Protected since 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but also within nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more. As a shrine to human foresight, the park is located just east of Manteca in Northern California.
The Channel Islands National Park is comprised of five remarkable islands and the ocean environment. Preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth. Located in the center of Ventura and Santa Barbara, makes for a remarkable coastal trip.
Discovery is limitless within the Pinnacles National Park. Climbing and hiking among breathtaking spires and rock formations that gave Pinnacles its name is only the beginning of what the park has to offer. Come seek the California condor in the High Peaks, explore the rare chaparral vegetation and carpets of wildflowers, of just to picnic Located off of the 101 Hwy in northern California just south of San Francisco.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is in northeastern California. The most notable attraction of the park is Lassen Peak, the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southern-most volcano in the Cascade Range. Lassen Volcanic Park started as two separate national monuments designed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907.
Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California.
Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, which includes a 101 foot high Rainbow Falls, and pristine mountain scenery. This is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world’s finest examples of columnar basalt. Its columns tower 60 feet high and displays and unusual symmetry. Located just south of Mammoth Lakes, this is an extraordinary place to visit.
For tree lovers, Muir Woods National Monument is the place to visit. Near the San Francisco area and filled with an old-growth coastal redwood forest. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the forest is regularly shrouded in a coastal marine layer of fog, contributing to a wet environment that encourages vigorous plant growth.
Located in the Sierra Nevada’s, is bordering California and Nevada. Bordering the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons, and mountains. It is the largest park in the lower 48 states and has been declared an International Biosphere Reserve.
Singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and carpets of wildflowers are all found at the 1.6 million acre park. Visiting the canyons, mountains and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homestead, and rock-walled military outposts. Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Mojave provides serenity and solitude from major metropolitan areas.
Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 700 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience are waiting. Lava Beds National Monument is located in northern California against the Oregon border, right off of the U.S. 97.
Filled with beautiful sapphire-blue waters, surrounded by mountain peaks, are perhaps the most prominent feature of the park. However, water-based recreation is only a small part of what the park has to offer. Over 39,000 acres surrounding the lake hold four waterfalls, pristine mountain creeks, 70 miles of trails, and opportunities to explore the history of the California Gold Rush. Whiskeytown is located in northern California by Redding and Eureka.
America’s only Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O’Neill, chose to live in Northern California at the height of his writing career. Isolated from the world and within the walls of his home, O’Neill wrote his final and most memorable plays; The Iceman Cometh, Long Day’s Journey into Night, And A Moon for the Misbegotten. The historic site is located in downtown Danville, CA.
Climbing out of his boat and onto shore in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo stepped into history as the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. In addition to telling the story of 16th century exploration, the park is home to a wealth of cultural and natural resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Discovery. The Cabrillo National Monument is in San Diego, CA
Hidden in plain sight from Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultural sites, from old movie ranches to Native America centers. What will you and your family discover? The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is in Santa Monica, CA.
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 species of plants and animals to discover. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, the Seashore preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Point Reyes awaits your exploration. The Point Reyes is in Point Reyes, CA.
Located inside of the Sequoia National Park, Crystal Cave offers a variety of tours. Expect to get dirty and get ready to explore a half mile hike to the cave alone. Once inside, you will have the chance to explore a spectacular view of the treasure of ornate marble polished by subterranean streams and decorated with curtains of icicle-like stalactites and mounds of stalagmites.
Established in 1968, Redwood National Park is located in northernmost coastal California, and is home to some of the world’s tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. These magnificent trees can live to be 2,000 years old and grow to over 3,000 feet tall. Spruch, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns created a multiple-canopied understory. Redwood Park’s mosaic of habitats includes prairie and oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline.
The park chronicles 200 years of history, from Native American Culture, Spanish Empire frontier, California Gold Rush, evolution of American coastal fortifications, and growth of urban San Francisco; comprising of 19 separate ecosystems and home to 1,273 plant and animal species. It has hundreds of ways to recreate including horseback riding, ranger-led programs, bicycling, hiking, and walking your dog.
Residents in the San Francisco east bay area were jolted awake by a massive explosion that cracked windows and lit up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were instantly killed when two ships being loaded with ammunition for the Pacific theater troops blew up. It was WWII’s worst home front disaster; this memorial is a great tribute for those who want to visit.
Located within the Sierra Nevada, which is east of Fresno, California. Established in 1940 and covers over 460 thousand acres. Famous for the giant trees within the park, most noted for the General Grant tree and the Redwood Mountain Grove, which is the largest remaining natural grove of giant sequoias in the world.
Sequoia National Parks lies within the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley. Known as the land of the giants, this landscape is a testament of the true nature’s size, beauty, and diversity – huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, and the world’s largest trees.