Routes

US Route 395

US Route 395

Adventures

  • Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park (NPS | Wikipedia | YMMV | Map)
    • Permits within this park are not required for day hikes, except if hiking Mt. Whitney.
    • Mount Whitney (NPS | Location on Google Maps)
      • At 14,505 feet, it’s the highest point in California and the lower 48
      • A wilderness permit is required year-round and quota is limited to visit Mt. Whitney.
        • All hikers entering the Mt. Whitney zone, including day-hikers, are required to obtain a permit.
      • » Lottery – Permit Reservations » Applications open February 1 – March 1 (recreation.gov)
      • Location of trailhead » Google Maps
      • Located on the eastside of California’s beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Mt Whitney Trail starts in Inyo National Forest at Whitney Portal, 8,300 feet above sea level.
        • The trail is 21.5 miles (round-trip) and gains over 6,200 feet of elevation (very hard) before reaching the summit in Sequoia National Park.
        • The trail is at the southern end of the John Muir Trail.
      • Overnight at the Trail Camp, or round-trip Day hike. Both are difficult hike. Often underestimated.
      • Summit, hiked to without mountaineering skills (though every year hikers die on Mount Whitney because they are unprepared » consider altitude, training, and cold windy stormy weather at altitude).
      • Resource » The HikingGuy.com’s video & website (for more details)
  • Yosemite National Park (Map)
    • Half Dome Day Hike » 14.2 mi (round-trip)
    • Permits are required and quota is limited
  • Lake Tahoe (Map)
  • Hike Echo Mountain and Inspriation Point
    • 13 miles from Los Angeles
    • The HikingGuy.com’s video & website
  • Channel Islands National Park (NPS)
    • One of the least visited national parks in the US
    • 60 miles from LA but worlds apart, to paraphrase the NPS
    • Plan for overnight tent camping. (NPS)
    • Requires permit. Coordinate with ferry. Reserve passage and camp site.
    • Resource » The HikingGuy.com’s video & website (more details)
  • The Lost Coast
    • King Range National Conservation Area (KRNCA) (BLM Trip Planning Guide .pdf)
    • 6 hr drive north of San Francisco
    • The Lost Coast Trail
      • 25-mile, no-elevation gain, beach trail in Northern California but not a beginner backpacking trip
      • Watch BLM video
      • ! Permits are required and limited (recreation.gov)
        • Reservations open October 1, for the following year.
      • ! When allowed, campfires and stoves require a fire permit.
      • ! Some sections of this trail are not passable at high tide. NOAA Tides
      • Resource » HikingGuy.com video and website
    • Alternative »
    • Black Sand Beach on California’s Lost Coast (Static CamperVan)
      • 17 miles from Ferndale on a very tight and twisty poorly kept road.
      • Not RV friendly. Single lane at times.
    • Best time to visit is May to October
      • Expect fog in summer and rain in winter.

This page was updated September 26, 2023