Best backpacking trips near Roseville, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Roseville (population ~147,773) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Roseville backpacking at a glance

Bear Creek Trail is the closest documented backpacking trip to Roseville — the Bear Creek Trail Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 51 miles away, about 57 minutes by car. Of the 12 closest routes, 12 are within a two-hour drive of town, spanning Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry, Desolation Wilderness and Eldorado NF backcountryTrailheads for these trips sit between 6,165 and 8,425 feet, so you can pick a low, warm-season start or a high alpine route depending on the month.

Every one of these 12 routes requires a wilderness permit, so plan ahead — reservation windows open months before the season. Across the twelve closest trips, the months hikers rate best are July, August, September.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	Bear Creek Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	51 mi	~57 min	17 mi	—	40	Required
2	Van Vleck Trail to Forni Lake Desolation Wilderness	54 mi	~59 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
3	Canyon Creek Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	55 mi	~61 min	14 mi	—	40	Required
4	Caples Creek Trail Eldorado NF backcountry	61 mi	~67 min	8 mi	—	25	Required
5	Pyramid Creek to Ropi Lake Desolation Wilderness	63 mi	~70 min	4 mi	—		Required
6	Eagle Falls to Dicks Lake Desolation Wilderness	65 mi	~72 min	8.6 mi	—		Required
7	Eagle Falls to Fontanillis Lake Desolation Wilderness	65 mi	~72 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
8	Bayview to Dicks Lake Desolation Wilderness	65 mi	~73 min	10.6 mi	—		Required
9	Meeks Bay to Crag Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~73 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
10	Meeks Bay to Stony Ridge Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~73 min	12.6 mi	—		Required
11	Glen Alpine to Gilmore Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~73 min	7.8 mi	—		Required
12	Glen Alpine to Susie Lake Desolation Wilderness	66 mi	~73 min	7.6 mi	—		Required

Three ways to start backpacking from Roseville

Closest trailhead: Bear Creek Trail — about 51 miles / 57 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Caples Creek Trail — difficulty 25/100 (Moderate), 1–2 days.

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

What is the closest backpacking trip to Roseville?

Bear Creek Trail is the closest documented trip to Roseville at roughly 51 miles (about 57 minutes of driving) from the Bear Creek Trail Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Roseville?

Many routes near Roseville, including Bear Creek 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 Roseville?

For Bear Creek Trail — the closest trip to Roseville — the best months are May, June, July, August, September, October.