Expert
California · United States
- Distance
- 57.6 km / 35.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,081 m
- Typical duration
- 16 hr
- Lake
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Best Canyon Hikes in California
The directory currently contains 31 quality-checked routes matching this guide in California. Their average mapped distance is 10.5 km and average recorded ascent is 533 m (1,749 ft); the longest route in the set is 57.6 km.
This subset represents 3% of the 1,083 quality-checked routes in California. Its average distance is 10.5 km, compared with 13.8 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 533 m (1,749 ft), versus 464 m (1,522 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.
These routes carry a canyon or gorge tag. Flood risk, access infrastructure and technical terrain require a current local source. Within this set, 3 routes (10%) are rated easy, 8 (26%) are rated hard or expert, and 1 (3%) 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
6.7 km
Dark Canyon TrailCompare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.
Lowest recorded ascent in this sample
83 m
Piute Canyon Trail6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.
Return logistics
1 recorded loop
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
Expert
California · United States
- Distance
- 47.6 km / 29.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,593 m
- Typical duration
- 13 hr
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Hard
California · United States
- Distance
- 19.1 km / 11.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 83 m
- Typical duration
- 4 hr 13 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 6.9 km / 4.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 707 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 30 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Hard
California · United States
- Distance
- 9.6 km / 5.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,781 m
- Typical duration
- 4 hr 40 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 6.7 km / 4.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 562 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 14 min
- Canyon and gorge
Hard
California · United States
- Distance
- 15.1 km / 9.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 471 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 51 min
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 3.3 km / 2.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 437 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 21 min
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 4.3 km / 2.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 189 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 11 min
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 3.5 km / 2.2 mi
- Typical duration
- 43 min
- Canyon and gorge
Easy
California · United States
- Distance
- 2.2 km / 1.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 12 m
- Typical duration
- 28 min
- Canyon and gorge
Hard
California · United States
- Distance
- 8.7 km / 5.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,326 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 48 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 8.0 km / 5.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 505 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 25 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 4.4 km / 2.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 216 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 14 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 4.7 km / 2.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 583 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 52 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
![500px provided description: Creek Green [#backpacking ,#sequoia national park ,#mineral king ,#lost canyon]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Creek_Green_%28140443085%29.jpeg/1920px-Creek_Green_%28140443085%29.jpeg)
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 8.6 km / 5.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 791 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 58 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 7.3 km / 4.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 118 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 42 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 4.9 km / 3.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 35 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 4 min
- Canyon and gorge
Hard
California · United States
- Distance
- 18.2 km / 11.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,154 m
- Typical duration
- 5 hr 37 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 5.2 km / 3.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 647 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 3 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 7.5 km / 4.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 602 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 28 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 10.5 km / 6.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 521 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 58 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 10.6 km / 6.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 304 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 39 min
- Mountain
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 8.5 km / 5.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 402 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 23 min
- Canyon and gorge
- Forest
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 5.1 km / 3.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 94 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 12 min
- River
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 12.6 km / 7.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 138 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 50 min
- Canyon and gorge
Easy
California · United States
- Distance
- 0.5 km / 0.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 15 m
- Typical duration
- 7 min
- Canyon and gorge
Hard
California · United States
- Distance
- 14.0 km / 8.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,052 m
- Typical duration
- 4 hr 30 min
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 7.0 km / 4.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 87 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 35 min
- Canyon and gorge
Easy
California · United States
- Distance
- 0.8 km / 0.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 21 m
- Typical duration
- 13 min
- Canyon and gorge
Moderate
California · United States
- Distance
- 1.9 km / 1.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 11 m
- Typical duration
- 25 min
- Canyon and gorge
The shortlist, side by side
The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time | Difficulty | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rae Lakes LoopCalifornia | 57.6 km | 2,081 m | 16 hr | Expert | July to September |
| Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne TrailCalifornia | 47.6 km | 1,593 m | 13 hr | Expert | July to September |
| Piute Canyon TrailCalifornia | 19.1 km | 83 m | 4 hr 13 min | Hard | July to September |
| Baldwin Canyon TrailCalifornia | 6.9 km | 707 m | 2 hr 30 min | Moderate | July to September |
| Wormhole Canyon TrailCalifornia | 9.6 km | 1,781 m | 4 hr 40 min | Hard | July to September |
| Dark Canyon TrailCalifornia | 6.7 km | 562 m | 2 hr 14 min | Moderate | July to September |
| Kern Canyon TrailCalifornia | 15.1 km | 471 m | 3 hr 51 min | Hard | July to September |
| Steep Ravine TrailCalifornia | 3.3 km | 437 m | 1 hr 21 min | Moderate | April to October |
| Borrego Palm Canyon Nature TrailCalifornia | 4.3 km | 189 m | 1 hr 11 min | Moderate | April to October |
| Flint Canyon TrailCalifornia | 3.5 km | 0 m | 43 min | Moderate | April to October |
Rae Lakes Loop, Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne Trail, Piute Canyon Trail 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 →Related guides
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