Best backpacking trips near Petaluma, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Petaluma (population ~59,776) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Petaluma backpacking at a glance

Glen Camp via Bear Valley is the closest documented backpacking trip to Petaluma — the Bear Valley Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 17 miles away, about 19 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Point Reyes National Seashore, Los Padres backcountry and Henry W. Coe State ParkTrailheads 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	17 mi	~19 min	9.2 mi	600 ft	10	Required
2	Sky Camp via Sky Trail Point Reyes National Seashore	17 mi	~19 min	2.8 mi	500 ft	5	Required
3	Coast Camp via Laguna Trail Point Reyes National Seashore	19 mi	~21 min	3.6 mi	800 ft	9	Required
4	Wildcat Camp via Palomarin Point Reyes National Seashore	22 mi	~25 min	11 mi	800 ft	11	Required
5	Caldwell - Trout Creek Trail Los Padres backcountry	77 mi	~85 min	22.8 mi	—	55	None
6	Sierra View Camp Henry W. Coe State Park	94 mi	~104 min	1.6 mi	250 ft	3	Required
7	Frog Lake Henry W. Coe State Park	94 mi	~104 min	4.7 mi	700 ft	14	Required
8	Madrone Soda Springs Henry W. Coe State Park	94 mi	~104 min	10 mi	1,680 ft	17	Required
9	Los Cruzeros Henry W. Coe State Park	94 mi	~104 min	11.5 mi	2,000 ft	18	Required
10	Willow Ridge Henry W. Coe State Park	94 mi	~104 min	14.2 mi	3,040 ft	22	Required
11	Poverty Flat Henry W. Coe State Park	94 mi	~104 min	9.4 mi	1,600 ft	31	Required
12	China Hole Henry W. Coe State Park	94 mi	~104 min	10.3 mi	1,640 ft	36	Required

Three ways to start backpacking from Petaluma

Closest trailhead: Glen Camp via Bear Valley — about 17 miles / 19 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 Petaluma 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 Petaluma: common questions

What is the closest backpacking trip to Petaluma?

Glen Camp via Bear Valley is the closest documented trip to Petaluma at roughly 17 miles (about 19 minutes of driving) from the Bear Valley Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Petaluma?

Many routes near Petaluma, 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 Petaluma?

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