Overview of California National Parks

• YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK = 3.5 Million Visitors per Year: California’s Most Popular National Park.  What’s it Known For? Yosemite is famous for massive waterfalls, killer hikes, & pretty meadows ~ but its legendary Half Dome rock is one of the state’s most enduring images.  It’s also the rock Alex Honnold famously climbed….without ropes, in the movie “Free Solo.”  How Many Days to Spend? 2-5 Days. Yosemite is a bit remote, & there’s no sense driving all this way without spending time exploring.  Where to Stay?  The Ahwanee Hotel is a National Park classic & Yosemite MUST ~ just be prepared to book a year in advance. 
• JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK = 3 Million Visitors per Year: Legendary Trees + U2’s Iconic Album Name!  What’s it Known For?  Joshua trees!  Only found in the southwest U.S. ~ this park has the highest concentration of these striking trees. Combine that with massive boulders & a beautiful desert landscape, & you’ve got an amazing spot to camp, hike, & take amazing photos. How Many Days to Spend? 1-3 Days. As the scenery here can get a bit repetitive, combine a visit here with a pool-hopping getaway to nearby Palm Springs.  Where to Stay?  For glamping try AutoCamp Joshua Tree ~ or for more glam, check out Sparrows Lodge in Palm Springs.
• DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK = 1.1 Million Visitors per Year: Park with the Scariest Name!  What’s it Known For?  The highest temperature ever recorded on earth was in Death Valley, at a staggering 134 degrees!! But don’t let that scare you off: come here to hike gorgeous sand dunes & camp under a canopy of stars. How Many Days to Spend? At least 2 days; can also be combined with a visit to Joshua Tree, or head north-west to Kings Canyon & Sequoia.  Where to Stay?  There are no luxury hotels here ~ but the Inn at Death Valley is a solid choice….or bring your tent & camp. 
• SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK = 1.2 Million Visitors per Year: Typically Paired with a Visit to Kings Canyon.  What’s it Known For?  GIANT sequoia trees. Five of the world’s 10 largest trees are in this park. How Many Days to Spend? 2-3 Days; pair with a visit to next-door Kings Canyon.  Where to Stay?  Buckeye Tree Lodge & Cabins is set right off the main highway, making for easy access ~ while Silver City Mountain Resort gives you rustic chic a little further out, among the sequoias. 
• KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK = 562,000 Visitors per Year: Next-Door to Sequoia National Park.  What’s it Known For?  John Muir called Kings Canyon one of the only “rivals to Yosemite” ~ & it features much of the same scenery, with far less people. You’ll find deep valleys, trees tall as skyscrapers, massive rock formations, & the largest remaining grove of sequoia trees in the world. How Many Days to Spend Here? 2-3 Days. Where to Stay? Check out John Muir Lodge. 
• REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK = 435,000 Visitors per Year: Furthest North California National Park.  What’s it Known For?  You’ll find some of the tallest, oldest trees in the world here, mainly old-growth coastal redwoods. You can also drive through a tree here…I vividly remember this from my childhood! How Many Days to Spend? 2-3 Days; can also be combined with a road-trip on the Oregon Coast.  Where to Stay?  Lost Whale Inn Oceanfront B&B & Turtle Rocks Oceanfront Inn are both stunning nearby hotels with incredible ocean views. 
• PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK = 350,000 Visitors per Year: Close to Carmel & Big Sur.  What’s it Known For?  Chapparal-covered rock outcroppings created by an ancient volcanic eruption.  How Many Days to Spend? 1-2 Days; can be combined with a visit to nearby Big Sur & Carmel, which (in my opinion) are prettier than Pinnacles.  Where to Stay?  If you want to stay right in the park, try Inn at the Pinnacles ~ a refined B&B serving up free nightly wine. For more luxury, head over to Carmel & stay at the L’Auberge or beautiful Carmel Valley Ranch.
• LASSEN NATIONAL PARK = 350,000 Visitors per Year: California’s Most Volcanic National Park.  What’s it Known For?  Meadows sprinkled with wildflowers (in spring & summer), clear mountain lakes, & several volcanoes ~ some of which still have openings thru which hot gases emerge. How Many Days to Spend? 2-3 Days; can be combined with a trip to Lake Tahoe (to the south), or Crater Lake & Bend (to the north).  Where to Stay?  Highlands Ranch Resort has gorgeous mountain views & an upscale, log-cabin feel.
• CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK = 300,000 Visitors per Year: The Least-Visited California Park.  What’s it Known For? Any & all things WATER-related: you can scuba-dive, snorkel, spearfish, take epic day hikes, kayak through sea caves, & then camp under the stars. How Many Days to Spend Here? 1-3 Days; this is a long way to come to spend only one night…plan to stay at least two ~ as long as you like camping!  How to Get to the Channel Islands?  Take a ferry from either Ventura or Santa Barbara; Island Packers is the most popular service, & they run year-round. Where to Stay?  There are NO hotels here ~ only campgrounds. Scorpion Anchorage Campground on Santa Cruz Island is one of the largest.

Channel Islands is the LEAST visited National Park in California…but the beauty is: you’ll have many spots to yourself here.