#quiet
24 trips tagged “quiet”
quiet backpacking at a glance
CaliPeaks documents 24 California backpacking routes tagged quiet, ranging from 6 to 29 miles with 600–5,300 feet of total climbing. Difficulty spans 0/100 (Easy) on Polly Dome Lakes up to 30/100 (Moderate) on Buena Vista Range, which also carries the tag's biggest climb at 5,300 feet. All of these routes require a wilderness permit — each trip page links the booking window.
These routes cross Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Emigrant Wilderness, Desolation Wilderness, Yosemite National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore and Henry W. Coe State Park, 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.
Alta Trail to Panther Gap
The Alta Trail climbs from Wolverton to Panther Gap's ridge camp in three dry, steady miles — the quiet backdoor to Alta Peak and the Tablel…
Gianelli to Burst Rock
Burst Rock is the Emigrant's roadside overlook: 4.2 mapped miles from the Gianelli trailhead to a granite dome with views across the wildern…
Farewell Gap Trail
Farewell Gap is Mineral King's gateway south: four miles from road's end to the Franklin/Farewell junction, where the trail system opens tow…
Van Vleck Trail to Forni Lake
Forni Lake is Desolation's northwestern outpost: 4.9 miles from the Van Vleck trailhead through granite and forest to a quiet lake most Taho…
Garfield Grove Trail
Garfield Grove is a giant sequoia grove most visitors never see: a 4-mile climb from the South Fork campground to some of the park's largest…
Lewis Creek Trail
Lewis Creek is Cedar Grove's steep, quiet alternative: a hot climb from Highway 180 to Frypan Meadow's forest camp, with the wild Kennedy Pa…
Middle Fork Trail
The Middle Fork Trail is Sequoia's winter and early-spring escape: a mild grade along the Kaweah's Middle Fork through oak and pine foothill…
Mosquito Lakes
The Mosquito Lakes are Mineral King's most literal destination: a chain of high tarns so buggy in July they named the trail after them. Four…
Paradise Ridge Trail
Paradise Ridge is Mineral King's dry, quiet spine: a three-mile climb from Atwell Mill to a waterless ridge camp with long views, and the op…
Loon Lake to Rockbound Lake
Rockbound Lake is Desolation's western granite gem: a 6.7-mile walk from Loon Lake past the Rubicon's pools to a deep-blue lake under Rockbo…
Lyons Trail to Sylvia Lake
Sylvia Lake is the quiet western Desolation classic: 4.6 miles from the Lyons trailhead past Bloodsucker Lake's meadows to a granite lake ne…
Tar Gap Trail
Tar Gap is Mineral King's moderate middle way: a 4-mile climb from Cold Springs to Deer Creek's camp, with Hockett Meadows and the surroundi…
Polly Dome Lakes
Polly Dome Lakes is Yosemite's quietest easy overnight: a 3-mile walk from the Murphy Creek trailhead past Tenaya Lake to a pair of small la…
Glen Camp via Bear Valley
Glen Camp is Point Reyes's forested heart: 4.6 miles up the Bear Valley Trail through Douglas fir to the seashore's quietest campground — no…
Ostrander Lake
Ostrander Lake is the dome-viewer's weekend: a gentle 5.7-mile walk from Glacier Point Road to an 8,500-foot lake on Horse Ridge, ringed by …
Chilnualna Falls
Chilnualna Falls is Yosemite's quiet waterfall: a 9.2-mile round trip from Wawona to the top of a 2,200-foot cascade on the park's lightly t…
Madrone Soda Springs
Madrone Soda Springs is Coe's forested creek camp: a 3.6-mile descent from the Coe Ranch ridge through oak and bay forest to a spring-fed fl…
Laurel Lake
Laurel Lake is the short-haul version of the Hetch Hetchy high country: a 7.1-mile climb from Beehive Meadows to a quiet forested lake that …
Los Cruzeros
Los Cruzeros is where Coe's canyons meet — a creekside camp at the junction of the Middle Fork and its tributaries, 5.5 miles from the Coe R…
El Capitan via Tamarack Creek
The back door to El Capitan: a 10.8-mile forested walk from Tioga Road to the summit of the most famous cliff in the world, with the Valley …
Lake Vernon
Lake Vernon is the reward for climbing out of Yosemite's quietest corner: a 19-mile round trip from Hetch Hetchy to a lake backed by an expo…
Willow Ridge
Willow Ridge is Coe's big-views backpack: 6.5 miles down through canyons and back up to a ridgetop camp with the Diablo Range rolling to eve…
Smith Peak
Smith Peak is Hetch Hetchy's summit walk: 6.7 miles and 3,500 feet of climbing through forest and meadow to a 7,751-foot perch towering over…
Buena Vista Range
The Buena Vista Range is southern Yosemite's forgotten crest: a 29-mile out-and-back from Wawona through Chilnualna's waterfalls to a chain …