The state of California is known for its natural beauty. The landscape varies greatly from region to region - from majestic mountains with dense forest floors to dry and vast deserts. The amount of outdoor recreation activities in California is enormous, and with the ever-changing seasons there’s new adventure to explore throughout the year.

California has nine national parks, which is the most of any one state (Alaska comes in second with eight national parks). Across the United States there’s a total of 62 national parks. The definition of a national park is land set aside by the federal government to protect it from development so that the general public can enjoy its natural beauty.

When you’re planning your visit to any national park, you can use the National Park Service website to check for current conditions, to see if the park is open to the public, maps and other vital information.

For all you nature-loving goal setters, I’ve created a FREE California national parks printable checklist that you can download below. Or you can also scroll to the bottom of the post and pin the checklist into your Pinterest board.

Yosemite National Park

Growing up in Northern California, I’ve been to Yosemite several times. But each visit still feels like a new adventure because this park is filled with so much majesty and natural beauty.

Each season in Yosemite in very different - you have snow in the winter, lush green landscape and flowing waterfalls in the spring, warm evenings in the summer and colorful foliage in the autumn.

In Yosemite there’s a ton of outdoor recreational activities for people of all ages. There’s hiking ranging from easy trails to extremely challenging, camping, fishing, picnic areas and more. During our winter visit in Yosemite, we went ice skating and enjoyed s’mores by the campfire at the Tenaya Lodge.

See our guide to bringing your dog to Yosemite.

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is located inside California's southern Sierra Nevada mountain range in Tulare County. This park is mostly known for the sprawling forests of enormous sequoia trees.

Inside the Giant Forest is the General Sherman Tree which is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth. This record-breaking tree measures 25 feet in diameter and 275 feet tall.

Other attraction inside the Sequoia National Park are the underground Crystal Cave, the Tunnel Tree, granite dome Moro Rock and Tokopah Valley Waterfall.

Kings Canyon National Park

Located just north of Sequoia National Park is Kings Canyon National Park, making it super easy to hit up both these locations on one trip. Famous nature lover John Muir wrote that King’s Canyon is “a rival of Yosemite” because of its grand rock formations.

Similar to Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon also has enormous sequoia trees - the most famous being the gigantic General Grant Tree in Grant Grove.

The Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon National Park is a very scenic natural water attractions, great for photography.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

In the northern region of California you’ll find Lassen Volcanic National Park. Lassen Peak is the largest plug dome volcano in the world, and the surrounding areas of the park are rich in hydrothermal sites.

You can look for hydrothermal features such as roaring fumaroles (steam and volcanic-gas vents), thumping mud pots, boiling pools, and steaming ground. Hiking trails that allow you to see these natural wonders are Bumpass Hell Trail, Boiling Springs Lake, Devils Kitchen, and Terminal Geyser.

Pinnacles National Park

If you’re planning a trip to central California, Pinnacles National Park is only an hour drive outside of Monterey. Pinnacles Park is known for unique rock formations and rugged terrain, making a great destination for avid hikers and rock climbers.

Wildlife includes the California Condor, which is the largest North American land bird with a wingspan of 10 feet. There’s also plenty of caves to explore in Pinnacles for those who want to channel their inner Indiana Jones.

If you’re planning a camping trip to Pinnacles, the campground is the only National Park with a public swimming pool.

See our travel guide to Carmel in Monterey County.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is very distinct from the other parks because of its unique desert landscape. Located less than an hour outside Palm Springs in Southern California, it’s a popular place to escape for the weekend.

The sprawling desert is dotted with the funny looking Joshua Trees, and the rocks are very round and bubbly. The whole scene looks like it’s straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Many visitors consider Joshua Tree to be a spiritual place for pilgrimages, and other enjoy the hiking trails and desert oasis.

See my guide to be best hidden gems in Joshua Tree.

Channel Islands National Park

In southern California the five islands known as the Channel Islands sit right off the coast. Each island is rich in natural ecology and wildlife, making each one a unique place to explore.

Anacapa Island - you’ll find trails to a lighthouse built in 1932. Inspiration Point hiking trail provides stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and of the adjacent islands.
Santa Cruz Island - The Painted Sea Cave is the longest in North America and goes quarter-mile into the rocky side of the island.
Santa Rosa Island - Is the second largest of the Channel Islands and is one of two places in California where the rare Torrey pine trees grow.
San Miguel Island - Point Bennett is home to thousands of seals who have claimed this island as their home. They are very much protected from humans because it’s an incredibly difficult hike and trek to reach them.
Santa Barbara Island - While it’s the smallest of the islands, it’s one of the most accessible and you can enjoy water recreational activities such as swimming, diving, snorkeling, and kayaking.

Death Valley National Park

As suggested by its name, Death Valley is not for the faint of heart. It’s the hottest, driest, and lowest National Park, and the temperatures in both the summer and winter are very extreme. Death Valley sets the record for the hottest summer ever at 134 degrees Fahrenheit, and in the winter it can drop to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

The springtime and autumn are the best seasons to visit Death Valley. In March and April the temperatures average around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and in October and November it’s also an average of 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sights in Death Valley include wildflowers, Badwater Basin’s salt flats, hiking and even five ghost towns. The Devil’s Golf Course is made of halite salt crystal formations.

If you love ghost towns, see our guide to exploring the Bodie Ghost Town!

Redwood National State Park

The redwood parks are a collection of protected forests scattered around northern California. Similar to the sequoias, the redwoods are also giant trees and can be found in dense forests and along the coastline.

The trail in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park has some of the best trails to see some of the oldest and biggest trees. If you’d like to see the redwood trees so big that you can actually drive through them, they’re located on the 101 along the “Avenue of the Giants” highway in northern California.

Because these trees are located in cooler areas of California, the best time of year to visit is in the summer.

See our Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve Hiking Guide.