Best backpacking trips near Clovis, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Clovis (population ~120,124) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Clovis backpacking at a glance

Dinkey Lakes Trail is the closest documented backpacking trip to Clovis — the Dinkey Lakes Trail Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 40 miles away, about 45 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Sierra NF backcountry, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Yosemite National ParkTrailheads for these trips sit between 568 and 9,872 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 September, July, June.If you want the gentlest introduction, Rancheria Falls climbs only 700 feet over 12.6 miles; the biggest single-trip climb nearby is Buena Vista Range at 5,300 feet of total gain over 29 miles.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	Dinkey Lakes Trail Sierra NF backcountry	40 mi	~45 min	22.6 mi	—	50	Required
2	Lewis Creek Trail Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks	41 mi	~46 min	11 mi	—		Required
3	Kaiser Loop Trail Sierra NF backcountry	42 mi	~47 min	31.2 mi	—	50	Required
4	Rancheria Falls Yosemite National Park	42 mi	~47 min	12.6 mi	700 ft	10	Required
5	Rattlesnake Sierra NF backcountry	46 mi	~52 min	7.2 mi	—	10	Required
6	Chilnualna Falls Yosemite National Park	50 mi	~56 min	9.2 mi	2,400 ft	15	Required
7	Buena Vista Range Yosemite National Park	50 mi	~56 min	29 mi	5,300 ft	30	Required
8	Jackass Lakes Trail Sierra NF backcountry	51 mi	~57 min	7 mi	—	10	Required
9	Bear Ridge Sierra NF backcountry	55 mi	~61 min	11.4 mi	—	25	Required
10	Lakes Trail to Emerald Lake Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks	56 mi	~62 min	10 mi	—		Required
11	Mammoth Sierra NF backcountry	56 mi	~62 min	31.6 mi	—	50	Required
12	Twin Lakes Trail (Lodgepole) Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks	56 mi	~63 min	6 mi	—		Required

Three ways to start backpacking from Clovis

Closest trailhead: Dinkey Lakes Trail — about 40 miles / 45 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Rancheria Falls — difficulty 10/100 (Easy), 2–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Buena Vista Range — 29 miles and 5,300 ft of climbing.

Distances are great-circle miles from Clovis 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 Clovis: common questions

What is the closest backpacking trip to Clovis?

Dinkey Lakes Trail is the closest documented trip to Clovis at roughly 40 miles (about 45 minutes of driving) from the Dinkey Lakes Trail Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Clovis?

Many routes near Clovis, including Dinkey Lakes Trail, require a wilderness permit from Sierra National Forest (USFS). Always check the managing agency before you go.

When is the best season to backpack near Clovis?

For Dinkey Lakes Trail — the closest trip to Clovis — the best months are June, July, August, September, October.