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The American River

The discovery of gold on the American River in 1848 brought a stampede of thousands to mine its banks and create a new California. This 66-mile, four day walkabout starts in the foothill town of Auburn and descends downstream, along the river. (The first 2 nights also make for a great weekend adventure.) Hike back in time through the old towns of Auburn, Folsom, and Sacramento and enjoy saloons, a brew pub, live music, and some excellent restaurants. Walk in the footsteps of the pioneers, hiking inn-to-inn through the Sierra foothills along the American River.

  $6.99

Exploring the Malibu Coast

This is a challenging 3 day, 32 mile walkabout from Leo Carillo State Beach to Santa Monica Pier. It begins by hiking the shoreline of rugged, undeveloped state parks and ends on broad, lively classic SoCal beaches. Enjoy great restaurants and fine inns, hiking inn-to-inn on the Malibu Coast.

Santa Monica to Santa Catalina

This moderate three-day, 38 mile adventure hikes a Pacific shoreline that varies from wide Southern California swimming beaches, to paths along coastal bluffs, to boulder hopping under steep cliffs where few hikers venture. It passes through sections of deep urban development as well as untouched wilderness where your only company will be sea mammals and shore birds. Along the way you’ll visit delightful beach towns, a luxurious resort, and the beautiful island of Santa Catalina.

Santa Catalina to Newport Beach

Start this walkabout on Santa Catalina and luxuriate in the slow pace of island life. Explore her shoreline by kayak, and hike her rugged mountains. Then take the ferry to Long Beach and hike three days to Newport Beach, strolling on classic Southern California surfing and swimming beaches. This is an easy three day, 23.5 mile hike from inn-to-inn. Along the way, sample the delights of interesting seaside towns – good food, fun bars, live music, and unique inns.

Newport Beach to San Clemente

This moderate four day, 27.3 mile walkabout hikes some of the most alluring swimming and surfing beaches in the world, as well as rugged rocky shores under steep cliffs that you will share with sea birds, seals, and dolphins. You’ll visit lively classic beach towns, step back in time in the beautifully restored cabins of Crystal Cove, and savor the fine cuisine and arts scene of Laguna Beach. Explore the Southern California Riviera at two miles an hour, hiking inn-to-inn.

San Clemente to Oceanside

This is a challenging one day, 23.8 mile “bridge hike” that connects two multi-day walkabouts. There are no inns or restaurants along the route, but the inn-to-inn hiker is rewarded with the longest stretch of accessible uninterrupted, undeveloped shoreline for over 200 miles. Hike miles of plateau between coastal mountains and the sea. Walk through Camp Pendleton where you will experience an active Marine Corps base at two miles an hour. Be sure to bring your driver’s license. They will check it as you enter Camp Pendleton.

Oceanside to La Jolla

Take an easy three day, 28-mile walk along this beautiful stretch of Southern California Coast. You will join scores of beach lovers on lively, popular strands, then hike long, quiet, and secluded beaches. Visit three fun seaside towns with great dining and entertainment. Savor a stroll along miles of pristine beach under the 300 foot cliffs of Torrey Pines State Park. Hike the rugged bluffs of La Jolla Peninsula. Enjoy long days hiking along and swimming in the wild Pacific.

La Jolla to Mexico

You will hike rugged, rocky coastlines and sublime swimming beaches on this 32-mile, five-day walk to the border. Pass through working class seaside villages and elegant upscale towns, both offering great cuisine, interesting inns, and always – the wild Pacific. Enjoy wildlife preserves teeming with birdlife and miles of solitude strolling long beaches. Hike inn-to-inn along the southwest corner of the continental U.S.A.

The Carquinez Strait

Hike the rolling grasslands and forests along Carquinez Strait and through Briones Regional Park on this moderate 21-mile, 3-day walkabout. Feel transported to a bygone era, walking the lands of the Karkin Ohlone and visiting hamlets rich with California history. Enjoy fine dining, unique pubs, and a charming Victorian hotel. You will feel rejuvenated by a deep connection with nature just a short journey from the urban centers of the Bay Area.

Walkabout the Marin Coast

This moderate 38.2 mile hike along some of the most beautiful and dramatic coastline in the world starts in the Marin Headlands, a short distance from San Francisco, and ends at Point Reyes National Seashore. Along the way the trail passes through three coastal villages: Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, and Bolinas, each offering interesting places to stay and great dining.

Walkabout the Mendocino Coast

This easy 14.1 mile two-day hike makes for a perfect romantic holiday traipsing along the rugged and beautiful Mendocino Coast. Along the way, you will stay in charming inns, dine on sumptuous cuisine, and explore the lush forests of the coastal range and the headlands along the edge of the wild Pacific.

Crossing the Sierras on the Emigrant Trail

This challenging 41.6 mile hike crosses the Sierra Nevada from east to west, passing through some of the most breathtaking parts of these majestic mountains and traveling along the trail of the Pony Express and in the footsteps of adventures who once sought their fortune in the gold rush of the mid-1800s. Three days of hiking each end at a beautiful mountain resort.

San Francisco to Half Moon Bay

This easy four-day, 30-mile walkabout from Ocean Beach in San Francisco to Half Moon Bay starts with a 9-mile hike along the beach, climbs the flank of Montara Mountain, follows the cliffs above Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and ends with a stroll on Half Moon Bay State Beach. Along the way you will visit coastal villages with fine dining and entertainment. Enjoy this wild landscape so close to urban centers.

Exploring Lassen Volcanic National Park

This guide offers two walkabouts through an enchanted land of mountain lakes and streams, deep glaciated canyons, and otherworldly hydrothermal landscapes. Both stop over at Drakesbad Guest Ranch, selected by Frommer’s editorial staff as one of its worldwide “Top Destinations for 2009.”

Walkabout Point Reyes

With 71,000 acres of coastal hills, dense forests, pristine beaches, and 140 miles of hiking trails, Point Reyes National Seashore is a walkabout paradise. This easy 24.8 mile walkabout over three days explores the central portion of the park with stays at lovely inns and a hostel set deep in the park.

Hiking the Tahoe Basin
Donner Pass to Lake Tahoe

With the Truckee River Valley to the east, the deep gorge of the American River Canyon plunging to the west, and Lake Tahoe shimmering in the distance, this walkabout follows the spine of the High Sierra along the Pacific Crest Trail. A challenging 30-mile trek spread over three hiking days, it has two steep descents and one ascent of 1,900 feet. You’ll be rewarded with stopovers at mountain resorts in spectacular settings and the solitude and pristine beauty of the Sierra Nevada.

Walkabout the Monterey Bay

Enjoy the great beauty and power of the Pacific by hiking its shoreline along the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This 37 mile, four-day hike explores pristine beaches, unique inns, great dining, and some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing on the California Coast.

The Lost Coast

The Lost Coast is the most remote and inaccessible section of the California coastline. The wild, rugged shore and the soaring peaks of the King Range are only visited by backpackers, ambitious dayhikers, and walkabout adventurers. All 3 two-day loop hikes, ranging from 21 to 39 miles, stop over at the picturesque fishing village of Shelter Cove. Stay for a few days to recuperate and enjoy the wild beauty of the Pacific Coast from a comfortable inn. These are the most difficult walkabouts in this guide. Your reward is to be among the few brave explorers to really experience the spectacular and wild beauty of the Lost Coast.

Circumtambulation
A Pilgrimage Around Mt. Tamalpais

Mt. Tamalpais, the highest peak for 250 miles along the central California Coast, beckons hikers to explore her trails and to marvel at her extraordinary vistas. This 56-mile walkabout travels around the mountain, a circumambulation, over five hiking days. A moderate to challenging hike with days as short as 6 miles and as long as 16, it climbs up and down the mountain’s flanks from sea level to 1,900 feet. Along the way you visit villages with interesting restaurants, inns, and three meditation centers. You may want to include a stop for a class or a few days of personal retreat. Take a long pilgrimage around the revered Mt. Tamalpais - a circumtambulation.