Day Hikes

On the Bigfoot Trail

This is the summer for outdoor adventure and, while there are many folks visiting the wilderness of northwest California, not so many are venturing out away from mountain lakes. What follows are a few ideas on how to visit the Bigfoot Trail on a day-hike (or shorter backpacking adventure) and enjoy the wonders of the Klamath Mountains.

Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel

This section of trail is mostly in the North Coast Range, and not the Klamath Mountains. Mount Linn (South Yolla Bolly) is the highest point in the Coast Range of California and has everything you would hope for including beautiful summits, mountain lakes, and wide-open hiking vistas. Make sure to visit the BFT Highpoint as well and add your observations to our Citizen Science project.

Packer’s Peak

Enjoy the high granite around Caribou Lake and the subtle beauty of Packer’s Peak. There is a lot of elevation gain and loss on this hike but there might not be a better view along the entire Bigfoot Trail. Be sure to visit the BFT Highpoint in the Trinity Alps (and the entire trail!) and and add your observations to our Citizen Science project.

Tanner Peak and Lakes

The Red Buttes are so named because the majority of the mountains in the wilderness are built of Serpentines. In the western part of the region, the trail passes several lakes (included here) and while leaving the serpentine behind. The richer soils make for big trees including a massive incense-cedar near East Tanner Lake.

Redwood Country

The air will is cool year-round thanks to the influence of the Pacific Ocean. Here you enter the only rainforest in California and plants common in the Pacific Northwest begin to appear. Oh, and there are redwoods too — the world’s tallest trees.

Pick up a map set for your adventure (and support the trail)