Best backpacking trips near Norwalk, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Norwalk (population ~102,773) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

#TripMiles awayEst. driveDistanceGainDifficultyPermit
1
Channel Islands
41 mi~46 min38.5 mi7,638 ft49Required
2
San Gorgonio Wilderness
65 mi~73 min17.8 mi9,300 ft55Required
3
San Gorgonio Wilderness
68 mi~75 min7.8 mi1,600 ft12Required
4
San Gorgonio Wilderness
69 mi~77 min15.6 mi10,800 ft61Required
5
San Gorgonio Wilderness
72 mi~80 min11.4 mi4,400 ft31Required
6
Joshua Tree National Park
110 mi~122 min15.6 mi1,600 ft14Required
7
Inyo National Forest
176 mi~195 min15 mi2,962 ft30Required
8
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
178 mi~198 min9.7 mi4,780 ft32Required
9
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
178 mi~198 min13.7 mi8,954 ft54Required
10
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
179 mi~198 min7.1 mi4,162 ft30Required
11
Inyo National Forest
179 mi~198 min9.6 mi3,596 ft33Required
12
Inyo National Forest
185 mi~206 min21.4 mi6,460 ft49Required

Distances are great-circle miles from Norwalk to trailhead coordinates; actual road distances will be longer. Town data: Wikidata SPARQL (CC0), population values derived from U.S. Census Bureau estimates.