Best backpacking trips near Citrus Heights, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Citrus Heights (population ~87,583) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Citrus Heights backpacking at a glance

Bear Creek Trail is the closest documented backpacking trip to Citrus Heights — the Bear Creek Trail Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 54 miles away, about 60 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry, Desolation Wilderness and Eldorado NF backcountryTrailheads for these trips sit between 6,165 and 8,425 feet, so you can pick a low, warm-season start or a high alpine route depending on the month.

Every one of these 12 routes requires a wilderness permit, so plan ahead — reservation windows open months before the season. Across the twelve closest trips, the months hikers rate best are July, August, September.If you want the gentlest introduction, Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine climbs only 3,200 feet over 11.6 miles; the biggest single-trip climb nearby is Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine at 3,200 feet of total gain over 11.6 miles.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	Bear Creek Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	54 mi	~60 min	17 mi	—	40	Required
2	Van Vleck Trail to Forni Lake Desolation Wilderness	55 mi	~61 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
3	Canyon Creek Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	59 mi	~66 min	14 mi	—	40	Required
4	Caples Creek Trail Eldorado NF backcountry	61 mi	~67 min	8 mi	—	25	Required
5	Pyramid Creek to Ropi Lake Desolation Wilderness	63 mi	~70 min	4 mi	—		Required
6	Eagle Falls to Dicks Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~73 min	8.6 mi	—		Required
7	Eagle Falls to Fontanillis Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~73 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
8	Bayview to Dicks Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~74 min	10.6 mi	—		Required
9	Glen Alpine to Gilmore Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~74 min	7.8 mi	—		Required
10	Glen Alpine to Susie Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~74 min	7.6 mi	—		Required
11	Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine Desolation Wilderness	67 mi	~74 min	11.6 mi	3,200 ft	25	Required
12	Meeks Bay to Crag Lake Desolation Wilderness	67 mi	~74 min	9.8 mi	—		Required

Three ways to start backpacking from Citrus Heights

Closest trailhead: Bear Creek Trail — about 54 miles / 60 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Caples Creek Trail — difficulty 25/100 (Moderate), 1–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine — 11.6 miles and 3,200 ft of climbing.

Distances are great-circle miles from Citrus Heights 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 Citrus Heights: common questions

What is the closest backpacking trip to Citrus Heights?

Bear Creek Trail is the closest documented trip to Citrus Heights at roughly 54 miles (about 60 minutes of driving) from the Bear Creek Trail Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Citrus Heights?

Many routes near Citrus Heights, including Bear Creek Trail, require a wilderness permit from Shasta-Trinity National Forest (USFS). Always check the managing agency before you go.

When is the best season to backpack near Citrus Heights?

For Bear Creek Trail — the closest trip to Citrus Heights — the best months are May, June, July, August, September, October.