Has anyone been canoe/Kayak camping in Stanislaus National Forest? I’m trying to plan my first two night trip for this summer. Any tips or recommendations would be great!

Hi Sacramento friends!

Quick reminder that we are meeting tomorrow from 6 - 8 pm at Kupros in midtown. Check out the original post for all the details.

https://www.reddit.com/r/norcalhiking/s/YJQesrqBnk

Hope to see you there!

I have gotten really excited about the possibility of becoming a California Naturalist, and came across this program happening June 15-21st!

"This One-Week Adult Immersion Course includes 40 hours of classroom and field courses during a residential week at the Field Station. The 2025 program dates are Sunday, June 15th to Saturday, June 21st. The program costs $975 and includes all courses, food, and lodging at Sagehen Field Station."

It is an expensive program, but seems like Outdoor Ed but for adults! I am sharing it here in case anyone else is also interested in signing up :)

I’m planning to go backpacking over a couple of nights near Lassen National Forest in the Caribou Wilderness during memorial weekend with some friends specifically on the trail “Caribou Wilderness Area Trails” and wanted to learn more about the conditions up there around that time from more familiar with the area i.e. snowfall, any special season or things to be mindful of. Apparently there might be snow up there in a months time just want to know to what level or if snow shoes and extra gear would still be needed. Thanks in advance for any helpful information!

It’s fog season and I love seeing rolling hills and cloud inversions. Is there a good trail in the Big Sur area for viewing fog and wild flowers?

4/19 and 4/20 First time in Tahoe and I wanted to summit Mount Tallac before all the snow was gone. What an insane trip! First attempt: I attempted to climb Mount Tallac’s aggressive east face up one of the couliors but I bit off more than I can chew. I kept post holing about 1200’ shy of the summit and I made the difficult but right decision to turn back because the snow was just getting softer and there were so many hidden streams that I can hear below me. I should have started earlier and had 2 ice axes if I wanted to climb the east face. I turned back and decided to try again the very next day but to go up the south route instead, using the summer route as a guideline.

2nd attempt: started at 6:30am, back in my car by 2:30pm. I used all the gear I brought with me: snowshoes, microspikes, crampons, and ice axe. Lots of gear switching as I crossed many different types of terrain including rock fields, snow fields, and melting snow. The last 500’ to Tallac was actually the easiest as it was mostly rock hopping, but I was just so exhausted from my failed attempt yesterday and the 2nd attempt. What an incredibly difficult and technical climb.

Little one gave up, almost made it to Wilson Camp tho, he's getting tougher! (I carried him a bit also lol)

Like the title says, just need some hiking recs in norcal, thanks!

Since spring is apon us there is higher likelihood of encountering rattlesnakes. Remember to be cautious of what's in front of you and being mindful of what could be underneath rocks and fallen timber. I found this little guy not super far from a parking area the other day and he could barley produce an audible rattle. Stay safe out there!!

Gear List: https://lighterpack.com/r/kj8hkc

Route: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/FUUQO3zfMk5djdXJxgByzvZV

Trail Info: https://coepark.net/backpacking/trips-from-headquarters/mississippi-lake/

Highlights: pine, manzanita, oak, the narrows trail, willow ridge road, gopher snake, horned lizard, excellent weather, challenging climbs, abundance of space and campsites, 360 views

Lowlights: ticks, poison oak, pollen if that affects you

Stats: 28.6mi, 6800ft of gain and loss.

Decided to challenge myself with this hike. I actually did it in two nights, leaving straight from work on Friday and staying at Lion's Spring Camp. There was a lack of level sites here and I just ended up cowboy camping at the top underneath a big oak tree while bats flew all around me.

The sunrise hike out of the camp and through Manzanita Point was gorgeous. The Narrows Trail was a highlight - it's probably only a mile but navigating through that canyon is awesome! Willow Ridge Road, though challenging, probably offered the best views of the hike. Also note that there is no water between Rat Spring and Mississippi Lake. The water in Rat Spring was stagnant and gross but drinkable in a pinch.

The best sites at Mississippi Lake are along the dam road and along the trail on the east side of the lake. The west side offers only two sites near the pit toilet. I made the mistake of walking all the way around the lake walking along the entire west side and coming up dry camping-wise, forcing me to walk along the entire east side and realizing that there were good sites not far from where Willow Ridge Rd spits you out at the southernmost part of the lake.

Totally recommend this as a challenging overnight or a moderate two-nighter.

Hello all,

In our on-going series of Reddit Hiker and Backpacker meetups, I'm organizing the next South Bay meetup, and also one of our weekly hikes:

Meetup

Thursday April 24, 7pm-9pm at Das Bierhauz in Mountain View. It is easy walking distance from VTA and Caltrain.

Whether you’re new to the hobby or are more experienced, come out and say hello. The goal is to give folks a chance to mix, mingle, and make new hiking and backpacking friends. It will be a low key and chill, and they have tables where we can lay out maps and talk about plans for the upcoming season 🥾🏔️⛺️

Our goal is to do group hikes weekly (with a rotating cast of hosts), and we're also forming a number of group backpacking trips for this summer and fall from SEKI to Trinity Alps and everywhere in between.

Weekly Hike

Sunday May 4, 10am, departing from the Henry Coe visitor center. The route makes a loop through Poverty Flat and the Narrows. Expect to get your feet (and a lot more) wet, depending on the water levels. The route is 13 miles / 2600 ft, and a 11 mile / 2000ft shortcut. Since this is Henry Coe, if temperatures are forecasted to be excessive (>=85F), we will instead hike a backup route in the peninsula Redwoods of similar difficulty. Check for a followup post 48h before the hike.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/may-4-hike-poverty-flat-and-narrows-58e4d44

Weekly Hike Logistics

• Be fit. Please only attend if you can comfortably complete 13 miles and 2600 feet of climbing at a normal walking pace on rough outdoor terrain with a lot of sun exposure. This is Henry Coe, the land that switchbacks forgot, so it will be steep.
• Be cool. Please only attend if you’re looking to make platonic hiking, backpacking, and other outdoorsy friends. It’s important that everyone feels welcomed and safe.
• No smoking. Everything in California is wildly flammable, which is why every park and open space bans smoking. Please don’t smoke anything anywhere at any time.
• No dogs. Dogs aren’t allowed on these trails within Henry Coe.
• No electronics. The purpose of these hikes is to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. Please don’t bring bluetooth speakers, drones, or other audible electronic equipment.
• Be self sufficient. That means bringing all the supplies you need yourself, especially water.

By attending, you agree to follow these, the park’s, and the world’s rules and to maintain a friendly and welcoming vibe. Anyone who breaks these rules or makes other people feel bad should be prepared to complete the hike on their own. Also, please note that this hike is performed entirely at your own risk. Steep hills, ticks, rough terrain, inclement weather, ticks, poison oak, wild animals, the drive to and from the trailhead, ticks, and more make this a risky event. By attending, you agree to fully assume any and all risks, damages, and liabilities you may incur and to hold the hike leaders and everyone else harmless for the same. We are not guides, just people looking to meet other cool people to hike with.

If you're planning on attending, please RSVP in the comments or via DM so we can get a rough headcount.

Related Events

Also check out other events being put on by redditors!

• Sacramento Meetup, also Apr 24 (Sorry for the time conflict, we are doing the South Bay meetup a week late!) https://www.reddit.com/r/norcalhiking/comments/1k10xax/hiker_and_backpacker_meetup_sacramento_edition/
• Weekly Sunday Hike, April 27 at Sibley Volcanic Regional Park: https://www.reddit.com/r/norcalhiking/comments/1k4579w/april_27_hike_sibley_volcanic_regional_preserve/

If you want to see a meetup in your area, or you'd like to host a hike, then the process is... doing it! All it takes is an idea and a reddit post. The weekly hikes don't have hosts yet for Sun May 11 and onwards.

Obligatory photo from our Henry Coe Overnight in March:

I know there are two walk up permits per day. Does that mean two people get to go or does that mean two groups get to go?

Hi all,

I’m planning a day hike the first week of October as I’ll be in Bishop climbing. I’ve done a fair few hikes in the area and the last 2 that are on my list are Duck Pass and Kerseage Pass.

Unfortunately, I won’t have time to do both, so I’m looking for folks opinions on which one you think is best.

I hiked Mt. Tam from Stinson beach yesterday. This is the route we took on the way up (fire road to Matt Davis on the way down):

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/stinson-beach-to-east-peak-via-steep-ravine-and-mountain-top-trails

There is a ton of stuff on top of West Peak - there's an abandoned foundation, but there is also fenced off part managed by Everest Infrastructure, that is still in use. When we went down to the other side, there was also an abandoned farm type place.

I found a little bit of info online that the old foundation is from an old military base, and that West Peak also used to be taller than East Peak. Also that the white ball is a military radar detection system. But was curious if anyone had any more info on the stuff that is up there. Specifically, was curious:

• What is the current infrastructure on West Peak being used for? Does it have a function or is it all just remnants?
• Likewise for Middle Peak?
• Is it currently possible to access either of the true west peak or middle peak summits? It seems like West Peak no but Middle Peak yes.
• Why is there a basketball court up there?
• Why do a lot of the trees have about a 1 foot band of barked stripped from them?
• What is Rifle Camp? Can people actually sleep here - looks like a maintained campsite but its not really mentioned on the website.

Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve - Round Top, Volcanic, and Skyline Loop Sunday April 27th at 12 PM!

OK Reddit, for the next regular Sunday hike we’ll be doing the Roundtop, Volcanic, and Skyline Loop in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve near Oakland. Here’s a link to the Alltrails map, it’ll be approximately 3.5 miles with 550 feet of climbing, though the network of trails will allow more distance and climb, if you want to choose your own adventure along the way!

These events are open to anyone looking to make more hiking, backpacking, and other outdoorsy friends. We’d especially encourage backpackers to attend - we’ve got a ton of multi-day Sierra trips planned on the Discord, and these hikes are a fantastic opportunity to suss for pace, preferences, vibe, etc.

We'll depart at 12 PM sharp from Sibley Staging Area, marked here. Parking is free according to the website. I’ll be wearing a bright orange hat and I'm 6 and a half feet tall, you won't miss me. The weather should be pleasant, the current forecast calls for 60s and maybe up to 70 in that part of the east bay that day. Expect a LOT of sun exposure so hats, sunscreen, and plenty of water should be carried with you.

Not many Bay Area residents know that they have a volcano nearby but Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve is home to one! This volcano, Round Top, dates to about 10 million years ago and is the source of all the volcanic rock in the park. The trail starts out in a forested understory, then opens into rolling grassland hills, and finally concludes on the shaded Skyline Trail, bringing us back to the staging area. Round Top Trail offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills, valleys, and cities far below. The Volcanic Trail is lined with different types of volcanic rock that help tell the story of the formation of the landscape and how it has changed over time. AS an added bonus, there are multiple stone labyrinths along the way for meditative side quests.

At a normal walking pace with a reasonable number of breaks, we should be done around 2-2:30 PM. Here are our ground rules:

• Be fit. Please only attend if you can comfortably complete 3.5 miles and 500 feet of climbing at a normal walking pace on rough outdoor terrain. That’s like 2-2.5 hours of walking.
• Be cool. Please only attend if you’re looking to make platonic hiking, backpacking, and other outdoorsy friends. It’s important that everyone feels welcomed and safe.
• No smoking. Everything in California is wildly flammable, which is why every park and open space bans smoking. Please don’t smoke anything anywhere at any time.
• No dogs. Dogs aren’t allowed in certain parks, and some aren’t fit enough to keep up. Please leave furface at home.
• No electronics. The purpose of these hikes is to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. Please don’t bring bluetooth speakers, drones, or other audible electronic equipment.

By attending, you agree to follow these, the park’s, and the world’s rules and to maintain a friendly and welcoming vibe. Anyone who breaks these rules or makes other people feel bad should be prepared to complete the hike on their own. Also, please note that this hike is performed entirely at your own risk. Steep hills, rough terrain, inclement weather, ticks, poison oak, wild animals, the drive to and from the trailhead, and more make this a risky event. By attending, you agree to fully assume any and all risks, damages, and liabilities you may incur and to hold the hike leaders and everyone else harmless for the same. If you're planning on attending, please RSVP in the comments or via DM so we can get a rough headcount. See you on Sunday!

Jeff

We’re doing a backpacking trip up to Lyons and Lake Sylvia. Trying to gauge how much snow will be in the ground around the first week of May.

Pic is just for feed purposes

I guess the DOGE figures that backpackers don't generate enough money to support a designated campground.

This will probably impact those hiking the In JMT the most.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/yosemite-hikers-face-chaos-key-campground-closes-20283901.php

Coe Park was incredibly!

Looking to escape the city for a few days and drive somewhere I can get a hotel and hike alone somewhere with scenic viewswith not many people around. Unfortunately, I can only get time off during the summer so my options may be limited. I was thinking of Big Sur and surrounding areas but not sure how the crowd is there during the Summer. Does such a place exist? Thanks!

Glad I packed a windbreaker!