Best backpacking trips near Long Beach, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Long Beach (population ~466,742) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Long Beach backpacking at a glance

Trans-Catalina Trail is the closest documented backpacking trip to Long Beach — the Avalon trailhead sits roughly 30 miles away, about 34 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Channel Islands, Los Padres backcountry, San Gorgonio Wilderness, San Jacinto Mountains and Sespe WildernessTrailheads for these trips sit between 26 and 11,499 feet, so you can pick a low, warm-season start or a high alpine route depending on the month.

4 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, Forsee Creek to Johns Meadow climbs only 1,600 feet over 7.8 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	Trans-Catalina Trail Channel Islands	30 mi	~34 min	38.5 mi	7,638 ft	49	Required
2	La Jolla Trail Los Padres backcountry	31 mi	~35 min	9 mi	—	10	None
3	Buck Creek Trail Los Padres backcountry	74 mi	~82 min	22.4 mi	—	45	None
4	San Bernardino Peak Trail San Gorgonio Wilderness	74 mi	~83 min	17.8 mi	9,300 ft	55	Required
5	Momyer Creek to Dollar Lake Saddle San Gorgonio Wilderness	77 mi	~85 min	18.4 mi	4,560 ft	44	Required
6	Forsee Creek to Johns Meadow San Gorgonio Wilderness	77 mi	~85 min	7.8 mi	1,600 ft	12	Required
7	Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio San Gorgonio Wilderness	77 mi	~86 min	15.6 mi	10,800 ft	61	Required
8	South Fork Trail to Dry Lake San Gorgonio Wilderness	81 mi	~90 min	11.4 mi	4,400 ft	31	Required
9	Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide San Jacinto Mountains	87 mi	~96 min	10.6 mi	3,300 ft	38	Required
10	Devil's Slide to San Jacinto Peak San Jacinto Mountains	87 mi	~96 min	16 mi	4,500 ft	65	Required
11	Gene Marshall–Piedra Blanca Trail Sespe Wilderness	89 mi	~99 min	18.6 mi	4,000 ft	36	None
12	Matias Potrero Trail Los Padres backcountry	102 mi	~113 min	9.5 mi	—	25	None

Three ways to start backpacking from Long Beach

Closest trailhead: Trans-Catalina Trail — about 30 miles / 34 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: La Jolla Trail — difficulty 10/100 (Easy), 2–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio — 15.6 miles and 10,800 ft of climbing.

Distances are great-circle miles from Long Beach 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 Long Beach: common questions

What is the closest backpacking trip to Long Beach?

Trans-Catalina Trail is the closest documented trip to Long Beach at roughly 30 miles (about 34 minutes of driving) from the Avalon trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Long Beach?

Many routes near Long Beach, including Trans-Catalina Trail, require a wilderness permit from Catalina Island Conservancy. Always check the managing agency before you go.

When is the best season to backpack near Long Beach?

For Trans-Catalina Trail — the closest trip to Long Beach — the best months are March, April, May, October, November.