Helpful Links

Thanks to the internet, planning trips and expanding your backpacking knowledge has never been easier! Check out some of our favorite sites that will help you on your outdoor journeys.

Permits

Recreation.gov

Permits for federal land including National Parks.

California State Parks

Research the various permit needs for State Parks.

ReadyForWildfires.gov

California campfire permits and fire safety tips.

Reference Material

Leave No Trace

Rules and guidelines for responsible outdoor behavior.

The Mountaineers: The Ten Essentials

List of items one needs to survive in the wilderness.

National Park Service: Experiencing Bears in Parks

Guidelines for outdoor behavior in bear country.

Trip Planning

Hillmap.com
Global topographical maps for backcountry users.

CalTopo.com
California topographical maps.

NOAA National Weather Service
Weather forecasts and warnings for the USA.

Mountain-Forecast.com

Weather forecasts for over 11,300 summits globally.

InciWeb - Incident Information System

Interagency incident information system for the USA.

USFS and USEPA Fire and Smoke Map

Air quality ratings for the USA.

Avalanche.org

Avalanche information for the USA.

Trail and Site Information

Los Padres Forest Association: Hike Los Padres

Information about locations in Los Padres National Forest.

Pacific Crest Trail Association

Information about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

The JMT Wilderness Conservancy

Resources for John Muir Trail hikers and backpackers.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Information about hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Tahoe Rim Trail Association

Information about hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail.

Pacific Northwest Trail Association

Information about hiking the Pacific Northwest Trail.

TrailInfo.org

Real-time fire information for satellite communicators.