Trail Compass

Hiking trails in California

135 trails across 17 state parks, national forests, and recreation areas — filtered by difficulty.

Hiking trails in California span every kind of public land the state has to offer — state parks, national forests, recreation areas, county preserves, and a few NPS units. Trail Compass currently lists 135 trails across 17 parks in California, organised by difficulty so you can land on the right route in a few clicks.

Browse by difficulty using the four filter cards directly below, or scroll to the full state trail table. Easy and moderate routes dominate near the population centers; hard and expert routes cluster in the higher, more remote corners of the California coast and Sierra foothills.

Best hiking season across California is generally October through May for the coast; Sierra trails open June through October depending on snow year. Shorter walks at lower elevations stay accessible longer than alpine routes — if you are hiking in a shoulder month, lean toward state-park trails near urban centers and save the high country for peak season.

Expect to share the trail with sea otters and harbor seals offshore, mule deer in the chaparral, brush rabbits, scrub jays, and California condors recovering in select corridors. Carry bear spray where signage advises it, store food properly, and remember that the wildlife was here first.

Pick a difficulty tier from the filter cards below, or jump straight to a specific park.

Browse by difficulty in California

Easy 59 easy trails in California Moderate 60 moderate trails in California Hard 14 hard trails in California Strenuous 2 expert trails in California

Parks in California

Channel Islands National Park

10 trails

Death Valley National Park

10 trails

Joshua Tree National Park

10 trails

Kings Canyon National Park

10 trails

Lassen Volcanic National Park

10 trails

Pinnacles National Park

10 trails

Redwood National Park

10 trails

Sequoia National Park

10 trails

Yosemite National Park

10 trails

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

7 trails

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

5 trails

Big Sur State Park

5 trails

Garrapata State Park

5 trails

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

7 trails

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

5 trails

San Bernardino National Forest

6 trails

Inyo National Forest

5 trails

All 135 trails in California

TrailParkLengthDifficulty
Channel Islands Old Mine Trail Channel Islands National Park 3.78 mi Moderate
Channel Islands Cabin Loop Channel Islands National Park 3.22 mi Easy
Channel Islands Creek Trail Channel Islands National Park 4.99 mi Easy
Channel Islands Bluff Trail Channel Islands National Park 4.62 mi Moderate
Channel Islands Headwaters Loop Channel Islands National Park 6.57 mi Moderate
Channel Islands Plateau Trail Channel Islands National Park 4.45 mi Moderate
Channel Islands Wild Garden Loop Channel Islands National Park 1.23 mi Easy
Channel Islands Vista Loop Channel Islands National Park 2.04 mi Easy
Channel Islands Ridge Trail Channel Islands National Park 4.22 mi Moderate
Channel Islands Overlook Trail Channel Islands National Park 2.55 mi Easy
Death Valley Creek Trail Death Valley National Park 5.31 mi Easy
Death Valley Bluff Trail Death Valley National Park 4.63 mi Moderate
Death Valley Headwaters Loop Death Valley National Park 6.29 mi Moderate
Death Valley Plateau Trail Death Valley National Park 4.43 mi Moderate
Death Valley Wild Garden Loop Death Valley National Park 1.4 mi Easy
Death Valley Vista Loop Death Valley National Park 2.04 mi Easy
Death Valley Ridge Trail Death Valley National Park 4.46 mi Moderate
Death Valley Overlook Trail Death Valley National Park 2.88 mi Easy
Death Valley Falls Trail Death Valley National Park 3.32 mi Moderate
Death Valley Canyon Loop Death Valley National Park 5.67 mi Moderate
Ryan Mountain Joshua Tree National Park 3 mi Moderate
Hidden Valley Loop Joshua Tree National Park 1 mi Easy
Lost Horse Mine Loop Joshua Tree National Park 6.5 mi Moderate
Boy Scout Trail Joshua Tree National Park 7.7 mi Moderate
Cholla Cactus Garden Loop Joshua Tree National Park 0.3 mi Easy
Lost Palms Oasis Joshua Tree National Park 7.5 mi Moderate
Mastodon Peak Loop Joshua Tree National Park 3 mi Easy
Joshua Tree Wild Garden Loop Joshua Tree National Park 1.31 mi Easy
Joshua Tree Vista Loop Joshua Tree National Park 1.91 mi Easy
Joshua Tree Ridge Trail Joshua Tree National Park 4.33 mi Moderate
Kings Canyon Old Mine Trail Kings Canyon National Park 3.88 mi Moderate
Kings Canyon Cabin Loop Kings Canyon National Park 3.38 mi Easy
Kings Canyon Creek Trail Kings Canyon National Park 5.43 mi Easy
Kings Canyon Bluff Trail Kings Canyon National Park 4.89 mi Moderate
Kings Canyon Headwaters Loop Kings Canyon National Park 6.57 mi Moderate
Kings Canyon Plateau Trail Kings Canyon National Park 4.75 mi Moderate
Kings Canyon Wild Garden Loop Kings Canyon National Park 1.11 mi Easy
Kings Canyon Vista Loop Kings Canyon National Park 1.91 mi Easy
Kings Canyon Ridge Trail Kings Canyon National Park 4.14 mi Moderate
Kings Canyon Overlook Trail Kings Canyon National Park 2.47 mi Easy
Lassen Volcanic Creek Trail Lassen Volcanic National Park 5.2 mi Easy
Lassen Volcanic Bluff Trail Lassen Volcanic National Park 5 mi Moderate
Lassen Volcanic Headwaters Loop Lassen Volcanic National Park 6.21 mi Moderate
Lassen Volcanic Plateau Trail Lassen Volcanic National Park 4.41 mi Moderate
Lassen Volcanic Wild Garden Loop Lassen Volcanic National Park 0.88 mi Easy
Lassen Volcanic Vista Loop Lassen Volcanic National Park 1.77 mi Easy
Lassen Volcanic Ridge Trail Lassen Volcanic National Park 4.52 mi Moderate
Lassen Volcanic Overlook Trail Lassen Volcanic National Park 2.36 mi Easy
Lassen Volcanic Falls Trail Lassen Volcanic National Park 3.3 mi Moderate
Lassen Volcanic Canyon Loop Lassen Volcanic National Park 5.78 mi Moderate
Pinnacles Headwaters Loop Pinnacles National Park 6.16 mi Moderate
Pinnacles Plateau Trail Pinnacles National Park 4.39 mi Moderate
Pinnacles Wild Garden Loop Pinnacles National Park 1 mi Easy
Pinnacles Vista Loop Pinnacles National Park 1.7 mi Easy
Pinnacles Ridge Trail Pinnacles National Park 4.39 mi Moderate
Pinnacles Overlook Trail Pinnacles National Park 2.51 mi Easy
Pinnacles Falls Trail Pinnacles National Park 3.37 mi Moderate
Pinnacles Canyon Loop Pinnacles National Park 5.63 mi Moderate
Pinnacles Summit Trail Pinnacles National Park 8.03 mi Hard
Pinnacles Lakeshore Trail Pinnacles National Park 2.65 mi Easy
Redwood Wilderness Loop Redwood National Park 9.45 mi Hard
Redwood Pine Forest Trail Redwood National Park 2.92 mi Easy
Redwood Saddle Trail Redwood National Park 6.56 mi Hard
Redwood Old Mine Trail Redwood National Park 3.99 mi Moderate
Redwood Cabin Loop Redwood National Park 3.2 mi Easy
Redwood Creek Trail Redwood National Park 5 mi Easy
Redwood Bluff Trail Redwood National Park 4.58 mi Moderate
Redwood Headwaters Loop Redwood National Park 6.26 mi Moderate
Redwood Plateau Trail Redwood National Park 4.34 mi Moderate
Redwood Wild Garden Loop Redwood National Park 0.99 mi Easy
Tokopah Falls Trail Sequoia National Park 3.4 mi Easy
Moro Rock Sequoia National Park 0.5 mi Easy
Big Trees Trail Sequoia National Park 1.2 mi Easy
Mount Whitney Trail Sequoia National Park 22 mi Expert
Alta Peak via Lakes Trail Sequoia National Park 13.5 mi Hard
Crystal Cave Trail Sequoia National Park 1 mi Easy
Sequoia Vista Loop Sequoia National Park 1.98 mi Easy
Sequoia Ridge Trail Sequoia National Park 4.12 mi Moderate
Sequoia Overlook Trail Sequoia National Park 2.83 mi Easy
Sequoia Falls Trail Sequoia National Park 3.02 mi Moderate
Half Dome via Mist Trail Yosemite National Park 14.2 mi Expert
Mist Trail to Vernal Fall Yosemite National Park 2.4 mi Moderate
Nevada Fall via Mist Trail Yosemite National Park 5.4 mi Hard
Yosemite Falls Trail Yosemite National Park 7.2 mi Hard
Mirror Lake Loop Yosemite National Park 2 mi Easy
Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley Yosemite National Park 8.5 mi Hard
Sentinel Dome Yosemite National Park 2.2 mi Easy
Taft Point and the Fissures Yosemite National Park 2.2 mi Easy
Cathedral Lakes Yosemite National Park 7.4 mi Moderate
Cloud's Rest Yosemite National Park 14.5 mi Hard
Anza-Borrego Desert Pine Forest Trail Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 2.86 mi Easy
Anza-Borrego Desert Saddle Trail Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 6.48 mi Hard
Anza-Borrego Desert Old Mine Trail Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 4.09 mi Moderate
Anza-Borrego Desert Cabin Loop Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 3.23 mi Easy
Anza-Borrego Desert Creek Trail Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 5.51 mi Easy
Anza-Borrego Desert Bluff Trail Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 4.75 mi Moderate
Anza-Borrego Desert Headwaters Loop Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 6.31 mi Moderate
Big Basin Redwoods Backcountry Traverse Big Basin Redwoods State Park 12.42 mi Hard
Big Basin Redwoods Rim Walk Big Basin Redwoods State Park 3.43 mi Easy
Big Basin Redwoods Wilderness Loop Big Basin Redwoods State Park 9.76 mi Hard
Big Basin Redwoods Pine Forest Trail Big Basin Redwoods State Park 2.79 mi Easy
Big Basin Redwoods Saddle Trail Big Basin Redwoods State Park 6.8 mi Hard
Big Sur Pine Forest Trail Big Sur State Park 2.88 mi Easy
Big Sur Saddle Trail Big Sur State Park 6.78 mi Hard
Big Sur Old Mine Trail Big Sur State Park 4.22 mi Moderate
Big Sur Cabin Loop Big Sur State Park 3.19 mi Easy
Big Sur Creek Trail Big Sur State Park 5.5 mi Easy
Garrapata Vista Loop Garrapata State Park 1.95 mi Easy
Garrapata Ridge Trail Garrapata State Park 4.71 mi Moderate
Garrapata Overlook Trail Garrapata State Park 2.52 mi Easy
Garrapata Falls Trail Garrapata State Park 3.04 mi Moderate
Garrapata Canyon Loop Garrapata State Park 5.58 mi Moderate
Humboldt Redwoods Creek Trail Humboldt Redwoods State Park 5.41 mi Easy
Humboldt Redwoods Bluff Trail Humboldt Redwoods State Park 4.52 mi Moderate
Humboldt Redwoods Headwaters Loop Humboldt Redwoods State Park 6.39 mi Moderate
Humboldt Redwoods Plateau Trail Humboldt Redwoods State Park 4.46 mi Moderate
Humboldt Redwoods Wild Garden Loop Humboldt Redwoods State Park 1.35 mi Easy
Humboldt Redwoods Vista Loop Humboldt Redwoods State Park 1.71 mi Easy
Humboldt Redwoods Ridge Trail Humboldt Redwoods State Park 4.75 mi Moderate
Julia Pfeiffer Burns Cabin Loop Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 3.21 mi Easy
Julia Pfeiffer Burns Creek Trail Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 5.23 mi Easy
Julia Pfeiffer Burns Bluff Trail Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 4.6 mi Moderate
Julia Pfeiffer Burns Headwaters Loop Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 6.15 mi Moderate
Julia Pfeiffer Burns Plateau Trail Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 4.27 mi Moderate
San Bernardino Saddle Trail San Bernardino National Forest 6.55 mi Hard
San Bernardino Old Mine Trail San Bernardino National Forest 3.88 mi Moderate
San Bernardino Cabin Loop San Bernardino National Forest 3.2 mi Easy
San Bernardino Creek Trail San Bernardino National Forest 5.01 mi Easy
San Bernardino Bluff Trail San Bernardino National Forest 4.96 mi Moderate
San Bernardino Headwaters Loop San Bernardino National Forest 6.65 mi Moderate
Inyo Creek Trail Inyo National Forest 5.01 mi Easy
Inyo Bluff Trail Inyo National Forest 4.64 mi Moderate
Inyo Headwaters Loop Inyo National Forest 6.09 mi Moderate
Inyo Plateau Trail Inyo National Forest 4.48 mi Moderate
Inyo Wild Garden Loop Inyo National Forest 1.1 mi Easy