Heid - 101 hikes in Northern California: exploring mountains, valley, and seashore

Praise for Previous Editions

Heres inspiration to turn off the television and head for the hills.

Napa Valley Register

If you like to hike, make the most of your outdoor adventures by toting this handy reference guide in your backpack. With author Matt Heids insights, youre sure to wander through some of this scenic regions most stunning backcountry.

Spirit magazine, Southwest Airlines

A wonderful selection of trails, good writing, and helpful graphics makes this a choice guidebook for ambles in the special places of Northern California.

Honorable Mention, 2001 National Outdoor Book Awards

Before heading into the backcountry, a generation or two of hikers have packed an essential piece of equipment: a trusty Wilderness Press hiking guide.

Sacramento Bee

Dedicated to my mom and dad, for everything

101 Hikes in Northern California

Third edition, first printing

Copyright 2000, 2008, and 2015 by Matt Heid

Editor: Kerry Smith

Project editor: Ritchey Halphen

Cover and interior photos: copyright 2015 Matt Heid, except where noted

Topographic maps: 2015 National Geographic Maps, with trails added by the author

Overview map and cover design: Scott McGrew

Text design: Larry P. Van Dyke

Proofreaders: Rebecca Henderson, Kate Johnson

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Heid, Matt, 1975

101 hikes in Northern California : exploring mountains, valleys, and seashore / Matt Heid.

pages cm.

Summary: 101 Hikes in Northern California by Matt Heid benefits readers by narrowing down the multitude of options for hiking in Northern California to the very best of the best adventures. It is distinct from other similar guidebooks in that it covers the northern two-thirds of the state, including nearly the entirety of the Sierra Nevadas south to Kings Canyon National Park and the entire Big Sur region along the coast south to Silver Peak Wilderness. It also provides significant geographic diversity: Hikes are spread out across the entire region. No matter where you are in northern California, you can find a hike in the book within a short drive. The guide is unique in the amount of natural history information it provides, especially the geologic stories of the featured destinations. It provides not just the essential directions for completing a hike, it enhances the experience by telling the story of how the landscape came to be the way it is. Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-0-89997-781-2 (paperback) ISBN 0-89997-781-2 eISBN 978-0-89997-782-9

1. HikingCaliforniaGuidebooks. 2. TrailsCaliforniaGuidebooks. 3. CaliforniaGuidebooks. I. Title. II. Title: One hundred one hikes in Northern California. III. Title: One hundred and one hikes in Northern California.

GV199.42.C2H45 2015

796.5109794dc23

2015008843

Manufactured in the United States of America

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Published by:	WILDERNESS PRESS
An imprint of Keen Communications, LLC
2204 First Ave. S., Suite 102
Birmingham, AL 35233
800-443-7227, fax 205-326-1012

Visit wildernesspress.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Contact us at info@wildernesspress.com, facebook.com/wildernesspress1967, or twitter.com/wilderness1967 with questions or comments.

Cover photos: Front: Mounts Ritter and Banner rise above Ediza Lake in Ansel Adams Wilderness (see ).

Frontispiece: A hiker marvels at old-growth redwood forest along Californias northern coast.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.

SAFETY NOTICE Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while in the wilderness. The fact that a trail is described in this book does not mean that it will be safe for you. Be aware that trail conditions can change from day to day. Always check local conditions, and know your own limitations.

Acknowledgments

Thanks go first to the countless rangers, public-land managers, and stewards of Northern Californias natural treasures. They patiently answered my long lists of questions and were an invaluable resource in ensuring the accuracy of this updated guide.

Many wonderful people joined and supported me on this latest book-updating adventure, including my brother, John, and his family, Analise, Ansel, and Siena; my mom and dad; Joann Volinski; Chuck and Benjamin Kapelke; Tom Hruschka; Grant and Becky Wayman; and Bob and Marsha Lewis.

Thank you to Molly Merkle and Ritchey Halphen for your remarkable patience and exceptional work in bringing this latest edition to completion. And thank you to Colleen MacDonald, Suzanne Shaw, and everybody at UCS for providing me with the time and support needed for this update.

Lastly, I want to especially thank my beloved wife, Gretchen, for supporting my lifelong passion for the Northern California wilderness and perpetual dedication to this book. Thank you, GretchenI love you. And to my two young boys, Kieran and Rohansomeday soon well all hike the trails of Northern California together!

Hike on.

Matt Heid

Bedford, Massachusetts

March 2015

Preface

WELCOME TO THE total Northern California outdoor experience. Every aspect of the regions incredible natural diversity is found within these 101 hikesthe jagged granite of the High Sierra, the crashing surf of the Pacific Coast, the volcanic landscape of the Modoc Plateau, the rich diversity of the Klamath Mountains, the magnificent redwoods of the North Coast, the spectacular views of the Bay Area. Lakes, peaks, rivers, creeks, volcanoes, waterfalls, valleys, beaches, forests, meadows, wildlife, wildflowers, lighthouses all can be found within these pages.

This book describes a greater area than most Northern California guidebooks. Stretching north from Sequoia National Park through the Modoc Plateau of northeast California, it includes virtually all of the Sierra Nevada. Sweeping north along the coast, from Big Sur to the Oregon border, it contains the Coast Ranges, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Klamath Mountains. In total, this book covers the entire northern two-thirds of the state. And now this third edition opens up several new realms, with 18 entirely new trips and expanded coverage of the Sierra Nevada and North Coast regions.

The hikes were selected using three basic criteria, with each adventure including some combination o f the following:

• Isolation: Wilderness is freedom, an escape from the trappings of society. The fewer people you encounter, the deeper your experience.