Best hiking trails in California

Whittling California to a single hiking list is an act of violence, the state contains the highest peak in the lower 48, the tallest trees on earth, and 800 miles of coast. These are the trails we'd defend in an argument, arranged easy to epic, each with the note that helps you choose.

Easy, maximum scenery, minimum suffering

• Redwood Grove Loop, Henry Cowell (0.8 mi, flat), old growth for everyone; partial dog access nearby.
• McWay Falls Overlook, Big Sur (0.6 mi), the 80 foot beach waterfall; no dogs.
• South Tufa, Mono Lake (1 mi), sunrise among the towers; leashed dogs welcome.
• West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz (up to 6 mi, paved), surf, sea lions, lighthouse; leashed dogs love it.

Moderate, the sweet spot

• Mist Trail to Vernal Fall, Yosemite (3-5.5 mi, granite stairs), the state's signature hike; spring spray guaranteed; no dogs.
• Tomales Point, Point Reyes (up to 9.4 mi, gentle), elk between ocean and bay; no dogs.
• Eagle Lake & beyond, Tahoe (2-5 mi), granite, falls, alpine water; leashed dogs on forest sections.
• Bumpass Hell, Lassen (3 mi), boardwalks over a boiling basin; no dogs.
• Fern Canyon, Russian Gulch (Mendocino) (6 mi), lush canyon to a 36 foot fall.
• Mission Peak via Ohlone College (Fremont) (6-8 mi), the Bay's rite of passage summit; off leash legal, dawn start mandatory in summer.

Hard, earn your legend

• High Peaks Loop, Pinnacles (6-7 mi), stairs blasted into rock spires, condors overhead; fall spring only.
• Lassen Peak (5 mi, 2,000 ft), summit an active volcano before lunch.
• Upper Yosemite Fall (7.2 mi, 2,700 ft), relentless, magnificent, all day.
• Alamere Falls via Palomarin, Point Reyes (13 mi), the waterfall onto beach epic; start at dawn.
• Half Dome, Yosemite (14-16 mi, cables, permit lottery), the bucket list boss; train for it and win the lottery first.
• Mount Whitney (day permit lottery) (22 mi, 6,100 ft), the lower 48 rooftop; a pilgrimage requiring months of prep and altitude respect. Mentioned so the list is honest about where the ladder tops out.

Reading this list by season

Spring: waterfalls (Mist Trail, Alamere, McWay) and desert/Pinnacles before the heat. Summer: Sierra high country (Tahoe, Lassen, Yosemite's heights) and fog cooled coast. Fall: everything, the golden all access month is October. Winter: coast and redwoods shine; Pinnacles reopens; the Sierra list waits under snow.