California is blessed with some amazing terrain. Hikes in California can include dessert, mountainous, ocean and forest. With close to half of California being covered by forest, California is a great place to hike. The climate in California is also kind to hikers, although the climate ranges from sub-tropical to sub-arctic, most of the state enjoys a mediterranean climate. California is a tall, thin state with the Coastal Range of mountains running North-South close to the Pacific in the West, the North-South on the Eastern border with Nevada.