While the fate of our country's most majestic swaths of nature hangs in the balance, there is no time like the present to visit our national parks.
So, break out your bucket list and start checking them off: Here's how to get the best of our 10 favorite national parks this side of the Colorado River.
California's National Parks: From High Desert to the World's Tallest Trees
Death Valley National Park
(Courtesy of National Parks Conservation Association)
Sequoia and King Canyons National Parks
Home to sky-scraping, centuries-old redwoods, Sequoia National Park really is The Land of Giants. In fact, Sequoia was the first national park solely founded to protect and sustain the giant sequoias. Once you're in the presence of these 250-foot tall behemoths—found only between 5,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level—you'll understand why people travel thousands of miles to see them.
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, while considered separate, are often spoken of in the same breath; Kings Canyon runs contiguous to Sequoia National Park. Because of this, we'd recommend taking the short trek north to see the endearing, near-as-much 275-foot tall General Sherman Tree and Redwood Mountain Grove—the largest grouping of giant sequoias anywhere in the world.
- Established: 1890
- Camp: Hume Lake, Big Meadows, and Stony Creek Area Campground sites can be reserved for around $20 per night.
- Main attractions: The fresh water cascading down the granite rock formations at Tokopah Falls and your best bet to see a wolverine in the wild—both activities are at their prime during the spring and summer months.
- Like a boss: Be on the lookout for gravity-defying salamanders that can't be found anywhere else in the world
// Sequoia National Park, 47050 Generals Hwy, Three Rivers, California, nps.org
Death Valley National Park
A few miles away from the lush greenery of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is Death Valley National Park. Known for its natural sandstone formations, this more than three million-acre span of grasslands, deserts, and valleys should be on anyone's Golden State bucket list.
- Established: 1994
- Camp: All nine campgrounds have campsites that can be reserved for between $7 to $36 per night stay
- Main attractions: Wildflowers bloom in the spring and great 4WD trails around the sand dunes at Emigrant campground.
- Like a boss: Be sure to bring plenty of water since refilling stations are scarce; filling-up your car's tank can also prevent you from become a skeleton of yourself—literally.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
A melting pot of indigenous life, the Lassen Volcanic National Park was once a meeting point for at least four documented Native American groups: the Atsugewi, Yana, Yahi, and Maidu people. A few hundred years later, the remnants of those resident cultures can be seen sprinkled throughout the more than 27,000 acres of volcanic-rich soil, the same soil helping grow the park's sky-reaching cedars and pines.
- Established: 1917
- Camp: The southwest campground offers walk-in sites, but all other campgrounds are currently listed as closed. We recommend calling to inquire about opening.
- Main attractions: Ski and snow well into the spring months, and a bird's-eye view of scaling pines and clear blue waters from the lookout at Juniper Lake.
- Like a boss: More than 700 flowering plants can be found within the park.
// Lassen Volcanic National Park, 21820 Lassen Peak Hwy, Mineral, California, nps.org
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is a Bay Arean's perennial favorite. Slightly larger than the size of Rhode Island, this nearly half-million acre landscape represents the meeting of the Mojave and Colorado deserts. If you're an avid climber, there's no better place in Southern California to fine-tune your bouldering skills.
- Established: 1936
- Camp: Nine campgrounds offer sites between $8 to $20; Black Rock Campground, Indian Cove Campground, and Cottonwood Campground are the only three that offer flushing toilets and watering stations.
- Main attractions: Fantastic lookouts for birding and impeccable stargazing, Joshua Tree is one of the least light-polluted areas in Southern California.
- Like a boss: The Lost Palms Oasis Trail is particularly beautiful to hike come sunrise and sunset.
// 6554 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, California, nps.org
