Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, California

Ahjumawi is a one-of-a-kind park. For starters, it can only be accessed by boat – which automatically gives it a bit of flair. Once you paddle your way to shore, the turf is dominated by lava rock, pine forests, hills covered with wildflowers – all intercepted by a series of waterways. This park is truly an outdoor lover’s playground and offers an amazing place for a day or weekend retreat. The aqua colored waters offer a refreshing contrast to the park’s unique landscape. The park itself is a collection of “recent” (read: three to five thousand years old) lava flows that have formed into large areas of jagged black basalt. Since most all of the park is covered in this landscape, we feel like it makes the perfect spot for some old school mission impossible. The catch? There are no couches to jump onto and the lava is oh so real.