Best backpacking trips near Murrieta, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Murrieta (population ~110,949) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Murrieta backpacking at a glance

Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide is the closest documented backpacking trip to Murrieta — the Humber Park Trailhead (Devil's Slide) trailhead sits roughly 33 miles away, about 36 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 11 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning San Jacinto Mountains, San Gorgonio Wilderness, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Channel Islands, Joshua Tree National Park and Los Padres backcountryTrailheads 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.

3 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, Borrego Palm Canyon climbs only 700 feet over 3 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	Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide San Jacinto Mountains	33 mi	~36 min	10.6 mi	3,300 ft	38	Required
2	Devil's Slide to San Jacinto Peak San Jacinto Mountains	33 mi	~36 min	16 mi	4,500 ft	65	Required
3	Momyer Creek to Dollar Lake Saddle San Gorgonio Wilderness	39 mi	~44 min	18.4 mi	4,560 ft	44	Required
4	Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio San Gorgonio Wilderness	40 mi	~44 min	15.6 mi	10,800 ft	61	Required
5	Forsee Creek to Johns Meadow San Gorgonio Wilderness	42 mi	~46 min	7.8 mi	1,600 ft	12	Required
6	San Bernardino Peak Trail San Gorgonio Wilderness	42 mi	~46 min	17.8 mi	9,300 ft	55	Required
7	South Fork Trail to Dry Lake San Gorgonio Wilderness	45 mi	~50 min	11.4 mi	4,400 ft	31	Required
8	Borrego Palm Canyon Anza-Borrego Desert State Park	49 mi	~54 min	3 mi	700 ft	4	None
9	Trans-Catalina Trail Channel Islands	67 mi	~74 min	38.5 mi	7,638 ft	49	Required
10	Boy Scout Trail Joshua Tree National Park	68 mi	~75 min	15.6 mi	1,600 ft	14	Required
11	La Jolla Trail Los Padres backcountry	73 mi	~81 min	9 mi	—	10	None
12	Buck Creek Trail Los Padres backcountry	122 mi	~135 min	22.4 mi	—	45	None

Three ways to start backpacking from Murrieta

Closest trailhead: Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide — about 33 miles / 36 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Borrego Palm Canyon — difficulty 4/100 (Easy), 1–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Vivian Creek Trail to San Gorgonio — 15.6 miles and 10,800 ft of climbing.

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

What is the closest backpacking trip to Murrieta?

Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide is the closest documented trip to Murrieta at roughly 33 miles (about 36 minutes of driving) from the Humber Park Trailhead (Devil's Slide) trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Murrieta?

Many routes near Murrieta, including Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide, require a wilderness permit from Mount San Jacinto State Park (California State Parks). Always check the managing agency before you go.

When is the best season to backpack near Murrieta?

For Devil's Slide to Wellman Divide — the closest trip to Murrieta — the best months are June, July, August, September, October.