Best backpacking trips near Novato, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Novato (population ~53,225) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Novato backpacking at a glance

Glen Camp via Bear Valley is the closest documented backpacking trip to Novato — the Bear Valley Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 13 miles away, about 15 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Point Reyes National Seashore, Henry W. Coe State Park and Los Padres backcountryTrailheads for these trips sit between 266 and 3,245 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 March, April, October.If you want the gentlest introduction, Sierra View Camp climbs only 250 feet over 1.6 miles; the biggest single-trip climb nearby is Willow Ridge at 3,040 feet of total gain over 14.2 miles.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	Glen Camp via Bear Valley Point Reyes National Seashore	13 mi	~15 min	9.2 mi	600 ft	10	Required
2	Sky Camp via Sky Trail Point Reyes National Seashore	15 mi	~17 min	2.8 mi	500 ft	5	Required
3	Wildcat Camp via Palomarin Point Reyes National Seashore	15 mi	~17 min	11 mi	800 ft	11	Required
4	Coast Camp via Laguna Trail Point Reyes National Seashore	16 mi	~18 min	3.6 mi	800 ft	9	Required
5	Sierra View Camp Henry W. Coe State Park	85 mi	~94 min	1.6 mi	250 ft	3	Required
6	Frog Lake Henry W. Coe State Park	85 mi	~94 min	4.7 mi	700 ft	14	Required
7	Madrone Soda Springs Henry W. Coe State Park	85 mi	~94 min	10 mi	1,680 ft	17	Required
8	Los Cruzeros Henry W. Coe State Park	85 mi	~94 min	11.5 mi	2,000 ft	18	Required
9	Willow Ridge Henry W. Coe State Park	85 mi	~94 min	14.2 mi	3,040 ft	22	Required
10	Poverty Flat Henry W. Coe State Park	85 mi	~94 min	9.4 mi	1,600 ft	31	Required
11	China Hole Henry W. Coe State Park	85 mi	~94 min	10.3 mi	1,640 ft	36	Required
12	Caldwell - Trout Creek Trail Los Padres backcountry	86 mi	~96 min	22.8 mi	—	55	None

Three ways to start backpacking from Novato

Closest trailhead: Glen Camp via Bear Valley — about 13 miles / 15 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Sierra View Camp — difficulty 3/100 (Easy), 1–1 days.
Biggest adventure: Willow Ridge — 14.2 miles and 3,040 ft of climbing.

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

What is the closest backpacking trip to Novato?

Glen Camp via Bear Valley is the closest documented trip to Novato at roughly 13 miles (about 15 minutes of driving) from the Bear Valley Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Novato?

Many routes near Novato, 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 Novato?

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