Best backpacking trips near Redding, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Redding (population ~93,611) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Redding backpacking at a glance

McCloud River Trail is the closest documented backpacking trip to Redding — the McCloud River Trail Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 1 miles away, about 2 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Marble Mountain Wilderness and Los Padres backcountryTrailheads for these trips sit between 512 and 6,390 feet, so you can pick a low, warm-season start or a high alpine route depending on the month.

2 of these 12 routes need no wilderness permit — useful for spontaneous weekends. Across the twelve closest trips, the months hikers rate best are July, August, September.If you want the gentlest introduction, Snag Lake Loop climbs only 603 feet over 7.8 miles; the biggest single-trip climb nearby is Snag Lake Loop at 603 feet of total gain over 7.8 miles.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	McCloud River Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	1 mi	~2 min	34 mi	—	60	Required
2	Bailey Cove Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	15 mi	~17 min	6.2 mi	—	10	Required
3	Chanchelulla Divide Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	33 mi	~36 min	9.4 mi	—	25	Required
4	Stuart Fork Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	34 mi	~38 min	30 mi	—	50	Required
5	North Fork Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	36 mi	~40 min	38 mi	—	60	Required
6	East Tule Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	45 mi	~49 min	10 mi	—	25	Required
7	Tangle Blue Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	47 mi	~53 min	8 mi	—	25	Required
8	Wintoon Flat Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	55 mi	~62 min	7 mi	—	10	Required
9	Snag Lake Loop Lassen Volcanic National Park	58 mi	~65 min	7.8 mi	603 ft	11	Required
10	Pacific Crest Trail through the Marble Mountains Marble Mountain Wilderness	64 mi	~71 min	32 mi	—	30	None
11	Caldwell - Trout Creek Trail Los Padres backcountry	86 mi	~96 min	22.8 mi	—	55	None
12	Canyon Creek Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	104 mi	~115 min	14 mi	—	40	Required

Three ways to start backpacking from Redding

Closest trailhead: McCloud River Trail — about 1 miles / 2 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Bailey Cove Trail — difficulty 10/100 (Easy), 1–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Snag Lake Loop — 7.8 miles and 603 ft of climbing.

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

What is the closest backpacking trip to Redding?

McCloud River Trail is the closest documented trip to Redding at roughly 1 miles (about 2 minutes of driving) from the McCloud River Trail Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Redding?

Many routes near Redding, including McCloud River Trail, require a wilderness permit from Shasta-Trinity National Forest (USFS). Always check the managing agency before you go.

When is the best season to backpack near Redding?

For McCloud River Trail — the closest trip to Redding — the best months are May, June, July, August, September, October.