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Best Autumn Hikes in California

There are 641 hikes in California in our database that fit. They average 12.5 km and 356 m (1,168 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 580 km.

That is 58 percent of the 1,097 routes we map in California.

Autumn walking means cooler air, low light and, in the right forest, colour that makes a familiar route feel new. The mix is broad: 131 are rated easy and 100 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Unconventional view, but it works. Bolinas Lagoon Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch, California. The coastal subspecies of Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus californicus , lacks the yellow band of median coverts, so we see only a red
Expert

ADT - California - T - Seg 9

California · United States

Distance
70.3 km
/ 43.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,539 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Coastal
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Lush vegetation around Summit Lake, with a fallen log lying at the front.
Expert

PCT - California Section N

California · United States

Distance
210 km
/ 131 mi
Elevation gain
3,417 m
Typical duration
54 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Lovers Camp, Campsite #1
Expert

PCT - California Section Q

California · United States

Distance
90.3 km
/ 56.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,262 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
looking at Mount Ashland from Jackson gap (LJ)
Expert

PCT - California Section R

California · United States

Distance
98.4 km
/ 61.1 mi
Elevation gain
3,142 m
Typical duration
27 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Tahoe National Forest, Foresthill, United States, September 2017
Expert

ADT - California - T - Seg 3

California · United States

Distance
73.6 km
/ 45.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,688 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Three hand crews – 20 packs as they’re known in their home country – out of Quebec, Canada have been assigned to the North Complex – a lightning-caused fire on the Plumas National Forest in northern California. The professional firefighters
Expert

PCT - California Section M

California · United States

Distance
147 km
/ 91.1 mi
Elevation gain
3,373 m
Typical duration
39 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Mushrooms spring from the ground in the Berkeley hills following a series of storms that drenched the Bay.
Expert

ADT - California - T - Seg 8

California · United States

Distance
77.4 km
/ 48.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,020 m
Typical duration
19 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Lake Cuyamaca, also called Cuyamaca Lake, or Cuyamaca Reservoir, is an artificial lake that was formed in 1888 upon completion of the Cuyamaca Dam. Originally built to supply fresh water to San Diego, California, it is now part of a recreat
Expert

PCT - California Section A

California · United States

Distance
171 km
/ 106 mi
Elevation gain
2,638 m
Typical duration
44 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
A carpet of wildflowers stretches out in front of the Tehachapi Mountains, California
Expert

PCT - California Section E

California · United States

Distance
178 km
/ 110 mi
Elevation gain
3,339 m
Typical duration
46 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Ramona, United States
Expert

Coast to Crest Trail

California · United States

Distance
113 km
/ 70.1 mi
Elevation gain
4,587 m
Typical duration
33 hr
  • Coastal
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Fire in San Bernardino
Expert

PCT - California Section F

California · United States

Distance
138 km
/ 85.6 mi
Elevation gain
3,116 m
Typical duration
37 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
too far to jump
Expert

ADT - California - T - Seg 5

California · United States

Distance
87.2 km
/ 54.2 mi
Elevation gain
184 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Sinkyone State Wilderness - Bear Harbor, CA, USA
Expert

Lost Coast Trail

California · United States

Distance
85.2 km
/ 52.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,774 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Coastal
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Bascule -type drawbridge across the Sacramento River just west of Isleton, California , built in 1923.
Expert

ADT - California - T - Seg 6

California · United States

Distance
117 km
/ 72.5 mi
Elevation gain
111 m
Typical duration
27 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Mules and U.S. Forest Service rider on forest road as part of the Red Salmon Complex fire fighting team. September 1, 2020 https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/photograph/6891/5/
Expert

Bigfoot Trail

California · United States

Distance
580 km
/ 361 mi
Elevation gain
13,620 m
Typical duration
158 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Limekiln Creek Pacific Ocean
Expert

Condor Trail Monterey Section

California · United States

Distance
168 km
/ 104 mi
Elevation gain
6,252 m
Typical duration
49 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
A bus of the Stanford Marguerite, the free shuttle of Stanford University.
Expert

California Coastal Trail

California · United States

Distance
55.9 km
/ 34.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,263 m
Typical duration
14 hr
  • Coastal
  • Mountain
One of several piles of rock and plant debris being removed by the California Highway Patrol on the w:Angeles Crest Highway , five days after a light rain.
Expert

Gabrielino Trail

California · United States

Distance
52.7 km
/ 32.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,498 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
extirpated in 2005
Hard

Aptos Creek Fire Road

California · United States

Distance
21.8 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,016 m
Typical duration
6 hr 16 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Rock Store
Expert

Backbone Trail

California · United States

Distance
108 km
/ 67.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,914 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
131128_5457
Expert

Ohlone Wilderness Trail

California · United States

Distance
42.5 km
/ 26.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,849 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 65.
Moderate

Arroyo Seco Trail

California · United States

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
222 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Desert
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 44.
Hard

Marble Peak Trail

California · United States

Distance
20.9 km
/ 13.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,511 m
Typical duration
6 hr 48 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 52.
Expert

PCT - California Section O

California · United States

Distance
130 km
/ 80.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,606 m
Typical duration
34 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Tanoak Notholithocarpus densiflorus acorn and acorn cups, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California
Expert

Skyline To The Sea Trail

California · United States

Distance
40.1 km
/ 24.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,464 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
A view of Tiger Woods as he walks off the 8th green at Torrey Pines during this morning's practice round at the 2008 U.S. Open in San Diego, CA.
Expert

California Mission Trail

California · United States

Distance
76.0 km
/ 47.2 mi
Elevation gain
297 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Spider
Expert

Diablo Regional Trail

California · United States

Distance
48.2 km
/ 30.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,225 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander ( Batrachoseps luciae )
Hard

North Coast Ridge Trail

California · United States

Distance
16.4 km
/ 10.2 mi
Elevation gain
643 m
Typical duration
4 hr 26 min
  • Coastal
  • Mountain
This picture was taken after the 7-mile marker along the Bizz Johnson trail
Expert

Bizz Johnson Trail

California · United States

Distance
40.7 km
/ 25.3 mi
Elevation gain
437 m
Typical duration
9 hr 54 min
  • Mountain
seen one seen em all
Expert

Pioneer Trail

California · United States

Distance
39.9 km
/ 24.8 mi
Elevation gain
450 m
Typical duration
9 hr 43 min
  • Mountain

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
ADT - California - T - Seg 9California70.3 km1,539 m18 hrExpertApril to October
PCT - California Section NCalifornia210 km3,417 m54 hrExpertJune to October
PCT - California Section QCalifornia90.3 km1,262 m22 hrExpertJune to October
PCT - California Section RCalifornia98.4 km3,142 m27 hrExpertJune to October
ADT - California - T - Seg 3California73.6 km2,688 m21 hrExpertJune to October
PCT - California Section MCalifornia147 km3,373 m39 hrExpertJune to October
ADT - California - T - Seg 8California77.4 km1,020 m19 hrExpertApril to October
PCT - California Section ACalifornia171 km2,638 m44 hrExpertJune to October
PCT - California Section ECalifornia178 km3,339 m46 hrExpertJune to October
Coast to Crest TrailCalifornia113 km4,587 m33 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with ADT - California - T - Seg 9, PCT - California Section Q, PCT - California Section R. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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