Already valued at an estimated $185 billion, the worldwide ecotourism segment is expected to exceed $374 billion in global impact within the decade.
21.07.2023 - 07:48 / roughguides.com
California has more national parks than any other state in the United States. With such a wealth of choices, deciding which national park to visit can be tough. So we've made things easier for you – here's our list of the best national parks in California. Embrace the great outdoors in America’s Golden State.
The information in this article is inspired by the Rough Guide to California , your essential guide for visiting California.
The eerily beautiful landscape of Lassen Volcanic National Park is unlike anything else in California. Its scorched earth, steaming fumaroles and belching mud pools are more Mars than Mendocino County. Visit Lassen Volcanic National Park for its otherworldly landscapes. The names on the park map say it all: Hot Rock, Cinder Cone, Boiling Springs Lake, and the Sulphur Works.
June to October, when the roads are clear from snow. You will want to rent a car.
Lassen Volcanic National Park — one of the best national parks in California © Shutterstock
Just three hours away from Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park is undoubtedly one of the best national parks in California. This desert area is surprisingly chock-full of life despite its harsh and unforgiving environment. Explore during sunrise or sunset when the whole desert floor is bathed in red light.
Joshua Tree National Park is best visited in the winter, when temperatures are more benign.
There are so many beautiful places unique to the United States — don't miss our list of the 20 places to embrace the great outdoors in the USA.
Silhouettes of Joshua Trees — in one of many national parks in California © Shutterstock
California’s newest national park, approved in 2012, is the result of a series of volcanic eruptions and the seismic shifting of the San Andreas Fault. In this park, you'll find craggy spires, chaparral hills and talus caves that make for wacky wildlife heaven. If you're wondering what to see in California, Pinnacles is high on the list for a unique experience.
March through April
Are you travelling beyond California? Don't miss our guide to the best national parks in the US.
Craggy Pinnacles National Park, California © Shutterstock
Want to feel like a literary legend? For a taste of what life must have been like for Gulliver when he made land in Brobdingnag, head to the far reaches of Northern California and Redwood National Park. The trees here are some of the largest on the planet. These arboreal monsters can grow as high as a 35-storey building and whose trunks are so thick you could drive a double-decker bus through them – sideways.
The park’s impressive 131, 000 acres are divided into distinct areas: Prairie Creek Redwood, Del Norte Coast Redwood and Jedediah Smith Redwood state parks.
Summertime
Getting ready
Already valued at an estimated $185 billion, the worldwide ecotourism segment is expected to exceed $374 billion in global impact within the decade.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed a park road due to bear activity during a time when the animals are foraging for food.
Autonomous cars have come a long way since Google's self-driving car project started back in 2009.
The chance to spot a bear, bison, or bald eagle in the wild is one of the major reasons travelers visit the United States’ 63 national parks. You might assume that a megafauna mecca like Yellowstone National Park would offer the best odds of seeing multiple animals.
What’s the most expensive airport in America? Here’s a hint: It’s not exactly in the continental U.S. If you guessed Guam then high five!
When the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) proposed drastic hikes to admission fees last fall, the reaction was swift and negative. It seems the NPS heard what people will saying.
New York? San Francisco? When it comes to romance, they have nothing on … Biloxi, Mississippi?
May is here, which means Memorial Day–the unofficial start to summer–is just around the corner. Memorial Day isn’t the biggest travel holiday of the year, with many people choosing quick, local getaways (read: driving, instead of flying).
Glacier National Park is one of the most gorgeous parks in the national park system. The sprawling park is in northern Montana and is home to some of the oldest glaciers in the US — not to mention wildlife like grizzly and brown bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, pumas, wolves, elk, moose, and more. The park has gorgeous day hikes running between half a mile or 20 miles, and some of the best backcountry backpacking in the US. You can even hike from the US into Waterton Lakes National Park, the attached national park just on the other side of the US-Canada border.
Endless miles of scenic highways that wind coast to coast and meander around breathtaking natural wonders and ever-changing landscapes make hitting the open road second nature in the US. When it comes to the Midwest there’s often a misconception that it’s all about flyover states and repetitive countryside. But away from the big cities, industrial centers, and sprawling farmland, you can stumble upon some of the most European cities in America.
Tsingy National Park (full name: The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park) is a national park in Madagascar. The name “tsingy” comes from a Malagasy word meaning “walking on tiptoes,” which is an apt description of the landscape of the park. It is known for its unique karst formations, formed by rain that dissolved the soft limestone over time, creating sharp, rocky spires.
Winter may not seem like the ideal time to visit the wilds of a national park, but really there’s no bad time to enjoy the beauty of America’s public lands. Some national parks in temperate or even tropical climates are better to visit in winter when they’re free from the scalding heat of summer. If you don’t mind the potential for a bit of snow, you’ll enjoy relative quiet in some of the larger parks visited en masse during warmer months.