Top 10 Hiking Trails in the Central Valley + How Hiking Helps Recovery

Try to complete this moderately challenging trail in two hours. Pincushion Mountain, and the only trail that reaches the top, is in the Millerton Lake area, in Friant northeast of Fresno and Clovis. With an elevation gain of almost 1,000 feet, you can be sure that your calves will be working.

Pine Flat Lake, northeast of Sanger, has a 360-degree vista of magnificent views. There are several hills to climb, including Hughes Mountain, Hog Mountain, and Owl Mountain. The area is a great retreat for family hikes with amenities including camping, fishing, a playground area, and other available activities.

While the pathways in this preserve seem flat, you’ll actually be going up and down a basalt lava table. Bring your camera because, at the top, you’ll want to snapshot the incredible views of the Sierra Nevadas. The Sierra Foothill Conservancy even offers docent-led guided hikes that put your experience in context.

Do you want a challenging hike? The 3-mile segment of the San Joaquin River Trail northeast of Millerton Lake can fulfill that itch. This trail is a perfect exercise amid nature’s beauty as you hike up and down more than 600 feet in elevation.

According to a Yelp Review, the Sunday Peak Trail “can be a little challenging right toward the top of the summit, but otherwise, it’s a pretty easy hike.” This ascent of more than 1,000 feet in elevation has its share of breathtaking views, including views of the Tehachapi range, Lake Isabella, and Sherman Peak.

The Sierra Nevada foothills are also home to some incredible lakes created by dams, including Eastman Lake. Check out the Lakeview Trail, which is a journey of about three hours that gives you the experience of paved and dirt paths as well as several ascents and descents.

If you want to take your young kids and dog along for the hike, bring them to the Kings River Trailhead along the upper Kings River in the Sierra National Forest. This 3-foot-wide trail is a hike upstream through the unique riparian habitat that is home to a diversity of plant species.

The drought continues to be tough on the Central Valley. If you want to hike with views of a full body of water, Lake Success near Porterville is usually full during most times of the year. You can take a quick hike on Big Sycamore Trail before going up one of the many hills surrounding the historical lake.

This popular natural recreation area in Tulare County, near Lake Kaweah, provides various levels of hiking trails, from Dry Creek Preserve Loop to several more miles of challenging inclines and descents.

If you’re ever on the other side of the Central Valley, near Interstate 5, check out Tumey Hills off Panoche Road. This area was once covered by an inland sea but is now home to unique, federally protected animals. In the area is the Tumey Hills Loop, which is known as a difficult hike about 8 miles in length.

For an added challenge, head west from the northern end of the Enterprise Canal Trail, along Shephard Avenue, to the Dry Creek Trail.

Hiking is a higher-intensity workout than walking, but not as intensive as running. This makes it a great workout for those who want a little more of a physical challenge than walking provides.

Hiking benefits the rehabilitation or treatment of the issues that your physical therapist helps you to resolve. It’s a low-impact workout that you can do at your own pace while setting your mental mood with soothing scenery while spending time in nature.

Hiking is different than walking and running in several ways: intensity, setting, length, experience, and how the muscles are worked.

Hiking vs. Walking

• Walking is more often done in residential and urban environments, while hikes are done in natural settings such as the mountains, lakes, or along riverbeds.
• Hikes usually take more time and often span larger distances than walks.
• Walking is usually done on cleared trails or paved paths, while hiking terrain is more rugged.
• Hiking is a more intensive activity than walking.

Hiking vs. Running

• Like walking, running is often performed in residential and urban settings closer to home. Hikes are done in natural environments.
• Runs are higher cardiovascular-intensive activities than hikes.
• Like walking, running is done on cleared or paved walkways, but hikes include more elevation changes and may be tougher to balance and walk through.
• Hikes work muscles harder than runs.

Hiking works many of the same muscle groups that walking or running work. But the way and level they are used vary.

• Thigh muscles (hamstrings and quadriceps) help bend your knees during the activity.
• Calve muscles are worked while increasing intensity and when you hit inclines and declines on the trail.
• Glute muscles help support and anchor you as you hike and are worked especially hard when climbing elevation.
• Abdominal muscles provide stability while hiking and help your back.
• Hip muscles absorb the shock from the ground as you hike. Strong hip muscles will help support your other core muscles as well.