California Natural Park Wonders
National and State Wonders Found in The Golden State:
National Preserves:
National Recreation Trails:
National Wildlife Refuges:
National Wilderness Areas:
California is known for its dramatic rocky coastlines and sandy beaches, giant sequoias trees, Death Valley and Mojave Desert, as well as mountain peaks and lush valleys.
Let us be your guide to discovering these natural wonders. Follow the links below to obtain more information, insider tips, and pictures, as well as ideas for where to stay when visiting.
National Parks:
Channel Islands National Park Death Valley National Park Joshua Tree National Park Kings Canyon National Park Lassen Volcanic National Park Redwood National Park Sequoia National Park Yosemite National Park
National Monuments:
Cabrillo National Monument. Established: 1913. [Official Site] California Coastal National Monument. Established: 2000. [Official Site] Carrizo Plain National Monument. Established: 2001. [Official Site] Devils Postpile National Monument. Established: 1911. [Official Site] Fort Ord National Monument. Established: 2012. [Official Site] Giant Sequoia National Monument. Established: 2000. [Official Site] Lava Beds National Monument. Established: 1925. [Official Site] Muir Woods National Monument. Established: 1908. [Official Site] Pinnacles National Monument. Established: 1908. [Official Site] Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Established: 2000. [Official Site]
National Preserves:
Mojave National Preserve. Location: southeast California. [Official Site]
National Marine Sanctuaries:
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary [Official Site] Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary [Official Site] Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary [Official Site] Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary [Official Site]
National Scenic Trails:
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail [Official Site]
National Recreation Trails:
Bizz Johnson Trail California Aqueduct Bikeway Cannell Meadow National Recreation Trail Carson Emigrant Historic National Recreation Trail Clear Creek National Recreation Trail Coastal National Recreation Trail East Bay Skyline Trail Gabrielino National Recreation Trail High Desert National Recreation Trail Horse Ridge National Recreation Trail Ides Cove Loop Jedediah Smith National Recreation Trail Kelsey National Recreation Trail King Range National Recreation Trail Lake Tahoe Bike and Pedestrian Lost Coast National Recreation Trail McGowan Lake National Recreation Trail Mountains to Sea National Recreation Trail Noble Canyon National Recreation Trail Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail Pioneer Trail Sacramento River Trail and Sacramento Rail Trail San Jose Trail Network
Santa Ana River National Recreation Trail Santa Cruz/Aliso National Recreation Trail Silver Moccasin National Recreation Trail South Kelsey National Recreation Trail South Yuba National Recreation Trail Squaw Leap National Recreation Trail Summit Trail Tahoe Rim National Recreation Trail Twenty Mule Team Trail Western States Pioneer Trail
National Recreation Areas:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Location: central west California, a collection of areas surrounding the San Francisco Bay area, and administered by the National Park Service. [Official Site] Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Location: southwest California, and administered by the National Park Service. [Official Site] Smith River National Recreation Area. Location: northwest California, just east of Redwood National Park, and administered by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Six Rivers National Forest. [Official Site] Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. Location: northern California, and divided into three units -- Whiskeytown, Shasta and Trinity. The Whiskeytown NRA is administered by the National Park Service, the Shasta-Trinity NRA is administered by the Forest Service as part of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. [Whiskeytown Official Site, Shasta-Trinity Official Site]
National Forests:
Angeles National Forest. Location: Arcadia, California. [Official Site] Cleveland National Forest. Location: San Diego, California. [Official Site] Eldorado National Forest. Location: Placerville, California. [Official Site] Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. (Largest in the lower 48.) Location: Sparks, Nevada (as well as California). [Official Site] Inyo National Forest. Location: Bishop, California. [Official Site] Klamath National Forest. Location: Yreka, California (as well as Oregon). [Official Site] Lassen National Forest. Location: Susanville, California. [Official Site] Los Padres National Forest. Location: Goleta, California. [Official Site] Mendocino National Forest. Location: Willows, California. [Official Site] Modoc National Forest. Location: Alturas, California. [Official Site] Plumas National Forest. Location: Quincy, California. [Official Site] Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Location: Medford, Oregon (as well as California). [Official Site] San Bernardino National Forest. Location: San Bernardino, California. [Official Site] Sequoia National Forest. Location: Porterville, California. [Official Site] Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Location: Redding, California. [Official Site] Sierra National Forest. Location: Clovis, California. [Official Site] Six Rivers National Forest. Location: Eureka, California. [Official Site] Stanislaus National Forest. Location: Sonora, California. [Official Site] Tahoe National Forest. Location: Nevada City, California. [Official Site]
National Wildlife Refuges:
Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge Cibola National Wildlife Refuge Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge Colusa National Wildlife Refuge Delevan National Wildlife Refuge Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Kern National Wildlife Refuge Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge Merced National Wildlife Refuge Modoc National Wildlife Refuge Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge San Diego National Wildlife Refuge San Luis National Wildlife Refuge San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge Sutter National Wildlife Refuge Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
National Wilderness Areas:
Agua Tibia Wilderness Ansel Adams Wilderness Argus Range Wilderness Beauty Mountain Wilderness Big Maria Mountains Wilderness Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness Bighorn Mountain Wilderness Black Mountain Wilderness Bright Star Wilderness Bristol Mountains Wilderness Bucks Lake Wilderness Cache Creek Wilderness Cadiz Dunes Wilderness Cahuilla Mountain Wilderness Caribou Wilderness Carrizo Gorge Wilderness Carson-Iceberg Wilderness Castle Crags Wilderness Cedar Roughs Wilderness Chanchelulla Wilderness Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness Chimney Peak Wilderness Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness Chumash Wilderness Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness Clipper Mountain Wilderness Coso Range Wilderness Coyote Mountains Wilderness Cucamonga Wilderness Darwin Falls Wilderness Dead Mountains Wilderness Death Valley Wilderness Desolation Wilderness Dick Smith Wilderness Dinkey Lakes Wilderness Domeland Wilderness
El Paso Mountains Wilderness Emigrant Wilderness Farallon Wilderness Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness Funeral Mountains Wilderness Garcia Wilderness Golden Trout Wilderness Golden Valley Wilderness Granite Chief Wilderness Granite Mountain Wilderness Grass Valley Wilderness Hauser Wilderness Havasu Wilderness Hollow Hills Wilderness Hoover Wilderness Ibex Wilderness Imperial Refuge Wilderness Indian Pass Wilderness Inyo Mountains Wilderness Ishi Wilderness Jacumba Wilderness Jennie Lakes Wilderness John Krebs Wilderness John Muir Wilderness Joshua Tree Wilderness Kaiser Wilderness Kelso Dunes Wilderness Kiavah Wilderness King Range Wilderness Kingston Range Wilderness Lassen Volcanic Wilderness Lava Beds Wilderness Little Chuckwalla Mountains Wilderness Little Picacho Wilderness
Machesna Mountain Wilderness Magic Mountain Wilderness Malpais Mesa Wilderness Manly Peak Wilderness Marble Mountain Wilderness Matilija Wilderness Mecca Hills Wilderness Mesquite Wilderness Mojave Wilderness Mokelumne Wilderness Monarch Wilderness Mount Lassic Wilderness Mount Shasta Wilderness Newberry Mountains Wilderness Nopah Range Wilderness North Algodones Dunes Wilderness North Fork Wilderness North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness Old Woman Mountains Wilderness Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Otay Mountain Wilderness Owens Peak Wilderness Owens River Headwaters Wilderness Pahrump Valley Wilderness Palen/McCoy Wilderness Palo Verde Mountains Wilderness Phillip Burton Wilderness Picacho Peak Wilderness Pine Creek Wilderness Pinnacles Wilderness
Pinto Mountains Wilderness Piper Mountain Wilderness Piute Mountains Wilderness Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness Red Buttes Wilderness Resting Spring Range Wilderness Rice Valley Wilderness Riverside Mountains Wilderness Rocks and Islands Wilderness Rodman Mountains Wilderness Russian Wilderness Sacatar Trail Wilderness Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness San Gabriel Wilderness San Gorgonio Wilderness San Jacinto Wilderness San Mateo Canyon Wilderness San Rafael Wilderness Sanhedrin Wilderness Santa Lucia Wilderness Santa Rosa Wilderness Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Sespe Wilderness Sheep Mountain Wilderness Sheephole Valley Wilderness Silver Peak Wilderness Siskiyou Wilderness Snow Mountain Wilderness South Fork Eel River Wilderness South Fork San Jacinto Wilderness South Nopah Range Wilderness
South Sierra Wilderness South Warner Wilderness Stateline Wilderness Stepladder Mountains Wilderness Surprise Canyon Wilderness Sylvania Mountains Wilderness Thousand Lakes Wilderness Trilobite Wilderness Trinity Alps Wilderness Turtle Mountains Wilderness Ventana Wilderness Whipple Mountains Wilderness White Mountains Wilderness Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness Yosemite Wilderness Yuki Wilderness
National Conservation Areas:
King Range National Conservation Area. Location: northwestern California coast. [Official Site]
National Scenic Roads and Byways:
Arroyo Seco Parkway - Route 110 - Scenic Byway Death Valley Scenic Byway Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway Route One, Big Sur Coast Highway Route One, San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway
California State Parks, Campgrounds, Recreational Areas:
Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park Andrew Molera State Park Angel Island State Park Annadel State Park Ano Nuevo State Park Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park Asilomar State Beach Auburn State Recreation Area Austin Creek State Recreation Area Azalea State Natural Reserve Bean Hollow State Beach Benbow Lake State Recreation Area Benicia State Recreation Area Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park Big Basin Redwoods State Park Big Sur State Park Bolsa Chica State Beach Border Field State Park Bothe-Napa Valley State Park Brannan Island State Recreation Area Burton Creek State Park Butano State Park Calaveras Big Trees State Park Candlestick Point State Recreation Area Cardiff State Beach Carlsbad State Beach Carmel River State Beach Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area Carpinteria State Beach Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve Caspar Headlands State Beach Castaic Lake State Recreation Area Castle Crags State Park Castle Rock State Park Caswell Memorial State Park Cayucos State Beach China Camp State Park Chino Hills State Park Clear Lake State Park Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area Corona del Mar State Beach Crystal Cove State Park Cuyamaca Rancho State Park D. L. Bliss State Park
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park Dockweiler State Beach Doheny State Beach Donner Memorial State Park Eastshore State Park Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park El Capitan State Beach Emerald Bay State Park Emma Wood State Beach Estero Bay State Park Folsom Lake State Recreation Area Fort Ord Dunes State Park Franks Tract State Recreation Area Fremont Peak State Park Garrapata State Park Gaviota State Park George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area Gray Whale Cove State Beach Great Valley Grasslands State Park Greenwood State Beach Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park Grover Hot Springs State Park Half Moon Bay State Beach Harmony Headlands State Park Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area Hendy Woods State Park Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Henry W. Coe State Park Humboldt Lagoons State Park Humboldt Redwoods State Park Huntington State Beach Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve John Little State Natural Reserve Jug Handle State Natural Reserve Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area Kings Beach State Recreation Area Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area Lake Oroville State Recreation Area Lake Perris State Recreation Area Lake Valley State Recreation Area Leo Carrillo State Park Leucadia State Beach Lighthouse Field State Beach Limekiln State Park Little River State Beach Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve
MacKerricher State Park Mailliard Redwoods State Natural Reserve Malibu Creek State Park Malibu Lagoon State Beach Malibu Pier State Beach Manchester State Park Mandalay State Beach Manresa State Beach Marina State Beach Martial Cottle Park State Recreation Area McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park McConnell State Recreation Area McGrath State Beach Mendocino Headlands State Park Mendocino Woodlands State Park Millerton Lake State Recreation Area Mitchell Caverns - NP State Recreation Area Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Montana de Oro State Park Montara State Beach Monterey State Beach Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve Moonlight State Beach Morro Bay State Park Morro Strand State Beach Moss Landing State Beach Mount Diablo State Park Mount San Jacinto State Park Mount Tamalpais State Park Natural Bridges State Beach Navarro River Redwoods State Park New Brighton State Beach Nisene Marks, The Forest of State Park Pacheco State Park Pacifica State Beach Palomar Mountain State Park Patrick's Point State Park Pelican State Beach Pescadero State Beach Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Picacho State Recreation Area Pismo State Beach Placerita Canyon State Park Plumas-Eureka State Park Point Dume State Beach Point Lobos State Natural Reserve Point Mugu State Park Point Sal State Beach Pomponio State Beach Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve Portola Redwoods State Park Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Red Rock Canyon State Park Refugio State Beach Richardson Grove State Park Rio de Los Angeles State Park State Recreation Area Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach Robert Louis Stevenson State Park Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach Russian Gulch State Park Saddleback Butte State Park Salinas River State Beach Salt Point State Park Salton Sea State Recreation Area Samuel P. Taylor State Park San Bruno Mountain State Park San Buenaventura State Beach San Clemente State Beach San Elijo State Beach San Gregorio State Beach San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area San Onofre State Beach San Simeon State Park Santa Monica State Beach Schooner Gulch State Beach Seacliff State Beach Silver Strand State Beach Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area Sinkyone Wilderness State Park Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve Sonoma Coast State Park South Carlsbad State Beach South Yuba River State Park Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area Sugar Pine Point State Park Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Sunset State Beach Sutter Buttes State Park Tahoe State Recreation Area The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Thornton State Beach Tolowa Dunes State Park Tomales Bay State Park Topanga State Park Torrey Pines State Beach Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve Trinidad State Beach Tule Elk State Natural Reserve Turlock Lake State Recreation Area Twin Lakes State Beach Van Damme State Park Washoe Meadows State Park Westport-Union Landing State Beach Wilder Ranch State Park Will Rogers State Beach Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area Zmudowski State Beach
State Scenic Roads and Byways:
Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway (Route 168) Angeles Crest Scenic Byway (Route 2) Barrel Springs Back Country Byway Bigfoot Scenic Byway Bradshaw Trail Buckhorn Back Country Byway Carson Pass Highway (Route 88) Chimney Peak Back Country Byway Emigrant Trail Feather River Scenic Byway Jacinto Reyes Scenic Byway (Route 33) Kings Canyon Scenic Byway Lassen Scenic Byway Lee Vining Canyon Scenic Byway Modoc Volcanic Scenic Byway Pacific Coast Highway - California's Route 1 Palms to Pines Scenic Byway Parker Dam Road Ramona Expressway Rim of the World Scenic Byway Route 101--Redwood Highway Route 116--Sonoma County Route 125--Lemon Grove Route 12--Valley of the Moon Highway Route 140--Mariposa County Route 151--Shasta Dam Boulevard Route 152--Pacheco Pass Road Route 154--San Marcos Pass Road Route 156--Monterey County Route 160--River Road Route 163--Cabrillo Freeway Route 24--Alameda County Route 280--Father Junipero Serra Freeway Route 35--Skyline Boulevard Route 395--Inyo County Route 395--Mono County Route 50--El Dorado County Route 580--MacArthur Freeway Route 62--Twentynine Palms Highway Route 680--Alameda County Route 680--Contra Costa County Route 68--Monterey County Route 74 Route 75--San Diego-Coronado Bridge and Silver Strand Highway Route 78--Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Road Route 89--Monitor Pass & Luther Pass Highways & Lake Tahoe Road Route 91--Riverside Freeway Route 9--Saratoga-Los Gatos Road Routes 5 & 580--West Side Freeway Saline Valley Road Back Country Byway Sierra Heritage Scenic Byway (Route 168) Sierra Vista Scenic Byway Smith River Scenic Byway State of Jefferson Scenic Byway Sunrise Scenic Byway Trinity Heritage Scenic Byway Trinity Scenic Byway Wild Horse Canyon Scenic Backcountry Byway Yuba-Donner Scenic Byway
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