California Trail Resources

 

California Agencies

 

California State Parks: http://cal-parks.ca.gov/

For information on National Forests in California and links to individual Forest Web sites: www.fs.fed.us/r5/

For information on Bureau of Land Management trails and other recreation sites in California: www.ca.blm.gov/index.html

National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides trails as well as hunting, fishing, wildlife observation; see refuges in California: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/california.html

National Park Service units in California: http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parksearch/state.cfm?st=ca

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Venutra and Los Angeles Counties offers hiking, biking, and shuttle tours: www.nps.gov/SAMO

 

 

California National Recreation Trails

 

Find all National Recreation Trails in California: select California from the State Search list and click on "Find Trails"
Visit California's "Featured" National Recreational Trails for the most recently designated trail(s)
Visit the National Recreation Trails website to learn more about the NRT program and access over 1,050 NRTs from across the country

California Bicycling and Mountain Biking

 

Mountain bike trails with detailed maps and descriptions from mountain biking books at Trails.com:

• Mountain Biking Trails in Northern California
• Mountain Biking Trails in Southern California

Bike rides on roads and paved pathways from road biking books at Trails.com:

• Road Bike Rides in Northern California

Bear River Ranch offers a variety of individual, family, and group vacations, both self-guided and guided road and mountain biking, as well as a Bed and Breakfast for your short or long term vacation getaway.

California Bicycle Coalition promotes competent bicycling as a safe, clean, fun and healthy means of transportation and recreation: www.calbike.org

Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay is the second oldest mountain bike advocacy group in the United States: http://www.btceb.org/

Chico Area Trail Stewardship works toward preserving, maintaining, and expanding the trail network in the Chico Area: http://chicotrails.org

The Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association works for multi-use trails within the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California: www.CORBAmtb.com/

East Bay Bicycle Coalition promotes bicycling for transportation and recreation: www.ebbc.org/

Folsom-Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition: www.fatrac.org/

Bicycle Trails Council of Marin has trail maps, events, and a newsletter: www.btcmarin.org/

Access4Bikes works for equal access for bikes on the public trails of Marin County: www.access4bikes.com/

For hiking and biking in Marin County, see: www.apgar.net/index.html

Mountain biking in the Whiskeytown, Redding, and Shasta Lake areas: www.geocities.com/mtbikewhiskeytown/

Northern California Mountain Biking Association works to unite grassroots organizations working together to advocate for appropriate access for mountain bicyclists: www.norcamba.org/

Orange County area SHARE is another resource for equestrian as well as bike and hiking trails: www.sharemtb.com/

Own The Trail! promotes technical riding in the Bay Area: http://ownthetrail.com/

Pasadena Mountain Bike Club has rides, photos, and other information: www.pmbc.org

Redding Mountain Biking has photos and trail information and plans weekend trips as well as local rides: www.reddingmountainbiking.com/cover.html

Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers is the mountain cycling advocacy and social group for San Mateo and Santa Clara counties: www.romp.org/

Suggested Bike Routes by the Rainbow Cyclists of San Diego include dirt and paved trails: www.rainbowcyclists.org

Sacramento Area Mountain Bike Association promotes responsible off-road bicycling in the Sacramento urban area: www.sustainableenterprises.com/SAMBA/

San Diego Mountain Biking Association has a ride guide, volunteer projects, and events: www.sdmba.com/

San Diego County, California - A Bicyclist's Paradise" at http://efgh.com/bike/

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition has maps, events, news, commuting, and bike routes: www.sdcbc.org

Newsletters, rides, events, and photos from Southern Sierra Fat Tire Association: www.ssfta.com/

The goal for SoCalMTB is to be a complete source for trails in Southern California: www.socalmtb.com/

The Trailmonkey site has California Mountain Biking Maps & Trails: www.trailmonkey.com

Mountain Bike Whiskeytown has mile by mile trail descriptions for trails near Redding: http://www.geocities.com/mtbikewhiskeytown/

California Equestrian Trails

 

Backcountry Horsemen of California promote equestrian trails and stewardship on public lands: www.bchcalifornia.org/

Local units of BCHA are located throughout the state: www.bchcalifornia.org/local-units.html

Bear River Ranch, Northern California Gold Country's Premier Equestrian Training/Boarding Facility, offers a variety of individual, family, and group vacations, both self-guided and guided horseback trail riding, and Bed and Breakfast.

California State Horsemen's Trail Program works to keep California's trails open and usable: www.californiastatehorsemen.com/Trails/trails.htm

Lake Don Pedro Trailblazers work to support the Tuolumne and Mariposa County trail systems: www.ldptrailblazers.com/

Western States Trail Foundation has equestrian event information: www.foothill.net/tevis/

California Horse Trails and Campgrounds from: HorseTrailDirectory.com

Trails, Campgrounds, Trail Rides, Overnight Hosts from Horse and Mule Trail Guide USA: www.horseandmuletrails.com/Ca.htm

 

California Greenways and Community Trails

 

Bay Trail is "An Endeavor to Encircle the San Francisco Bay": http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/

Carlsbad Volunteer Trail Project is building trails in the city of Carlsbad: http://www.carlsbadwatershednetwork.org/

East Bay Regional Park District has park and trail maps and descriptions: www.ebparks.org/parks.htm

East Bay Municipal Utility District has a system of trails on watershed lands: www.ebmud.com/recreation/recreation

Foresthill Trail Alliance has information on trails for every type of trail user in Placer County in the Sierra foothills: www.foothill.net/fta/

Greenbelt Alliance, a leading land conservation organization in the nine county San Francisco Bay Area, has events and open space information: www.greenbelt.org/

Lakeside Trails website supports the East County Trails Preservation Group of San Diego County: lakesidetrails.tripod.com/

Trails Council of Livermore Amador Valley is working to support recreational opportunities, alternative transportation corridors, and public agency trail master plans in their region of the East Bay Area: www.kathyservices.com/tclav/

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space manages trails in the foothill and bay land preserves between the San Francisco Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains: www.openspace.org/

Monterey Bay Coastal Trail runs along the Monterey Peninsula shoreline for 29 miles: www.mtycounty.com/pgs-parks/bike-path.html

Nevada County Land Trust has a variety of trail projects: www.nevadacountylandtrust.org

Orange County bike trails include planned trails along Santiago Creek, the abondoned Tustin Branch railroad, and join the Santa Ana River trail: http://www.biketrails.com/orange.html

Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy sponsors hikes in local open space: www.pvplc.org/_lands/trails.asp

Red Bluff Trails United is a volunteer group in the town of Red Bluff: http://rbtrails.netfirms.com

Redding has an outstanding system of trails through its community; includes maps, funding, and planning information: http://reddingtrails.com/index.html

Trails and Bikeways Council of Greater Redding: www.reddingtrailsandbikeways.org

Richmond has completed 25 miles of San Francisco Bay Trail, more than any other city on the planned 500-mile route: www.pointrichmond.com/baytrail/

A Regional Trails Network for San Diego County – The First Step: www.sdrp.org/archive/exdir/exdir_regtrailsnetwork%2011.htm

San Diego County Trails Council goal is to maintain a balance with the environment while encouraging the development of an interconnecting regional trails system linking public and private lands: www.sdctc.com/

San Dieguito River Park will someday extend from the ocean at Del Mar to Volcan Mountain, just north of Julian: www.sdrp.org/

San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy works for recreation, education, wildlife and habitat restoration in these watersheds: www.rmc.ca.gov/index.html

City of San Jose has trail maps and planning information at: http://www.sjparks.org/trails/

Santa Clara County Open Space Authority provides trails and manages open space areas: http://www.openspaceauthority.org/

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Association maintains a variety of other links to northern California parks and trails at: http://scmta-trails.org/

Santa Cruz Circle Trail is described and mapped at: www.ecotopia.org/trail/index.html

Sonoma County's Coalition for the Outdoor Recreation Plan advocates for an extensive, diverse, and sensible system of trails: www.sonomatrails.org/index.htm

Stanford Area Trails work to improve the trail system in the Stanford area for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding: www.stanfordtrails.com

Trail Center provides volunteers and resources for San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties: www.trailcenter.org

Santa Clara County Parks has park and trail information: www.parkhere.org/

Trails 4 All is a group dedicated to coordinating volunteer trail projects and fund raising for trail stewardship: www.trails4all.org/

Warrior's Society is made up of cyclists, trail runners, and hikers dedicated to improving and protecting trails in the Trabuco District of the Cleveland National Forest in Orange County: www.warriorssociety.org

Yreka Creek Greenway is a natural streamside area 4.5 miles along Yreka and Greenhorn Creeks: www.yrekagreenway.org/

California Hiking Trails

 

Hiking trail maps, hike descriptions, and topographic maps at Trails.com:

• Hiking Trails in Northern California
• Hiking Trails in Southern California

Running trails from books on trail running at Trails.com:

• Trail Running Trails in Northern California
• Trail Running Trails in Southern California

Hikes in San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest describes and maps many trails: http://tchester.org/sgm/hikes.html

Heritage Oak Winery in Acampo, CA provides a 2.5-mile trail along the Mokelumne River: www.heritageoakwinery.com/outdoor.htm

Bay Area Backcountry details places to camp anhttp://www.trailrunnersclub.com/d hike within easy reach of the San Francisco Bay Area: www.hknot.com/bab/bab.html

Chico Area Trail Stewardship works toward preserving, maintaining, and expanding the trail network in the Chico Area: http://chicotrails.org

Kings Canyon and Sequoia Wilderness Hikes has trip descriptions, maps, and photos: www.sierrahiker.com

Northern California Backcountry Pages are a selective directory of scenic and pristine places: http://geography.sierra.cc.ca.us/backcountrypages/

Rim to Reno project of the Tahoe Rim Trail will create a new system that includes loop trails in the vicinity of Mount Rose along with the connector trail to Reno: www.tahoerimtrail.org/

Portola is a guide to the trails of the San Francisco peninsula, with maps: www.geocities.com/rhorii/Portola/Portola.htm

Articles, photos and maps of good skating trails in the San Diego area: www.sk8.org/other/places.html

Trail Runners Club provides trail information for the Santa Monica Mountains: http://trailrunnersclub.com/

California Outdoor Rollerskating Association has events and trails information: www.cora.org/

San Gabriel Mountains Trailbuilders is a volunteer organization dedicated to constructing and maintaining hiking trails in the San Gabriel Mountains' Angeles National Forest in Southern California: www.sgmtrailbuilders.org/

American Volkssport Association year-round walking and Volkssport Event Calendar

EveryTrail.com has top hikes in California uploaded by members that contain descriptions, GPS tracks, pictures: www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-california

California Long-Distance Trails

 

Hiking trails along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in California at Trails.com:

• Pacific Crest Trail Hiking in Northern California
• Pacific Crest Trail Hiking in Southern California

For information on the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail in California: www.discoverytrail.org/states/california/index.html

Applegate Trail was the southern route of the Oregon Trail through Nevada, northeastern California, and Oregon: www.webtrail.com/applegate/index.html

Bay Area Ridge Trail is dedicated to developing a 400-mile multi-use, continuous trail, primarilly through parks and open space overlooking the San Francisco Bay: www.ridgetrail.org/

Bigfoot Trail is a planned 400 mile route that begins in Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness and ends in Redwood National Park near Crescent City: http://www.bigfoottrail.org

California Coastal Trail will extend 1,200 miles from Oregon to Mexico: www.californiacoastaltrail.info. See the Hiker's Guide for maps, day hike descriptions, and detailed guides to supply availability along the Trail.

Coastwalk promotes the completion of a continuous, border to border California Coastal Trail and sponsors coastal walks and day hikes: www.coastwalk.org/

John Muir Trail is 215 miles long and runs from Yosemite Valley to Mt Whitney, in California: http://johnmuirtrail.org/

Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail is planned to extend 300 miles from Martinez Shoreline on San Francisco Bay to Ebbetts Pass in the High Sierra: www.mc2ct.org

Oregon-California Trails Association and the National Oregon/California Trail Center cover the trans-Mississippi emigrant trails

Pacific Crest Trail runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington: www.pcta.org/

Pony Express Trail is National Historic Trail: www.nps.gov/poex/

San Diego Sea to Sea Trail Web site at www.seatoseatrail.org/

Sierra Trails, A Wilderness Journal has hiking trip descriptions, maps, and photos: www.accesscom.com/~ddonehoo/sierratrails.html

Tahoe Rim Trail a volunteer-driven 150-mile trail which follows the ridge tops of the Lake Tahoe Basin.: http://www.tahoerimtrail.org/

Trails West is a working group of volunteers locating and marking the California Trail through Idaho, Nevada, and California: www.emigranttrailswest.org/

California Off-Highway Vehicle Trails

 

Off-highway drives on backcountry roads, 4WD roads, and Jeep trails at Trails.com:

• Off-Highway Drives in Northern California
• Off-Highway Drives in Southern California

For information on 4X4, Motorcyle, ATV, Sand Rail, Dune Buggy, Snowmobile, and any other off-road recreation, see California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division's page: http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/

California Off Road Vehicle Association is the California state-wide organization that represents all forms of motorized off-highway recreation: www.CORVA.org/

California Dirtbike & ATV Riding Areas has trail maps and detailed information on many arreas: www.employees.org/~calridng/home.html

California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs: www.cal4wheel.com/

Grass Valley 4 Wheelers have trail rides, trips, and conservation activities: www.nccn.net/~gv4w/

Lost Coast 4x4's are in the Humboldt Couinty area: http://www.lostcoast4x4.org/

4X4 NOW has illustrated four-wheel drive trip reports from several trails in California: www.4X4NOW.com/trlrpt.htm

Marin County Motorcycle Association maintains a 1200 acre trail riding area 35 miles north of San Francisco: www.mcmadirt.com/

Northern California chapter of Toyota Territory Off-Roader's Association: www.norcalttora.com/

California Rail Trails and Canal Trails

 

Rail-trails including maps, access points, and history from rails-to-trails books at Trails.com:

• Rail-Trails in Northern California
• Rail-Trails in Southern California

Central Valley Rails-to-Trails Foundation supports a rail with trail project on the Central California Traction Line Corridor that connects Lodi with Sacramento: www.cvrtf.org/

Coastal Rail-Trail, planned to run adjacent to active rails from San Diego to Oceanside: www.sandag.org

Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail in the East Bay area: www.ebparks.org/parks/lafmotr.htm

Lassen Land & Trails Trust acquired the 86 Mile Modoc Line Rail and works for a public trail system throughout Lassen County, CA: http://www.lassenlandandtrails.com/

Old Railroad Grade Trail runs from Mill Valley to Mt. Tamalpais State Park: www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/recreation/activities/trails/

Rail-Trail Guide to California provides a guide to 55 rail trails including trailheads, route descriptions, photographs and maps: www.trainweb.com/books/bookwert.htm

Sacramento River Trail and Sacramento Rail Trail is a designated National Recreation Trail that brings visitors to Shasta Dam:

The Ten Mile Coastal Trail is a seven mile, multi-use trail for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians is located on Northern California's Mendocino Coast in MacKerricher State Park: www.mcn.org/1/10milecoastaltrail/

California Snow Trails

 

Snowshoeing routes and trails with detailed maps and directions at Trails.com:

• Snowshoeing and Snowshoe Trails in Northern California

California-Nevada Snowmobile Association: www.cnsa.net/

California Sno-Parks are snow-cleared parking lots at cross-country skiing and snowmobiling trailheads: http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=1233

Tahoe Snowmobiling information from North Tahoe Snow Travelers and Lake Tahoe Snowmobile Association: www.tahoesnowmobiling.org/

California Waterway and Boating Trails

 

Canoeing, water trails, and other flatwater paddling routes on lakes and rivers at Trails.com:

• Canoeing and Water Trails in Northern California

Sea kayaking routes with maps and launch points from kayaking books at Trails.com:

• Sea Kayaking Routes in Northern California
• Sea Kayaking Routes in Southern California

California has a state Boating Trail program: http://dbw.ca.go

California Statewide Advocacy and Resources

 

California State Trails Program

 

Recreational Trails Program: Providing funding to all 50 states for grants programs and program management
State Trails Program contacts in all 50 states

 

California Outdoor Recreation

 

Fishing reports, maps, photos, and videos for every fishing spot in the USA: http://www.hookandbullet.com/s/fishing-california/