Looking for a good trail in Cali

Welcome Jo! You have come to the right place.   Love to trade trail info. I've only driven through UT/AZ. Pretty stuff tho.

The western and eastern sides of the Sierra are, from a back packer's perspective, quite different. Generally the geology of the Sierra slopes gently to the west. Trails here begin low and take a few days of ambling to get to the 'Sierra Backbone' that harbor the higher 14,000' peaks. Evidence of glacier erosion is everywhere. As compared to the east side, there are fewer lakes. There are four roads to the relatively few trail heads. The east side, on the other hand, has been thrust up displaying spectacular vistas of the high Sierra along US 395. Many trail heads are above 9,500' and within 6-11 miles go over a 11,000'+ pass that provides FREE entry to the National Parks. There are lakes usually within 3-6 miles walking. Almost every wide spot on US 395 has access into the higher mountains.

All of the National Parks are controlled wilderness areas, with well over 90% of their expanse left open to foot/hoof traffic. The west side is more available to visitors who are in for a day or few and who will seldom go more than a couple of miles on trail heads. They are there to look at long glacier carved valleys and waterfalls and large mountain sequoia trees (different from the coast variety). Yosemite Valley is a popular place to start the John Muir Trail and the park has the only road that traverses the Sierra east/west. Kings Canyon provides two kinds of trail heads at the end of a 50 mile dead end road. One kind begins from the parking lot with a relentlessly upward heading trail to some of the most spectacular scenery in the lower 48. The other generally follows flowing water deeper into the Sierra. Sequoia has a road that only hugs the west side of the park, with a few trail heads that take you higher but takes longer. Mineral King is at the end of a road that for many is an adventure. Trails from the parking immediately go high over several passes. Mineral King, besides providing some long and strenuous loop trails, also is the home to some of the best pie in California.

Except for the road leading over Tioga Pass in Yosemite, no road leads to the National Parks from the east side. For the most part you have to spend a bit of effort to walk into the Parks via a high altitude pass. The effort is definitely worth it.

Sooo.. physically what kinds of trips are you interested in? Either side provides spectacular scenery. Don't just look for loops - there aren't many. Just keep in mind that by mid June most of the Sierra above 11,000' is snow bound. But the snow in May is now well consolidated and provides a different kind of experience - no trails but you walk on top of the 'Sierra Cement' snow. The hiking 'season' starts for most about mid July, because there are high passes to navigate over.

Having said that, From the west, Alta Peak and the area around it is magical as a Memorial Day hike. Cooler temperatures, good weather (usually), few people and fewer bugs. But it would be a snow trip most early Springs.

On the east side are two of my favorite day hikes in early Spring April/May(ish).

One is out of Independence and starts at Simmes Creek - the Shepherd Pass trail head. Snow fed water falls from a high ridge to your left tumble thousands of feet into the boiling and churning Shepherd Creek. Two 14'rs do a slow strip tease as you progress up the trail. For a late lunch you are up against an extinct glacier's head wall with a waterfall. The trail takes a long switchback and gets you above the wall to Anvil Camp and more than likely a lot of snow.

The other is out of Bishop and South Lake. The Bishop Pass trail in 3 miles takes you to snow around Long Lake but the water coming from snow melt over a 12,000' ridge is worth the problem of navigating a trailess expanse of white. The open trees and near timberline makes getting lost less of a risk.

If you just need to experience it, the Kern River dumps into Lake Isabelle.  You can take many accesses that would be snow free and trudge up the river trail as far as the snow will let you.  Kennedy Meadows is usually the first 'mid point' that opens.  The river is spectacular during spring run off.

Most wait until July though. The roads to the parking lots on the east side are plowed by May/June. The west side roads are normally maintained during winter. We used to make Father's Day the opening of the family back packing season from Lone Pine and trail head at Horseshoe Meadows we'd spend a long weekend at Cottonwood Lakes. Usually anything from the lakes on were snow covered and the cornices from the passes defied gravity and showed blue in the shadows.

Usually backpacking for most is still available up through October.  After that it gets to be chancy for weather.  From now on, the temperatures are cooler, few people means access to where you might want to go may be available (almost all overnights require a wilderness permit), almost no bugs and unfortunately that includes flowers too.  If you want a flavor of what is there, day hikes using many of the accesses on the east side from US-395 will, by lunch, get you to the first camp if you were to be backpacking.  Long weekends can get you several day hikes into different areas with comfort of home to return to at a motel (or car camp) for bath, dinner and breakfast before you take off on another day hike.

Unfortunately, for this year, there is a lot of smoke and haze caused by active fires in the or nearby areas. Best to check with area rangers before you get there.