One of my favorite backpacks is Redwood National Park in Northern California — particularly Redwood Creek where you are surrounded by towering old growth redwoods.
Access goes something like this: you get you permit at park headquarters. They give you the combination to a locked gate. Past the gate, you drive 6-7 miles to a parking area. From there, you hike a mere 1.5 miles down to the creek and your backpacking camp.
With your camp set up along the creek, you take a great 7.5 mile round trip along the Dolason Prairie Trail up through redwood groves and pristine forest to open prairie views and an overview of the entire area.
Be light. Be safe. Be one with the pack.
Backpacking companion Wild Bill and I thought a November backpack would reward us with total solitude. Instead, we were greeted by 15 college students and a four hunters at the trailhead next to Highway 20 near Clearlake, California. We let them go ahead, then headed toward our overnight destination seven miles ahead in Wilson Valley. We dreaded spending the night with this small army of backpackers. When we came to a river about 2.5 miles down the trail, we waded across — losing the hunters — who apparently didn’t want to get wet. On the far bank we discovered an oak-savanah plateau with widely scattered campsites. One site — about 100 yards past the turn off to Wilson Valley — sat on the edge at the 25-foot high cliffs over looking the river and valley. Rather than hike another five miles to join the crowd in Wilson Valley, set up camp, day-hiked and then  toasted this quiet paradise with some chardonnay we brought along.  This is one of many backpacks where we discovered wilderness and total solitude less than 3 miles from the trailhead.Be light. Be safe. Be one with the pack.
From the California Gold Rush town of Sonora, follow Highway 108 east for 30 miles, and before you hit Sonora Pass (9,600), you come to one of the most beautiful spots on Earth: Kennedy Meadows. Because of swarming mosquitos, our three days of backpacking and two days of car camping turned into 5 days of car camping with our days spent fishing and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Sonora Pass. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll talk about the trip and show photos of our three trout dinners, hikes up to 11,000 feet and other adventures. Until then … Be light. Be Safe. Be one with the pack.