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Feb 11, 2022 · Yosemite is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. Located about 140 miles southeast of Sacramento in northern California, Yosemite National Park welcomes millions of visitors per year ...
Mar 5, 2024 · This is the newest of California's national parks, upgraded from a national monument in 2013. Pinnacles National Park takes its name from a cluster of dramatic rock towers, buttresses and spires that look like nothing so much as a castle of rock erupting from the rolling hills and valleys of the coastal range.
- Yosemite National Park. Yosemite is the crown jewel natural space of the state, epitomizing the sheer natural beauty and charm of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Central California.
- Joshua Tree National Park. At the intersection of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, Joshua Tree National Park encompasses a magical world of big boulders, stunning sunsets, and acres of the park's namesake trees.
- Redwood National and State Parks. Redwood National and State Parks is a unique partnership between state and federal units, protecting over 100,000 acres and some of the world's tallest living things.
- Death Valley National Park. Death Valley National Park is a land of sand dunes, salt flats, and mysterious moving rocks, and encompasses some of the largest environmental extremes found in the nation.
- Top 5 Best California National Parks
- Top 10 Best California National Parks
- Top 15 Best California National Parks
- Top 20 Best California National Parks
- Summary of California National Parks
1. Yosemite National Park, California
Location: Eastern California Helpful Resources: Map / Guidebook / Facts / Where to Stay / Things to Do / Best Hikes / Fall Score:43 1. Accessibility– 9.5/10 2. Recreation– 10/10 3. Crowds– 3.5/10 4. Amenities– 10/10 5. Scenery– 10/10 Yosemite National Park is a breathtakingly beautiful place with spectacular wonders that defy belief. But alas, it’s the 21st century and John Muir’s “grandest of all temples of nature”is bursting at the seams with tourists in search of their latest social media...
2. Redwood National Park, California
Location: Northern California Helpful Resources: Things to Do / Hikes / Guide / Map / Guidebook / Where to Stay / Photos / Facts / Near San Francisco Score:43 1. Accessibility– 7/10 2. Recreation– 8/10 3. Crowds– 7/10 4. Amenities– 10/10 5. Scenery– 9/10 Redwood National Park’s misty forests, wild coastline, pristine streams, and valleys teeming with wildlife are one of the best kept “secrets” in the national park system.40 scenic miles of wild and rugged coastline where whales swim and elk r...
3. Sequoia National Park, California
Location: Eastern California Helpful Resources: Map / Guidebook / Things to Do / Hikes / Facts / Where to Stay / General Sherman Tree Score:43 1. Accessibility– 9/10 2. Recreation– 8.5/10 3. Crowds– 7.5/10 4. Amenities– 8.5/10 5. Scenery– 9/10 The beauty of the ancient Sequoia trees found in Sequoia National Park defy any attempt to describe them as John Muir so aptly wrote, “The Big Tree is Nature’s forest masterpiece, and, so far as I know, the greatest of living things. No description can...
6. Kings Canyon National Park, California
Location: Eastern California Our Favorite Resources: Things to Do | Facts | General Grant Tree Score:37 1. Accessibility– 5.5/10 2. Recreation– 10/10 3. Crowds– 6.5/10 4. Amenities– 7/10 5. Scenery– 8/10 Located directly adjacent to Sequoia National Park and featuring similar scenery (the second largest tree on the planet lives here) and even a similar lodge, this is a park to behold. The only downside here is accessibility, burned areas, crowds, and the sequoia groves here aren’t quiteas gor...
7. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Location: Northern California Resources: Map | Things to Do | Facts Score:35.5 1. Accessibility– 6/10 2. Recreation– 7.5/10 3. Crowds– 7/10 4. Amenities– 7/10 5. Scenery– 8/10 We liken Lassen to a Yosemite meets Yellowstone. Situated just below the mighty volcanic Cascade Range and at the northern tip of the Sierra Nevada mountains, this park features some otherworldly scenery. Thermal works here in an area known as Bumpass Hellrival some of those you can find in Yellowstone. Throw in some st...
8. Channel Islands National Park, California
Location: Southern California Helpful Resources: Where to Stay | Facts | Things to Do Score:31 1. Accessibility– 4/10 2. Recreation– 6.5/10 3. Crowds– 9/10 4. Amenities– 3.5/10 5. Scenery– 8/10 Deemed “the American Galapagos”, Channel Islands feature an unbelievable amount of biodiversity. Located just off the coast of Southern California, this eight island chain is another bucket-lister for park-lovers. Getting to the islands themselves presents a bit of difficulty as visitors have to take a...
11. Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument
Location: Oregon & California, USA Managed By: BLM Size:114,000 acres Established:June 9, 2000 Overall Score:38/50 1. Scenery: 12/15 2. Recreation: 10/10 3. Accessibility: 5/10 4. Amenities: 4/5 5. Crowds: 5/5 6. Cultural Significance:2/5 Located on the border of Oregon & California at the southern end of the mighty Cascade mountain range, Cascade-Siskiyou is one of America’s premiere national monuments. Within this national monument lies an incredible amount of biodiversity as well as import...
12. Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument
Location: California, USA Best Resources:Managed By:BLM, USFS Size: 280,320 acres Established: October 24, 2000 Overall Score:38/50 1. Scenery: 11/15 2. Recreation: 10/10 3. Accessibility: 7/10 4. Amenities: 4/5 5. Crowds: 3/5 6. Cultural Significance:3/5 Home to one of the most scenic drives in America, and some of the most beautiful scenery in southern California (which is saying a lot), Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is a site to behold. This epic national monument...
13. Sand to Snow National Monument, California
Location: California, USA Best Resources: Managed By:USFS, BLM Size:154,000 acres Established:February 12, 2016 Overall Score:38/50 1. Scenery: 11/15 2. Recreation: 10/10 3. Accessibility: 6/10 4. Amenities: 4/5 5. Crowds: 3/5 6. Cultural Significance:4/5 Dramatically rising from the desert floor to all the way to alpine vistas at 10,000 feet elevation, Sand to Snow is one of the most striking national monuments in the entire system. The scenery here is both stunning and varied with a massive...
16. San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
Location: California, USA Best Resources: Managed By:BLM Size:346,240 acres Established:October 10, 2014 Overall Score:35/50 1. Scenery: 11/15 2. Recreation: 8/10 3. Accessibility: 9/10 4. Amenities: 3/5 5. Crowds: 3/5 6. Cultural Significance:1/5 As one of the newest US national monuments, San Gabriel Mountains adds to California’s list of stunning public lands beauty. San Gabriel Mountains National Monument boasts an incredible amount of biodiversity (some of the most in the US), incredible...
17. Muir Woods National Monument
Location: California, USA Best Resources: Managed By:NPS Size:553 acres Established:January 9, 1908 Overall Score:33/50 1. Scenery: 13/15 2. Recreation: 6/10 3. Accessibility: 8/10 4. Amenities: 3/5 5. Crowds: 1/5 6. Cultural Significance:2/5 Situated just off California’s coastline and named for the legendary conservationist, Muir Woods National Monument is home to some of the most beautiful stands of old-growth redwoods on the planet.Now, I must say, compared to the redwoods you’ll find in...
18. Carrizo Plain National Monument
Location: California, USA Best Resources: Managed By: Size:211,045 acres Established:January 17, 2001 Overall Score:30/50 1. Scenery: 11/15 2. Recreation: 4/10 3. Accessibility: 4/10 4. Amenities: 1/5 5. Crowds: 5/5 6. Cultural Significance:5/5
Yosemite National ParkSequoia National Park- 4 min
Jan 9, 2023 · Lassen Volcanic National Park. Although the 2021 Dixie Fire charred over 70,000 acres within its boundary, the geothermal wonderland that is Lassen Volcanic National Park is (mostly) back in ...
Dec 13, 2023 · King Canyon National Park | Source: Canva.com. Score: 44/50. Best Quality: Deep canyons and less crowded backcountry experiences. Worst Quality: Fewer visitor amenities and services compared to more popular parks. Kings Canyon is a super underrated California national park.
Jan 25, 2024 · 6. Pinnacles National Park. Best for condor sightings. A study in geological drama, this park's craggy monoliths, sheer-walled canyons and twisting caves are the result of millions of years of erosion. In addition to hiking and rock climbing, the park's biggest attractions are its two talus caves.
