Best backpacking trips near Davis, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Davis (population ~66,850) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Davis backpacking at a glance

Glen Camp via Bear Valley is the closest documented backpacking trip to Davis — the Bear Valley Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 68 miles away, about 75 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Point Reyes National Seashore, Los Padres backcountry, Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry, Desolation Wilderness and Eldorado NF backcountryTrailheads for these trips sit between 266 and 8,425 feet, so you can pick a low, warm-season start or a high alpine route depending on the month.

One of these routes needs no wilderness permit at all — a good spontaneous option. Across the twelve closest trips, the months hikers rate best are September, May, October.If you want the gentlest introduction, Sky Camp via Sky Trail climbs only 500 feet over 2.8 miles; the biggest single-trip climb nearby is Wildcat Camp via Palomarin at 800 feet of total gain over 11 miles.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	Glen Camp via Bear Valley Point Reyes National Seashore	68 mi	~75 min	9.2 mi	600 ft	10	Required
2	Sky Camp via Sky Trail Point Reyes National Seashore	69 mi	~77 min	2.8 mi	500 ft	5	Required
3	Wildcat Camp via Palomarin Point Reyes National Seashore	70 mi	~77 min	11 mi	800 ft	11	Required
4	Coast Camp via Laguna Trail Point Reyes National Seashore	70 mi	~78 min	3.6 mi	800 ft	9	Required
5	Caldwell - Trout Creek Trail Los Padres backcountry	75 mi	~83 min	22.8 mi	—	55	None
6	Canyon Creek Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	77 mi	~86 min	14 mi	—	40	Required
7	Bear Creek Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	78 mi	~86 min	17 mi	—	40	Required
8	Van Vleck Trail to Forni Lake Desolation Wilderness	81 mi	~90 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
9	Caples Creek Trail Eldorado NF backcountry	86 mi	~95 min	8 mi	—	25	Required
10	Pyramid Creek to Ropi Lake Desolation Wilderness	89 mi	~99 min	4 mi	—		Required
11	Eagle Falls to Dicks Lake Desolation Wilderness	92 mi	~102 min	8.6 mi	—		Required
12	Eagle Falls to Fontanillis Lake Desolation Wilderness	92 mi	~102 min	9.8 mi	—		Required

Three ways to start backpacking from Davis

Closest trailhead: Glen Camp via Bear Valley — about 68 miles / 75 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Sky Camp via Sky Trail — difficulty 5/100 (Easy), 1–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Wildcat Camp via Palomarin — 11 miles and 800 ft of climbing.

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

What is the closest backpacking trip to Davis?

Glen Camp via Bear Valley is the closest documented trip to Davis at roughly 68 miles (about 75 minutes of driving) from the Bear Valley Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Davis?

Many routes near Davis, including Glen Camp via Bear Valley, require a wilderness permit from Point Reyes National Seashore (NPS). Always check the managing agency before you go.

When is the best season to backpack near Davis?

For Glen Camp via Bear Valley — the closest trip to Davis — the best months are March, April, May, September, October.