Park name |
Designation |
County or
counties |
Area in
acres (ha)[1] |
Year estab-
lished[1] |
Status[2] |
Remarks |
Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Mendocino |
&1000000000000004500000045 acres (18 ha) |
1944 |
|
Boasts redwoods plus salmon and steelhead fishing on the Eel River.[3] |
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park |
State park |
Shasta |
&100000000000059300000005,930 acres (2,400 ha) |
1975 |
|
Preserves a wilderness of freshwater springs and geologically recent lava flows.[4] |
Albany State Marine Reserve |
Park property |
Alameda |
|
1985 |
In development, not open to public |
|
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Lake |
&100000000000012980000001,298 acres (525 ha) |
1982 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Preserves a tule marsh and ancient archaeological sites of the Pomo people.[5] |
Andrew Molera State Park |
State park |
Monterey |
&100000000000047660000004,766 acres (1,929 ha) |
1968 |
|
Offers a primitive walk-in campground on the Big Sur coast.[6] |
Angel Island State Park |
State park |
Marin and San Francisco |
&10000000000000756000000756 acres (306 ha) |
1955 |
|
Interprets an island in San Francisco Bay whose history encompasses Coast Miwok prehistory, ranching, the 1910–1940 Angel Island Immigration Station, and long military use.[7] |
Annadel State Park |
State park |
Sonoma |
&100000000000050920000005,092 acres (2,061 ha) |
1971 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Supports a variety of day-use activities at the northern end of Sonoma Valley.[8] |
Ano Nuevo State Park !Año Nuevo State Park |
State park |
San Mateo |
&100000000000042090000004,209 acres (1,703 ha) |
1985 |
|
Encompasses Año Nuevo Island and Año Nuevo Point, which boasts the world's largest mainland rookery of northern elephant seals.[9] |
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve |
State natural reserve |
Los Angeles |
&100000000000017810000001,781 acres (721 ha) |
1976 |
|
Showcases the state's most-consistent blooms of California poppy, in the high Mojave Desert.[10] |
Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Los Angeles |
&10000000000000397000000397 acres (161 ha) |
1979 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Interprets the Native American cultures of the Great Basin and surrounding regions in a 1928 folk art building on the NRHP.[11] |
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park |
State park |
San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside |
&10000000000585930000000585,930 acres (237,120 ha) |
1933 |
|
Preserves a vast tract of the Colorado Desert in California's largest state park.[12] |
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve |
State natural reserve |
Sonoma |
&10000000000000752000000752 acres (304 ha) |
1934 |
|
Preserves a grove of coast redwoods.[13] |
Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park |
State park |
Los Angeles |
&10000000000000566000000566 acres (229 ha) |
1993 |
|
Preserves a remnant stand of Joshua trees and junipers in the Antelope Valley.[14] |
Asilomar State Beach |
State beach |
Monterey |
&10000000000000107000000107 acres (43 ha) |
1951 |
|
Balances protection of rocky coast and dune habitat with public access.[15] The 1913 Asilomar Conference Grounds are a National Historic Landmark.[16] |
Auburn State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
El Dorado and Placer |
&1000000000004237700000042,377 acres (17,149 ha) |
1966 |
|
Offers numerous recreational opportunities along the North and Middle Forks of the American River.[17] |
Austin Creek State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Sonoma |
&100000000000059270000005,927 acres (2,399 ha) |
1964 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Features a rugged wilderness on Austin Creek, adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.[18] |
Azalea State Natural Reserve |
State natural reserve |
Humboldt |
&1000000000000003000000030 acres (12 ha) |
1943 |
|
Harbors a profusion of spring-blooming western azaleas.[19] |
Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Napa |
&100000000000000007500000.75 acres (0.30 ha) |
1974 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Showcases a restored 1846 water-powered grist mill in Napa Valley.[20] The mill is on the NRHP.[21] |
Bean Hollow State Beach |
State beach |
San Mateo |
&1000000000000004400000044 acres (18 ha) |
1958 |
|
Offers fishing and beachcombing among tide pools.[22] |
Benbow Lake State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Humboldt |
&100000000000011420000001,142 acres (462 ha) |
1958 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Centers on a reservoir on the South Fork Eel River.[23] |
Benicia Capitol State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Solano |
&100000000000000008600000.86 acres (0.35 ha) |
1951 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Interprets the third and oldest-surviving California capitol, used 1853–54.[24] The building is on the NRHP.[25] |
Benicia State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Solano |
&10000000000000447000000447 acres (181 ha) |
1957 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Preserves a tidal wetland on the Carquinez Strait.[26] |
Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Alameda |
&10000000000000609000000609 acres (246 ha) |
1974 |
|
Offers windsurfing and other water recreation on the Bethany Reservoir.[27] |
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Butte |
&100000000000000052000005.2 acres (2.1 ha) |
1964 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Offers tours of the 1868 Victorian mansion of influential settlers John and Annie Bidwell.[28] The mansion is on the NRHP. |
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park |
State park |
Butte and Glenn |
&10000000000000349000000349 acres (141 ha) |
1979 |
|
Preserves riparian habitat on the Sacramento River and its tributary Big Chico Creek.[29] |
Big Basin Redwoods State Park |
State park |
Santa Cruz |
&1000000000001805000000018,050 acres (7,300 ha) |
1906 |
|
Established as California's first state park, to preserve coast redwoods on Waddell Creek.[30] |
Bodie State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Mono |
&100000000000010160000001,016 acres (411 ha) |
1962 |
|
Preserves the ghost town of Bodie, whose gold-mining heyday ran from 1877–1881, and is now a National Historic Landmark.[31] |
Bolsa Chica State Beach |
State beach |
Orange |
&10000000000000169000000169 acres (68 ha) |
1960 |
|
Offers surf fishing and catching grunion by hand.[32] |
Border Field State Park |
State park |
San Diego |
&100000000000013160000001,316 acres (533 ha) |
1972 |
|
Occupies the southwesternmost point of the contiguous U.S., on the Mexico – United States border. Part of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.[33] |
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park |
State park |
Napa and Sonoma |
&100000000000019910000001,991 acres (806 ha) |
1960 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Contains the farthest inland coast redwoods in a California state park.[34] |
Brannan Island State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Sacramento |
&10000000000000329000000329 acres (133 ha) |
1952 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Offers water recreation amid a maze of channels in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.[35] |
Burleigh H. Murray Ranch |
Park property |
San Mateo |
&100000000000013250000001,325 acres (536 ha) |
1979 |
|
Encompasses a hidden valley with a historic ranch established in 1857.[36] |
Burton Creek State Park |
State park |
Placer |
&100000000000018900000001,890 acres (760 ha) |
1976 |
|
Offers 6 miles (9.7 km) of unpaved roadway for hiking and cross-country skiing.[37] |
Butano State Park |
State park |
San Mateo |
&100000000000047280000004,728 acres (1,913 ha) |
1956 |
|
Showcases a secluded redwood-filled valley.[38] |
Butte City Project |
Park property |
Butte |
&1000000000000003700000037 acres (15 ha) |
2007 |
In development, not open to public |
|
Calaveras Big Trees State Park |
State park |
Calaveras and Tuolumne |
&100000000000064980000006,498 acres (2,630 ha) |
1931 |
|
Protects two large groves of giant sequoias.[39] |
California Citrus State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Riverside |
&10000000000000248000000248 acres (100 ha) |
1984 |
|
Interprets the influence of the state's citrus industry.[40] |
California State Capitol Museum |
Park property |
Sacramento |
&1000000000000004000000040 acres (16 ha)[41] |
1982 |
|
Offers exhibits and tours of the California State Capitol and its grounds.[41] |
California State Indian Museum |
State historic park |
Sacramento |
|
1914 |
|
Interprets the diverse cultures of the indigenous peoples of California.[42] |
California State Mining and Mineral Museum |
Park property |
Mariposa |
|
1999 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Exhibits the official state mineral collection and displays on the region's influential mining heritage.[43] |
California State Railroad Museum |
Point of interest |
Sacramento |
|
|
|
Celebrates the history of rail transportation in California with museum displays, 21 restored locomotives, and a heritage railway along the Sacramento River.[44] |
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
San Francisco |
&10000000000000204000000204 acres (83 ha) |
1972 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Constitutes California's first urban state recreation area, on the west shore of San Francisco Bay.[45] |
Cardiff State Beach |
State beach |
San Diego |
&10000000000000507000000507 acres (205 ha) |
1949 |
|
Provides a sandy, warm-water beach outside San Diego.[46] |
Carlsbad State Beach |
State beach |
San Diego |
&1000000000000004400000044 acres (18 ha) |
1933 |
|
Features a small beach at the foot of coastal bluffs.[47] |
Carmel River State Beach |
State beach |
Monterey |
&10000000000000297000000297 acres (120 ha) |
1953 |
|
Protects a 1-mile-long (1.6 km) beach and a lagoon at the mouth of the Carmel River which attracts many migratory birds.[48] |
Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area |
State vehicular recreation area |
Alameda and San Joaquin |
&100000000000050750000005,075 acres (2,054 ha) |
1979 |
|
Provides off-roading opportunities in the Diablo Range around the former townsite of Carnegie.[49] |
Carpinteria State Beach |
State beach |
Santa Barbara and Ventura |
&1000000000000006200000062 acres (25 ha) |
1932 |
|
Offers a mile-long beach in the city of Carpinteria.[50] |
Caspar Headlands State Beach |
State beach |
Mendocino |
&1000000000000007500000075 acres (30 ha) |
1972 |
|
|
Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve |
State natural reserve |
Mendocino |
&100000000000000027000002.7 acres (1.1 ha) |
1972 |
|
Preserves a small strip of rugged coastline.[51] |
Castaic Lake State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Los Angeles |
&100000000000042240000004,224 acres (1,709 ha) |
1965 |
|
Features 29 miles (47 km) of shoreline on Castaic Lake.[52] |
Castle Crags State Park |
State park |
Shasta |
&100000000000039050000003,905 acres (1,580 ha) |
1934 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Provides access to the Castle Crags Wilderness, with its 6,000-foot-tall (1,800 m) rock crags.[53] |
Castle Rock State Park |
State park |
Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo |
&100000000000052420000005,242 acres (2,121 ha) |
1968 |
Funded by donations into 2013 |
Encompasses a wild forest with rock climbing opportunities along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains.[54] |
Castro Adobe |
Park property |
Santa Cruz |
&100000000000000010000001 acre (0.40 ha) |
2002 |
In development, not open to public |
Comprises the grand 1849 hacienda of the prominent Castro family on their Rancho San Andrés.[55] The hacienda is on the NRHP. |
Caswell Memorial State Park |
State park |
San Joaquin |
&10000000000000258000000258 acres (104 ha) |
1952 |
|
Preserves a riparian forest along the Stanislaus River.[56] |
Cayucos State Beach |
State beach |
San Luis Obispo |
&1000000000000001600000016 acres (6.5 ha) |
1940 |
|
Provides a swimming and surfing beach in the beach town of Cayucos.[57] |
China Camp State Park |
State park |
Marin |
&100000000000015140000001,514 acres (613 ha) |
1976 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Surrounds an 1880s Chinese American shrimp-fishing village and salt marshes on San Pablo Bay.[58] |
Chino Hills State Park |
State park |
Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino |
&1000000000001417300000014,173 acres (5,736 ha) |
1981 |
|
Preserves a large tract of the Chino Hills.[59] |
Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Santa Barbara |
&100000000000000075000007.5 acres (3.0 ha) |
1976 |
|
Preserves a sandstone cave bearing rock art of the Chumash people.[60] |
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area |
State vehicular recreation area |
Butte |
&10000000000000220000000220 acres (89 ha) |
1981 |
|
Provides off-roading opportunities in the shallow clay pit excavated for material to build the Oroville Dam.[61] |
Clear Lake State Park |
State park |
Lake |
&10000000000000590000000590 acres (240 ha) |
1949 |
|
Provides recreation opportunities on the southwest shore of Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake within California's borders.[62] |
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Tulare |
&100000000000037150000003,715 acres (1,503 ha) |
1973 |
|
Interprets the town of Allensworth, founded in 1908 as a haven for African Americans by Colonel Allen Allensworth and other community leaders.[63] The town is a district on the NRHP. |
Columbia State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Tuolumne |
&10000000000000273000000273 acres (110 ha) |
1946 |
|
Interprets Columbia's preserved Gold Rush-era downtown,[64] a National Historic Landmark District. |
Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Colusa |
&10000000000000301000000301 acres (122 ha) |
1955 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Adjoins a stretch of the Sacramento River known for its fishing.[65] |
Corona del Mar State Beach |
State beach |
Orange |
&1000000000000003000000030 acres (12 ha) |
1947 |
|
Provides a half-mile-long swimming beach adjacent to the Newport Beach harbor jetty.[66] |
Cowell Ranch/John Marsh State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Contra Costa |
&100000000000036760000003,676 acres (1,488 ha) |
1981 |
In development, not open to public |
Includes Rancho Los Meganos and the 1856 ranchhouse of John Marsh.[67] |
Crystal Cove State Park |
State park |
Orange |
&100000000000039360000003,936 acres (1,593 ha) |
1979 |
|
Encompasses cliffbound coastline, inland chaparral canyons, and the NRHP-listed Crystal Cove Historic District of 1920s and 30s beach cottages.[68] |
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park |
State park |
San Diego |
&1000000000002469300000024,693 acres (9,993 ha) |
1933 |
|
Preserves an expansive tract of forests and meadows above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in the Laguna Mountains, on the former Rancho Cuyamaca.[69] |
D. L. Bliss State Park |
State park |
El Dorado |
&100000000000021490000002,149 acres (870 ha) |
1929 |
|
Features a balancing rock and the Rubicon Point Light on the shore of Lake Tahoe.[70] |
Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park |
State park |
Del Norte |
&1000000000003126100000031,261 acres (12,651 ha) |
1925 |
Provisionally transferred to National Park Service |
Preserves old-growth coast redwoods in a unit of the Redwood National and State Parks.[71] |
Delta Meadows |
Park property |
Sacramento |
&10000000000000472000000472 acres (191 ha) |
1985 |
Closed to the public |
Preserves undeveloped wet meadows and sloughs in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.[72] |
Dockweiler State Beach |
State beach |
Los Angeles |
&1000000000000009100000091 acres (37 ha) |
1948 |
|
Features 3 miles (4.8 km) of beach and a hang gliding training site, adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. |
Doheny State Beach |
State beach |
Orange |
&10000000000000254000000254 acres (103 ha) |
1931 |
|
Offers surfing and beach-front camping in Dana Point.[73] |
Donner Memorial State Park |
State park |
Nevada and Placer |
&100000000000032930000003,293 acres (1,333 ha) |
1928 |
|
Interprets the site where the Donner Party was trapped by weather in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846–1847,[74] now a National Historic Landmark. |
Eastshore State Park |
State seashore |
Alameda and Contra Costa |
&10000000000000442000000442 acres (179 ha) |
1985 |
|
Encompasses several remnant and restored parcels along the East Bay waterfront. |
Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park |
State park |
El Dorado |
&100000000000023240000002,324 acres (940 ha) |
1965 |
|
Comprises the Lake Tahoe estate and 1903 summer home of banker Isaias W. Hellman.[75] |
El Capitán State Beach |
State beach |
Santa Barbara |
&100000000000026340000002,634 acres (1,066 ha) |
1953 |
|
Features a narrow beach at the foot of coastal bluffs where monarch butterflies congregate in autumn.[76] |
El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Santa Barbara |
&100000000000000057999995.8 acres (2.3 ha) |
1966 |
|
Preserves components of a Spanish presidio dating back to 1782,[77] now on the NRHP. |
Emerald Bay State Park |
State park |
El Dorado |
&100000000000015330000001,533 acres (620 ha) |
1953 |
|
Contains Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay and Fannette Island plus the 1929 Vikingsholm mansion,[78] which is on the NRHP. |
Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve |
Park property |
Alameda and Contra Costa |
|
1985 |
Closed to the public |
Preserves a marsh on San Francisco Bay, managed as part of Eastshore State Park. |
Emma Wood State Beach |
State beach |
Ventura |
&10000000000000112000000112 acres (45 ha) |
1957 |
|
Contains a surfing beach and an estuary at the mouth of the Ventura River. |
Empire Mine State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Nevada |
&10000000000000853000000853 acres (345 ha) |
1975 |
|
Offers tours of an underground gold mine which operated from 1850 to 1956, plus its surface surroundings.[79] The mine is on the NRHP. |
Estero Bluffs State Park |
State park |
San Luis Obispo |
&10000000000000353000000353 acres (143 ha) |
2000 |
|
Preserves diverse coastal habitats on Estero Bay. |
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento |
&1000000000001956400000019,564 acres (7,917 ha) |
1956 |
|
Surrounds Folsom and Natoma Lakes, reservoirs on the American River.[80] |
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Sacramento |
&1000000000000003500000035 acres (14 ha) |
1956 |
|
Interprets an 1895 hydroelectricity plant, now a National Historic and Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.[81] |
Forest of Nisene Marks State Park !The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park |
State park |
Santa Cruz |
&1000000000001022300000010,223 acres (4,137 ha) |
1963 |
|
Preserves a tract of secondary forest donated by the family of former owner Nisene Marks.[82] |
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Humboldt |
&1000000000000001800000018 acres (7.3 ha) |
1955 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Interprets a U.S. army fort staffed 1853–1870 to keep the peace between Native Americans and settlers.[83] |
Fort Ord Dunes State Park |
State park |
Monterey |
&10000000000000980000000980 acres (400 ha) |
2009 |
|
Reclaims coastline overlooking Monterey Bay on former property of the decommissioned Fort Ord.[84] |
Fort Ross State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Sonoma |
&100000000000033930000003,393 acres (1,373 ha) |
1909 |
|
Interprets the partially reconstructed Fort Ross, an 1812–1841 Russian-American Company outpost that was the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the Americas.[85] The fort is a National Historic Landmark. |
Fort Tejon State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Kern |
&10000000000000647000000647 acres (262 ha) |
1940 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Interprets the U.S. Army fort staffed 1854–1864 to monitor the Sebastian Indian Reservation.[86] The fort is on the NRHP. |
Franks Tract State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Contra Costa |
&100000000000035230000003,523 acres (1,426 ha) |
1959 |
|
Encompasses a flooded area in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta accessible only by water.[87] |
Fremont Peak State Park |
State park |
Monterey and San Benito |
&10000000000000162000000162 acres (66 ha) |
1934 |
|
Provides views of the surrounding landscape from atop Fremont Peak and of the night sky from the Fremont Peak Observatory.[88] |
Garrapata State Park |
State park |
Monterey |
&100000000000029390000002,939 acres (1,189 ha) |
1979 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Preserves a largely hidden stretch of wild coast.[89] |
Gaviota State Park |
State park |
Santa Barbara |
&100000000000027870000002,787 acres (1,128 ha) |
1953 |
|
Flanks the narrow gorge of Gaviota Creek, which funnels Sundowner winds onto the popular beach area.[90] |
George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Merced |
&1000000000000004650000046.5 acres (18.8 ha) |
1953 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Adjoins the Merced River.[91] |
Governor's Mansion State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Sacramento |
&100000000000000007800000.78 acres (0.32 ha) |
1903 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Interprets the 1877 mansion that housed 13 of California's governors and their families from 1903 to 1967.[92] |
Gray Whale Cove State Beach |
State beach |
San Mateo |
&100000000000000031000003.1 acres (1.3 ha) |
1966 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Embraces a steep-walled cove, near the Devil's Slide, where gray whales are often seen close to shore.[93] |
Great Valley Grasslands State Park |
State park |
Merced |
&100000000000028260000002,826 acres (1,144 ha) |
1982 |
|
Preserves a remnant of the native grasslands once extensive in the Central Valley.[94] |
Greenwood State Beach |
State beach |
Mendocino |
&1000000000000004700000047 acres (19 ha) |
1978 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Features a picturesque beach in Elk and a visitor center interpreting the town's lumbering history.[95] |
Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park |
State park |
Humboldt |
&10000000000000430000000430 acres (170 ha) |
1943 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Harbors groves of coast redwoods in three separate units along the Van Duzen River.[96] |
Grover Hot Springs State Park |
State park |
Alpine |
&10000000000000553000000553 acres (224 ha) |
1959 |
|
Boasts hot springs that feed a swimming pool complex in an alpine meadow.[97] |
Half Moon Bay State Beach |
State beach |
San Mateo |
&10000000000000181000000181 acres (73 ha) |
1956 |
|
Encompasses four popular sandy beaches on Half Moon Bay.[98] |
Harmony Headlands State Park |
State park |
San Luis Obispo |
&10000000000000748000000748 acres (303 ha) |
2003 |
|
Preserves an undeveloped parcel of Pacific coast. |
Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area |
State recreation area |
Humboldt |
&10000000000000955000000955 acres (386 ha) |
1982 |
|
Offers fishing on Big Lagoon adjacent to Humboldt Lagoons State Park |
Hatton Canyon |
Park property |
Monterey |
&10000000000000130000000130 acres (53 ha) |
2002 |
In development, not open to public |
Preserves a canyon in Carmel saved from a planned freeway route. |
Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument |
State historical monument |
San Luis Obispo |
&10000000000000209000000209 acres (85 ha) |
1958 |
|
Offers tours of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst's opulent 115-room "Hearst Castle," designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947.[99] |
Hearst San Simeon State Park |
State park |
San Luis Obispo |
&100000000000023090000002,309 acres (934 ha) |
1932 |
|
Preserves rocky coast and rare habitats like mima mounds and Monterey pine forest, as well as a 5,850-year-old Native American archaeological site.[100] |
Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area |
State vehicular recreation area |
Imperial |
&10000000000000342000000342 acres (138 ha) |
1998 |
|
Attracts ATV riders to sandy, tamarisk-dotted dunes along a former course of the Alamo River.[101] |
Hendy Woods State Park |
State park |
Mendocino |
&10000000000000816000000816 acres (330 ha) |
1958 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
Preserves two groves of old-growth coast redwoods in the Anderson Valley.[102] |
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park |
State park |
Santa Cruz |
&100000000000046230000004,623 acres (1,871 ha) |
1953 |
|
Boasts its Redwood Grove and other old-growth forest.[103] |
Henry W. Coe State Park |
State park |
Santa Clara and Stanislaus |
&1000000000008916400000089,164 acres (36,083 ha) |
1959 |
Funded by donations into 2015 |
Encompasses a sprawling wilderness of ridges and steep canyons in the Diablo Range.[104] |
Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area |
State vehicular recreation area |
San Benito |
&100000000000066240000006,624 acres (2,681 ha) |
1975 |
|
Offers a variety of off-roading tracks and events in the hills outside Hollister.[105] |
Humboldt Lagoons State Park |
State park |
Humboldt |
&100000000000022560000002,256 acres (913 ha) |
1931 |
|
|
Humboldt Redwoods State Park |
State park |
Humboldt |
&1000000000005165100000051,651 acres (20,902 ha) |
1921 |
|
|
Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area |
State vehicular recreation area |
Los Angeles and Ventura |
&1000000000001853300000018,533 acres (7,500 ha) |
1978 |
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Offers 130 miles (210 km) of off-highway tracks, connecting to more routes in Los Padres National Forest.[106] |
Huntington State Beach |
State beach |
Orange |
&10000000000000121000000121 acres (49 ha) |
1942 |
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Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Amador |
&10000000000000135000000135 acres (55 ha) |
1962 |
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Indio Hills Palms |
Park property |
Riverside |
&100000000000056300000005,630 acres (2,280 ha) |
1983 |
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Jack London State Historic Park |
State historic park |
Sonoma |
&100000000000016110000001,611 acres (652 ha) |
1959 |
Slated to close July 2012 |
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Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park |
State park |
Del Norte |
&1000000000001043000000010,430 acres (4,220 ha) |
1939 |
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John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve |
State natural reserve |
Humboldt |
&100000000000011640000001,164 acres (471 ha) |
1929 |
In development and not open to public |
Contains three undeveloped coast redwood groves split off from Humboldt Redwoods State Park in 2001.[107] |
John Little State Natural Reserve |
State natural reserve |
Monterey |
&1000000000000002100000021 acres (8.5 ha) |
1953 |
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Jug Handle State Natural Reserve |
State natural reserve |
Mendocino |
&10000000000000776000000776 acres (314 ha) |
1976 |
Funded by donations into 2013 |
Interprets a series of marine terraces each exhibiting a different stage of ecological succession.[108] |