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Best Autumn Hikes in California

The directory currently contains 628 quality-checked routes matching this guide in California. Their average mapped distance is 12.7 km and average recorded ascent is 363 m (1,191 ft); the longest route in the set is 580 km.

This subset represents 58% of the 1,083 quality-checked routes in California. Its average distance is 12.7 km, compared with 13.8 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 363 m (1,191 ft), versus 464 m (1,522 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set carries an autumn season tag. Weather, daylight and vegetation vary by location and year. Within this set, 120 routes (19%) are rated easy, 100 (16%) are rated hard or expert, and 72 (11%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

70.3 km

ADT - California - T - Seg 9

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

1,262 m

PCT - California Section Q

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

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
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
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
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
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
Looking West over the San Francisco Bay from the University of California.
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
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
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
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
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
Expert

Bigfoot Trail

California · United States

Distance
580 km
/ 361 mi
Elevation gain
13,620 m
Typical duration
158 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
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
  • Panoramic viewpoint
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
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
Expert

Gabrielino Trail

California · United States

Distance
52.7 km
/ 32.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,498 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Old ties from the Aptos Branch logging railroad in June 2018
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
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
Moderate

Summit Meadows Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
99 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
ohlone wilderness trail - sunol
Expert

Ohlone Wilderness Trail

California · United States

Distance
42.5 km
/ 26.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,849 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
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
Moderate

Mill Creek Falls Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
134 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • River
View of California taken during ISS Expedition 8.
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
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
Plaque of the Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California
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
Expert

Diablo Regional Trail

California · United States

Distance
48.2 km
/ 30.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,225 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
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
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

ADT - California - T - Seg 9, PCT - California Section N, PCT - California Section Q currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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