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Best Riverside Hikes in California

The directory currently contains 111 quality-checked routes matching this guide in California. Their average mapped distance is 10.0 km and average recorded ascent is 426 m (1,398 ft); the longest route in the set is 77.4 km.

This subset represents 10% of the 1,083 quality-checked routes in California. Its average distance is 10.0 km, compared with 13.8 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 426 m (1,398 ft), versus 464 m (1,522 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes carry the river tag. The tag does not establish how much of the mapped line follows water or whether crossings are safe. Within this set, 12 routes (11%) are rated easy, 30 (27%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (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

Trails

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
Expert

Santa Ana River Trail

California · United States

Distance
61.1 km
/ 38.0 mi
Elevation gain
823 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
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
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
Moderate

Rock Creek Lake Trail

California · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
291 m
Typical duration
1 hr 33 min
  • Lake
  • River
  • Mountain
Campfire scar on Abies concolor , Pinus benthamiana , Pinus lambertiana , etc., forest floor. Viewpoint location: Snow Creek Trail, Yosemite National Park Viewpoint elevation: 2100 meter (6880 ft) View direction: N/A Location source: Casio
Hard

Snow Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
14.8 km
/ 9.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,436 m
Typical duration
5 hr 14 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Giant blazing star (Mentzelia laevicaulis) against rocks. At 2,869 m (9,413 ft) along Pine Creek Trail under Brownstone Mine, John Muir Wilderness, Sierra Nevada mountains, California.
Hard

Pine Creek Pass Trail

California · United States

Distance
12.0 km
/ 7.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,259 m
Typical duration
4 hr 23 min
  • River
  • Mountain
The Carson-Iceberg Wilderness is a federal wilderness area located 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Stockton, California. It encompasses 160,000 acres (650 km2) and was designated by the California Wilderness Act of 1984. It protects an area
Hard

East Carson River Trail

California · United States

Distance
27.9 km
/ 17.3 mi
Elevation gain
288 m
Typical duration
6 hr 38 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Hard

Fish Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
31.1 km
/ 19.3 mi
Elevation gain
618 m
Typical duration
7 hr 54 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Washed-out concrete-pier bridge, at 2,746 m (9,009 ft) along trail up Convict Canyon. John Muir Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California USA.
Hard

Convict Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
10.3 km
/ 6.4 mi
Elevation gain
969 m
Typical duration
3 hr 36 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Golden Trout Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
14.7 km
/ 9.1 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
3 hr 6 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Big Arroyo Trail

California · United States

Distance
14.2 km
/ 8.8 mi
Elevation gain
111 m
Typical duration
3 hr 7 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Waterfall above Rush Creek Trail, looking up from stream crossing. Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada USA.
Moderate

Rush Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
14.6 km
/ 9.1 mi
Elevation gain
202 m
Typical duration
3 hr 21 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Hard

Highland Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
29.1 km
/ 18.1 mi
Elevation gain
562 m
Typical duration
7 hr 19 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Hard

Shadow Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
13.1 km
/ 8.2 mi
Elevation gain
769 m
Typical duration
3 hr 53 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Timber Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
8.5 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
646 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Hard

Trout Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
13.3 km
/ 8.2 mi
Elevation gain
630 m
Typical duration
3 hr 43 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Bubbs Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
16.9 km
/ 10.5 mi
Elevation gain
122 m
Typical duration
3 hr 45 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Berry creek
Moderate

Berry Creek Falls Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
43 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Waterfall
  • River
Moderate

Jackass Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
10.3 km
/ 6.4 mi
Elevation gain
529 m
Typical duration
2 hr 56 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Mahogany Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
145 m
Typical duration
1 hr 14 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Expert

San Gabriel River Trail

California · United States

Distance
57.0 km
/ 35.4 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Upper Rock Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Madera is a city in California and the county seat of Madera County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 61,416, up from 43,207 in 2000. Located in the San Joaquin Valley, Madera is a principal city of the Madera–
Hard

San Joaquin River Trail

California · United States

Distance
23.3 km
/ 14.5 mi
Elevation gain
821 m
Typical duration
6 hr 20 min
  • River
Hard

Wolf Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
15.1 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
894 m
Typical duration
4 hr 30 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Minarets, past lupine and willows, looking across valley of middle fork of San Joaquin River near its source, from High Trail (on Pacific Crest Trail). Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sierra Nevada, California.
Moderate

River Trail

California · United States

Distance
9.5 km
/ 5.9 mi
Elevation gain
153 m
Typical duration
2 hr 13 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Hard

Minnow Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
16.1 km
/ 10.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,142 m
Typical duration
5 hr 7 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Hard

Cooskie Creek Route

California · United States

Distance
17.2 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
763 m
Typical duration
4 hr 48 min
  • River
Moderate

Wallace Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
7.0 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
767 m
Typical duration
2 hr 36 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Evening view North across lowest lake in the Pioneer Basin, John Muir Wilderness. Across the Mono Creek valley from the Recesses. Sierra Nevada mountains, California.
Hard

Mono Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
19.3 km
/ 12.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,240 m
Typical duration
6 hr
  • River
  • Mountain
Kings Creek Falls overlook in Lassen Volcanic National Park on August 1, 2020. The overlook burned down during the Dixie Fire in 2021.
Moderate

Kings Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
6.8 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
544 m
Typical duration
2 hr 14 min
  • River
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Fall Creek Unit, Ben Lomond, United States, October 2017
Moderate

Fall Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.5 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
307 m
Typical duration
1 hr 23 min
  • River
Hard

Fish Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
15.1 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
618 m
Typical duration
4 hr 5 min
  • River
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Moderate

Bridge Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
195 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • River
Moderate

Fern Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
240 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • River
Hard

Silver Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
13.0 km
/ 8.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,092 m
Typical duration
4 hr 20 min
  • River
  • Mountain
Moderate

Branciforte Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • River
Moderate

Corte Madera Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • River
A madrone tree (Arbutus menziesii) with foliose lichens on it, at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, California, off the Pine Trail (or Eagle Creek Trail per Google maps).
Moderate

Eagle Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • River
Moderate

King Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • River
Bridge over San Lorenzo River
Moderate

River Trail Pedestrian

California · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
85 m
Typical duration
40 min
  • River
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Fall Creek Unit, Ben Lomond, United States, October 2017
Moderate

Bennett Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
6 min
  • River

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 8California77.4 km1,020 m19 hrExpertApril to October
Santa Ana River TrailCalifornia61.1 km823 m15 hrExpertJuly to September
Aptos Creek Fire RoadCalifornia21.8 km1,016 m6 hr 16 minHardApril to October
Highland Lakes - Arnot Creek LoopCalifornia32.2 km1,081 m8 hr 51 minExpertJuly to September
Arroyo Seco TrailCalifornia7.5 km222 m1 hr 54 minModerateApril to October
Mill Creek Falls TrailCalifornia2.5 km134 m44 minModerateJune to October
Rock Creek Lake TrailCalifornia5.4 km291 m1 hr 33 minModerateJuly to September
Snow Creek TrailCalifornia14.8 km1,436 m5 hr 14 minHardJuly to September
North Fork Big Pine Creek TrailCalifornia12.3 km1,192 m4 hr 21 minHardJuly to September
Pine Creek Pass TrailCalifornia12.0 km1,259 m4 hr 23 minHardJuly to September

ADT - California - T - Seg 8, Santa Ana River Trail, Aptos Creek Fire Road 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

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