California State Parks

Whether you have a boat for boating and fishing in any of the many California State Parks, or are looking for a relaxing get-away, you'll discover our California State Park listings as the place to find just the right park for you and your family.  We have compiled all the state parks into one place for your convenience.

California State Parks has something for everyone: Boating, Fishing, Bicycling, Camping, Canoeing, Kayaking, Hiking, Swimming or just good relaxation.  Click on any of the links below to find the specific information on boat launching fees, camp reservations and information about the park.

All state parks are controlled and maintained by the State of California. They are clean, safe and well maintained by the state.


Listings

  • Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area

    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.

  • Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park

    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. Over two thirds of the area is covered by recent (three to five thousand years) lava flows including vast areas of jagged black basalt.

  • Anderson Marsh State Historic Park

    Anderson Marsh State Historic Park contains oak woodlands, grass-covered hills, and tule marsh. One of the largest groups of people in prehistoric California, the Southeastern Pomo, knew this land as home. Today, descendants of those people still live nearby.

  • Andrew Molera State Park

    In the spectacular Big Sur area, this park is still relatively undeveloped and offers visitors great hiking and beachcombing.

  • Angel Island State Park

    In the middle of San Francisco Bay sits Angel Island State Park, offering spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais.

  • Annadel State Park

    ....through November of 2011, Channel Drive will be used to transport construction equipment and materials as needed to relocate approximately 2500 feet of City owned trunk sewer main that is currently located immediately adjacent to Oakmont Creek. The new trunk sewer main will be located away from the creek, north of, and roughly parallel to Channel Drive, east of the gated entry near the Annadel State Park trailer at 6201 Channel Drive. The new trunk sewer main will not be located on State Park property.

  • Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural

    Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat. The duration and intensity of colors and scents vary from year to year. Although the wildflower season generally lasts from as early as mid-February through mid-May, the park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Fall is also a pleasant time to visit, as the days are normally warm with milder winds.

  • Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic

    Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park is California's State Regional Indian Museum representing Great Basin Indian Cultures.The exhibits and interpretive emphasis are on American Indian groups (both aboriginal and contemporary) of the Southwest, Great Basin, and California culture regions, since Antelope Valley was a major prehistoric trade corridor linking all three of these culture regions. The museum contains the combined collections of founder Howard Arden Edwards and subsequent owner Grace Oliver. A number of the cultural materials on display are rare or one-of-a-kind objects. To view the entire museum collection, and access detailed interpretive information on American Indian cultures represented, please go to www.avim.parks.ca.gov.

  • Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

    Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and many miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the California Desert. The park is named for Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake. Listening devices for the hearing impaired are available in the visitor center.

  • Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

    The serene, majestic beauty of this Grove is a living reminder of the magnificent primeval redwood forest that covered much of this area before logging operations began during the 19th century. Armstrong Redwoods preserves stately and magnificent Sequoia sempervirens, commonly known as the coast redwood. These trees stand together as a testament to the wonders of the natural world. The grove offers solace from the hustle and bustle of daily life, offering the onlooker great inspiration and a place for quiet reflection.

  • Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park

    Added to the State Park System in 1988, Ripley Desert Woodland is located just west of the Poppy Reserve on Lancaster Road at 210th Street West. Donated to the State by Arthur "Archie" Ripley, the park protects and preserves an impressive stand of native Joshuas and junipers which once grew in great abundance throughout the valley. Today, only remnant parcels of this majestic woodland community remain in the valley, the rest having been cleared for farming and housing.

  • Asilomar State Beach

    Located on the Monterey Peninsula in the city of Pacific Grove, Asilomar offers beach and coast trail walks, a short boardwalk loop through the natural dune preserve and overnight room lodging and conference facilities. From its historic architecture to the forest, the dunes and coastline, State Park staff takes the lead in protecting and educating park visitors to Asilomar and monitors the delicate balance between preservation and public access.

  • Auburn State Recreation Area

    In the heart of the gold country, the Auburn State Recreation Area (Auburn SRA) covers 40-miles of the North and Middle Forks of the American river. Once teeming with thousands of gold miners, the area is now a natural area offering a wide variety of recreation opportunities to over 900,000 visitors a year.

  • Austin Creek State Recreation Area

    Austin Creek State Recreation Area is adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and is accessed through the same entrance. With open woodlands, rolling hills, and meadows, its topography offers a strong contrast to the dense, primeval redwood forest below. Here you will discover deep tree-lined ravines cooled by year round streams; grassy hillsides burnished golden by the heat of summer sun and turned emerald by plentiful winter rains; oak capped knolls that seem to float like islands on lakes of lowland fog; and rocky mountaintops that showcase an almost panoramic view. A paradise for the hiker and equestrian, Austin Creek rewards the explorer with twenty miles of trails and panoramic wilderness views, back-country camping, and Bullfrog Pond Campground- accessible by vehicle. The park's rugged topography, with elevations ranging from 150-1500 feet in elevation, offers a sense of isolation from the accustomed sights and sounds of civilization.

  • Azalea State Natural Reserve

    A reserve for western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale). Each spring, a profusion of pink and white blossoms scents the air. There is a picnic area available. Plan to visit in April and May when azaleas are in bloom.

  • Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park

    The park is the site of a water-powered grist mill that was built in 1846. It was once the center of social activity as Napa Valley settlers gathered to have their corn and wheat ground into meal or flour. The owner of the mill was Dr. Edward Turner Bale. He received the property in a land grant from the Mexican government and lived near the site until his death in 1849. The mill remained in use until the early 1900s.

  • 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

    To provide power for the new development in the valley , a concrete dam was constructed across the south fork of the Eel River in 1928. The dam not only provided power but also created Benbow Lake.

  • Benicia Capitol State Historic Park

    Benicia Capitol State Historic Park is the site of California’s third seat of government (1853-54). It is the only pre-Sacramento capitol that survives.

  • Benicia State Recreation Area

    Benicia State Recreation Area covers marsh, grassy hillsides and rocky beaches along the narrowest portion of the Carquinez Strait.

  • Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area

    Located in the northernmost part of the San Joaquin Valley, Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area is a popular place for water-oriented recreation, especially fishing and windsurfing. It also features a bike trail (along the California Aqueduct Bikeway) - and many windmills. It is also the northern terminus of the California Aqueduct.

  • Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park

    Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is a beautiful, three-story, 26 room Victorian House Museum that stands as a memorial to John and Annie Bidwell. John Bidwell was known throughout California and across the nation as an important pioneer, farmer, soldier, statesman, politician and philanthropist. Annie Ellicott Kennedy Bidwell, the daughter of a socially prominent, high ranking Washington official, was deeply religious, and committed to a number of moral and social causes. Annie was very active in the suffrage and prohibition movements.

  • Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park

    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.

  • Big Basin Redwoods State Park

    The park is about 65 miles south of San Francisco. From Santa Cruz travel approx 25 miles northwest via Highways 9 and 236 to reach Park Headquarters. Park Headquarters is 9 miles north of the town of Boulder Creek on State Hwy 236. All roads into Big Basin are curvy. The Rancho Del Oso coastal unit of Big Basin is accessible on State Route 1, about 20 miles north of the city of Santa Cruz.

  • Bodie State Historic Park

    Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town. Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people. The town is named for Waterman S. Body (William Bodey), who had discovered small amounts of gold in hills north of Mono Lake. In 1875, a mine cave-in revealed pay dirt, which led to purchase of the mine by the Standard Company in 1877. People flocked to Bodie and transformed it from a town of a few dozen to a boomtown.

  • 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 Park is located in Huntington Beach and extends three miles from Sunset Beach to Seapoint Avenue. A bike-way connects it with Huntington State Beach, seven miles south. Wildlife and bird watching are popular. Across the road from the beach is the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, operated by the California Department of Fish and Game.

  • Border Field State Park

    Border Field State Park is on the very southwestern corner of the United States and 15 miles south of San Diego. Border Field is located within the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, an important wildlife habitat. The sand dunes and salt marshes give refuge to critically threatened and endangered birds such as the Western Snowy Plover, the California Least Tern, and the Light-footed Clapper Rail.

  • Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Note: Due to budget constraints, beginning Oct 2nd the campground will be closed Sunday through Thursday nights.

  • Brannan Island State Recreation Area

    Brannan Island State Recreation Area is a maze of waterways through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This park northeast of San Francisco Bay, has countless islands and marshes with many wildlife habitats and many opportunities for recreation, including boating, windsurfing and swimming.

  • Burleigh H. Murray Ranch Park Property

    Purchased by the State of California in 1983 this historic ranch property is hidden in a pristine valley south of Half Moon Bay. The area offers solitude, groves of mature eucalyptus, and a rich assortment of wildlife. With the addition of Rancho Raymundo at the east boundary, park property extends from Higgins Purisima Road in the west to Skyline Blvd. in the east.

  • Burton Creek State Park

    Burton Creek State Park is located on the outskirts of Tahoe City. Six miles of unpaved roadway are available for hiking and cross-country skiing.

  • Butano State Park

    Butano State Park is located in a secluded Redwood-filled canyon.

  • Butte City Project Park Property

    This property is new and may not be available for public use, pending necessary planning, facility development and staffing.

  • Calaveras Big Trees State Park

    On Saturdays at 1:00pm we offer a guided hike through the North Grove area of the park. Come enjoy the beauty and grandeur of the park while learning about why this place is so special. The hike is approximately 1.5 hours long and is open to all family members (except dogs). The cost is free with paid admission to the park; meet at the Visitor Center and wear appropriate footwear. For more information, please call the Visitor Center at (209) 795-3840 or (209) 795-7980.

  • California Citrus State Historic Park

    This park preserves some of the rapidly vanishing cultural landscape of the citrus industry and to tell the story of this industry's role in the history and development of California. The park recaptures the time when "Citrus was King" in California, recognizing the importance of the citrus industry in southern California.

  • California State Capitol Park Property

    Home of the California Legislature since 1869, the State Capitol underwent a major renovation that restored much of the building's original look. Visitors can tour the restored historic offices of the Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Governor of the State of California. The building features exhibits and tours - and possibly an opportunity to watch the legislators debate a bill or cast a vote.

  • California State Mining and Mineral Museum Park

    “There’s gold in the hills of California!” These words echoed around the world in 1848 and started a mass migration to the wilderness of interior California. Gold seekers trekked from every part of the world and every walk of life to sift the streams for gold. Mining companies brought machines to the mountains and turned camps into boomtowns as they blasted and dug deep into the earth to follow the gold bearing veins.

  • California State Railroad Museum Point of

    The California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) in Old Sacramento is the world-class tribute to the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. Our museum features 21 lavishly restored locomotives and cars, some dating back to 1862. There is a full-scale diorama of an 1860s construction site high in the Sierra Nevada as well as a bridge elevated 24 feet above the museum floor.

  • Candlestick Point State Recreation Area

    From Candlestick Point State Recreation, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay, the East Bay Hills,San Bruno Mountain as well as relax in the peaceful scenery of the park itself. Its location on the western shoreline of the San Francisco Bay provides a variety of recreational opportunities from windsurfing, fishing, bird watching and walking to simply relaxing. The trails, group picnic sites and fishing piers at this urban park offer a get-away of open space and outdoor activities.

  • Cardiff State Beach

    Located on the San Diego Coast, which has been called the Riviera of the West, Cardiff State Beach has a gently sloping sandy beach with warm water. The site offers swimming, surfing and beachcombing.

  • Carlsbad State Beach

    Carlsbad State Beach is located on the San Diego Coast. It offers swimming, surfing, scuba diving, fishing and beachcombing. This small beach is located at the foot of coastal bluffs, south of the town on Carlsbad.

  • Carmel River State Beach

    On Carmel Bay, the mile-long beach features a bird sanctuary in a lagoon (just before the Carmel River empties into the sea) featuring a wide variety of waterfowl and song birds. Monastery Beach, also known as San Jose Creek Beach, is part of the park and is popular with scuba divers. Ocean and swimming and wading are extremely dangerous.

  • Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area

    This off-highway recreation area has challenging hill-type trail riding, hill-climbs and a professionally designed motocross track available. Elevations are up to 1,800 feet. It is a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, and (limited) four-wheel drive area. The park also has a four wheel drive obstacle course and a Observed Trials area.

  • 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.

  • Caspar Headlands State Beach

    State beaches are areas with frontage on the ocean, or bays designed to provide swimming, boating, fishing, and other beach-oriented recreational activities. This area has miles of undeveloped beach adjacent to the headlands and a panoramic ocean view. The beach is a good place to watch for migrating gray whales. Fishing is also popular off the beach.

  • Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve

    Caspar Headland State Natural Reserve is located on the Pacific Coast in Mendocino County approximately 4 miles north of the town of Mendocino. The reserve is shared by a residential community in Caspar South, which lies on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Bordering the reserve to the north is Caspar Beach and RV Campground, and further north the town of Caspar. State Natural Reserves have outstanding or unusual natural or scenic values. This Reserve contains a small strip of rugged coastline featured sculpted rocks, wildflowers and surf.

  • Castaic Lake State Recreation Area

    Castaic Lake State Recreation Area is a reservoir of the State Water Project. It is one of the Project's largest recreational lakes and the terminal of its west branch. The site includes 29 miles of shoreline. A major attraction is the 425-foot tall Castaic Dam.

  • Castle Crags State Park

    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.

  • Castle Rock State Park

    Along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Castle Rock State Park embraces coast redwood, Douglas-fir, and madrone forest, most of which has been left in its wild, natural state. Steep canyons are sprinkled with unusual rock formations that are popular with rock climbers. The forest here is lush and mossy, crisscrossed by 32 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. These trails are part of an even more extensive trail system that links the Santa Clara and San Lorenzo valleys with Castle Rock State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and the Pacific Coast.

  • Caswell Memorial State Park

    The park is located along the Stanislaus River near the town of Ripon, California. The park protects a fine example of the threatened and still declining riparian oak woodland, which once flourished throughout California's Central Valley. Caswell is home to several endangered animal species, including the riparian brush rabbit which is not known to occur anywhere else

  • Cayucos State Beach

    It is known for its fishing pier, beautiful beach and historical buildings. Many of the buildings left over Suferfrom the prospering old town still stand as a variety of shops such as restaurants, antique stores, and speciality items. The sandy beach offers mild weather, watersports such as surfing and swimming, and tidepooling. Lifeguards are on duty during peak summer months. Junior lifeguard training is available through the County Parks of San Luis Obispo.

  • China Camp State Park

    Starting October 15, 2011, Back Ranch Campground will only be open Friday and Saturday nights, and selected holidays, on a first come, first served basis until further notice. Restrooms are closed when the campground is closed. Group Picnic/Day Use Areas, Buckeye and Weber Points, and Miwok Meadows Group Picnic Area will be closed November 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.

  • Chino Hills State Park

    Landscape view of hills and landscape at Chino Hills State ParkChino Hills State Park, a premier natural open-space area in the hills of Santa Ana Canyon near Riverside, is a critical link in the Puente-Chino Hills biological corridor. It encompasses stands of oaks, sycamores and rolling, grassy hills that stretch nearly 31 miles, from the Santa Ana Mountains to the Whittier Hills. Chino Hills is vitally important as a refuge to many species of plants, and as a link between natural areas essential to the survival of many animal species.

  • Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park

    The walls of this small cave carved from towering sandstone boulders contain some of the finest remaining rock art created by Chumash Native Americans. A steep path leads to the cave entrance, which is protected by heavy iron grillwork. Anthropologists estimate that the paintings date to the 1600's and earlier. The meaning of these enigmatic images has been lost.

  • Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area

    This off road area provides good beginner terrain for off-road enthusiasts. The clay used to build Lake Oroville was taken from the Feather River Valley, three miles west of Oroville. The resulting depression – a large shallow pit ringed with low hills – is the site of this recreation area. It is a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, and dune buggy use area.

  • Clear Lake State Park

    Clear Lake State Park is on the shores of California’s largest freshwater lake. The area is popular for all kinds of water recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and water-skiing.

  • Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

    A century has passed since the founding of this unique town dedicated to the dignity of the human spirit. Although the centennial celebration is now a part of history, there are still plenty of opportunities to come learn about Colonel Allen Allensworth and the courageous group of families and individuals who believed they could create their own version of the “American Dream.” Come experience the inspiring story of the people who came to an isolated spot in the southern San Joaquin Valley to build a place of their own—a place where hard work, dedication, and faith would allow them and their children the opportunity to control their own discrimination-free destiny. Come home to Allensworth during its centennial year.

  • Columbia State Historic Park

    The town's old Gold Rush-era business district has been preserved with shops, restaurants and two hotels. Visitors have the chance to time-travel to the 1850s, imagining life when gold miners rubbed shoulders with businessmen and the other residents in Columbia. Visitors can experience a bygone era watching proprietors in period clothing conduct business in the style of yesterday. There are opportunities to ride a 100 year-old stagecoach, pan for gold, and explore the real working businesses of Columbia.

  • Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area

    This area 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. The river is on a major migratory route for birds of the Pacific flyway and provides home to an amazing number of species. The River Patwin Indian tribe once lived nearby the area and in 1872 John Muir camped near what is now the park.

  • Corona del Mar State Beach

    Corona del Mar State Beach is a popular place for swimmers. The half-mile long sandy beach is framed by cliffs and a rock jetty that forms the east entrance to Newport Harbor. The beach is also popular with surfers and divers.

  • Crystal Cove State Park

    The Crystal Cove Historic District is a 12.3-acre coastal portion of the 2,791-acre Crystal Cove State Park. The federally listed Historic District is an enclave of 46 vintage rustic coastal cottages originally built in the 1920’s and 1930’s nestled around the mouth of Los Trancos Creek. It is one of the last remaining examples of early 20th century Southern California coastal development.

  • Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

    The beautiful park offers camping and hiking in an oak woodland forest, with a sprinkling of pines and lovely meadows with creeks. There are over 100 miles of trails which accommodate hikers, bikers, and equestrians. The two family camps, Paso Picacho and Green Valley, are open and on the reservation system spring through fall. Green Valley sits at an elevation of 4,000 feet and has a creek which runs through the middle of the campground. The day use area offers sets of cascades and shallow pools, great for water play on hot days. Green Valley has 81 campsites.

  • D. L. Bliss State Park

    The grandeur of the parks and their setting is a product of successive upheavals of the mountain-building processes that raised the Sierra Nevada. From promontories such as Rubicon Point in D.L. Bliss State Park you can see over one hundred feet into the depths of Lake Tahoe.

  • Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park

    The mixed understory includes tanoak, madrone, red alder, big leaf maple, and California bay. Ground cover is dense with a wide range of species. Vegetation is predominately red alder which will eventually give way to fir and second growth redwood.

  • 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.

  • Doheny State Beach

    Doheny State Beach is two parks in one - with camping in the southern area (with some campsites only steps away from the beach) and day use in the northern area, where there is a five-acre lawn with picnic facilities and volleyball courts. Surfing is popular, but is restricted to the north end of the beach. Surf fishing is also popular.

  • Donner Memorial State Park

    Located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada, Donner Memorial State Park offers the summer vacationer opportunities for camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, water-skiing, and hiking. In winter, visitors can cross-country ski and snowshoe on trails and enjoy the season's beauty. Visitors are welcome year-round at the Emigrant Trail Museum and at the Pioneer Monument, built to commemorate those who emigrated to California from the east in the mid-1800's. Included in the museum are displays and information about one of the earliest pioneer wagon trains, the Donner Party, forced by circumstances to camp at the east end of Donner Lake in the winter of 1846-47, resulting in human suffering and loss of life.

  • Eastshore State Park State Seashore

    The park includes tidelands and upland property along 8.5 miles of shoreline of the San Francisco Bay. The park extends from the City of Richmond in the north to Emeryville and Oakland in the south, ending near the east anchorage of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. The tidelands comprise rich tidal marshes, sub tidal areas, and mudflats that extend bay ward from the shoreline including the Emeryville Crescent, Albany Mudflat, and Hoffman Marsh. Much of the existing upland area is the result of fill placement in the Bay west of the historic shoreline. The shoreline reflects the unique influences of both natural systems and human intervention.

  • Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park

    The campground closing dates for fall and winter 2011 are weather and budget dependent. Please call 530-525-7982 or 530-525-7232 for current information. Campsites are first come, first served. The showers and dump station will be closed for the season on September 26, 2011.

  • 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.

  • El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic

    Surrounded by the bustle of the modern-day city of Santa Barbara, El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park preserves the site of the last of four military outposts built by the Spanish along the coast of Alta California. Two buildings of the original presidio have been restored, others have been reconstructed and archaeological excavations and additional reconstructions are continuing.

  • Emerald Bay State Park

    In 1969, Emerald Bay was designated a National Natural Landmark for its brilliant panorama of mountain-building processes and glacier carved granite.

  • Emma Wood State Beach

    Moderate temperatures help make Emma Wood State Beach popular for swimming, surfing and fishing. Catches include perch, bass, cabezon and corbina. The Ventura River estuary is at the mouth of the Ventura River at the southeast end of the park. It attracts a variety of wildlife including raccoons, songbirds and great blue herons. Dolphins are occasionally seen just offshore. The park also features the crumbling ruins of a World War II coastal artillery site. The offshore Channel Islands can be seen from the beach.

  • Empire Mine State Historic Park

    Empire Mine State Historic Park is the site of one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California. The park is in Grass Valley at 10791 East Empire Street. In existence for more than 100 years, the mine produced 5.6 million ounces of gold before it closed in 1956. (5.6 million ounces of gold is equivalent to a box seven feet long, seven feet high, and seven feet deep filled with gold.) The park contains many of the mine’s buildings, the owner’s home and restored gardens, as well as the entrance to 367 miles (the distance, as the crow flies, from Grass Valley to Magic Mountain) of abandoned and flooded mine shafts. The park consists of forested backcountry and eight miles of trails - including easy hikes (for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding) - in the park.

  • Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

    Located at the base of the Sierra foothills, the lake and recreation area offers opportunities for hiking, biking, running, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, water-skiing and boating. Fishing offers trout, catfish, big and small mouth bass or perch. Visitors can also see the Folsom Powerhouse (once called "the greatest operative electrical plant on the American continent"), which from 1885 to 1952 produced 11,000 volts of electricity for Sacramento residents. For cyclists, there is a 32-mile long bicycle path that connects Folsom Lake with many Sacramento County parks before reaching Old Sacramento. The park also includes Lake Natoma, downstream from Folsom Lake, which is popular for crew races, sailing, kayaking and other aquatic sports.

  • Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park

    The Folsom Powerhouse is part of a colorful chapter of Sacramento history and is also an example of the tremendous advance in the commercial application of electricity. H.P. Livermore realized that the water of the American River could turn generators for electricity in Sacramento, 22 miles downstream. With his partners, Livermore built the powerhouse, which still looks much as it did in 1895.

  • Fort Humboldt State Historic Park

    Fort Humboldt is situated on a bluff overlooking Humboldt Bay. This remote military post was established in 1853 to assist in conflict resolution between Native Americans and gold-seekers and settlers who had begun flooding into the area after the discovery of gold in the northern mines. Fort Humbodlt SHP Buildings Later, Fort Humboldt would become the headquarters for the Humboldt Military District, which included Forts Bragg and Wright in northern Mendocino County, extending north through Humboldt County to Fort Ter-Waw in Klamath and Camp Lincoln near present-day Crescent City.

  • Fort Ord Dunes State Park

    This recently opened State Park has a 1,500 foot trail to 4 miles of ocean beach with beautiful views of Monterey Bay. From the parking area visitors may also take a stroll on the new boardwalk to a bluff top viewing platform. Eight educational panels have been installed that will inform the public about the natural and cultural history of the park. Existing park roads are open to bicyclists, hikers and dogs on leash.

  • Fort Ross State Historic Park

    Fort Ross was a thriving Russian-American Company settlement from 1812 to 1841. This commercial company chartered by Russia's tsarist government controlled all Russian exploration, trade and settlement in the North Pacific, and established permanent settlements in Alaska and California. Fort Ross was the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the North American continent, and was established as an agricultural base to supply Alaska. It was the site of California's first windmills and shipbuilding, and Russian scientists were among the first to record California’s cultural and natural history. Fort Ross was a successfully functioning multi-cultural settlement for some thirty years. Settlers included Russians, Native Alaskans and Californians, and Creoles (individuals of mixed Russian and native ancestry.)

  • Fort Tejon State Historic Park

    Fort Tejon is located in the Grapevine Canyon, the main route between California's great central valley and Southern California. The fort was established to protect and control the Indians who were living on the Sebastian Indian Reservation, and to protect both the Indians and white settlers from raids by the Paiutes, Chemeheui, Mojave, and other Indian groups of the desert regions to the south east. Fort Tejon was first garrisoned by the United States Army on August 10, 1854 and was abandoned ten years later on September 11, 1864.

  • Fremont Peak State Park

    This park features expansive views of Monterey Bay, from its hiking trails in the grasslands of the higher peaks of the Gavilan Range. Other views include the San Benito Valley, Salinas Valley, and the Santa Lucia Mountains east of Big Sur. Pine and oak woodlands in the park are home to many birds and mammals. There are camping and picnic facilities in the park. The park also features an astronomical observatory with a 30-inch telescope, which is open for public programs on selected evenings.

  • Garrapata State Park

    The park has two miles of beach front, with coastal hiking and a 50-foot climb to a beautiful view of the Pacific. The park offers diverse coastal vegetation with trails running from ocean beaches into dense redwood groves. The park also features outstanding coastal headlands at Soberanes Point. Sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters frequent the coastal waters and California gray whales pass close by during their yearly migration.

  • Gaviota State Park

    Gaviota State Park takes its name from the Spanish word for seagull, given to the area by soldiers of the Portola Expedition who supposedly killed a seagull while camping here in 1769. Marked by a tall Southern Pacific railroad trestle that crosses Gaviota Creek high above the day-use parking lot, the park is a popular spot for swimming, picnicking, surf fishing and camping, despite high winds that often blow through the area. A pier on the west end of the beach is used by anglers, and scuba divers and surfers use a boat hoist on the pier to access the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel. Visitors can explore the rugged upland portions of the park from a trailhead in the parking area. Ambitious hikers can climb to Gaviota Peak that offers a spectacular view of the coast and the Channel Islands.

  • George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area

    This park is in the San Joaquin valley and is surrounded by the Merced River. The park has many trees and is home to various wildlife, especially birds. Swimming, fishing and picnicking are popular activities.

  • Governor's Mansion SHP State Historic Park

    California’s executive mansion, popularly known at the Governor’s Mansion, was built in 1877 for Albert and Clemenza Gallatin. Albert was a partner in the Sacramento hardware store of Huntington & Hopkins. The State of California purchased the house from Joseph and Louisa Steffens to use as a home for California’s first families in 1903 for $32,500. Victorian architecture was somewhat out of style by then, but the house was suitably impressive, conveniently located, and comfortable.

  • Gray Whale Cove State Beach

    The beach (a.k.a. Devil's Slide) features a sheltered cove surrounded by cliffs that drop abruptly into the Pacific Ocean. A steep trail leads down to the beach. There is a small picnic area on the bluff above. Gray whales can often be seen close to the shore.

  • Greenwood State Beach

    The Visitor Center is in the middle of town and provides a glimpse of what life was like in this lumber town during the late 1800's. The gallery room and main museum room are filled with photographs of the early settlers of Greenwood and nearby Cuffey's Cove, as well as photographs of the town and it's lumbering operations during that era. There is an additional room filled with period furniture including an organ, stove, washing machine, steamer trunk, and bath tub. Outdoors, you will find artifacts which were used in the lumber camps to harvest the redwoods and bark from the tan oak trees.

  • Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park

    Grizzly Creek SP campground will be on a first come, first serve basis from September 6th though December 31, 2011. During the months of September through November, construction could be going on in the park M-F, 7am-4pm with possible traffic delays. Staff will attempt to contact campers regarding the traffic delays to allow the campers to move their vehicles out of the construction area should they so choose.

  • Grover Hot Springs State Park

    VISITOR CENTER/STORE NOW OPEN! Grover Hot Springs now has a visitor center/store that is located opposite the campground entrance station. We sell clothing, books, stuffed animals, maps, hiking-related items, etc.... We are open during the summer every day from 9am to 5 pm. The visitor center/store is operated by the Friends of Grover Hot Springs, a non-profit organization that helps keep the park open. Come on by!

  • 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.

  • Harmony Headlands State Park

    Harmony Headlands SP is a 784 acre coastal park located approximately 5 minutes north of the coastal community of Cayucos in San Luis Obispo County on Highway One. The park unit number is #745.

  • Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area

    Adjacent to Humboldt Lagoons State Park, this area is a popular place for visitors who like to fish. The use of small boats is allowed. The boat speed limit is 5 mph.

  • Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument

    La Cuesta Encantada, "The Enchanted Hill" high above the ocean at San Simeon, was the creation of two extraordinary individuals, William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Their collaboration, which began in 1919 and continued for nearly 30 years, transformed an informal hilltop campsite into the world-famous Hearst Castle -- a magnificent 115-room main house plus guesthouses, pools, and 8 acres of cultivated gardens. The main house itself, "La Casa Grande," is a grand setting for Hearst's collection of European antiques and art pieces. It was also a most fitting site for hosting the many influential guests who stayed at Hearst's San Simeon ranch. Guests included President Calvin Coolidge, Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Charles Lindbergh, Charlie Chaplin, and a diverse array of luminaries from show business and publishing industries.

  • Hearst San Simeon State Park

    San Simeon State Park is one of the oldest units of the California State Park System. The coastal bluffs and promontories of the scenic park offer unobstructed views of the ocean and rocky shore. The park includes the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve, the San Simeon Natural Preserve and the Pa-nu Cultural Preserve which were established in 1990.

  • Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area

    This area has land that was part of the Imperial County Park System. It is primarily used for off-road recreation. Restrooms with showers are available. The old riverbed of the Alamo River formed the area with deposits of sand where tamarisk trees have taken hold. Much of the outer border of the park is native vegetation and the park as a whole creates the effect of being an island in a sea of agricultural fields. The most prominent features within the park are sand dunes and extensive vegetation, primarily tamarisk trees.

  • Hendy Woods State Park

    Hendy Woods State Park features two virgin redwood groves; Big Hendy with a self-guided discovery trail and Little Hendy. The Navarro River runs the length of the park.

  • Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

    This park features 15 miles of hiking and riding trails through a variety of forested areas including redwoods, mixed evergreens, riparian, ponderosa pine, as well as rare ancient marine deposits called Santa Cruz sandhills. The Zayante Indians once lived in the area, where they found a land with plentiful natural resources. Henry Cowell Redwoods is home to a centuries old Redwood Grove that features a self-guided nature path. It also boasts other old-growth woods such as Douglas fir, mandrone, oak and a stunning stand of Ponderosa pines. The park has a picnic area above the San Lorenzo River. Anglers fish for steelhead and salmon during the winter (catch and release). The park has a nature center and bookstore.

  • Henry W. Coe State Park

    Coe Park is the largest state park in northern California of wild open spaces. The terrain of the park is rugged, varied and beautiful, with lofty ridges and steep canyons.

  • Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation

    Welcome to Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area. Hollister Hills offers recreation for motorcyclists, 4-wheelers, picnickers, and campers in the Gabilan Mountains just an hour’s drive from San Jose. Park elevations range from 660 feet to 2,425 feet.

  • Humboldt Lagoons State Park

    In the early 1900’s Dry Lagoon was drained by early farmers and several types of crops were attempted but none proved economical. Several dairy ranches were established along the shores of Stone Lagoon.

  • Humboldt Redwoods State Park

    Humboldt Redwoods State Park encompasses nearly 53,000 acres, of which over 17,000 are untouched old growth coast redwoods. Created in 1921 with the small Bolling Memorial Grove the park has grown over the years to include a diverse ecosystem including the entire Bull Creek watershed and the Rockefeller Forest, the largest remaining old growth redwood forest in the world. This is the third largest California State Park and protects an environment unique to anywhere else on earth.

  • Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area

    This off-highway area, California’s second largest off-highway vehicular (OHV) recreation area, has hills and valleys, grassland, coastal sage scrub and oak woodland.

  • Huntington State Beach

    Huntington State Beach is the site of a nesting sanctuary for the California least tern, a rare and endangered species. The beach is also sanctuary for the threatened snowy plover. The park also features a bicycle trail. Surfing, skating and surf fishing are also popular. The park has fire rings for bonfires.

  • Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

    The campground at Indian Grinding Rock is closed for the season! We anticipate opening the campground by May 2012; the fees will be $25.00 per night for the first vehicle and $8.00 per night for the second vehicle. All camping is on a first come, first serve basis; we do not accept reservations at the park. For more information about the campground, please visit our camping page.

  • Indio Hills Palms Park Property

    Native California fan palms thrive in many locations but rarely in such numbers as in the canyons of the Indio Hills. Here, along a line where the San Andreas fault captures groundwater that nurtures the palms, is a wild parkland which is part of the adjacent Coachella Valley Preserve. The park contains some fine palm groves that include Hidden, Pushawalla, Briska, Macomber and Horseshoe palms. The nearest groves are relatively easy to reach from the trailhead and parking area 4-miles north of Indio.

  • Jack London State Historic Park

    Jack London State Historic Park is a memorial to writer and adventurer Jack London, who made his home at the site from 1905 until his death in 1916. The park was once part of the famous writer’s Beauty Ranch.

  • Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

    Established in 1929, this predominately old growth coast redwoods park is bisected by the last major free flowing river in California, the Smith River. Almost all of the park land is water shed for the Smith River and Mill Creek, a major tributary.

  • Jug Handle State Natural Reserve

    Jug Handle State Natural Reserve is located on the Mendocino coast. The park features a 2.5-mile self-guided nature trail called The Ecological Staircase which explores five wave-cut terraces formed by glacier, sea and tectonic activity that built the coast range.

  • Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

    This state park is named after Julia Pfeiffer Burns, a well respected pioneer woman in the Big Sur country. The park stretches from the Big Sur coastline into nearby 3,000-foot ridges. It features redwood, tan oak, madrone, chaparral, and an 80-foot waterfall that drops from granite cliffs into the ocean from the Overlook Trail. A panoramic view of the ocean and miles of rugged coastline is available from the higher elevations along the trails east of Highway 1.

  • Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area

    Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, includes large areas of native coastal sage scrub habitat, lawns and landscaped areas, picnic sites, tot lots, fishing lake, lotus pond, community center and five miles of trails. There are six restrooms; the community center has four administrative offices and a small meeting room.

  • Kings Beach State Recreation Area

    Kings Beach State Recreation Area features 700 feet of beautiful frontage property along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. This day-use only area is resplendent with Ponderosa Pine and is popular for summer water sports.

  • Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve

    Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve is located adjacent to Salt Point State Park. Edward P. Kruse donated the land to the people of California in 1933 as a living memorial to his father, a founder of San Francisco's German Bank. The land was part of a large ranch established in 1880, on which the Kruse family raised sheep and carried on logging and tanbark harvesting operations.

  • La Purísima Mission State Historic

    Misión la Purísima Concepción de María Santísima (Mission of the Immaculate Conception of Most Holy Mary) was founded by Father Presidente Fermin de Lasuén on December 8, 1787. It was the 11th of 21 Franciscan Missions established in Alta California.

  • Lake Oroville State Recreation Area

    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.

  • Lake Perris State Recreation Area

    Lake Perris has lowered its group camping, group picnic, and equestrian camp fees. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, having a company picnic, having a family reunion camp out, Boy or Girl Scout retreat, or church event Lake Perris can accommodate your group!

  • Lake Valley State Recreation Area

    Ringed by the High Sierra Mountains, Lake Valley State Recreation Area features a championship 18-hole golf course. Since the elevation is over 6,000 feet, shots carry farther in the thin mountain air. In the winter, the recreation area has snowmobiling and cross country skiing.

  • Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park

    After a 14-year, $22 million restoration and rehabilitation, the Mansion is now open to the public as a museum. It also serves the citizens of California as the state’s official reception center for leaders from around the world.

  • Leo Carrillo State Park

    Leo Carrillo State Park has 1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing and beachcombing. The beach also has tide pools, coastal caves and reefs for exploring. Giant sycamores shade the main campgrounds. The park also features back-country hiking.

  • Leucadia State Beach

    Swimming, surfing, fishing and picnicking are popular at this small, rocky beach. The beach access is via an improved trail at the foot of Leucadia Boulevard.

  • Lighthouse Field State Beach

    Also known as Point Santa Cruz, this area forms the northern boundary of Monterey Bay. It is one of the last open headlands in any California urban area. Surfers, tourists, birds - including the rare Black Swift and wintering Monarch butterflies are drawn to this area. Sea lions populate the offshore rocks.

  • Limekiln State Park

    The park features breathtaking views of the Big Sur Coast, the beauty of the redwoods, the rugged coast and the cultural history of limekilns. The park has 24 campsites.

  • Little River State Beach

    Little River State Beach features dunes and a broad open beach. The beach is bordered on the north by Little River and on the south by Clam Beach County Park which provides camping and day use facilities.

  • Los Encinos State Historic Park

    Los Encinos State Historic Park, at the corner of Balboa and Ventura Blvd. in Encino, California, was the hub of Rancho El Encino. Located in the San Fernando Valley, this California rancho includes the original nine-room de la Ossa Adobe, the two-story limestone Garnier building, a blacksmith shop, a natural spring, and a pond.

  • Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve

    Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve features ancient sand dunes covered with centuries-old coast live oak trees. According to botanists, five major plant communities thrive within the reserve. They are coastal sage scrub, central coastal scrub, dune oak scrub, coast live oak forest, and riparian (streamside). The oak communities exist close to each other, but each has its own character. The oak scrub has dwarf oak trees growing on the ancient (relict) sand dune. Though they are coast live oak trees, they rarely grow more than six to eight feet tall. The larger coast live oaks are located where the soil is moister. These giants can grow to 25 feet in height. Their massive trunks and gnarled branches twist into all sorts of fantastic shapes

  • MacKerricher State Park

    MacKerricher State Park offers a variety of habitats; beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest and wetland. Tidepools are along the shore. Seals may be seen on the rocks off the park’s coastline. More than 90 species of birds visit or live near Cleone Lake, a formal tidal lagoon. During winter and spring, the nearby headland provides a good lookout for whale watching. The park is popular with hikers, joggers, equestrians and bicyclists. Fishing is also popular at Cleone lake. The park has a wheelchair accessible nature trail.

  • Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park

    Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is the site of California's largest "hydraulic" mine. Visitors can see huge cliffs carved by mighty streams of water, results of the gold mining technique of washing away entire mountains to find the precious metal. Legal battles between mine owners and downstream farmers ended this method. The park also contains a 7,847 foot bedrock tunnel that served as a drain. The visitor center has exhibits on life in the old mining town of North Bloomfield.

  • Malibu Creek State Park

    Just 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the park features hiking, fishing, bird watching and horseback riding opportunities.

  • Malibu Lagoon State Beach

    The Malibu Lagoon is where Malibu Creek meets the Pacific Ocean. Malibu's Surfrider Beach has a long standing as a premier surfing beach.

  • Manchester State Park

    Manchester State Park features a beach, sand dunes, and flat grasslands, with nearly 18,000 feet of ocean frontage. The beach line curves gently to form a "catch basin" for sea debris, which accounts for the volume of driftwood found here. Five miles of gentle, sandy beach stretches southward towards the Point Arena Lighthouse.

  • Manresa State Beach

    Manresa State Beach features a beautiful expanse of sea and sand, with surf fishing, surfing, and recreation.

  • Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park

    The Marconi Conference Center is situated on wooded hills overlooking scenic Tomales Bay in Marin County.

  • Marina State Beach

    The beach area winds through the Marina Dunes Natural Preserves. The beach is known for hang-gliding. Radio-controlled gliders and kites are also popular. The beach is a favorite site for picnics. Water recreation is extremely hazardous due to strong rip currents.

  • Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

    James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River in the valley the Nisenan Indians knew as Cullumah. This event led to the greatest mass movement of people in the Western Hemisphere and was the spark that ignited the spectacular growth of the West during the ensuing decades. The gold discovery site, located in the still visible tailrace of Sutter's sawmill, in present day Coloma California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation.

  • McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park

    The park's centerpiece is the 129-foot Burney Falls, which is not the highest or largest waterfall in the state, but possibly the most beautiful. Additional water comes from springs, joining to create a mist-filled basin. Burney Creek originates from the park's underground springs and flows to Lake Britton, getting larger along the way to the majestic falls.

  • McConnell State Recreation Area

    The park is on the banks of the Merced River. Fishing is popular for catfish, black bass and perch. There are picnic, camping and play areas.

  • McGrath State Beach

    McGrath State Beach is one of the best bird-watching areas in California, with the lush riverbanks of the Santa Clara River and sand dunes along the shore. A nature trail leads to the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve. Two miles of beach provide surfing and fishing opportunities, however, swimmers are urged to use caution because of strong currents and riptides. The park offers campsites by the beach.

  • Mendocino Headlands State Park

    Mendocino Headlands State Park with its unique blend of gentle trails, rugged coastline, secluded beaches and timeless history surrounds the picturesque Village of Mendocino on three sides. Miles of trails wind along the cliffs, giving the casual explorer spectacular views of sea arches and hidden grottos.

  • Mendocino Woodlands State Park

    The Mendocino Woodlands State Park is a year-round group camping retreat facility and environmental center nestled in the heart of the Redwood Forest, just Northeast of the town of Mendocino. A 720 acre park, the Woodlands offers three private group cabin camping areas, each with a large, well equipped kitchen, dining hall, cabins, showers and bathrooms. The camping areas can accommodate groups of 30 to 200.

  • Millerton Lake State Recreation Area

    With over 40 miles of shore land for water sports, this SRA offers visitors swimming, fishing, and boating. The hills surrounding the lake provide good hiking opportunities. Wildlife in the park includes ground squirrels, cottontails, mule deer, badgers and bald and golden eagles. During winter, the park has special boat tours to view the bald eagles.

  • Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve

    The reserve was established to preserve the spectacular "tufa towers," calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It also protects the lake surface itself as well as the wetlands and other sensitive habitat for the 1 – 2 million birds that feed and rest at Mono Lake each year.

  • Montana de Oro State Park

    This park features rugged cliffs, secluded sandy beaches, coastal plains, streams, canyons, and hills, including 1,347-foot Valencia Peak. Naturalists and backpackers enjoy the solitude and freedom found along the park's trails. There are also mountain biking and equestrian trails. The best-known beach is Spooner's Cove, across from the campground. The park's name, "Mountain of Gold," comes from the golden wildflowers that bloom in spring. Wildlife in the park includes black tailed deer and the black oystercatcher. The park includes primitive and equestrian campsites.

  • Montara State Beach

    This beach is a popular location for visitors who can explore the beach tide pools or go surf fishing. The beach is bounded by low hills both to the north and south. Restaurants and grocery stores are nearby.

  • Monterey State Beach

    State beaches are areas with frontage on the ocean, or bays designed to provide swimming, boating, fishing, and other beach-oriented recreational activities. This beach is a favorite place for surfers and tidepool watchers. Fishing is popular, too. The cities of Monterey and Seaside share the park, which has three separate beaches approximately a mile apart. The underwater area of the park attracts scuba divers. Visitors also enjoy kayaking, kite-flying and volleyball. The flat beach is an excellent place for beachcombing.

  • Monterey State Historic Park

    Monterey State Historic Park is a collection of significant historic houses and buildings interspersed throughout Old Monterey. The inside of many historic adobes can ONLY be viewed with a State Park Guide. Tour information and tour tickets may be obtained at Pacific House Museum – a great way to start your discovery of Monterey.

  • Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve

    Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve, in the heart of the Coast Range, has redwoods, where visitors can walk along one of the park's many trails. It is an excellent example of both a magnificent coastal redwood grove and a beautiful fern forest.

  • Moonlight State Beach

    This wide, sandy beach offers swimming, surfing and fishing. Facilities include volleyball and tennis courts, recreational equipment rentals and a snack bar.

  • Morro Bay State Park

    Morro Bay State Park features lagoon and natural bay habitat. The bay’s most prominent landmark is Morro Rock. The park has opportunities for sailing, fishing, hiking, and bird watching. The park museum has exhibits that cover natural features and cultural history, Native American life, geology, and oceanography. The park also has a colorful marina and an 18-hole public golf course. On the bay’s northeast edge is a pristine saltwater marsh that supports a thriving bird population.

  • Morro Strand State Beach

    This beach is a coastal frontage park featuring outstanding picnic sites. A three-mile stretch of beach connects the southern and northern entrances to the beach. Fishing, windsurfing, jogging, and kite flying are popular.

  • Moss Landing State Beach

    Offshore fishing, surfing, windsurfing and horseback riding are popular activities. The beach is a favorite place for picnics because the dunes protect it from afternoon winds. This area is an important stop along the Pacific Flyway so birdwatching is popular.

  • Mount Diablo State Park

    This park is one of the ecological treasures of the San Francisco Bay Area. Every season in the park has its special qualities. Discover for yourself the mountain's beautiful wildflowers, its extensive trail system, fascinating wildlife and distinctive rock formations. View the stars from its lofty heights, bike ride to its 3,849 foot summit or explore the more remote trails by horseback. The park offers hiking, biking, horseback riding and camping.

  • Mount San Jacinto State Park

    The deeply weathered summit of Mount San Jacinto stands 10,834 feet above sea level, and is the second highest mountain range in Southern California. No more than a two hour drive from either Los Angeles or San Diego, the mountain's magnificent granite peaks, subalpine forests, and fern-bordered mountain meadows offer a unique opportunity to explore and enjoy a scenic, high-country wilderness area. The park offers two drive-in campgrounds near the town of Idyllwild. Most of the park is a designated wilderness area enjoyed by hikers and backpackers.

  • Mount Tamalpais State Park

    Just north of San Francisco's Golden Gate is Mount Tamalpais. It has redwood groves and oak woodlands with a spectacular view from the 2,571-foot peak.

  • Natural Bridges State Beach

    This beach, with its famous natural bridge, is an excellent vantage point for viewing shore birds, migrating whales, and seals and otters playing offshore. Further along the beach, tidepools offer a glimpse of life beneath the sea. Low tides reveal sea stars, crabs, sea anemones, and other colorful ocean life. The park also includes a large area of coastal scrub meadows, with bright native wildflowers in the spring. Moore Creek flows down to the ocean through these meadows, forming a wetlands in the sand.

  • Navarro River Redwoods State Park

    After winding over rolling hills and through the Anderson Valley, motorists traveling along Highway 128 suddenly enter an eleven-mile-long redwood tunnel to the sea. The redwood forest along the Navarro River is a magnificent sight.

  • New Brighton State Beach

    The beach features picnic areas, swimming, fishing and a nearby forest of Monterey pine and Coastal Live Oak. The camping area is on a bluff overlooking northern Monterey Bay.

  • Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area

    This off road area is among the most popular and unique of California State Parks. The 5 1/2 miles of beach open for vehicle use and the sand dunes available for off highway motor vehicle recreation are attractions for visitors from throughout the United States.

  • Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area

    Adjacent to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, this area has desert terrain, from below sea level to 400 foot elevations. It is a motorcycle, four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle, and dune buggy use area.

  • Old Sacramento State Historic Park

    Old Sacramento State Historic Park is a cluster of noteworthy, early Gold Rush commercial structures. Historic buildings include the 1849 Eagle Theater; the 1853 B. F. Hastings Building, once home to the California Supreme Court; and the 1855 Big Four Building. Old Sacramento’s historical significance comes from it being the western terminus of the Pony Express postal system, the first transcontinental railroad, and the transcontinental telegraph.

  • Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

    When Albert Seeley built the Cosmopolitan Hotel in 1869, faux finishes were extremely popular and in high demand. Many techniques were refined and many materials were developed to help skilled crafts people make common or inexpensive building materials look more elegant or expensive. Wooden panels were often painted to look like fine marble, soft or inexpensive woods refinished to look like prized hardwood.

  • Olompali State Historic Park

    The name "olompali" comes from the Miwok language and may be translated as "southern village" or "southern people." The Coast Miwok inhabited at least one site within the area of the present-day park continuously from as early as 6,000 BC, until the early 1850s.

  • Pacheco State Park

    Pacheco State Park is the last remaining portion of the Mexican land grant, El Rancho San Luis Gonzaga. Francisco Pacheco and his son Juan were granted the property and built the first house in Merced County on this land in 1843. The land remained in the Pacheco family through five generations until Paula Fatjo, the great-great granddaughter of Francisco Pacheco, donated the land in 1992 to be a park for future generations who share her love of animals, horse back riding, history, and unspoiled land. This land has been a horse and a cattle ranch since 1843 and has breath taking views of the Central Valley to the east and the Santa Clara Valley to the west.

  • Palomar Mountain State Park

    Palomar Mountain State Park features spectacular views of the Pacific, camping, picnicking, hiking, and fishing (trout) in Doane Pond. Coniferous forests cover much of the 1,862 acres, in contrast to the dry lowlands surrounding the mountain. This is one of the few Southern California areas with a Sierra Nevada-like atmosphere.

  • Patrick State Park

    Located 25 miles north of Eureka California, Patrick's Point is a park located in the heart of California's coast redwood country.

  • Pelican State Beach

    Pelican State Beach offers beautiful ocean views. This undeveloped site is on the Oregon border. The small, secluded beach is perfect for walking and beachcombing. The beach has the distinction of being the northern-most state beach.

  • Pescadero State Beach

    The beach has a mile-long shoreline with sandy coves, rocky cliffs, tide pools, fishing spots and picnic facilities.

  • Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park

    Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park was the main residence of Rancho Petaluma, the agricultural empire that General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo one of the most powerful men in the Mexican Province of California from 1834 to 1846.

  • Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

    This beautiful park features redwoods, conifers, oaks, sycamores, cottonwoods, maples, alders and willows - plus open meadows. Wildlife includes black-tail deer, gray squirrels, raccoons, skunks, and birds, such as water ouzels and belted kingfishers. Hikers can enjoy the many scenic trails, including a self-guided nature trail. Some campsites are along the Big Sur River. Big Sur Lodge is located in the park .The lodge has 61 guest rooms, a conference center, cafe, and a grocery store. Meeting rooms have space for groups of 10 to 125. Other rooms are available for smaller meetings and workshops, some with fireplaces and kitchens.

  • Picacho State Recreation Area

    100 years ago Picacho was a gold mining town with 100 citizens. Today the site is a State Park, popular with boaters, hikers, anglers and campers. The park offers diverse scenery, including beavertail cactus, wild burros, bighorn sheep and thousands of migratory waterfowl. (The park is on one leg of the Pacific Flyway.) Eight miles of the lower Colorado River are the recreation area’s eastern border.

  • Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park

    California State Parks announces that the annual anniversary lighting special event for Pigeon Point Light Station SHP will not be occurring in 2011; check back for updated information for 2012. This is due to the commencement of the long-anticipated Lighthouse tower restoration project, which will begin with the removal of the first order Fresnel lens in mid- November. Access around the lighthouse may need to be limited beginning November 9, 2011, to prepare the site. The lens will be moved into the Fog Signal Building for display and refurbishment while the tower is being restored. The Fog Signal Building will be closed to public access from November 12 through 23 due to project related work. Our partner, the California State Parks Foundation, www.calparks.org, is spearheading the effort to raise private funds for the restoration effort.

  • Pio Pico State Historic Park

    The five acre park encompasses historic gardens and the beautiful restored adobe home of Pío Pico. It is registered as California Historic Landmark NO. 127. A bell marks the original El Camino Real, which passed directly in front of the park during Pío Pico’s time. The park was once part of Pío Pico’s 9,000 acre ranch, Rancho Paso de Bartolo. Visitors can enjoy the park with picnics, bird watching and exploring the parks features including; a fifteen room adobe with interpretive displays, an horno (bread oven), a dovecote and a children’s archaeological sand box. The park is located near the entrance to the Greenway Bike Trail.

  • Pismo State Beach

    Pismo State Beach offers all kinds of attractions: hiking, swimming, surf fishing, and digging for the famous Pismo clam. There are tree-lined dunes and the beach is popular with bird watchers. The park has the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the U.S.

  • Plumas-Eureka State Park

    Plumas-Eureka State Park was established in 1959, and provides visitors with a glimpse into a fascinating period of California history, as well as opportunities for quiet recreation in a beautiful high Sierra mountain setting.

  • Point Dume State Beach

    Point Dume State Preserve features headlands, cliffs, rocky coves and vast beach access. The beach is presently operated by Los Angeles County, which also operates Zuma County Beach. These facilities are noted for swimming, surfing, scuba diving and fishing. Point Dume is a perfect place to watch for California gray whales during the December - March migration period.

  • Point Lobos Ranch Park Property

    The purpose of the Point Lobos Ranch property, in Monterey County, is to preserve and protect an extremely scenic portion of the northern Big Sur Coast, an area offering spectacular views of Carmel Bay and the Pacific Ocean coastline. The property contains one of the world's largest native Monterey Pine forests, examples of the rare Gowen cypress and areas of the rare maritime chaparral plant community. The property and surrounding public lands provide mountain lion habitat, and its San Jose Creek provides steelhead spawning grounds. The property contains significant Native American archaeological sites and an early twentieth century complex of ranch buildings.

  • Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

    This area contains headlands, coves and rolling meadows. The offshore area forms one of the richest underwater habitats in the world popular with divers. Wildlife includes seals, sea lions, sea otters and migrating gray whales (from December to May). Thousands of seabirds also make the reserve their home. Hiking trails follow the shoreline and lead to hidden coves. The area used to be the home of a turn-of -the-century whaling and abalone industry. A small cabin built by Chinese fishermen from that era still remains at Whalers Cove and is now a cultural history museum.

  • Point Montara Light Station Park Property

    On the rugged California coast, just 25 miles south of San Francisco, sits the Point Montara Fog Signal and Light Station. Established in 1875, the historic lighthouse and turn-of-the-century buildings have been preserved and restored by Hostelling International - American Youth Hostels and California State Parks, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard.

  • Point Mugu State Park

    Point Mugu State Park, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, features five miles of ocean shoreline, with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons and wide grassy valleys dotted with sycamores, oaks and a few native walnuts. There are more than 70 miles of hiking trails. The beach also features swimming, body surfing and surf fishing. The park includes the jagged pinnacles of the Boney Mountains State Wilderness Area.

  • Point Sal State Beach

    Notice: As of May 2008, pedestrians may access Point Sal State Beach for day use via Brown Road and Point Sal Road. Motor vehicle and bicycle access and camping are not permitted. Access is from sunrise to sunset for recreational purposes only. Visitors should allow sufficient time to return to the trailhead on Brown Road by sunset. Vandenberg Air Force Base officials may close or limit access to Point Sal State Beach and clear the area during missile launches or for public safety or base security reasons at any time. To determine the current status of the access road to Point Sal State Beach or to view the Memorandum of Agreement between Vandenberg Air Force Base and the County of Santa Barbara regarding pedestrian traffic to Point Sal State Beach, please use the link on the left. Point Sal State Beach (SB) is located in the northwestern part of Santa Barbara County, near the city of Guadalupe. The park consists of approximately 80 acres and includes just over 1 1/2 miles of ocean frontage. Lands above the beach and rocky shoreline have extremely steep slopes, and numerous landslides are evident. Prime examples of coastal sage and chaparral communities occur on these slopes. Giant coreopsis is abundant in the area and dominates wildflower displays in the spring.

  • Point Sur State Historic Park

    The Point Sur Lightstation sits 361 feet above the surf on a large volcanic rock. Point Sur is the only complete turn-of-the century Lightstation open to the public in California, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. First lit on August 1, 1889, the lighthouse has remained in continuous operation. Lighthouse keepers and their families lived at the site from 1889 to 1974 when the lighthouse was automated. Today the Lightstation buildings are being restored through the efforts of park staff, State Park volunteers and the non-profit Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers. The Lightstation is open to the public only through docent-led tours.

  • Pomponio State Beach

    This area provides access to miles of gently sloping, sandy beaches at the base of high sandstone bluffs. This day-use facility features a small lagoon, roaring surf - and a wide parking area, picnic tables, and barbecues.

  • Portola Redwoods State Park

    Portola Redwoods has a rugged, natural basin forested with Coast Redwoods, Douglas Firs and Live Oaks. There are eighteen miles of trails, a 53 site campground, four group campsites and two beautiful creeks, the Pescadero and Peter''s Creek, that run throughout the park.

  • Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area

    This park is at the base of the Sierra Nevada and has many rolling hills. The park has flat, open grasslands, rolling hills with native blue oak trees and acres of cobbled mine tailings.

  • Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

    Set aside in the early 1920’s by the forethought of the people of California and the generosity of the Save-the-Redwoods League, Prairie Creek is a sanctuary of old growth coast redwood.

  • Providence Mountains State Recreation Area

    Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is located on the east side of the Providence Mountain range and has dramatic views of the surrounding Mojave Desert. The lower elevations feature many varieties of cactus and yucca in a creosote scrub habitat. The bright red rhyolite in the higher elevations are home to bighorn sheep and pinyon pines.The park's visitor center is located in the historic home of Jack and Ida Mitchell, who ran a resort here from 1934 through 1954.

  • Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

    Located in Jamestown, in the heart of California’s Gold Country about 100 miles southeast of Sacramento, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is home to the Historic Jamestown Shops and Roundhouse—an intact and still-functioning steam locomotive repair and maintenance facility, portions of which date back to 1897. This one-of-a-kind attraction combines industrial heritage and railroad history with the lore of Hollywood’s film industry. The Railtown 1897 Interpretive Center, the authentic roundhouse and shops, and the Depot Store (a railroad specialty gift shop) are among the Park’s unique year-round offerings. Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is open daily (April-October, from 9:30 to 4:30 p.m.; November-March, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

  • Red Rock Canyon State Park

    Red Rock Canyon State Park features scenic desert cliffs, buttes and spectacular rock formations. The park is located where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada converge with the El Paso Range. Each tributary canyon is unique, with dramatic shapes and vivid colors.

  • Refugio State Beach

    Refugio State Beach offers excellent coastal fishing as well as trails and picnic sites. Palm trees planted near Refugio Creek give a distinctive look to the beach and camping area.

  • Richardson Grove State Park

    Redwoods; JDonovan. Established in 1922 and named after Friend W. Richardson, the 25th governor of California, the park is bisected by Hwy. 101 and the south fork of the Eel River. Camping, hiking, swimming, and just relaxing are popular activities throughout much of the year. Fishing for salmon and steelhead is popular during the winter.

  • Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach

    Located between Leo Carrillo and Point Dume State Beaches, Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach is made up of a number of cove or cliff-foot strands known as "pocket beaches" along the west end of the city of Malibu.

  • Robert Louis Stevenson State Park

    Robert Louis Stevenson State Park is the place where the famous author of Treasure Island and Kidnapped spent his honeymoon in 1880. Although nothing remains of Stevenson’s cabin, the site is identified on the trail to the summit.

  • Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach

    The beach is a great achievement of landscaping and engineering. After wind and water action had eroded the beach dangerously, it was restored in early 1982 with sand from San Francisco Bay, pumped ashore by pipeline from a barge. More sand has been added since then, and groins have been constructed to keep it in place.

  • Russian Gulch State Park

    This park is known for the heavily forested Russian Gulch Creek Canyon, a headland that features the Devil’s Punch Bowl (a large, collapsed sea cave with churning water), and a beach that offers swimming, tide pool exploring, skin diving and rock fishing. Inland, there is a 36-foot high waterfall. Hikers enjoy miles of hiking trails. The park also has a paved three-mile bicycle trail.

  • Saddleback Butte State Park

    Saddleback Butte, elevation 3,651 feet, is a granite mountaintop that towers some thousand feet above the broad alluvial bottom land of the Antelope Valley about fifteen miles east of Lancaster, on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. The state park surrounding Saddleback Butte was created in 1960 to protect the butte (one of many similar land features in the Antelope Valley) and examples of native Joshua Tree woodlands and other plants and animals that were once common throughout this high desert area.

  • Salinas River State Beach

    The beach and dunes at Salinas River State Beach are part of Monterey Bay’s unique coastal dune system and it is home to many species of birds, including the California brown pelican, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, western snowy plover, western gull, black phoebe, western scrub-jay, California towhee, white-crowned sparrow, and more. The beach is a popular fishing site.

  • Salt Point State Park

    Rocky promontories, panoramic views, kelp-dotted coves, and the dramatic sounds of pounding surf; open grasslands, forested hills, pristine prairies, and pygmy forests- you can experience all of these coastal wonders within the Salt Point State Park. With 20 miles of hiking trails, over six miles of rugged coastline, and an underwater park, you can enjoy a variety of picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, skin and SCUBA diving, and camping. The weather can be changeable along the rugged Northern California Coast. Even summertime can be cool as fog hugs the coastline and ocean winds chill the air. We recommend layered clothing for your visit.

  • Salton Sea State Recreation Area

    One of the world's largest inland seas and lowest spots on earth at -227 below sea level, Salton Sea was re-created in 1905 when high spring flooding on the Colorado River crashed the canal gates leading into the developing Imperial Valley. For the next 18 months the entire volume of the Colorado River rushed downward into the Salton Trough. By the time engineers were finally able to stop the breaching water in 1907, the Salton Sea had been born at 45 miles long and 20 miles wide – equaling about 130 miles of shoreline. Salton Sea State Recreation Area covers 14 miles of the northeastern shore and has long been a popular site for campers, boaters and anglers. Increasing salinity in the Salton Sea basin has limited the number of types of fish that can be found there, and most fish currently caught are Tilapia. Varner Harbor within the SRA provides easy access to the sea for boating and water skiing. Kayakers, campers, birdwatchers, photographers and hikers can enjoy the site's many recreation opportunities.

  • Samuel P. Taylor State Park

    Samuel P. Taylor State Park will be kept open through an agreement signed by the National Park Service (NPS) and California State Parks. The park is located within the boundary of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The schedule of operation for Samuel P. Taylor will be determined in the next several months.

  • San Bruno Mountain State Park

    The area is at the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz range. The park provides Bay Area visitors with day-use facilities, hiking trails, and beautiful views of the city and the bay. The park is home to a wide variety of birds and animals as well as several endangered plant and butterfly species.

  • San Buenaventura State Beach

    This beach features swimming, surfing and picnicking. The beach has two miles of sandy beach, sand dunes, picnic sites, a parking lot, a snack bar and a beach-equipment rental shop. Bike trails connect other nearby beaches. The beach is the site for a number of special events, such as the Pirate Festival, triathlon, and volleyball tournaments. A 1,700-foot pier has a snack bar, restaurant and bait shop.

  • San Clemente State Beach

    Welcome to San Clemente State Beach. Since 1937 San Clemente has been one of the most popular beaches in California. A dramatic setting and invigorating air satisfy its many visitors, whatever their interest, energy level or state of mind. The mile long beach stretches between the curling ocean surf and the foot of a steep bluff. Midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, the park attracts water sports enthusiasts and those seeking respite from the inland heat or an escape from nearby metropolitan areas.

  • San Elijo State Beach

    Located on the San Diego Coast, San Elijo State Beach offers swimming, surfing, showers and picnicking. The narrow, bluff-backed stretch of sand has a nearby reef popular with snorklers and divers.

  • San Gregorio State Beach

    The area includes a protected, driftwood-strewn estuary at the back of a wide, sandy beach - with grassy bluffs along the coast. The estuary is home to many birds and small animals. California Historical Landmark 26 commemorates the passage of Spanish Explorer Captain Gaspar de Portolá through this area in October 1769.

  • San Juan Bautista State Historic Park

    The park is part of a nationally recognized historic landmark adjacent to the extant portion of California's 15th Spanish era mission. The park and its Plaza represent what was once the "town square" of the largest town in central California and a vital crossroad for travel between northern and southern California. Visitors can gain an appreciation of California's people, from Native Americans through the Spanish and Mexican cultural influences, right up to the American period in the late 19th century.

  • San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area

    All boats, personal watercraft, kayaks, canoes, sailboards, inflatables, and float tubes must undergo a mandatory inspection. This inspection is to prevent the spread of Quagga and Zebra Mussels. This invasive species threatens recreational opportunities, the water delivery infrastructure of California, and the aquatic habitat of San Luis Reservoir SRA. Failure to allow inspection of any watercraft will result in the refusal to launch.

  • San Onofre State Beach

    San Onofre State Beach is a rare 3,000-acre scenic coastal-canyon park with high environmental values and recreation use. The park includes three distinct areas: San Onofre Bluffs, San Onofre Surf Beach, and San Mateo Campground.

  • San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park

    San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park, east of Escondido, honors the soldiers who fought in the battle between the U.S. and Californio forces on December 6, 1846 in the midst of the Mexican-American War. Generals Stephen Kearny and Andres Pico both claimed victory. The battle was only one of the military encounters in California in the war, but it proved to be the bloodiest and most controversial as to the outcome. The park has been set aside, not as a monument to war, but as a reminder of the human ideals, actions and passions that can drive nations to bloodshed.

  • Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

    The Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park sits atop Mission Hill offering a patio, gardens, and excellent views of the city. The park features the only building left of the 12th California Mission, Misión la Exaltacion de la Santa Cruz, founded by the Franciscans in 1791. Restored to its original appearance, the austere single-story adobe was once housing for the California Indian residents of the Mission. Exhibits inside tell the story of the mission through the lens of the experience of the Ohlone and Yokut people.

  • Santa Monica State Beach

    This beach is two miles long, has a picnic area, shops and pier. Visitor activities include volleyball, basketball and a running strip along the beach.

  • Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park

    This historic park, located in Los Angeles County where the Simi Hills meet the Santa Susana Mountains, is rich in natural, historical and cultural significance. Here in the western part of the Transverse Ranges, the land is dominated by high, narrow ridges and deep canyons covered with an abundant variety of plant life. The park offers panoramic views of the rugged natural landscape as a striking contrast to the developed communities nearby.

  • Schooner Gulch State Beach

    View from the beach of the bluff at Schooner Gulch State Beach.The beach and headlands preserve a scenic spot along the Mendocino Coast and offers a stunning perch for watching sunsets, or merely sitting in the grass as the afternoon sun glistens on the waters below. Fishing, picnicking, and surfing are popular activities here.

  • Seacliff State Beach

    This beach is known for its fishing pier and concrete freighter, The Palo Alto. Unfortunately, the ship is unsafe and closed to the public. Only the pier is open for fishing. The beach is also a popular swimming spot. There is a long stretch of sand backed by bluffs. There is a covered picnic facility. The park also has an interpretive center.

  • Shasta State Historic Park

    Six miles west of Redding a row of old, half-ruined, brick buildings remind passing motorists that Shasta City, the lusty "Queen City" of California’s northern mining district, once stood on this site. These ruins and some of the nearby roads, cottages, and cemeteries are all silent but eloquent vestiges of the intense activity that was centered here during the California gold rush.

  • Silver Strand State Beach

    Silver Strand State Beach features extensive beaches on both the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay. Combined with the area’s mild climate, the beaches make Silver Strand one of the area’s finest recreation destinations. Camping, swimming, surfing, boating, water-skiing, volleyball, and picnicking are popular activities. Anglers can fish for perch, corbina, grunion and yellow-fin croaker.

  • Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

    On Monday, September 5, 2011, a sick bat was found at Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area. This bat was in the area of a restroom in the Black Oak dayuse area. This bat tested positve for rabies. If you or anyone you know were in the area or may have come in contact with that bat, you should contact the San Bernardino Department of Public Health Communicable Disease Section at 1.800.722.4794 to evaluate the need for rabies treatment. More information can be found on the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health website at http://www.sbcounty.gov/dph/ .

  • Sinkyone Wilderness State Park

    The rugged wilderness that once characterized the entire Mendocino Coast can still be explored and enjoyed in the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. Since there are no main highways near the coast in this vicinity, the area has come to be called the "Lost Coast."

  • Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve

    Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve contains the beautiful Frank and Bess Smithe Grove of redwoods. The site was formerly a private resort. The park features a 60-foot waterfall, picnic area, and fishing and swimming in the south fork of the Eel River.

  • Sonoma Coast State Park

    Long sandy beaches below rugged headlands, a craggy coastline with natural arches and secluded coves are features that make Sonoma Coast State Park one of California's most scenic attractions.

  • Sonoma State Historic Park

    The historic, picturesque town of Sonoma is located in the heart of the beautiful Wine Country between Napa and Santa Rosa off Highway 12. Situated around a central plaza (the largest of its kind in California) filled with charming shops and restaurants, the city is home to Sonoma State Historic Park—site of the northernmost Franciscan Mission in California and birthplace of the California State Bear Flag.

  • South Carlsbad State Beach

    This San Diego beach features swimming, surfing, skin diving, fishing and picnicking. The large bluff-top campground is very popular, especially in summer. Stairs lead to the beach.

  • South Yuba River State Park

    offered every Saturday and Sunday from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. 11am - 2pm at Bridgeport.

  • Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area

    At the "gateway to the tall trees country," the area offers camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and swimming on the South Fork of the Eel River which winds through the park for almost two miles. One of the few virgin redwood stands remaining in this area can be seen on the Grove Trail.

  • State Indian Museum State Historic Park

    The State Indian Museum, opened in 1940, depicts three major themes of California Indian life: Nature, Spirit, and Family. Native peoples lived prosperously for thousands of years in what it now California. All of the exhibits and photographs on display in the museum are presented with respect for those who went before us on this land and continue to live in California communities today.

  • Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

    Sugarloaf Ridge State Park contains the headwaters of Sonoma Creek. It runs through gorge and canyon, across the meadow floor, beneath scenic rock outcroppings, and is surrounded at times by redwoods and ferns.

  • Sunset State Beach

    The beach features pine trees, mountainous sand dunes, and ocean side picnic spots. Bordered by large agricultural fields west of the city of Watsonville, the beach is a year-round destination for thousands of visitors.

  • Sutter's Fort State Historic Park

    Patty Reed’s doll will be off exhibit, temporarily, beginning July 6th, 2011. After many years of greeting visitors at the Fort and helping relay the story of pioneer life in California, she will be away having much needed conservation work. Expect her back in the spring of 2012, greeting visitors once more, in our updated Orientation Exhibit. Visit Sutter’s Fort today for an authentic experience of early California life. Patty’s doll, which she called “Dolly,” is a jointed wooden doll just under 4 inches tall. She is similar to dolls made in the Gröden Tal region of the Alps, which were popular throughout Europe and America in the early 1800s. Dolly’s small size means that she was probably intended to be a “dollhouse doll.”

  • Tahoe State Recreation Area

    Metal bear-resistant food lockers are provided in each campsite. All food, beverages, and tolietries are required by law to be stored in provided food lockers. The inside dimensions of the food lockedrs 36" deep, 43" wide, and 22" high. Violators will be cited.

  • The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

    The park offers rugged semi-wilderness, rising from sea level to steep coastal mountains of more than 2,600 feet. Once the site of logging operations until the 1920s, visitors can still find evidence of logging operations, mill sites and trestles in the park. The land was donated to the state by the Marks family in 1963.

  • Thornton State Beach

    In Daly City, at the end of Thornton Beach Road. Follow John Daly Boulevard west from Interstate 280 across Skyline Boulevard into Thornton State Beach. From Skyline Boulevard, turn west at the intersection with John Daly Boulevard into Thornton State Beach. From the parking area or the stables, proceed to the dunes on old Thornton Beach Road. The Bay Area Ridge Trail begins where the road meets the dunes.

  • Tolowa Dunes State Park

    This park takes in some of the finest wetlands habitat on California’s northern coast. An ancient sand dune complex that has evolved into several distinct ecological communities, Tolowa Dunes encompasses ocean beach, river, open and vegetated sand dunes, wooded ridges, and wetlands. A diverse assortment of birds, animals and plant life thrive here, and the area serves as an important stopover on the Pacific flyway for thousands of migrating ducks, geese and swans. The Smith River is a good place for salmon and steelhead fishing, and cutthroat trout can be taken at Lake Earl. The basic amenities are provided for campers at two primitive campgrounds, including a ride-in horse camp and six walk-in sites.

  • Tomales Bay State Park

    Tomales Bay State Park will be kept open through an agreement signed by the National Park Service (NPS) and California State Parks. The park includes lands within the boundaries of Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The schedule of operation for Tomales Bay will be determined in the next several months.

  • Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park

    The Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park: Kawaiisu Native American Village was created as a unit of California State Parks in 1993 to protect and preserve the integrity of the location. Nestled atop a ridge in the Tehachapi Mountains, overlooking Sand Canyon to the east and the Tehachapi valley to the west, Tomo-Kahni, or "Winter Village," was the site of a Kawaiisu (Nuooah) Village. The location was likely chosen for its moderate temperature and plentiful resources. The Kawaiisu migrated from the Great Basin and made the Tehachapi their home for two to three thousand years. The Kawaiisu are noted for their finely woven baskets of intricate and colorful design.

  • Topanga State Park

    Located in the cliffs and canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga State Park features 36 miles of trails through open grassland, live oaks and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

  • Torrey Pines State Beach

    State beaches are areas with frontage on the ocean, or bays designed to provide swimming, boating, fishing, and other beach-oriented recreational activities. This wide, sandy beach stretches 4 1/2 miles from Del Mar past Los Peñasquitos Lagoon to the base of sandstone cliffs at Torrey Pines Mesa. Swimming, surfing and fishing are popular. Red-hued bluffs and wet sand make strolling on the beach popular at low tide. A picnic area and parking lot are near the entrance on North Torrey Pines Road.

  • Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

    Torrey Pines State Natural ReserveState Natural Reserves have outstanding or unusual natural or scenic values. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is a wilderness island in an urban sea. This fragile environment is the home of our nation's rarest pine tree - Pinus torreyana. Once this tree covered a larger area. It now grows only here and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast near Santa Barbara. The park preserves not only the trees, but also one of the last salt marshes and waterfowl refuges in Southern California. The reserve features high broken cliffs and deep ravines on headlands overlooking the ocean. Hikers can follow trails through stands of wind-sculpted pines. A picturesque, pueblo-style structure that served as a restaurant when it was built in 1923 houses the visitor center, featuring interpretive displays. Picnicking and camping are prohibited in the reserve. The reserve's rich plant community features wildflowers in the spring and visitors can see the California quail gathered in coveys in the early mornings of fall and winter.

  • Trinidad State Beach

    It is a short hike through the woods, across open bluffs, and past seasonal wildflowers down to the beach. Low tide is the best time to visit.

  • Tule Elk State Natural Reserve

    Tule Elk State Natural Reserve protects a herd of tule elk, once in danger of extinction. In the 1880s, vast herds of tule elk were greatly reduced in number by hunting and loss of habitat.

  • Turlock Lake State Recreation Area

    Nestled in the rolling foothills of eastern Stanislaus County, Turlock Lake State Recreation Area is an ideal place for day- or week-long outings.

  • Twin Lakes State Beach

    The beach has a mile of sandy shoreline, popular for swimming and picnicking. The park’s adjacent Schwan's lake is a good location for bird watching.

  • Van Damme State Park

    Van Damme State Park consists of beach and upland on the Mendocino Coast. Of all the park system's units along the Mendocino coast, Van Damme is perhaps the richest in terms of historical resources connected with the redwood lumber industry. Its story is a prime example of the struggles and eventual failures of a small, independent lumber operation.

  • Verdugo Mountains Park Property

    The purpose of the Verdugo Mountains property, in Los Angeles County, is to preserve and protect as urban open space a remnant of natural lands located near the city of Glendale in the north portion of the heavily urbanized Los Angeles basin. The property, a geologically detached piece of the San Gabriel Mountains, offers vistas towards the main range and contains only a moderate level of its original biological diversity.

  • Washoe Meadows State Park

    Washoe Meadows State Park consists of meadows and woodlands in the valley at the base of the escarpment leading to Echo Summit. The park was named for the Native Americans who inhabited the area for thousands of years.

  • Wassama Round House State Historic Park

    This site is used by local Native Americans as a ceremonial meeting place. The park features special events and tours. Gathering Day, held the third Saturday of October, includes demonstrations of dancing, crafts and basket weaving.

  • Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park

    The temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California. On display are art objects, pictures, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. This Taoist temple is still a place of worship and a fascinating look into the role played by Chinese immigrants in early California history. The temple was built in 1874 as a replacement for another that had burned.

  • Westport-Union Landing State Beach

    Westport Union-Landing State Beach covers over 3 miles of rugged and scenic coastline, with 86 campsites available in three campgrounds on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The magnificent vistas, sunsets and tree-covered mountains in the background provide an inspiring backdrop to the park and challenges to both amateur and professional photographers.

  • Wilder Ranch State Park

    The park has 34 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails winding through coastal terraces and valleys. Several restored buildings once belonging to the Wilder family are preserved. The park has tours and living history demonstrations to help visitors explore the history of early ranchers and farmers along the Central Coast. The site was originally the main rancho supplying Santa Cruz Mission. It later became a successful and innovative dairy ranch. Surrounding grounds include Victorian homes, gardens, and historic adobe.

  • Will Rogers State Beach

    Will Rogers State Beach extends one and three-quarters mile along the shore. The beach features swimming and skin diving. Facilities include volleyball courts, playground and gymnastic equipment, as well as a bike path and walkway. A number of movies and TV shows have been filmed at this beach.

  • Will Rogers State Historic Park

    In the early 1930s, Will Rogers was the most popular and highest paid actor in Hollywood. From his start in vaudeville theater with a trick roping act, he rose to world-wide fame as a columnist, philosopher, radio personality, and movie star. During the 1920s, he bought land in Santa Monica, where he developed a ranch. Eventually, Will Rogers owned 186 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, in what is now known as Pacific Palisades.

  • William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park

    William B. Ide wrote the proclamation that established the short-lived California Bear Republic in 1846. It lasted 22 days. Ide recognized the opportunities available to him in the West and as a surveyor, miner, treasurer, district attorney, deputy clerk, and judge, provided support and leadership to this northern part of California. While the park memorializes Ide's role in early California history, recent research has shown he never owned the property.

  • Woodland Opera House State Historic Park

    The Woodland Opera House Theatre offers five Mainstage Productions from September to June. The theatre also has a Summer Melodrama Program, a Youth Theatre Camp in August of each year and a Young People's Theatre Program.

  • Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area

    Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area is a beautiful oak woodland park nestled along the Sacramento River between Chico and Red Bluff. Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, and the Trinity Alps loom in the distance.

  • Zmudowski State Beach

    The beach is a popular fishing area, featuring perch, kingfish, sole, flounder, halibut, bocaccio (tomcod), jacksmelt, lingcod, cabezon, salmon, steelhead and occasional rockfish.