Where to Go

The full JMT runs from Yosemite Valley to the Whitney summit. Most people do it in 3 weeks. Section hikes — Reds Meadow to VVR, or the Cottonwood Pass entry — make it doable in a week.

211 miles end-to-end

The Rae Lakes Loop is the most-run TUBC trip for good reason: alpine lakes, manageable permits, and enough elevation to feel like the real Sierra. The backcountry here is massive and less picked-over than Yosemite.

41-mile Rae Lakes Loop or custom

Tuolumne Meadows is the staging point for dozens of backcountry routes. Far fewer crowds than the valley. Cathedral Lakes, Young Lakes, and the Vogelsang loop are all solid options.

Various from Tuolumne Meadows

2.5 hours from Westwood. Desert bouldering, sunrise from Skull Rock, and some of the best stargazing in SoCal. Best months are October through April — summer is brutal.

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45 minutes from campus. The San Gabriels are genuinely good — Mt. Baldy, Mount Islip, Mt. Wilson. Great for training hikes or quick overnight trips before a bigger Sierra push.

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Anacapa and Santa Cruz are the most accessible. Book the Island Packers ferry early — it fills up. No resupply, no water on most islands, but almost no other people either.

Various by island

The Narrows and the Zion Traverse are both worth the drive. Permits for Angels Landing and the Narrows bottom-up fill fast. Great shoulder-season destination — hit it in March or October.

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November through February only. Mesquite Flat Dunes, Mosaic Canyon, Telescope Peak. The landscape is genuinely unlike anywhere else — go at least once.

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