Bay Area Backpacking TRAILS

the Ohlone Wilderness trail is nice this time of year. There is a camp just past Mission Peak in Fremont that I like called Eagle Spring backpackers camp (site #4 is where you want to be). Skyline to the sea trail spanning Castlerock state park and big basin has a few good trail camps. Sunol is very accessible and has multiple trail routes to take to the backpacking camp areas so it is a very repeatable area. Henry Co state park between San Jose and Gilroy has a bunch of short and long trails worth hiking. It can be tough to get a reservation but Angel Island is worth a trip.

Those are all good suggestions. If you search the forums here, you can find an alternate route on the Skyline to Sea trail, but since you'll be alone, I imagine the need for a shuttle would make this problematic.

Don't overlook Marin/Pt. Reyes. It's amazing this time of year. Lots of trails from the headlands all the way up to pt. reyes, and they all connect with towns (food!) in between. Can be a lot of fun and leisurely hiking.

Nate, Where exactly in point reyes? know a good trail head? water accessible?

You could check out Butano State Park down by Santa Cruz. Has a nice loop out to 7 or 8 backpacking sites that are first come first serve and covers some beautiful scenery. One of my favorite trips and I almost never see another sole. I think it is around 6 miles each day and makes a perfect loop.

I got there and did not know a thing about the place. so asking the camp manager, Phil.. he lead me to stay at the "walk in" camp sites… 50 ft from the parking spaces?! so i made camp thinking..this will do if i get to do the hike. so i do the 12miles loop alone.. and on the last leg of it..what do u know, i run into 4 backpackers climbing up! they told me then of TRAIL camp. I hiked all the way back down, packed up my gear and headed back up! :) i made it to trail camp in about an hour n a half from camp ries.. and found them. Company made the weekend as the place was empty!! the one nighter was perfect.. thanks for the input nate!

This is not necessarily a good time to be in Butano. This is the middle of poison oak flowering season.

–B.G.–

I was aware. It was well to the side of the paths. ..I wore shorts the entire weekend :)