Little info please.

[JB Little]

Hello all. I'm new to the site.I live in Chowchilla Ca, which is about 45 min north of Fresno Ca, and have a question. This spring, or as soon as it starts to though at the very least, I was thinking of going on my first overnight hiking/camping trip with my son. Since this will be the first for me and for him, I was wondering if anyone on this site might know of a really good trail to go on that wouldn't be to bad for a noob like myself? Thank you all in advance for the help.

[toejam]

There's so much near you it wouldn't be right to say one trail and I've been on so few. I'm a backpacker and go deep into the wilderness areas as fast as I can. But I recommend you & your son find some small campgrounds remote enough to get away from loud partiers, camp next to your car and hike a little way up nearby trails. There is Yosemite, of course, one of the most beautiful places in the world. Less crowded and more flexible is the Sierra National Forest past Shaver Lake from either Kaiser Pass Rd or Dinkey Creek Rd. 

Use the rest of the winter to collect some maps, ask some questions, and scout some of the roads into the mountains that aren't buried under snow. Remember that mosquitoes will hatch after the snow melts and camp sites on hillsides that catch a breeze have fewer of them. Do a few car camping trips and then decide if you guys want to backpack deeper into the mountains to see the really good stuff. There are more great trails within a couple hours' drive of your home than you can hike in a lifetime. You can have a lot of fun exploring that with your son.

Edited February 11, 2017 by toejam

[JB Little]

Thank you very much .. That is sound advice. I appreciate it.

[James Singewald]

Most definitely a first overnight backpacking trip would be in the Sierra Nevada's. My first backpacking trip was a 3 day trip at Happy Isles which was really fun. Just remember to pack smart and AVOID any injury especially in the ankles. Make sure you aren't jumping around in places that seem dangerous. 

[balzaccom]

Two suggestions, both because you mention spring.

It's really snowy up there right now.   Car camping might be a better bet early in the seasons. 

And for a backpacking trip with a kid, Dinkey Lakes is great--lots of lakes to explore and not very far to hike--and it's quite near Fresno.  no need to drive North to Yosemite, you have great place right there!