Hikes · California
Best hikes in California.
No state packs more range: Yosemite granite, the high Sierra, a redwood coast, desert, and the highest peak in the Lower 48. You can hike somewhere in California every month of the year, but the marquee Sierra routes run on permits and a summer-only window. Match the elevation to the season and you’re set.
Boots on
14 hikes worth the detour.
Sorted easy to expert. Every one mapped with distance, route type, and elevation gain — built for everyone from the RV & camping crew to the bucket-list crowd.
boulders and Joshua trees — family/RV
Lands End Trail (San Francisco)coastal cliffs and the Golden Gate — family-friendly
Tokopah Falls (Sequoia)a granite-amphitheater waterfall
Bumpass Hell (Lassen)a boardwalk over steaming fumaroles
Potato Chip Rock (Mt Woodson)the famous thin-rock photo spot near San Diego
Alamere Falls (Point Reyes)a rare waterfall that pours onto the beach
Mist Trail: Vernal & Nevada Fall (Yosemite)a granite staircase beside roaring waterfalls
Pinnacles High Peakscondors soaring over volcanic crags
Cathedral Lakes (Tuolumne)a high-country classic below Cathedral Peak
Mount Tallac (Tahoe)the classic Lake Tahoe summit
Cloud’s Rest (Yosemite)a higher, quieter summit view than Half Dome
Telescope Peak (Death Valley)high above the lowest point in North America
Half Dome (Yosemite)the cables to the summit; permit required
Mount Whitneythe highest peak in the Lower 48; permit required
Plan the California trip
Hikes, gems, scenic drives — all in one California guide.
See everything worth the detour in California, then let Roamward build the trip around it. Know a California trail we’re missing? Add it — we’re building this with the people who actually hike it.