California has so many beautiful destinations to visit, and our State Park System helps preserve and protect our state’s extraordinary biological diversity and natural resources to ensure they last for generations to come. There is so much to explore here in the Golden State, from Redwood Forests and Historic Sites to pristine coastal regions and vast deserts. Whether you’re looking to escape the bustle of the city, or a destination for off-highway vehicle recreation, California State Parks have something for you. Here are some of the best State Parks in California.

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

Address: 15101 Lancaster Rd., Lancaster, CA 93536
Phone: 661-724-1180

The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is open sunrise to sunset every day, year round. But the best time to visit is during late winter and early spring when the wildflowers are in full bloom! During superblooms the park can get very crowded, and it is often windy, but seeing our state flower blanketing the hillsides is a pretty amazing sight to see.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Address: 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Park Headquarters: 760-767-5311
Visitor Center: 760-767-4205

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is the largest State Park in California coming in at over 600,000 acres. The park spans San Diego County to Imperial County and stretches from Riverside County to the Mexican Border. Anza Borrego Desert State Park is best for hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, seasonal wildflower viewing, wildlife viewing.

Chino Hills State Park

Discovery Center Parking Area: 4500 Carbon Canyon Road, Brea, CA 92823
Bane Canyon Road Entrance: 4721 Sapphire Road, Chino Hills, CA 91709
Phone: 714-524-2471

Chino Hills State Park is a natural, open space area that provides access corridors for wildlife to migrate between wilderness areas. There are beautiful trails to explore, the Historic Rolling M Ranch, and camping opportunities. Chino Hills State Park is also a popular spot for viewing wildflowers. The park is best for camping, hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

Crystal Cove State Park

Address: 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: 949-494-3539

Crystal Cove State Park is one of the largest remaining examples of natural seashore and open space in Orange County. It features historic beach cottages that date back to the early 1900s, 3.2 miles of beach, an offshore State Marine Conservation Protected Area, campgrounds, and 2,400 acres of backcountry wilderness. Crystal Cove State Park is best for beach activities, snorkeling and diving, tidepooling, hiking, and camping.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

Address: 13652 Highway 79, Julian, CA
Phone: 760-765-3020

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park sits about 40 miles east of San Diego. While many state parks have designated park entrances, Cuyamaca is laid out a bit differently, with many trailheads situated along Highway 79, some with large parking lots, and some with minimal roadside parking. The park itself is comprised of oak and conifer forests and expansive meadows. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is best for hiking, horseback riding, and camping.

Doheny State Beach

Address: 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629
Phone: 949-496-6171

Doheny State Beach is California’s first State Beach. It is one of the state’s most popular state beaches, attracting around one million visitors annually. Located in Dana Point, this is a popular spot for surfing and camping. There is an aquarium at the visitor center, tide pools to explore, and hiking and biking trails.

Hearst San Simeon State Park

Address: 500 San Simeon Creek Road, Cambria, CA 93428
Phone: 805-772-6101

One of the oldest parks in the California State Park System, Hearst San Simeon State Park is comprised of pristine coastal bluffs and rocky seashore. It includes the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve, the San Simeon Natural Preserve, and the Pa-nu Cultural Preserve. Notably, Hearst San Simeon is the unique home to an elephant seal rookery. It is just a few miles from Hearst San Simeon State Historic Monument Visitor Center, and Hearst Castle. Hearst San Simeon State Park is best for boating, wildlife viewing, camping, and hiking and biking.

Mount San Jacinto State Park

Address: Idyllwild Entrance & Park Headquarters – 25905 Highway 243, Idyllwild, CA 92549; Long Valley Ranger Station Via Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – 1 Tramway Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Phone: 951-659-2607/760-327-0222

Mount San Jacinto offers 14,000 acres of wilderness to explore via backcountry trails. You’ll climb peaks and wander through meadows. Highlights here include San Jacinto Peak at 10,834 feet in elevation and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway ride that takes visitors to the Mountain Station entrance to the State Park. You can also access the park in Idyllwild, but you won’t get the 6,00 foot ride up the side of the mountain on this end. Mount San Jacinto State Park is best for hiking and camping.

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

Address: 4002 Wallace Street, San Diego, CA 92110
Phone: 619-220-5422

At Old Town San Diego State Historic Park you’ll step into California’s past with restored and reconstructed buildings converted into shops, museums, and restaurants that pay homage to life in the community between 1821 and 1872. Old Town San Diego Historic Park is best for learning about the community through living history, hiking, picnicking, and shopping.

Palomar Mountain State Park

Address: 19952 State Park Road., Palomar, CA 92060
Phone: 760-742-3462

Palomar Mountain State Park is located east of San Diego at an elevation of 5,000 feet. Visitors are immersed in a Sierra-Nevada-like atmosphere with beautiful forests and meadows with pine trees, firs, and cedars. The majority of the 1800+ acres of this park is covered with coniferous forest. Highlights here include the magnificent hiking trails, campgrounds, the historic weir, Doane Pond, Boucher Hill Summit and the Boucher Hill Fire Lookout. Palomar Mountain State Park is best for hiking and camping (mountain bikes are not allowed on trails here).

Redwood State Parks

There are a whopping 49 state parks dedicated to preserving the coastal redwood forests and giant sequoias. Locations for these parks span from Humboldt County near the northern California border to Big Sur on the central coast. These state parks protect about 140,000 acres of forest. Learn more about the Redwood State Parks locations and details.

San Onofre State Beach

Phone: 949-492-4872

With over 2 million visitors annually, San Onofre State Beach is one of Southern California’s most popular coastal destinations. The rocky bluffs and sandy beaches are perfect for a day out, and the swells here are a favorite for surfers. This is a prime destination for camping with its bluff top campgrounds, so you’ll have to be sure to make reservations well in advance. San Onofre State Beach is best for camping, beach activities, and surfing.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park

Address: 2701 L Street, Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: 916-445-4422

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is located in Sacramento and marks the first permanent European Colonial Settlement in the Central Valley. Visitors can explore the adobe fort built in 1840, and the sawmill where gold was discovered in 1848. There are regular living history events here. Sutter’s Fort is best for education and learning about California’s history.

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve & State Beach

Address: 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, San Diego, CA 92037
Phone: 858-755-2063

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve & State Beach are some of San Diego’s most visited destinations. It is the site of the nation’s rarest pine tree – it now only grows here and on Santa Rosa Island. The reserve has trails for exploring, or you can head to the beach and enjoy a day there. Torrey Pines is best for hiking, nature and wildlife viewing, and beach activities.

Find The Best National Parks In California

List of California State Parks

Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park
Albany State Marine Reserve
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
Andrew Molera State Park
Angel Island State Park
Ano Nuevo State Park
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve
Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
Asilomar State Beach
Auburn State Recreation Area
Austin Creek State Recreation Area
Azalea State Natural Reserve
Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park
Bean Hollow State Beach
Benbow State Recreation Area
Benicia State Recreation Area
Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Bodie State Historic Park
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Border Field State Park
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
Brannan Island State Recreation Area
Burleigh H. Murray Ranch Park Property
Burton Creek State Park
Butano State Park
Butte City Project Park Property
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
California Citrus State Historic Park
California Indian Heritage Center Park Property
California State Capitol
California State Mining and Mineral Museum Park Property
California State Railroad Museum Point of Interest
Cambria State Marine Park
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area
Cardiff State Beach
Carlsbad State Beach
Carmel River State Beach
Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area
Carpinteria State Beach
Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve
Caspar Headlands State Beach
Castaic Lake State Recreation Area
Castle Crags State Park
Castle Rock State Park
Caswell Memorial State Park
Cayucos State Beach
China Camp State Park
Chino Hills State Park
Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
Clear Lake State Park
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
Columbia State Historic Park
Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area
Corona del Mar State Beach
Crystal Cove State Park
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
D. L. Bliss State Park
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
Delta Meadows Park Property
Dockweiler State Beach
Doheny State Beach
Donner Memorial State Park
Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch SVRA – Los Osos Oaks SNR
Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
El Capitan State Beach
El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
Emerald Bay State Park
Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve
Emma Wood State Beach
Empire Mine State Historic Park
Estero Bluffs State Park
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
Fort Ord Dunes State Park
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Fort Tejon State Historic Park
Franks Tract State Recreation Area
Fremont Peak State Park
Garrapata State Park
Gaviota State Park
George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area
Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Great Valley Grasslands State Park
Greenwood State Beach
Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
Grover Hot Springs State Park
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Harmony Headlands State Park
Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area
Hatton Canyon Park Property
Hearst San Simeon State Park
Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument
Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
Hendy Woods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Henry W. Coe State Park
Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area
Humboldt Lagoons State Park
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area
Huntington State Beach
Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park
Indio Hills Palms Park Property
Jack London State Historic Park
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve
John Little State Natural Reserve
Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
Kings Beach State Recreation Area
Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park
Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
Lake Perris State Recreation Area
Lake Valley State Recreation Area
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Leo Carrillo State Park
Leucadia State Beach
Lighthouse Field State Beach
Limekiln State Park
Little River State Beach
Locke Boarding House Museum Point of Interest
Los Angeles State Historic Park
Los Encinos State Historic Park
Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve
MacKerricher SP – Providence Mountains SRA
MacKerricher State Park
Mailliard Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
Malibu Creek State Park
Malibu Lagoon State Beach
Manchester State Park
Mandalay State Beach
Manresa State Beach
Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park
Marina State Beach
Marsh Creek State Park State Historic Park
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
Martial Cottle Park State Recreation Area
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
McConnell State Recreation Area
McGrath State Beach
McLaughlin Eastshore State Park State Seashore
Mendocino Headlands State Park
Mendocino Woodlands State Park
Millerton Lake State Recreation Area
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve
Montana de Oro State Park
Montara State Beach
Monterey State Historic Park
Monterey State Beach
Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve
Moonlight State Beach
Morro Bay State Park
Morro Strand State Beach
Moss Landing State Beach
Mount Diablo State Park
Mount San Jacinto State Park
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Natural Bridges State Beach
Navarro River Redwoods State Park
New Brighton State Beach
Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Olompali State Historic Park
Pacheco State Park
Pacifica State Beach
Palomar Mountain State Park
Pelican State Beach
Pescadero State Beach
Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Picacho State Recreation Area
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park
Pio Pico State Historic Park
Pismo State Beach
Placerita Canyon State Park
Plumas-Eureka State Park
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park
Point Dume State Beach
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Point Lobos Ranch Park Property
Point Mugu State Park
Point Sal State Beach
Point Sur State Historic Park
Pomponio State Beach
Portola Redwoods State Park
Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Railtown SHP – Zmudowski SB
Railtown State Historic Park
Rancho San Andres Castro Adobe Park Property
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Refugio State Beach
Reynolds Wayside Campground
Richardson Grove State Park
Rio de Los Angeles State Park State Recreation Area
Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach
Russian Gulch State Park
Saddleback Butte State Park
Salinas River State Beach
Salt Point State Park
Salton Sea State Recreation Area
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
San Bruno Mountain State Park
San Buenaventura State Beach
San Clemente State Beach
San Elijo State Beach
San Gregorio State Beach
San Juan Bautista State Historic Park
San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area
San Onofre State Beach
San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park
San Timoteo Canyon Park Property
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park
Schooner Gulch State Beach
Seacliff State Beach
Shasta State Historic Park
Silver Strand State Beach
Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Sonoma State Historic Park
Sonoma Coast State Park
South Carlsbad State Beach
South Yuba River State Park
Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area
State Indian Museum State Historic Park
Stone Lake Park Property
Sue-meg State Park
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Sunset State Beach
Sutter Buttes State Park
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
Tahoe State Recreation Area
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Thornton State Beach
Tijuana Estuary NP Point of Interest
Tolowa Dunes State Park
Tomales Bay State Park
Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park
Topanga State Park
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Torrey Pines State Beach
Trinidad State Beach
Trione-Annadel State Park
Tule Elk State Natural Reserve
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
Twin Lakes State Beach
Van Damme State Park
Verdugo Mountains Park Property
Ward Creek Park Property
Washoe Meadows State Park
Wassama Round House State Historic Park
Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park
Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
Westport-Union Landing State Beach
Wilder Ranch State Park
Wildwood Canyon Park Property
Will Rogers State Beach
Will Rogers State Historic Park
William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park
Woodland Opera House State Historic Park
Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area
Zmudowski State Beach

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Heidi Deal is the author of the Newcomers Handbook to Living In Los Angeles & Orange County, and a children’s book author specializing in history and human rights.

Best State Parks In California