Best backpacking trips near Fullerton, CA

Ranked by straight-line distance from Fullerton (population ~143,617) to each trip's trailhead. Drive times are rough estimates — mountain roads are slower than they look.

#TripMiles awayEst. driveDistanceGainDifficultyPermit
1
Channel Islands
44 mi~49 min38.5 mi7,638 ft49Required
2
San Gorgonio Wilderness
57 mi~64 min17.8 mi9,300 ft55Required
3
San Gorgonio Wilderness
60 mi~66 min7.8 mi1,600 ft12Required
4
San Gorgonio Wilderness
61 mi~67 min15.6 mi10,800 ft61Required
5
San Gorgonio Wilderness
64 mi~71 min11.4 mi4,400 ft31Required
6
Joshua Tree National Park
101 mi~112 min15.6 mi1,600 ft14Required
7
Inyo National Forest
178 mi~198 min15 mi2,962 ft30Required
8
Inyo National Forest
181 mi~201 min9.6 mi3,596 ft33Required
9
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
182 mi~202 min9.7 mi4,780 ft32Required
10
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
182 mi~202 min13.7 mi8,954 ft54Required
11
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
182 mi~202 min7.1 mi4,162 ft30Required
12
Inyo National Forest
188 mi~209 min21.4 mi6,460 ft49Required

Distances are great-circle miles from Fullerton to trailhead coordinates; actual road distances will be longer. Town data: Wikidata SPARQL (CC0), population values derived from U.S. Census Bureau estimates.