Backpacking near Carson Pass,
Mokelumne Wilderness, Stanislaus National Forest

Welcome to the Backpack Section

The Backpack Section is an official activities section of the Sierra Club's Loma Prieta Chapter, serving San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito counties, California.

Take a trip

Every year, the Backpack Section sponsors 20-30 backpacking trips, ranging from easy beginner weekend outings to more rigorous expeditions of up to two weeks. Section trips are within California and Nevada, mainly in local, state, or national parks, national forests, wilderness areas, and national monuments. All trip leaders are volunteers, and charges for the trips are limited to actual costs incurred for group meals, permits, etc. You can read reports of our trips to find out where you'd like to go.

Learn how

• The Section offers an annual Basic Backpacking Course in the spring. The course includes 8 evening classroom sessions plus 3 weekend backpack trips.
• Offered in the spring when demand warrants, we present a course on the advanced techniques of lightweight backpacking over two weekends. Lightweight backpacking allows experienced backpackers to explore more miles per day, and enjoy them with less effort and fatigue.
• A trip leadership workshop is offered every two years, during the winter. Leadership training prepares prospective backpacking trip leaders with sessions on trip planning, conduct, and emergencies.

Join us!

Any Sierra Club member may join the Backpack Section. The Section's monthly meetings are open to the public. The Section publishes a monthly newsletter, Living It Up!.