New to the forum and looking for advice

Sorry I should have been more specific with what I was saying. By unofficial I was referring to trails that weren't
necessarily in any park. I am looking for tips or the dos and don'ts for hike in camping in places that might not sanctioned for
overnight camping. How many people on the forum do this type of activity and if there is anyone would they have any recommendations
Of where to begin my search for these types of trails in the northern California area.

Overnight camping where that activity is illegal? "Do's and don'ts"?

Easy: don't.

For dispersed, legal, overnighting in national forests just grab one of their great maps and look for empty places. The relevant national forest webpages will also contain a lot of information. Huge state with effectively unlimited choices.

Word to the wise: going outside designated wilderness areas and national forests with established trails, one would do well to learn all about the kinds of booby traps that drug dealers/makers use, to protect their "establishments."

In other words, it isn't just the law you should worry about when you break the law. It's the more lethal law-breakers and their meth labs, 'grows,' and hideouts. And the private property owners, their dogs, and their rifles.

There is literally no reason you can't find what you're looking for in designated wilderness areas. Plenty of us do.

Where are you in California? We can give suggestions if we know which areas you are interested in.

In general, National Forest and BLM public lands are open to dispersed camping except in certain popular areas where camping is restricted to designated campgrounds. Outside of those few small areas you may camp where you wish, with the usual LNT restrictions of distance from water, etc. During the summer there may be open campfire restrictions, but camping itself is open. Some restrictions on driving off road. Check each NF website for the MVUM restrictions (Motor Vehicle Use Management). Hiking can be done nearly anywhere. You are not restricted to Wilderness Areas. Just park your vehicle and start walking out a ridge line or up a side canyon. Does not have to be an existing trail.
Hiking off trail is harder and slower than on trail, you have navigate through thick vegetation, over down logs, around rock faces and cliffs, etc. But that is how you find solitude. Make sure your map & compass skills are adequate for the task.

In general, dope grows are at lower elevations. The higher it is, the shorter the growing season and the more frost nights. Growers know this and mostly stay in lower elevations. Although dope grows have been found near timberline, that is quite uncommon. Meth labs are near roads. So if you are hiking off trail away from roads the chances of stumbling across a meth lab are near zero.

You should read Cvltvre Made Stvpid

Good call toejam. I went ahead and checked this place out online. It looks like it could have a lot places to check out.