California is home to around 30 national parks, monuments, historic sites and trails, recreation areas and preserves. If you’re vacationing in California, you’re never very far from protected pieces of American history and geography. If you’re of a mind to take in some of California’s natural beauty, you cannot fail with one of these beautiful California National Parks.
Remember: These national parks are so large and beautiful that you can lose yourself in them — literally. Make sure to plan ahead and bring the right supplies: water, sunblock, bug spray, some well-wrapped food and maybe even a GPS device. If you’re planning on extensive hiking or camping, consider purchasing some extra short-term health insurance while you’re vacationing in California.
The Channel Islands National Park
Located in southern California, just west of Los Angeles, the five islands of Channel Island National Park stretch westward into the Pacific Ocean. The Channel Islands have been isolated from the mainland and lack predatory species in any great number, so they have evolved into the home of species of plants and animals that are unique to these islands.
On these islands, you might encounter California sea lions and harbor seals, who come here to breed; the Painted Caves, named after the multicolored algae, lichen and rocks in the area; the island fox, which exists only on these islands; or a fossil from a pygmy mammoth, an extinct species that stood only 6 to 8 feet high.
Joshua Tree National Park
Just 80 miles north of the border with Mexico, Joshua Tree National Park looks like a desolate desert from the highway, but the more you explore its 794,000 acres, the more beauty you’ll find.
According to legend, the Joshua tree, and therefore the park itself, got its name from Mormon pioneers who thought the strange species of yucca looked like the upstretched arms of the biblical Joshua, pointing the way to the promised land. These trees cluster in the western half of the park.
© Jarek Tuszynski / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0 & GDFL
Joshua Tree National Park isn’t all desert; it sports five oases where fan palms grow tall, providing respite for visitors and natives alike. Natives, in this case, include bighorn sheep, quail, coyotes and large beetles that live on (and in) the older palms.
Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park
About halfway between San Francisco and Las Vegas, Sequoia National Park is home to the General Sherman, the largest known living single-stem tree on the planet by volume. Though it isn’t the tallest, widest, or oldest tree, it is still a sight to behold. You’ll find it nestled in the Giant Forest, a grove of colossal sequoias interlaced by 40 miles of trails.
© DiverDave
Sequoia shares over 800 miles of trails with Kings Canyon National Park, directly to the north. The two parks combined offer wide varieties of beautiful geological and botanical wonders that you could spend weeks exploring.
Redwood National and State Parks
Clinging to the coast in extreme northwestern California, Redwood National and State Parks are co-managed by the National Parks Service and the California State Parks Service. Most well known as home to the tallest trees in the world, you’ll find many other beautiful discoveries in its 133,000 acres, such as bald eagles, northern spotted owls, Steller’s sea lions, prairies, rivers and nearly 40 miles of coastline.
So rare is the Redwood ecosystem that the United Nations in 1980 declared it a World Heritage Site and then, three years later, an International Biosphere Reserve. Come see what all the fuss is about; you won’t be disappointed.
Yosemite National Park
President Abraham Lincoln first put what would become Yosemite National Park under federal protection in 1864. For over 150 years, then, people have recognized the unique beauty and majesty found in these 1,200 square miles of forests, mountains, meadows and valleys.
Ansel Adams brought his camera here in 1958, and his celebrated black-and-white photographs revealed some of the most beautiful landscapes in the United States. As beautiful as his artwork is, it’s nothing compared to the real thing.
