Best backpacking trips near Apple Valley, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Apple Valley (population ~75,791) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Apple Valley backpacking at a glance

San Bernardino Peak Trail is the closest documented backpacking trip to Apple Valley — the San Bernardino Peak Trailhead (Angelus Oaks) trailhead sits roughly 29 miles away, about 32 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning San Gorgonio Wilderness, Los Padres backcountry, San Jacinto Mountains, Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia NF backcountry and Anza-Borrego Desert State ParkTrailheads for these trips sit between 2,200 and 11,499 feet, so you can pick a low, warm-season start or a high alpine route depending on the month.

3 of these 12 routes need no wilderness permit — useful for spontaneous weekends. Across the twelve closest trips, the months hikers rate best are October, June, September.If you want the gentlest introduction, Borrego Palm Canyon climbs only 700 feet over 3 miles; the biggest single-trip climb nearby is Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio at 10,800 feet of total gain over 15.6 miles.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	San Bernardino Peak Trail San Gorgonio Wilderness	29 mi	~32 min	17.8 mi	9,300 ft	55	Required
2	Forsee Creek to Johns Meadow San Gorgonio Wilderness	31 mi	~35 min	7.8 mi	1,600 ft	12	Required
3	South Fork Trail to Dry Lake San Gorgonio Wilderness	32 mi	~36 min	11.4 mi	4,400 ft	31	Required
4	Momyer Creek to Dollar Lake Saddle San Gorgonio Wilderness	34 mi	~38 min	18.4 mi	4,560 ft	44	Required
5	Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio San Gorgonio Wilderness	35 mi	~39 min	15.6 mi	10,800 ft	61	Required
6	La Jolla Trail Los Padres backcountry	59 mi	~66 min	9 mi	—	10	None
7	Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide San Jacinto Mountains	60 mi	~67 min	10.6 mi	3,300 ft	38	Required
8	Devil's Slide to San Jacinto Peak San Jacinto Mountains	60 mi	~67 min	16 mi	4,500 ft	65	Required
9	Boy Scout Trail Joshua Tree National Park	67 mi	~75 min	15.6 mi	1,600 ft	14	Required
10	Buck Creek Trail Los Padres backcountry	93 mi	~104 min	22.4 mi	—	45	None
11	Liebel Peak Trail Sequoia NF backcountry	96 mi	~107 min	16.2 mi	—	40	Required
12	Borrego Palm Canyon Anza-Borrego Desert State Park	97 mi	~108 min	3 mi	700 ft	4	None

Three ways to start backpacking from Apple Valley

Closest trailhead: San Bernardino Peak Trail — about 29 miles / 32 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Borrego Palm Canyon — difficulty 4/100 (Easy), 1–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio — 15.6 miles and 10,800 ft of climbing.

Distances are great-circle miles from Apple Valley to trailhead coordinates; actual road distances will be longer. Town data: Wikidata SPARQL (CC0), population values derived from U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

Backpacking near Apple Valley: common questions

What is the closest backpacking trip to Apple Valley?

San Bernardino Peak Trail is the closest documented trip to Apple Valley at roughly 29 miles (about 32 minutes of driving) from the San Bernardino Peak Trailhead (Angelus Oaks) trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Apple Valley?

Many routes near Apple Valley, including San Bernardino Peak Trail, require a wilderness permit from San Gorgonio Wilderness Association (USFS partner). Always check the managing agency before you go.

When is the best season to backpack near Apple Valley?

For San Bernardino Peak Trail — the closest trip to Apple Valley — the best months are June, July, September, October.