Photo: iStockphoto
Do you have a favorite place to walk?
While there are a handful of picturesque trails scattered throughout California, only one is revered as the best place to hike.
Be it beautiful lake views, a glimpse at a glowing sunset sinking below a distant mountain range, or a birds-eye view of the sunrise making the dew painted on the leaves of a hundred trees sparkle around you, something about this trail sets it apart from the rest, so much so, that it's become a California recommendation.
Some trails are traversed for their history, while others are admired for their peaceful lack of crowds. Regardless of why you choose to hike a trail, there is one glorious California gem you must add to your list!
According to a list compiled by Backpacker Magazine, the best hike in California is the 27.5 mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail from Tuolumne to Agnew Meadow.
Here's what Backpacker Magazine (via hiker Benje Williams) had to say about the absolute best place to hike in the state:
"Over this stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail, we meet only a handful of other parties. There’s plenty else to see: 8 miles of the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne snaking along the canyon’s glaciated granite; the morning sun climbing above the forested Kuna Crest, softening the frozen soil surrounding our dispersed campsite; the snow-dusted Cathedral Range and partially-frozen glacial cirque lakes as we ascend Donahue Pass towards the Great Western Divide and the eastern Sierra....A few thousand feet later, we step into Inyo National Forest and onto dark eastern Sierra soil. Banner Peak juts skyward from the Ritter Range, celebrating itself amongst a history of earthquakes and glaciers, weather and time. Spires of metamorphic lava rock climb up Koip Crest to our left. A grove of solitary foxtail pine stands solemnly in the sedge grass valley below. Prints of gray ground squirrel and California coyote and brown bear appear in six inches of snow that amass around our tent on our fourth and final morning. It’s all the best that this region has to offer."
For a continued list of the best hikes in all 50 states, check out backpacker.com!