California State Parks

California State Parks

California State Parks Overview

The California state parks system consists of over 280 parks making it one of the biggest and most diverse state parks systems in the United States and the world.

• 1.4 million acres
• over 280 miles of coastline
• 625 miles of lake and river frontage
• nearly 15,000 campsites
• 3,000 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails

California State Parks Trivia

• California’s first state park was the Yosemite Grant, which today constitutes part of Yosemite National Park.
• California’s oldest state park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, was founded in 1902.
• The largest state park in California is Anza-Borrego Desert State Park consisting of 500 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 smallest California State Park is Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park – 0.11 acres
• The oldest state park in California is Big Basin Redwoods State Park, established in 1902. Home to the largest continuous stand of Ancient Coast Redwoods south of San Francisco, the park consists of Old Growth and recovering Redwood Forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral, and riparian habitats.

List of California State Parks

Below are the state parks that are classified as state beaches, state recreation areas, park properties, etc.

We will link our articles as they are developed – as you can imagine, it will take us a while to work through them!

California State Parks in Alameda County

Albany State Marine Reserve
Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach
Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area
Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area
Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve
McLaughlin Eastshore State Park State Seashore
Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area

California State Parks in Alpine County

Grover Hot Springs State Park

California State Parks in Amador County

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park

California State Parks in Butte County

Butte City Project
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park

California State Parks in Calaveras County

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

California State Parks in Colusa County

Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Contra Costa County

Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve
Mount Diablo State Park
Franks Tract State Recreation Area
McLaughlin Eastshore State Park State Seashore
Marsh Creek State Historic Park

California State Parks in Del Norte County

Pelican State Beach
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
Tolowa Dunes State Park

California State Parks in El Dorado County

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
D. L. Bliss State Park
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
Emerald Bay State Park
Washoe Meadows State Park
Lake Valley State Recreation Area
Auburn State Recreation Area
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Fresno County

Millerton Lake State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Glenn County

Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park

California State Parks in Humboldt County

Azalea State Natural Reserve
Benbow State Recreation Area
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area
Humboldt Lagoons State Park
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Little River State Beach
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Richardson Grove State Park
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
Sue-meg State Park
Trinidad State Beach

California State Parks in Imperial County

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area
Picacho State Recreation Area
Salton Sea State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Lake County

Robert Louis Stevenson State Park

California State Parks in Los Angeles County

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park
Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
Castaic Lake State Recreation Area
Dockweiler State Beach
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
Los Angeles State Historic Park
Los Encinos State Historic Park
Malibu Creek State Park
Malibu Lagoon State Beach
Pío Pico State Historic Park
Placerita Canyon State Park
Point Dume State Beach
Rio de Los Angeles State Park State Recreation Area
Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach
Saddleback Butte State Park
Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park
Topanga State Park
Verdugo Mountains
Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park
Will Rogers State Beach
Will Rogers State Historic Park
Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area
Leo Carrillo State Park

California State Parks in Kern County

Fort Tejon State Historic Park
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park
Tule Elk State Natural Reserve

California State Parks in Lake County

Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
Clear Lake State Park

California State Parks in Madera County

Millerton Lake State Recreation Area
Wassama Round House State Historic Park

California State Parks in Marin County

China Camp State Park
Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park
Mount Tamalpais State Park
Olompali State Historic Park
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Tomales Bay State Park
Angel Island State Park

California State Parks in Mariposa County

California State Mining and Mineral Museum

California State Parks in Mendocino County

Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area
Caspar Headlands State Beach
Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve
Greenwood State Beach
Hendy Woods State Park
Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
MacKerricher State Park
Mailliard Woods State Natural Reserve
Manchester State Park
Mendocino Headlands State Park
Mendocino Woodlands State Park
Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve
Navarro River Redwoods State Park
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park
Reynolds Wayside Campground
Russian Gulch State Park
Schooner Gulch State Beach
Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area
Van Damme State Park
Westport-Union Landing State Beach
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park

California State Parks in Merced County

George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area
Great Valley Grasslands State Park
McConnell State Recreation Area
San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area
Pacheco State Park

California State Parks in Mono County

Bodie State Historic Park
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve

California State Parks in Monterey County

Andrew Molera State Park
Asilomar State Beach
Carmel River State Beach
Fort Ord Dunes State Park
Garrapata State Park
Hatton Canyon
John Little State Natural Reserve
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Limekiln State Park
Marina State Beach
Monterey State Beach
Monterey State Historic Park
Moss Landing State Beach
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Point Lobos Ranch
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Point Sur State Historic Park
Fremont Peak State Park
Salinas River State Beach
Zmudowski State Beach

California State Parks in Napa County

Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

California State Parks in Nevada County

Empire Mine State Historic Park
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
South Yuba River State Park
Donner Memorial State Park

California State Parks in Orange County

Bolsa Chica State Beach
Corona del Mar State Beach
Crystal Cove State Park
Doheny State Beach
Huntington State Beach
San Clemente State Beach
Chino Hills State Park

California State Parks in Placer County

Auburn State Recreation Area
Burton Creek State Park
Donner Memorial State Park
Kings Beach State Recreation Area
Tahoe State Recreation Area
Ward Creek Project
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Plumas County

Plumas-Eureka State Park

California State Parks in Riverside County

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
California Citrus State Historic Park
Indio Hills Palms
Lake Perris State Recreation Area
Mount San Jacinto State Park
Salton Sea State Recreation Area
San Timoteo Canyon
Wildwood Canyon
Chino Hills State Park

California State Parks in Sacramento County

Brannan Island State Recreation Area
California State Capitol Museum
Delta Meadows
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area
State Indian Museum
Stone Lake
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park

California State Parks in San Benito County

Fremont Peak State Park
Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area
San Juan Bautista State Historic Park

California State Parks in San Bernardino County

Chino Hills State Park
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

California State Parks in San Diego County

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Border Field State Park
Cardiff State Beach
Carlsbad State Beach
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Leucadia State Beach
Moonlight State Beach
Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Palomar Mountain State Park
San Elijo State Beach
San Onofre State Beach
San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park
Silver Strand State Beach
South Carlsbad State Beach
Tijuana Estuary
Torrey Pines State Beach
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

California State Parks in San Francisco County

Angel Island State Park
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area

California State Parks in San Joaquin County

Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area
Caswell Memorial State Park

California State Parks in San Luis Obispo County

Cambria State Marine Park
Cayucos State Beach
Estero Bluffs State Park
Harmony Headlands State Park
Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument
Hearst San Simeon State Park
Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve
Montaña de Oro State Park
Morro Bay State Park
Morro Strand State Beach
Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
Pismo State Beach

California State Parks in San Mateo County

Año Nuevo State Park
Bean Hollow State Beach
Burleigh H. Murray Ranch
Butano State Park
Castle Rock State Park
Gray Whale Cove State Beach
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Montara State Beach
Pacifica State Beach
Pescadero State Beach
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park
Pomponio State Beach
Portola Redwoods State Park
San Bruno Mountain State Park
San Gregorio State Beach
Thornton State Beach

California State Parks in Santa Barbara County

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park
El Capitán State Beach
El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
Gaviota State Park
La Purísima Mission State Historic Park
Point Sal State Beach
Refugio State Beach
Carpinteria State Beach

California State Parks in Santa Clara County

Martial Cottle Park State Recreation Area
Pacheco State Park
Henry W. Coe State Park
Castle Rock State Park

California State Parks in Santa Cruz County

Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Castle Rock State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Lighthouse Field State Beach
Manresa State Beach
Natural Bridges State Beach
New Brighton State Beach
Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe
Salinas River State Beach
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Seacliff State Beach
Sunset State Beach
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Twin Lakes State Beach
Wilder Ranch State Park
Zmudowski State Beach

California State Parks in Shasta County

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park
Castle Crags State Park
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Shasta State Historic Park

California State Parks in Solano County

Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
Benicia State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Sonoma County

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
Austin Creek State Recreation Area
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Jack London State Historic Park
Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve
Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park
Salt Point State Park
Sonoma Coast State Park
Sonoma State Historic Park
Trione-Annadel State Park
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park

California State Parks in Stanislaus County

Henry W. Coe State Park
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Sutter County

Sutter Buttes State Park

California State Parks in Tehama County

William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park
Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area

California State Parks in Trinity County

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park

California State Parks in Tuolumne County

Columbia State Historic Park
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

California State Parks in Tulare County

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

California State Parks in Ventura County

Carpinteria State Beach
Emma Wood State Beach
Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area
Leo Carrillo State Park
Mandalay State Beach
McGrath State Beach
Point Mugu State Park
San Buenaventura State Beach

California State Parks in Yolo County

California Indian Heritage Center State Park
Woodland Opera House State Historic Park

California State Parks