#loop
10 trips tagged “loop”
loop backpacking at a glance
CaliPeaks documents 10 California backpacking routes tagged loop, ranging from 4 to 48.2 miles with 600–9,320 feet of total climbing. Difficulty spans 8/100 (Easy) on Round Valley Loop up to 73/100 (Very strenuous) on North Lake–South Lake Loop, which also carries the tag's biggest climb at 9,320 feet. All of these routes require a wilderness permit — each trip page links the booking window.
These routes cross San Jacinto Mountains, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Inyo National Forest, and the months most of them share are September, July, August. Every stat below is cited on its trip page, so you can compare them like-for-like and follow any number back to the managing agency.
Round Valley Loop
The Round Valley Loop circles San Jacinto's most famous alpine meadow: 4 miles from the Long Valley tram station with just 600 feet of climb…
Snag Lake Loop
The Snag Lake loop is Lassen's most unusual easy backpack: a short circuit from Butte Lake past the jet-black Cinder Cone and the Painted Du…
Ireland and Evelyn Lake Loop
Ireland and Evelyn Lakes form one of Yosemite's finest moderate loops: 22 miles up Lyell Canyon, over Ireland Creek's forested shoulder, and…
Lake Vernon and Rancheria Falls Loop
This loop is Hetch Hetchy's grand tour: up out of the reservoir valley to Lake Vernon's granite shore, down through Tiltill Valley's meadows…
Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop
The Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop is Death Valley's signature backpack: 26 miles through polished slot canyons and open desert, linking Cott…
Vogelsang to Cathedral Lakes Loop
This loop strings together Yosemite's high country greatest hits: Rafferty Creek to Vogelsang, down the Merced to Merced Lake, up past Washb…
Red Peak Pass Loop
The Red Peak Pass loop is Yosemite's greatest southern circuit: 48 miles from Mono Meadow through the Clark Range's lakes, over Red Peak Pas…
High Sierra Camp Loop
The High Sierra Camp Loop is Yosemite's grand tour by foot: 48 miles linking all five High Sierra Camps — Vogelsang, Merced Lake, Sunrise, M…
Rae Lakes Loop
The Rae Lakes Loop is a 41-mile circuit through the heart of Kings Canyon National Park that climbs from the Kings River canyon over 11,978-…
North Lake–South Lake Loop
This five-to-seven-day traverse links two classic Bishop trailheads — North Lake and South Lake — into one of the finest big loops in the Si…