Best backpacking trips near Lake Elsinore, CA
Ranked by straight-line distance from Lake Elsinore (population ~70,265) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.
| # | Trip | Miles away | Est. drive | Distance | Gain | Difficulty | Permit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 mi | ~42 min | 15.6 mi | 10,800 ft | 61 | Required | |
| 2 | 38 mi | ~43 min | 17.8 mi | 9,300 ft | 55 | Required | |
| 3 | 39 mi | ~43 min | 7.8 mi | 1,600 ft | 12 | Required | |
| 4 | 43 mi | ~48 min | 11.4 mi | 4,400 ft | 31 | Required | |
| 5 | 61 mi | ~68 min | 38.5 mi | 7,638 ft | 49 | Required | |
| 6 | 72 mi | ~80 min | 15.6 mi | 1,600 ft | 14 | Required | |
| 7 | 197 mi | ~219 min | 15 mi | 2,962 ft | 30 | Required | |
| 8 | 200 mi | ~222 min | 9.6 mi | 3,596 ft | 33 | Required | |
| 9 | 204 mi | ~227 min | 9.7 mi | 4,780 ft | 32 | Required | |
| 10 | 204 mi | ~227 min | 13.7 mi | 8,954 ft | 54 | Required | |
| 11 | 204 mi | ~227 min | 7.1 mi | 4,162 ft | 30 | Required | |
| 12 | 207 mi | ~230 min | 21.4 mi | 6,460 ft | 49 | Required |
Distances are great-circle miles from Lake Elsinore to trailhead coordinates; actual road distances will be longer. Town data: Wikidata SPARQL (CC0), population values derived from U.S. Census Bureau estimates.