Whether you prefer the leisurely self-guided hiking from winery to winery or rugged backcountry hiking thru pristine badlands, tons of California hiking options wait for the itinerant hiker like you, and should actually be included in your backpacking checklist. But if you would like to learn a side of California you have never witnessed before, then start with the Country's Northern Coast.
Hiking some 20 miles north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge will reveal to you a California you never knew existed. Following the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1), slink past pumpkin patches, Christmas tree farms, grazing horses, and cities right from the 1950s and at the end of it all are ancient redwood forests, craggy shores, quaint vineyards, and beguiling country hotels.
You can take Occidental as your first stop in your long California hiking trip. A love city nestled in a redwood forest close to the Russian Brook, Occidental was a previous lumber and railroad center. Now, the city is renowned for its family-style Italian restaurants.
During your layover, you can use your time watching whales and sportfish at Bodega Bay or check out the wineries along the Russian River Wine Road. The Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve also offers great California hiking when you become bored with the still life.
After Occidental, keep your eyes open as the next city is one of those blink-your-eyes-and-you-miss-it cities. Perched high on a cliff overlooking a mile of pretty shore along Route 1, Elk is 20 miles south of Mendocino where migrating whales can be spotted off the coast in December when they head south and in the start of spring when they head north with their calves.
California hiking thru this city feels like going back in time to almost 100 years ago when Elk was a bustling port with a flourishing lumber industry and a population of 2,000. You can even make some arrangements for horseback rides, whale-watching boat trips or a picnic lunch. And, naturally, what's California hiking without a tour thru the wineries? You can find fifteen these in Elk inside a 30-minute drive.
Next stop: Mendocino. This picturesque bluff-top hamlet is surrounded on 3 sides by rough coastline. Mendocino is known for its ultra-unique architecture, reflecting the town's roots (it's early settlers were from New England).
Mendocino has the distinction of having the loveliest main streets in America. Each shop in the 4 block area has a sea view. Shops? Of special note are the Book Apartment with a good choice of books, Mendocino Art Center Showcase Gallery featuring the work of local artists and crafters, Mendocino Chocolate Co. Renowned for its handmade truffles, and a few more.
Feel just like in the pictures when you go California hiking in Mendocino. The town's charms haven't been lost on the movie industry. Starting in the silent film time, more than 50 films have been shot here, including the six that have received diverse Oscars "Johnny Belinda (1948), East of Eden (1955), and The Summer of '42 (1971).
And that ends your California hiking trip through the North Coast. If you need to go on, noted parks for California hiking fans include Point Reyes Countrywide Seashore, Sequoia and Kings Ravine Nationwide Parks, Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, John Muir State Historic Site, and plenty more.
California hiking hasn't ever been this full of options.
Joseph Robertson is an ardent adherent of developing a smart backpacking checklist before going on an extended hike. Finding the best hikes is undeniably apart of a good backpacker's hiking essentials.
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