Backpacking as a Group? How to Pick the Perfect Trail Together
- Luna DeLamer
- Aug 29
- 8 min read
There’s no better way to start your day than reading “Anyone fancy going on a backpacking trip?” in the group chat. Before you know it, your phone is pinging non-stop, and this one message has snowballed into a spreadsheet with 15 tabs, three debates over locations, and someone asking if their Birkinstocks count as hiking shoes (No… No they don’t).
Planning a group backpacking trip is often a logistical nightmare fueled by differing opinions, wildly inaccurate expectations of personal fitness levels, and at least one preventable disaster. There is always someone in the group who will pack enough food to feed a Scout troop, someone else will forget something crucial (ahem, the sleeping bags…), and there is always at least one self-appointed “map person” who couldn’t navigate out of a Trader Joe’s parking lot.
And yet, these are the trips you will remember for the rest of your life. The ones where you end up laughing so hard your cheeks hurt, where inside jokes are born somewhere between mile six and mile twelve, and where you realize the climb felt easier simply because you weren’t doing it alone.
Because here’s the truth: group backpacking is a hassle, yes. But it’s the kind of hassle that makes life feel richer. The trail has a sneaky way of turning chaos into connection, and planning the right route is what makes that possible.
So let’s talk about how to pick the perfect trail for your group, without the meltdowns, mismatched expectations, or mutiny halfway up a switchback. From mileage to elevation, water sources to campsites, this guide will help you go from stressed group chat to an unforgettable adventure.
How to Choose the Right Backpacking Trail for Your Group
The first rule of group backpacking? Everyone thinks they’re fitter than they actually are. It’s like trail-specific delusion. Suddenly the friend who hasn’t hiked since college swears they can “crank out twelve miles, no problem.” Meanwhile, your ultralight buddy is secretly plotting to take the group on a 20-mile day just to see who survives.
Choosing the best trail for group backpacking is really about playing matchmaker between terrain and your crew. You’ve got to be honest: if the slowest hiker in your group can comfortably do six miles, that should be your baseline. Push too far and the trip turns from “bonding” to “backcountry break-up.”
Then there’s skill level. Does your group know how to filter water? Can anyone actually read a topo map? Or are you all hoping that one friend who binge-watched survival shows will magically turn into Bear Grylls when you run out of ramen? These things matter.
And because we’re talking California, you’ve also got to weigh the seasons. Snow clings to the Sierra well into July. Wildfire smoke can roll into Northern California in August and ruin a trip fast. And coastal trails, those moody beauties, often swap sun for fog so thick you’ll start wondering if you’re hiking through a Hitchcock film. Timing isn’t just about when everyone’s PTO aligns; it’s about survival and sanity.
Get this part right, and you set your group up for laughter instead of mutiny. Get it wrong, and you could risk your lives as well as your friendship.
Mileage: Balancing Ambition with Realistic Distances
Mileage looks so innocent on paper. “Ten miles,” you think, “that’s just a morning jog!” And then the trail gently reminds you that “ten miles” with a 30-pound pack, relentless switchbacks, and that one friend who insists on snack breaks every 20 minutes… is not the same thing.
Be realistic, group size changes everything. With just two people, you can cruise. Add five? Suddenly, you’re herding turtles uphill with a downhill wind. Someone will stop to retie a boot lace every mile. Someone else will want to photograph every single wildflower (🙋🏼♀️that’s me, hi). Multiply that over ten miles and you’ve just turned your casual day into a saga.
Beginners often thrive on shorter days; six to eight miles feels like a victory without the tears. More seasoned groups? You can push toward twelve, maybe fifteen if your fitness levels allow it. But even pros get humbled by the terrain. Eight miles in the Sierra Nevada, with passes that make your quads weep, is not the same as eight breezy miles along the Big Sur coast.
So don’t just count the miles. Imagine the group vibe. Is this a group that wants to laugh, swim, and make backcountry nachos? Or is this a group that wants to power march like you’re training for a military expedition? The answer will tell you how far you should actually go.
Trail Math
And if you’re the kind of person who actually likes math on trail (we see you, spreadsheet people), here’s a quick way to ballpark your day:
Roughly, assume 2 miles per hour on flat ground, then tack on an extra hour for every 1,000 feet of gain. So a 10-mile day with 2,000 feet of climbing? You’re looking at about 7 hours of hiking time, before you add in snack breaks, flower photography, and that one friend who needs to pee at every mile marker.
Elevation: The Hidden Factor That Defines Difficulty
Elevation is where the trail really shows its teeth. You’ll hear people say, “It’s only seven miles!” with a grin, and then neglect to mention the 3,000 feet of gain. That’s not a hike, that’s a vertical relationship test.
California loves to play with elevation. In the Sierra High Country, you can start at 8,000 feet, climb to 11,000, and watch your whole group struggle. Breathing feels like trying to sip air through a cocktail straw. Even the fittest among you will slow down, and the pace of the group becomes the pace of the one person who didn’t train for altitude.
The best strategy? Respect the climb. Train a little before you go, sure, but also plan to move slower than you think. Add rest breaks. Snack frequently. And don’t be afraid to laugh at how dramatic you feel when your body reacts to altitude. One of my friends once demanded a “moment of silence” halfway up a pass just to process her life choices. Honestly? Same.
If your group is new to big climbs, start smaller. Work your way up to the beastly passes. Because while summits at dawn are magical, nobody enjoys becoming a high-altitude cautionary tale. Check out our guide to prepping for a High-Altitude Trip and become acquainted with all the know-how required to pull off a big one.
Elevation Math
If you’re curious how this plays out on real trails, consider this: in the High Sierra, an “easy” 7-mile day with 2,500 feet of gain can easily feel harder than a 12-mile coastal trail with barely any elevation. Numbers on a map don’t tell the whole story, but they do give you a clue: if the math looks gnarly, it probably is. Your lungs will confirm it. Use the "golden rule": add 1 hr per 1,000 ft gain and more breaks.
Water Sources: Planning Around Reliability and Safety
Here’s the thing about planning water breaks: it’s not exciting, but it can make or break your trip. You can’t just hope streams will be flowing. California’s dry seasons and drought years are notorious for turning once-reliable creeks into sad trickles. That “blue line” on your map? Might just be a memory.
This is where group planning gets real. Do your homework ahead of time: ranger stations, recent trip reports, even word of mouth from hikers you meet on trail. And always, always build in a backup plan. Someone will underestimate how much they drink, someone else will forget their filter, and if you don’t plan for the “what-ifs”, you’ll end up sipping regret.
When in doubt, carry more than you think you need. Sure, hauling extra liters feels like punishment, but you’ll be grateful you have it when the last creek turns out to be dust. And yes, filter everything. I don’t care how crystal-clear that alpine lake looks. Giardia doesn’t care “how strong your stomach is”; it will punish Taco Bell veterans in a flash.
Water Math
Want a quick planning hack? A solid baseline is half a liter per hour of hiking in mild weather, and closer to a liter per hour when it’s blazing hot. On a long dry stretch, that means carrying 4–6 liters, aka an extra 8–12 pounds in your pack. No one likes that math, but it’s better than running dry six miles from your next water source.
Campsites: Finding and Choosing Safe Overnight Spots
Ah, camp, the promised land. The place where sore feet finally get a reprieve, someone inevitably packed beer instead of a sleep mat (and you’re secretly grateful), and you all sit under the stars, making memories that will last a lifetime.
But finding a site isn’t as simple as plopping your tent anywhere flat. In California’s backcountry, some spots are designated, others are dispersed, and some look perfect until you realize you’re three feet from a game trail that deer will stampede down at 2 a.m.
The key for groups is space. One tent? Easy. Five tents? Suddenly, you’re tripping over guylines and acutely aware of how thin tent walls are. Spread out too much and you feel like strangers; cram too close and you’re practically sleeping on each other’s sleeping pads. Find a spot that allows you to be close enough to safely navigate your camp at dark, but not so close that you hear every little breath from your mate's tent.
And please, channel your inner Leave No Trace saint. Don’t trample meadows to make new campsites. Stay 200 feet from water. Pick durable ground. The trail will outlast us all; don’t leave your group’s stamp as a scar.
If you’re wondering where to even start scouting, the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service both publish guidelines and maps for designated backcountry sites. Here are a few of our favorite group spots in California:
Little Yosemite Valley Campground (Yosemite National Park) – group-friendly, permit required.
Lyell Canyon (Inyo National Forest, via Yosemite) – wide meadows with space to spread out.
Emigrant Wilderness (Stanislaus National Forest) – flexible dispersed camping that works well for groups.
You can check official info here:
The Best Bit…
Backpacking solo has its own kind of magic, but backpacking as a group? That’s where memories get loud, messy, and unforgettable. The snoring, the snack hoarding, the inside jokes, the way someone always insists their tent is “easy to set up” and then struggles with it for thirty minutes, you’ll remember it all.
But the secret sauce is the trail itself. Picking the right one is what turns potential disaster into the trip that you’ll still be talking about ten years from now. Keep mileage realistic, respect the elevation, know your water, choose your camps wisely, and suddenly the “hassle” becomes the highlight.
So if you’re gearing up for your first group trip, start small. Build confidence. Learn each other’s quirks. Then go bigger. California has a lifetime’s worth of trails that will test you, thrill you, and bring you back together around every bend.
Because in the end, it’s not about perfection, it’s about people. Your people. And nothing bonds humans faster than sore feet, starry skies, and the ridiculous joy of realizing you just carried your whole life into the wild… together.
Ready to turn your group chat chaos into trail magic? Plan your trip, pack smart, and experience California’s wild side without the red tape. Download our Permit Strategy Guide for free, because the only thing better than planning on backpacking with friends is actually getting out there to do it.
