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Aron Bosworth | 09.15.2016

Anyone who has spent time in the relatively contained swath of Klamath Mountain stand-out peaks known as the Trinity Alps is well aware the range is a gem among gems. Rising between the Coast Range and the Shasta-Lassen stretch of the Cascades in northern California, the Trinities are a landscape of imposing rugged alpine, lush forested valleys, serene glacial lakes and plummeting cascading creeks. With a centerpiece of soaring granite ridgelines more reminiscent of the Sierra Nevada than surrounding mountains, the Trinities can seem almost out of place. Fortunately this is no illusion; the Trinity Alps is real and raw country. Comprised of sub-ranges referred to in their Red, White and Green clusterings, the names reflect the mix of igneous, granite and metamorphic geology thrusting upward here, along with the alp-like verdant forests that blanket the lower slopes and valleys. 

Considered a remote and rugged wilderness, the Trinity Alps offer prepared hikers recreational opportunities in a wonderland that is often overshadowed by the nearby Cascades and Sierra Nevada Mountains. Managed under the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, a network of maintained trails ascend steep watersheds up the likes of Canyon Creek, Stuart Fork, Swift Creek and Coffee Creek, yielding access to picturesque lakes and alpine basins. Where trails end, countless adventures await intrepid alpine ramblers among the 8,000- to 9,000-foot ridges.

To help you get acquainted with all that the Trinity Alps have to offer, we’ve organized a short list of some of our favorite hikes and backcountry excursions of the area below. If you do get bit by the Trinity bug and find yourself exploring there soon, please respect this unique and fragile ecosystem and practice Leave No Trace principles when out in the backcountry.

Comments

07/01/2019
Awesome blog thanks for all the info! I’m doing canyon creek lakes this week and am curious of the views of the lakes from above.. did you you just scramble to the top or is there a marked trail to the top? Any info would be greatly appreciated bc I’d love to see those views when I go! Also would like your opinion on canyon creek vs caribou lake only have time for one of them.. did you have a favorite!?
Hey Trinity lovers, this spring and summer you can aid conservationists working to protect the bigleaf maple and other species from illegal logging by making scientific collections of leaves on your hikes. Check out adventurescientists.org/timber for details.
Hi Colin, most of the adventures included in this post have a map included in the field guide. If you're logged in as a member you should be able to download them. Hope that helps!
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