Welcome! Chances are you are at your home or your
office. Wouldn't you rather be out boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, or sailing in a California state park?
One thing
we have found is that not everyone knows about their state parks so we have
put together this site to help find the fun places to go. To the side we
have listed related information. Have fun and enjoy the relaxation and
excitement of the outdoors!
Adamson House
-
Visible from most places on the state beach, but with entry only off the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway One), a few hundred feet down coast in Malibu Lagoon State Beach is the Adamson House. Near the ocean, and under the lee of the mountain, with a trout brook, wild trees, a lake, good soil and excellent climate.
Admiral William Standley
-
Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area is at an elevation of 1,700 feet in the Coastal Range. It is located near the headwaters of the south fork of the Eel River. The park features 45 acres of redwoods and is a popular spot for salmon and steelhead fishing.
Ahjumawi Lava Springs
-
Ahjumawi is a place of exceptional, even primeval, beauty. Brilliant aqua bays and tree studded islets only a few yards long dot the shoreline of Ja-She Creek, Crystal Springs, and Horr Pond. Of the park's 6000 acres, over two thirds of the area is covered by recent (three to five thousand years) lava flows including vast areas of jagged black basalt. Most of the park is a wilderness area.
Anderson Marsh
-
The park is located on the southeast corner of Clear Lake, the largest natural lake completely within the borders of California. Between Lower Lake and Clear lake on Highway 53, north of Calistoga in the wine country. If you like to hike, you can take advantage of miles of trails. The park is also popular for bird watching, hiking and picnicking.
Andrew Molera State Park
-
In the spectacular Big Sur area, this park is still relatively undeveloped and offers visitors great hiking, fishing and beachcombing.
Angel Island State Park
-
In the middle of San Francisco Bay, sits Angel Island Park, offering spectacular views of the San Franciso skyline, the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. Private boats can use the boat slips or mooring buoys at Ayala Cove; day and overnight fees are collected.
Annadel State Park
-
The park, 60 miles north of San Francisco on the eastern edge of Santa Rosa offers miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and trail riding. Fishing Lake Ilsanjo offers excellent fishing for black bass and bluegill.
Antelope Valley Indian Museum
-
The museum contains the artifacts from aboriginal and contemporary California and Southwestern cultures. It has contains the collection of antrhoplogist Grace Oliver.
Antelope Valley Poppy State Reserve
-
The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is established to protect and perpetuate outstanding displays of native wildflowers, particulary the California Poppy.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
-
With over 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in the continguous United States. 500 miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the Colorado Desert. Visitors have a chance to see roadrunner, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake.
Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve
-
The serene, majestic beauty of the Armstrong Redwoods is a living reminder of the magnificent primeval redwood forest that covered much of this area before logging operations began during the 19th century. This reserve includes a large outdoor amphitheater, self-guided nature trails and a variety of picnic facilities. No camping is available.
Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
-
Ripley Desert Woodland is located a few miles west of the Poppy Reserve. Today only remnant parcels of the majestic woodland community remain in the valley. We invite you to walk through this majestic Joshua/Juniper woodland to enjoy it's beauty adn to share with others the importance of preserving this valuable resource.
Asilomar State Park
-
Located on the Monterey Peninsula in the Pacific Gove, Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds offers breathtaking views of the forest, surf and sand. Recreational facilities include a heated pool, and social hall with ping pong, a grand piano and billards. A boardwalk across the dunes gives access to the beach.
Auburn State Recreation Area
-
Major recreational uses include hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, camping, mountain biking, gold panning and off-highway motorcycle riding. White water recreation is also very popular on both forks of the river.
Austin Creek State Recreation Area
-
The park features open woodlands and hillsides adjacent to the dark, primeval redwood forest of Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve. With 22 miles of scenic trails, the park is popular with hikers and backpackers as well as equestrians. Twenty-four family campsites are located near Bull Frog Pond.
Azalea State Reserve
-
A 30 acre reserve for western azalea (Rhodendron Occidentale). There is a picnic area available. Plan to visit in April and May when azaleas are in bloom.
Año Nuevo State Park
-
Ano Nuevo State Reserve is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal, and the interpretive program has attracted increasing interest every winter for the past 19 years. People who hope to see the seals during the winter breeding season are urged to their reservations early.
Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park
-
The park is the site of a water-powered grist mill that was built in 1846. A trail connects the historic park to Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.
Bean Hollow State Beach
-
The beach features fishing, picnicking, and beachcombing. Visitors can explore tide pools with anemones, crab, sea urchins and other marine inhabitants. The beach also has a self-guided nature trail.
Benbow Lake State Recreation Area
-
Today the park consists of about 1,200 acres with campsites and a large day-use picnic area. Hiking, picnicking and camping are popular summer time activities, whiel salmon and steelhead fishing are popular in the winter.
Benicia State Recreation Area
-
Benecia State Recreation Area covers 720 acres of marsh, grassy hillsides and rocky beaches along the narrowest portion of the Carquinez Strait. Cyclists, runners,walkers, and roller skaters enjoy the parks 2 1/2 miles of road and bike paths. Picnicking, bird watching and fishing are also attractions.
Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
-
Benecia Capital State Historic Park is the site of the California's third seat of government. It is the only pre-Sacramento capital that survives.
Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area
-
Located in the northernmost part of the San Joaquin Valley, Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area is popular place for water oriented recreation, especially fishing and windsurfing. It also features a bike trail and many windmills.
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Parm
-
The main activity to be enjoyed at Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park is bank or boat fishing for salmon, steelhead and shad. The next popular activity is 'cruising down the river' on inner tubes, canoes, or kayaks.
Bolsa Chica State Beach
-
Bolsa Chica State Beach is a popular place for surf fishing for perch, corbina, croaker, cabezon and sand shark. Also popular is in the summer is bare-handed fishing for California grunion, a species that only spawns on sandy southern California beaches. The beach extends three miles from Seal Beach to Huntington Beach City Pier. A bikeway connects it with Huntington State Beach, seven miles south. Wildlife and bird watching are popular. Across the road from the beach is the 1,000-acre Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, operated by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Carpinteria State Beach
-
Twelve miles south of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria State Beach offers a mile of beach for swimming, surf fishing, tidepool exploring and camping. The Spanish named the area Carpinteria because the Chumash tribe, which lived in the area, had a large seagoing canoe-building enterprise, or "carpentry shop" there, because of naturally-occurring surface tar which was used to seal the boats. Seals and sea lions can be seen in the area December through May, as well as an occasional gray whale. Tidepools contain starfish, sea anemones, crabs, snails octopi and sea urchins.
Castle Crags
-
The park offers swimming and fishing in the Sacramento River, hiking in the back country, and a view of Mount Shasta. There are 76 developed campsites and six environmental campsites.
Colusa-Sacamento River State Recreation Area
-
This area covers 67 acres and offers visitors campsites, picnic sites, and a launch ramp for small boats. Riverbank cottonwoods and willows shelter one of the finest fishing stretches in California, with king salmon, steelhead, rainbow trout and striped bass some of the catches.
Dockweiler State Beach
-
Dockweiler State Beach features a three mile long shoreline with a picnic area and concession stand. The wide beach is beneath the takeoff path from Los Angeles International Airport.
El Capitan State Beach
-
El Capitán State Beach offers visitors a sandy beach, rocky tidepools, and stands of sycamore and oaks along El Capitán Creek. It’s a perfect setting for swimming, fishing, surfing, picnicking and camping. A stairway provides access from the bluffs to the beach area. A bike trail connects the park with Refugio State Beach, 2.5 miles away.
Emma Wood State Beach
-
Moderate ocean temperature at Emma Wood State Beach makes the area a great place for swimming, surfing and fishing. Catches include perch, bass, cabezon and corbina. A freshwater marsh at the southwest end of the beach attracts raccoons, songbirds and red-tailed hawks. The beach also features the crumbling ruins of a World War II coastal artillery site. There is a grassy area for groups. The beach offers a view of Anacapa Island - and occasional dolphins.
Half Moon Bay State Beach
-
Four miles of broad, sandy beaches stretch out to welcome visitors to Half Moon Bay. This picturesque setting is ideal for sunbathing, fishing and picnicking. A campground provides accommodations for those who wish to visit longer.
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
-
Covering about 28,450 acres near the City of Oroville this man-made lake was formed by the tallest earth-filled dam (770 feet above the stream bed of the Feather River) in the country. The lake offers a ide variety of outdoor activities including camping, picknicking, horseback riding, hiking, sail and power boating, water-skiing, fishing, swimming, boat-in camping, floating campsites and horse camping.
