June’s Hidden Gems: California Tree Swings
My newly released map has 40 swing spots plotted throughout the state + summer hydration tips
I didn’t mean to become a guy who keeps track of tree swings across California. But after enough hikes where I’d round a corner and find a swing hanging over an ocean cliff, tucked inside a cave, or randomly sitting above a Sierra lake, I couldn’t stop myself.
Some California tree swings are easy to reach, others not so much. A few made me question my decision making along the way. But because I kept getting messages asking: “Wait… where is this one?”, I finally built a full California Tree Swing Map for paid subscribers (free subscribers - I still have five swings highlighted for you below).
It includes over 40 swings I’ve either visited personally or mapped out to revisit, plus GPS coordinates, route info, and more. If you think I missed one I need to add to the map please let me know in the comments!
*Quick disclaimer before people drive four hours for rope attached to a branch*:
Tree swings disappear constantly. Rangers remove them, locals cut them down, and sometimes they break. And sometimes people rebuild them a week later. That’s kind of the deal with these places.
Also: don’t trash them. A lot of these spots survive because hikers have mostly respected them. Don’t carve trees. Don’t leave garbage. Don’t widen trails trying to get a photo. The goal is finding cool places without ruining them.
PSA: make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss future insider guides:
Summer Hiking Tip: You Might Not Be “Bad at Altitude”
Before the swings though, one summer hiking thing that’s worth knowing. A huge percentage of people hike dehydrated, either unintentionally or under completely preventable circumstances.
You lose way more water when you combine dry air, heat, sun exposure, wind, and elevation (conditions that are highly relevant here in California). The dangerous part is that dry air evaporates sweat so fast you often don’t even realize how much fluid you’re losing.
A few tips that help me during the summer hiking season:
Drink water before the hike, not just during it
Bring electrolytes on longer or hotter hikes
Start drinking fluids early; don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink
Eat something salty afterward before driving home
If you finish a hike with a pounding headache and zero energy, there’s a decent chance your body’s just cooked from dehydration.
Now onto the swings.
1. Donner Summit Swing (Donner Pass, California)
This is my favorite Sierra swing. Nothing about it feels polished or curated. It’s just sitting out there above granite slabs with a grand view of Donner Lake.
At sunset the whole place turns orange and the wind starts ripping through the trees. Feels very old California up there.
🥾 Area: Donner Summit (17718 Donner Pass Rd, Norden, CA 95724)
🅿️ Parking: Pullouts near Donner Pass Road
📏 Distance: Less than 0.1 miles from the road
🏔️ Elevation Gain: Minimal
🦮 Dog-Friendly: Yes
2. Mt. Tam Swing (Stinson Beach)
This might be the most famous tree swing in Northern California. You’re basically swinging above the Marin coastline looking toward Stinson Beach while fog (often) moves through the hills below you. There are a few ways to reach it.
The easy version is a short walk from Panoramic Highway.
The better version is turning it into a full Mount Tamalpais hike using Dipsea, Matt Davis, or Steep Ravine.
If you’ve never done Steep Ravine, put it on your list, it’s my favorite Bay Area trail.
🥾 Trails: Matt Davis / Dipsea / Panoramic access (approximate location)
🅿️ Parking: Panoramic Highway or Stinson Beach trailheads
📏 Distance: 0.3–7+ miles depending on route
🏔️ Elevation Gain: Variable
🦮 Dog-Friendly: No
3. Swing Cave (Simi Valley, California)
This one’s ridiculous. You hike up Hummingbird Trail in full sun wondering if you’re even going the right direction… then suddenly there’s a cave with a swing hanging inside it. I hear you: this isn’t hung from a tree; however, it’s too cool not to make this type of list.
This is one of the more unique Southern California hikes I’ve done, but summer heat here is no joke. I would not attempt this on a mid summer day. The scramble sections can also be sketchy for younger kids or dogs.
🥾 Trail: Hummingbird Trail. I recommend gloves for this hike as there are some cables to assist in the last rock scramble that are falling apart and can easily poke you
📍 Location: Simi Valley, CA
🅿️ Parking: Free street parking on Kuehner Dr
📏 Distance: ~2.5–3 miles round trip
🏔️ Elevation Gain: ~1,200 ft
🦮 Dog-Friendly: Technically yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it
🕶️ Exposure: Fully exposed
📍 Swing Cave Coordinates: 34.2811569, -118.6476304
4. Albany Bulb Swing (East Bay, California)
Albany Bulb feels like a giant outdoor scavenger hunt: part shoreline hike, part driftwood art installation, and part weird Bay Area fever dream. Then somewhere out there is a swing facing the Golden Gate Bridge.
This isn’t some huge epic hike; it’s more of a wandering spot. One of the best low-effort spots in the Bay Area.
🥾 Area: Albany Bulb shoreline trails. It’s near the western most edge.
🅿️ Parking: Albany Bulb lot
📏 Distance: Flexible
🏔️ Elevation Gain: Minimal
🦮 Dog-Friendly: Yes
5. Hippie Tree (Tiburon, California)
If you grew up in the Bay Area, there’s a decent chance someone has already told you about this place. This is one of the easiest short hikes near San Francisco that has a big payoff without doing a full day adventure.
🥾 Trail: Hippie Tree social trails
📍 Location: Tiburon, CA
🅿️ Parking: Limited neighborhood parking
📏 Distance: Short hike
🏔️ Elevation Gain: Moderate
🦮 Dog-Friendly: Yes
See you on the trails?
You can find all of the trail links and GPS tracks on my California Map (plus hundreds of others across the state)! For my paid subscribers, I have all the link to the new tree swing map below.
Stay tuned for more trail guides and hiking tips! And as always, I hope to see you on the trails.