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Hiking northern California is fun, enjoyable and beautifulHiking Northern California in the Trinity Alps, is one of my top destinations to consider taking my family on a camping or backpacking vacation. Northern California has some of the most awesome trails to hike and camp along. Here is one of my personal favorites: Canyon Creek Trail: To get to this trail you will start from Redding, CA and head west on highway 299. You will drive through Weaverville on to Junction City (it is not really a city). In Junction city, look for an old white building on the right hand side across from an old gas station. You will see a road turning to the right. Take this road, it becomes Canyon Creek Road. Stay on this road for about 14 miles. You will follow it until it literally comes to an end. Don't worry, you can't get lost. It drives into a parking lot which is the entrance way into the main trailhead for Canyon Creeks trail. If this is your first hike in northern California, you started out with one of the best and prettiest. I have taken my own family on this trail several times and have always thought that if hiking northern California was a family's thing, then this trail is the best to do. The thing about this trail is that it offers numerous places to stop and rest, awesome views over the valley and the tranquility of following a river most of the way. If hiking Canyon Creek trail sounds like fun, plan to take your family in for at least 2 nights of camping. ****** There is a great place to 
camp about 4 miles into the trail. You will know you are there, because you come down around a bend and see some waterfalls that are about 15 feet tall, right in front of you. There is a clearing around this area and you can set your family tent up here. As you continue your hiking, you will need to cross the river by walking across a fallen tree. This can be exciting or scary, depending on how good your balance is. After crossing this tree, you will have about another half mile, before you come across another waterfalls. This falls makes for another good camping spot or rest area. From here, you only have about another mile to hike, before you reach Canyon Lakes. At this point you will be able to set up your tent anywhere around the lake. You will see several great spots. Spend some time here and have fun, your family will love the tranquility of the area. Word to the wise: if you plan to hike Canyon Creek trail, don't go in late July or around the end of August and first weekend of September. It will be very crowded and you will have difficulty finding spots to set up your tent. The best times to go hiking northern California are in the fall and during the late spring. You will not have to deal with many people on the trail and you will get the best weather. You can also take the best pictures. Personally, I think the best time to hike this trail is during the fall. The fall colors are magnificent and the number of other people on the trail are scarce. So if you are planning on hiking northern California on your family vacation getaway, consider Canyon Creek trail as a good place to start. Another great hike in northern California is Mt. Shasta. On this hike you will get to climb the second highest mountain in California and experience views that are absolutely amazing. This hike is not for the faint of heart and you should be prepared a workout, but many families have done this hike together and it is a great bonding experience. When you go hiking northern California, we believe you will fall in love with the Trinity Alps as we have. The last hike we suggest you consider is the
Grizzly Lake
hike. This is a strenuous hike, but is perfect for family bonding. It is about 13.5 miles round trip and secluded enough for you to enjoy by yourselves or perhaps a few others.
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