Best backpacking trips near Sacramento, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Sacramento (population ~524,943) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

Sacramento backpacking at a glance

Bear Creek Trail is the closest documented backpacking trip to Sacramento — the Bear Creek Trail Trailhead trailhead sits roughly 67 miles away, about 75 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.If you want the gentlest introduction, Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine climbs only 3,200 feet over 11.6 miles; the biggest single-trip climb nearby is Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine at 3,200 feet of total gain over 11.6 miles.

#	Trip	Miles away	Est. drive	Distance	Gain	Difficulty	Permit
1	Bear Creek Trail Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	67 mi	~75 min	17 mi	—	40	Required
2	Van Vleck Trail to Forni Lake Desolation Wilderness	67 mi	~75 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
3	Canyon Creek Shasta-Trinity NF backcountry	70 mi	~78 min	14 mi	—	40	Required
4	Caples Creek Trail Eldorado NF backcountry	72 mi	~80 min	8 mi	—	25	Required
5	Pyramid Creek to Ropi Lake Desolation Wilderness	75 mi	~84 min	4 mi	—		Required
6	Eagle Falls to Dicks Lake Desolation Wilderness	78 mi	~87 min	8.6 mi	—		Required
7	Eagle Falls to Fontanillis Lake Desolation Wilderness	78 mi	~87 min	9.8 mi	—		Required
8	Glen Alpine to Gilmore Lake Desolation Wilderness	79 mi	~87 min	7.8 mi	—		Required
9	Glen Alpine to Susie Lake Desolation Wilderness	79 mi	~87 min	7.6 mi	—		Required
10	Bayview to Dicks Lake Desolation Wilderness	79 mi	~88 min	10.6 mi	—		Required
11	Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine Desolation Wilderness	79 mi	~88 min	11.6 mi	3,200 ft	25	Required
12	Meeks Bay to Crag Lake Desolation Wilderness	80 mi	~89 min	9.8 mi	—		Required

Three ways to start backpacking from Sacramento

Closest trailhead: Bear Creek Trail — about 67 miles / 75 minutes from town.
Gentlest outing: Caples Creek Trail — difficulty 25/100 (Moderate), 1–2 days.
Biggest adventure: Lake Aloha via Glen Alpine — 11.6 miles and 3,200 ft of climbing.

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

What is the closest backpacking trip to Sacramento?

Bear Creek Trail is the closest documented trip to Sacramento at roughly 67 miles (about 75 minutes of driving) from the Bear Creek Trail Trailhead trailhead.

Do I need a permit to backpack near Sacramento?

Many routes near Sacramento, 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 Sacramento?

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