California National Parks, National Monuments and Scenic Places

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Select a location from the lists below, California map or try the general introduction page.

NPS Units

CABRILLO National Monument - rocky peninsula near San Diego

DEATH VALLEY National Park - starkly beautiful desert wilderness

DEVILS POSTPILE National Monument - unusual volcanic basalt formations in the eastern Sierra Nevada

GOLDEN GATE National Recreation Area - beaches, coastal bluffs, historic buildings and military sites around San Francisco

JOSHUA TREE National Park - desert, large rocks and curious plants

KINGS CANYON National Park - large wilderness area with deep canyons, lakes, sequoia trees and waterfalls

LASSEN VOLCANIC National Park - amazing volcanic and geothermal phenomena

LAVA BEDS National Monument - cinder cones, craters and lava caves in the far north

MOJAVE National Preserve - excellent desert scenery

MUIR WOODS National Monument - small but accessible redwood forest north of San Francisco on the Marin Peninsula

PINNACLES National Monument - isolated mountains composed of eroded, volcanic rock

POINT REYES National Seashore - isolated hilly peninsula bordered by miles of wind-swept beaches and cliffs

REDWOOD National and State Parks - dense coastal redwood forests

SEQUOIA National Park - huge trees, cliffs and mountains

YOSEMITE National Park - glaciated peaks and valleys of great beauty

Golden Gate National Recreation AreaGolden Gate Bridge

Yosemite National ParkUpper Gaylor Lake

Other Major Scenic Places

ANZA BORREGO DESERT State Park - large, varied area of canyons, mountains, desert and badlands

BIG SUR - the Pacific Coast of central California, south of Carmel

BIG BASIN REDWOODS - thick coastal redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Jose

BODIE State Historical Park - exceptionally intact, well preserved and authentic California ghost town

CALAVERAS BIG TREES State Park - giant sequoia in the northern Sierra Nevada - NEW

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS - series of historic Spanish churches dating from 1769

HUMBOLDT REDWOODS State Park - ancient redwood forest in north California

LAKE TAHOE - major center for recreation, enclosed by high mountains

PALM SPRINGS - exclusive town surrounded by deserts and mountains

POINT LOBOS State Reserve - beautiful, rocky peninsula with abundant wildlife, near Carmel and Big Sur

Point Lobos State ReserveWeston Beach

Miscellaneous Locations

Algodones Dunes - vast sandy expanse in the far southeast

Andrew Molera State Park - Big Sur beaches and coastal bluffs

Big Pine Lakes - mountain lakes high in the Sierra Nevada, beneath Palisade Glacier

Box Canyon - twisting, eroded ravine, part of the San Andreas Fault

Calico Ghost Town Regional Park - partially restored silver mining town northeast of Barstow

Donner Memorial State Park - historic location with a relaxing setting

Garrapata State Park - beautiful section of the Big Sur coastline

Giant Sequoia National Monument - many groves of giant sequoia trees, in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains

Griffith Park - hilly city park overlooking Hollywood and Los Angeles

Hot Creek Geological Area - hot springs and fumaroles close to Mammoth Lakes, part of the Long Valley Caldera

Humboldt Lagoons State Park - forested lagoons beside the northern Pacific coast - NEW

Jacumba Outstanding Natural Area - desert and mountains near the Mexican border

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park - giant redwoods in the far northwest - NEW

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park - a coastal waterfall, beaches, cliffs and wooded hills, along Big Sur

Mammoth Lakes - ski resort town at the edge of the Sierra Nevada

Mono Lake - unusual lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada foothills

Mount Shasta - snow-capped dormant volcano in the Cascade range

Pinnacles National Natural Landmark - strange spires in the desert south of Trona

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park - coastal redwoods near Crescent City

Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark - weathered desert canyons and badlands

Red Rock Canyon State Park - exposed, eroded, colorful strata

Route 66 - long section of the old highway through the Mojave Desert

Saddleback Butte State Park - isolated peak in Antelope Valley, in the southern Mojave Desert - NEW

Salton Sea - large, shallow, salty inland lake bordering Imperial Valley

San Gabriel Mountains - hilly area providing a refuge from Los Angeles

Torrey Pines State Reserve - dunes and sandstone cliffs north of San Diego

Trinidad State Beach - beautiful section of the north California coastline

Vasquez Rocks County Park - exposed, angular strata north of Los Angeles - NEW

Mono LakeTufa spires

Garrapata State ParkGarrapata Beach

Details of the three new national monuments in California.

New places added later this year include Big Bear Lake, Castle Crags State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Griffith Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the Lost Coast, McArthur Burney Falls State Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, plus updates to many existing sections.