Each state in the US has at least one national park, but there are nine National Parks in California, plus a variety of national monuments and national recreation areas for a total of 28 units, each of them beautiful and each with something to offer to all and any kind of traveler.
Whether you are looking to hike the Sierra Nevada mountains or fight the heat in the salt flats of Death Valley, whether you want to admire the monumental sequoia trees in Redwood or the barren landscape of Joshua Tree National Park or visit the sea caves of Channel Island National Park – you are bound to have an incredible experience.
So if you are visiting the Golden State, no matter what time of year you are traveling, you really should make it a point to visit at least one of the California National Parks.
Lucky for you, I know California well so I thought I’d share my pick of the best national parks in California and some bonus national monuments and national recreation areas in California. You can discover the best of the best in California while you immerse yourself in the beauty and nature this state is most known for!
9 Incredible National Parks In California
Redwood National and State Park
Redwood National and State Park is located in northern California and is home to a mix of old-growth forests and temperate rainforest; it features the giant coastal redwood tree, commonly known as sequoia trees and known to be the tallest and most massive trees on the planet.
The tallest among them can get all the way to 400 feet in height (that’s a whopping 122 meters, give or take) and nearly 30 feet (a little over 9 meters) in diameter. I am sure you can all recall photos of the road going through the trees – that’s how big they are.
The park is massive, but if you have limited time there, make sure to visit Fern Canyon, Prairie Creek Redwoods, and Trinidad State Beach. And if you are looking for a hike, the Damnation Creek trail is one of the best.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
At about an hour’s drive from Redding, Lassen is one of the most unique national parks in California and a place you should not skip if you are into volcanoes. Though the volcano there is dormant, there is a lot of geothermal activity, so you can see geysers, lava rocks, and mud pits.
The park is open year-round – so you can go there for winter sports when there’s snow and for hiking in the spring and summer. Places you should not miss there include Devils Kitchen and Bumpass Hell – both easy to explore thanks to boardwalk trails.
Manzanita Lake is another must-see – and a nice place to swim in the summer months. If you are into climbing, Lassen Peak is the one to look for.
Point Reyes National Park
Located on the northern coast of California, one hour north of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Park is the place to go for impressive views of the Pacific Ocean. It’s a great place to hike as you’ll find a multitude of trails, and perfect for kayaking too.
Wildlife in the area is thriving, and you can expect to spot seals, grey whales (which can be seen between January and April from Point Reyes Headlands), and even elk.
The park is located just past Big Sur, so you can easily combine your visit with California’s most popular road trip – stops you can’t miss include McWay Falls and Bixby Bridge.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is easily one of the most beautiful ones in the world and definitely one of the best national parks in California. Thanks to its natural beauty and biodiversity, in 1984, it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
With its 1200 km of trails, Yosemite is a great place for hiking junkies – you should not miss the hike to Half Dome, one of the most challenging in the park, or the easier Vernal Falls footbridge and Mirror Lake Loop.
The park is also a fantastic place to admire wildlife. Living in the park, there are more than 400 different species of animals and just as many kinds of birds.
One spot you should not miss in Yosemite National Park is Yosemite Falls, the fifth-highest waterfall in the world with a height of 740 meters and whose top can be reached via a hiking trail. The best season to enjoy the waterfalls is between May and June when the snow melts.
You should spend at least a few days in Yosemite to make the most of it. If you don’t have much time, you can visit Yosemite on day trips from San Francisco.
If you have more time, you may want to join this Yosemite Valley 3-day camping adventure.
If you only have a day, you can consider this San Francisco: Yosemite National Park & Giant Sequoias Hike – This is the perfect option to visit both Yosemite and Giant Sequoias on a day trip from San Francisco.
There’s also this San Francisco/Pleasanton: Day Trip to Yosemite National Park – If you want more time for Yosemite National Park, this is another good day trip from San Francisco. The tour lasts 15 hours, so it’s a long day, but worth it if you don’t have more time yourself.
Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is one of the less visited national parks in California – and one of the last ones to be created. Contrary to other parks, Pinnacles doesn’t have a “scenic drive,” – which means that if you really want to take in all that the park has to offer, including the Talus caves, you will have to hike.
There are various trails in the park of varying difficulty. One of the best ones is the Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop, which is nice and easy and only 3.5 Km long.
The park is also a great place for birdwatching. Species you should be looking out for are the California condor, but you may also be able to see golden eagles and peregrine falcons.
It’s best to visit Pinnacles National Park in early spring (best to admire the beautiful flowers), fall, or winter. Summer is too hot!
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Less visited compared to Yosemite, Sequoia National Park remains one of the nicest national parks in the Golden State. As the name clearly recalls, it is home to the largest trees on earth.
If you decide to visit, make it a point to stop by the Giant Forest Museum, where you can get a bit more information about the park and its famous trees – many of whom have been named (the largest one, which is also the largest tree in the world, goes by General Sherman).
That’s also where the easy Congress Trail starts, to take you to spot more trees such as Chief Sequoyah Tree, President Tree, and Lincoln Tree.
If you are keen on spotting wildlife, follow the Big Trees Trail, and you may have a chance to see black bears and, if you are lucky, also cougars.
You can combine your visit with that of Kings Canyon National Park, home of one of the deepest canyons in North America.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are best visited in the summer.
Channel Island National Park
The Channel Islands National Park is made up of five different islands, all located right across the shore of Southern California and a bit difficult to get to – you will have to take a boat from Ventura. The fact that you can’t get there by car has its benefits: fewer visitors. So if you go, you’ll have the park to yourself!
While you need quite some time to properly explore the park, you can also go there on a day trip from the mainland. If this is the case, your best bet is to visit Santa Cruz, the largest island, where you can hike, kayak, snorkel, or even dive – but remember you will have to arrange all activities with the National Park Service-approved vendors.
In Santa Cruz, you can easily spot bald eagles and ravens, as well as foxes. Should you opt for a boat ride, you will be able to spot dolphins.
The only accommodation option on the island is camping.
Death Valley
If you are visiting California in the summer, give this a miss – Death Valley National Park is one of the driest places in North America and terribly hot in the summer months, with temperatures reaching 49° C (120° F). This is also the lowest place in the country, with Badwater Basin located at 85 meters (280 feet) below sea level.
Death Valley is located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas (though closer to the second) and is home to beautiful sand dunes, unique rock formations as well as salt flats.
If you visit in the spring, you may be able to catch wildflowers blooming, and it will be quite a show. For impressive views of the valley, head to Dante’s View – but you have to go at sunrise before it gets too hot.
Other places to visit include Devils Golf Course, where you can see exploding salt crystals; the massive dunes of Mesquite Flats; Zabriskie Point and the Ubehebe Crater.
Smother yourself in sunblock, wear a hat and sunglasses, and bring lots of water for your visit.
Joshua Tree National Park
One of the best California National Parks, Joshua Tree National Park, is located about one hour’s drive from Palm Springs and can be visited on day trips from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Phoenix.
Named after the Joshua tree, the park is actually smaller than others in the state, but even though it’s easier to explore, you should plan your trip to make sure you experience a glorious sunrise.
The best thing to to in Joshua Tree National Park is by far climbing – there are something like 8000 climbing routes, the best located in Echo Cove. You should also make it a point to visit Cholla Cactus Garden and Key Viewpoint and enjoy views of Coachella Valley and Palm Springs.
Best National Monuments In California
According to the U.S. National Parks Service, a national park contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas. National monuments, on the other hand, are government-protected land intended to preserve at least one significant resource.
California has several great national monuments that are also worth visiting, even though they aren’t technically national parks (sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, anyway).
Lava Beds
Lava Beds is in the northeastern part of California, about 50km (31 miles) from the Oregon border. The nearest city is Tulelake, California.
This site is home to important battles of the Modoc Indian Wars and is most known for its lava tube caves and many volcanic features.
Visitors can explore more than 500 lava tube caves, making it a really popular underground destination in California. Even though it’s technically not a National Park, it’s still a large park that offers a unique experience.
There’s even one campground within Lava Beds Park, which is definitely worth staying a night if you want more time to explore this other-worldly site left by the destruction of volcanic eruptions.
Tule Lake
Tule Lake is only about a fifteen-minute drive from Lava Beds in California, so it’s worth visiting both in one go.
Unlike Lava Beds, where you can hike and explore more, Tule Lake is more of a memorial. Tule Lake National Monument encompasses two sites – Tule Lake Segregation Center and the Civilian Conservation Corps camp.
Tule Lake is one of four incarceration camps that were used during WWII to imprison people in the name of self-defense, primarily Japanese and Japanese American people.
This is a controversial part of American history and definitely worth learning more about, regardless of your stance.
At Tule Lake, you can take guided tours or virtual tours of the museum and learn more about the history and environment of the region.
Devils Postpile
Devils Postpile protects and preserves Devils Postpile National Monument. It’s near Mammoth Mountain in eastern California.
Devil Postpile is a 50-foot basalt column formed by volcanic eruptions from over 100,000 years ago. The post pile looks like slabs of lumber, jutting out and making a unique formation. It’s known as one of the world’s best examples of columnar basalt.
There’s a short hike to Devil’s Postpile and plenty of other great hikes at nearby Mammoth Lake, so it’s definitely worth the trip for hiking enthusiasts. It’s a beautiful part of California that fewer travelers get to experience.
Mojave Desert and Castle Mountains
The Mojave Desert is actually a national preserve, which is designed to protect a specific natural resource. The Mojave Desert sprawls across four states in the United States – California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. It takes up 20 million acres of land and covers about 1/5 of Californian land.
The sheer size and landscape of the Mojave Desert make it definitely worth visiting, and it’s one of the most unique landscapes you’ll find.
Hiking the Mojave Desert is often compared to walking on Mars, with an intense mystical aura thanks to the harsh climates.
Inside the Mojave Desert, you have Death Valley, one of the top national parks in California previously mentioned. And you also have the Castle Mountains.
The Castle Mountains are a beautiful national monument with Joshua Tree forests, twisted junipers, and the best grasslands of the Mojave Desert.
Castle Mountains in the eastern corner of the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County in California.
Cabrillo
Cabrillo National Monument is on the southern tip of Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego and is one of the best free things to do in San Diego.
It’s believed that Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first person to set foot on the west coast of the United States in 1542, right at this spot.
Today, you can walk around the cliffside park and take in the scenery, natural beauty, and thriving wildlife.
There are a few walking trails around Cabrillo, a scenic drive up to the viewpoint, a small visitor’s center where you can learn more about the significance, and other cultural and natural resources.
It’s also a beautiful spot for sunset or for a nice picnic.
Best National Recreation Areas In California
National recreation areas are very similar to national parks in the sense that they usually preserve a large area of land and have hiking and other outdoor activities. However, national recreation areas usually offer a wider range of activities are are typically closer to urban areas.
Because they’re closer to urban areas, they’re usually easier to get to.
These are great if you don’t have the time or means to leave major metropolis areas in California but still want to get a little lost in nature.
Whiskeytown
Whiskeytown is a unique national recreation area in northwestern California in Shasta County.
It was once an unincorporated mining town that was then flooded in 1962 to make way for Whiskey Lake.
According to local folklore, Whiskeytown got its name from a man carrying supplies back to miners. A pack from a mule broke loose, tumbled down a hill, and dumped whiskey into a creek. The incident gave name to Whiskey Creek, nearby Whiskey Town, and Whiskey Dam.
Others claim the name came from the local miner’s ability to drink alcohol, and whiskey was a fan favorite.
Nowadays, Whiskeytown is made up of a large lake and a beautiful recreation area. It’s great for camping, kayaking, wildlife viewing, and walking or biking through the many trails around the like.
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park is perhaps one of the easiest national recreation areas to get to, as it’s located right in San Francisco. It’s also a must-do on any San Francisco itinerary.
Even though it’s practically right in the center of the city, don’t underestimate Golden Gate Park. The park is over 1,000 acres of land and is the second most visited urban park in the United States.
Inside the park, there are hiking trails, biking trails, museums, a Japanese garden, a conservatory of flowers, a botanical garden, and even a small lake.
While Golden Gate Park isn’t as impressive as some of the best national parks in California, it’s well worth a visit if you’re in the Bay Area and want to get outdoors without too much of a hassle.
Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains is a mountain range in southern California alongside the Pacific Ocean. There are beautiful views, tons of hiking trails, and enough activity to keep you busy for a week.
The mountains stretch about 64 km (40 miles) east to west and parallel the north shore of Santa Monica Bay.
Santa Monica Mountains are famous for its incredible hiking trails, horseback riding, rock climbing spots, and wildlife camping.
The mountains are located just west of Santa Monica, very close to the center of Los Angeles. From the Los Angeles city center, it takes about an hour. From Santa Monica, it takes about 50 minutes.
Tips To Visit National Parks In California
Consider a road trip to hit the sites
One of the best ways to visit National Parks in California is a road trip. You may want to consider that option instead of a road trip along the coast of California.
California is a large state, and you can’t really take buses very easily to all the main sites. A road trip will give you a lot of freedom and the ability to get to most National Parks in California.
If you do decide on the road trip route, you’ll want to rent a car – and DiscoverCars is a great place to start!
Have travel insurance
The United States is not a cheap place, and California is even more so. Healthcare can be expensive, travel delays can be a problem, and other minor concerns you might encounter during your travels.
You’ll definitely want to make sure you have travel insurance for your trip for any unsuspecting problems that may arise.
Travel insurance is definitely one of the most important aspects of a safe and problem-free trip in the United States, and you’ll want to make sure you have a good one.
Make sure you have the right Visa
Finally, remember that if you are visiting from overseas, you will need a visa to enter the country. For example, you need an ESTA to travel to the USA from the UK. Indeed, ESTA is a total compulsory requirement for UK citizens (as well as for citizens of the European Union) to visit the USA.
The ESTA actually is an authorization that allows you to visit or pass through the United States. It lasts for just 90 days, after which it expires.
Further Readings
Make sure to check out my other posts about California:
You may also be interested in the following posts:
- The 23 Best National Parks In USA
- The Best Things To Do In Rocky Mountain National Park
- 10 Not To Miss Hikes Near Denver
Legal Disclaimer: This post was written in cooperation with Esta Visa USA. Needless to say, the views expressed are my own.
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