If you’re planning a camping trip to California, chances are high that you’ll visit, or even spend a few nights, in at least one of California’s state parks. With nearly 300 park units encompassing around 1.4 million acres of land (including 340 miles of Pacific coast state beaches), California's state park system is the largest in the nation. Many of the state's beaches, historic monuments, state recreation areas, natural reserves, and even archaeological sites are protected under the system, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation maintains around 15,000 campsites across the state.
Where to Go
The Northern California Coast and Shasta Cascade
This forested part of the state is best known for its dense groves of ancient redwoods, many of which are preserved by the state parks system. Some of the oldest examples are found in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and in Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park, both of which offer camping. While the bulk of state parks are found on and around the coast, notably in Humboldt and Mendocino counties, there are plenty of areas of interest in the inland reaches of the region, from Shasta State Historic Park, which preserves an old mining town, to the remote Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, which preserves one of the oldest underwater springs systems in the country.
The San Francisco Bay Area, Gold Country, and the High Sierra
Continue south and you'll soon find yourself in the southern reaches of Northern California, which extends from the greater Bay Area clear over to Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra Nevada range. The state parks in this region range from sandy protected beaches to historic sites, including Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where the discovery of gold led to the start of the California Gold Rush.
California's Central Coast and the San Joaquin Valley
You'll find some of the state’s prettiest stretches of coast along California’s Central Coast, from the sandy day-use beaches in the Santa Cruz and Monterey areas to the bluff-fringed coastline of Big Sur. You'll find tons of beach camping options in San Luis Obispo County, including in Morro Bay State Park and Montaña de Oro State Park. The area is also famous for the mansion-turned-museum, Hearst Castle. One of only a few inland state parks in the region, Tule Elk State Reserve is a must-visit for nature-watchers, providing a habitat not only to elk, but also all sorts of birds.
Southern California and the Desert Region
Although the southernmost part of the state is best known for big cities (notably Los Angeles and San Diego), it also has loads of fantastic state parks, the bulk of which are up and down the coast. While many of the best-known parks in the area are run by the National Park Systems, there are a few fantastic inland state parks, including the Salton State Recreation Area and Mount San Jacinto State Park, home to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
State Park campgrounds in California.
From historic sites to old-growth forests, California’s state parks have a bit of everything.
If you’re planning a camping trip to California, chances are high that you’ll visit, or even spend a few nights, in at least one of California’s state parks. With nearly 300 park units encompassing around 1.4 million acres of land (including 340 miles of Pacific coast state beaches),
Read more...If you’re planning a camping trip to California, chances are high that you’ll visit, or even spend a few nights, in at least one of California’s state parks. With nearly 300 park units encompassing around 1.4 million acres of land (including 340 miles of Pacific coast state beaches), California's state park system is the largest in the nation. Many of the state's beaches, historic monuments, state recreation areas, natural reserves, and even archaeological sites are protected under the system, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation maintains around 15,000 campsites across the state.
Where to Go
The Northern California Coast and Shasta Cascade
This forested part of the state is best known for its dense groves of ancient redwoods, many of which are preserved by the state parks system. Some of the oldest examples are found in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and in Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park, both of which offer camping. While the bulk of state parks are found on and around the coast, notably in Humboldt and Mendocino counties, there are plenty of areas of interest in the inland reaches of the region, from Shasta State Historic Park, which preserves an old mining town, to the remote Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park, which preserves one of the oldest underwater springs systems in the country.
The San Francisco Bay Area, Gold Country, and the High Sierra
Continue south and you'll soon find yourself in the southern reaches of Northern California, which extends from the greater Bay Area clear over to Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra Nevada range. The state parks in this region range from sandy protected beaches to historic sites, including Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where the discovery of gold led to the start of the California Gold Rush.
California's Central Coast and the San Joaquin Valley
You'll find some of the state’s prettiest stretches of coast along California’s Central Coast, from the sandy day-use beaches in the Santa Cruz and Monterey areas to the bluff-fringed coastline of Big Sur. You'll find tons of beach camping options in San Luis Obispo County, including in Morro Bay State Park and Montaña de Oro State Park. The area is also famous for the mansion-turned-museum, Hearst Castle. One of only a few inland state parks in the region, Tule Elk State Reserve is a must-visit for nature-watchers, providing a habitat not only to elk, but also all sorts of birds.
Southern California and the Desert Region
Although the southernmost part of the state is best known for big cities (notably Los Angeles and San Diego), it also has loads of fantastic state parks, the bulk of which are up and down the coast. While many of the best-known parks in the area are run by the National Park Systems, there are a few fantastic inland state parks, including the Salton State Recreation Area and Mount San Jacinto State Park, home to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.