Southern California Weekend Trip

So Cal is a huge area. Can you narrow it down a bit?

We are in San Diego area so I was thinking south of LA and Big Bear

Well, 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

well 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.

How about Little Harbor on Catalina.  Pretty mild hike, phenomenal views.  Use that as a base camp and take a number of day hikes.

There’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.

Art,

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

Cuyamaca 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.

Has anyone done Joshua Tree?

Was 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.

Joshua 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.

California 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/