

    Any suggestions for anyone who has never done done this. Where to start?

    Reply
  28. Sarah L says

    October 18, 2021 at 11:51 am

    Thank you for the list, so sad so many of these trails are closed due to recent fires. Can’t wait to try them once they open again !

    Reply

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