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Southern California Weekend Trip
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Home › Forums › General Forums › General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion › Southern California Weekend Trip
- This topic has 12 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 1 month ago by Brando Sancho.
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Feb 11, 2016 at 12:44 pm #3381487
Im looking for a good weekend trip in Southern California. I am taking a friend that has never been backpacking before and i don’t want to kill him on his first trip out. I have been looking around and the mountains have had a lot of snow lately so i am trying to avoid them as he does not have any of his own gear. I want to keep the experience as enjoyable as possible so any suggestions are appreciated
Thanks,
Gonzo
Feb 11, 2016 at 12:46 pm #3381489So Cal is a huge area. Can you narrow it down a bit?
Feb 11, 2016 at 12:53 pm #3381491We are in San Diego area so I was thinking south of LA and Big Bear
Feb 11, 2016 at 1:46 pm #3381511Well, probably too long of a drive from SD but there are some great backpacking trips off of HWY 33 in Ojai. Ojai is the other side of LA from SD. PM me if you are interested and I can send you directions. Both I have in mind are flat to moderate climbing, 2-3 miles one way. There are longer options also. And snow is not an issue, at least right now and the foreseeable future.
Matt
Feb 11, 2016 at 2:43 pm #3381522well if you are in San Diego, why not the San Diego mountains.
specifically the Lagunas. these are nice beginner mountains, max elevation 6,200 ft so you won’t have to worry about altitude issues. the snow from a couple weeks back is all melted by now.
anything along the PCT from I-8 north for 40 miles is very nice trail with great views, multiple options depending on how many miles you want. recommend doing point to point with 2 cars, but out and back is ok too, and loops can be created in some spots.
Feb 11, 2016 at 4:09 pm #3381537How about Little Harbor on Catalina. Pretty mild hike, phenomenal views. Use that as a base camp and take a number of day hikes.
Feb 11, 2016 at 4:39 pm #3381541There’s a lot of flat hikes in Anza Borrego SP. There’s probably even water in Coyote Creek in Collins Valley which is in the north end of the park. Drive as far as you feel comfortable and then walk to the Middle Willows area or beyond. You can call the ranger station to find out about water.
If you’re ok hauling water, check out the Inner Pasture via Moonlight Canyon for a little easy scrambling or the wash just south of Moonlight that goes all the way through for even easier walking, June Wash, Fish Creek Wash, Harper Flat, Carrizo Canyon.
There’s also some nice places in the McCain Valley area just north of Boulevard with views down into the desert.
Likely to be a little warmer overnight than higher up in the mountains. And you can camp pretty much anywhere.
Feb 11, 2016 at 9:15 pm #3381576Art,
thanks for the ideas I have been looking at the PCT and wouldn’t mind hitting some sections this year
Jon,
thanks for the idea of Catalina I will save that for another time. I have never been there and wouldn’t mind making the trip in the future
Kiel,
I was thinking about Anza there is part of the PCT that has a waterfall along it that would be cool to see. I have been out there a few times and have always had a good time. I will look at some of the other areas you mentioned
i appreciate everyone’s time and ideas it is always good to get some outside perspective on places
Feb 11, 2016 at 10:04 pm #3381582Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is the place you want to go. There are two easily accessible campgrounds with a great network of trails to access them. They both have non-potable water that you can filter and toilets. There is a great network of trails. You can come up with all sorts of fun and interesting loops. The depths of the park feel like backcountry but nothing is too far away from a road so you can bail if you want. It’s definitely pricier to pay for the entrance fee and reservation, but it’s worth it. If you go, spend the money on the nice map.
Anza Borrego is a great backpacking place for solitude. It is not a place to take beginners. There is a lot of cross country, spiky plants, hiking through sand, flooding of the trail at the Willows, lack of water, easy to get lost in canyons, etc.
Feb 11, 2016 at 10:21 pm #3381586Has anyone done Joshua Tree?
Feb 11, 2016 at 10:56 pm #3381593Was just at Joshua tree this past week with a friend camping and day hiking. A really unique, beautiful place. Lots of reasonably easy trails and cool scenery, but the main challenge for newbies is that you would have to carry all the water you need. For that reason, a car base camp may be a better choice, you can really cover a lot of ground day hiking with a light pack.
Feb 12, 2016 at 9:33 am #3381643Joshua Tree is uniquely beautiful.
I have been there many times, as a climber and a runner.
have only car camped there, but there are back packing opportunities.
Feb 12, 2016 at 10:27 am #3381645California Riding and Hiking Trail is an established trail you could look into in JTree. But it is point-to-point.
I would recommend going cross-country there. Take your map, pick a direction, you can hike for as long or short as you like into the hills.
Or a combo of both, something like this: http://ladyonarock.com/2013/04/21/joshua-tree-national-park-loop-backpack/
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