List of National Parks in California

From the unique animal species found on isolated Pacific Ocean islands to the mountains reflected in a valley lake, California's national parks provide a diversity of sights for the curious traveler. A visit to the majestic sequoias of the same-named national park or the extreme hot and dry conditions of Death Valley lets you experience nature's grandeur in a manner found nowhere else.

Channel Islands

• Encompassing five islands off the southwest coast of California, Channel Islands National Park preserves species of plant and animal life, such as the deer mouse and island fox, found only on these land masses. Due to its remote location, Channel Islands is one of the least visited national parks. Explore the visitor centers in Santa Barbara or Ventura, and then buy a ticket from a park concessionaire or private boat to access the islands.

Death Valley

• This basin below sea level in eastern California is aptly named, as a number of pioneers perished here in the extreme hot and dry conditions on their way to the coast. The highest recorded temperature is 134 degrees Fahrenheit. Highlights of the 5,219-square-mile Death Valley National Park include Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, and Scotty's Castle, a mansion built in the park.

Joshua Tree

• The immense Joshua Tree National Park, nearly 800,000 acres in the Mojave and Colorado deserts of southern California, has two separate desert ecosystems due to the varying elevations in the park. Explore the park to see one of the five fan-palm-filled oases, essential to survival for the plentiful park wildlife. Looming over the deserts are granite monoliths and craggy mountains.

Lassen Volcanic

• Lassen Vocanic National Park's 106,000 acres near Mineral boast smoking fumaroles, mud pots and hot water streams that give a glimpse of the thermal activity taking place underneath the soil. Be sure to stay on the marked trails, as visitors have been scalded by falling through fragile soil.

Pinnacles

• Named for the crags and rock spires that remain from an ancient volcanic field, Pinnacles National Park is in the Gabilan Mountains near Paicines. In its 38 square miles, you can explore the two main cave systems, Bear Gulch and Balconies, through a series of trails with stairs and handholds for easier access.

Sequoia

• You'll find the largest trees on Earth in the 400,000-acre Sequoia National Park. The General Sherman Tree, the largest of the giant sequoias, is 275 feet tall and has a diameter of 25 feet. The Trees Trail is an easy stroll along a paved path providing an introduction to the ecosystem of the sequoias with interpretive signs.

Yosemite

• Widely regarded as the most beautiful of California's national parks, focus your trip here on Yosemite Valley, with its sweeping meadows and granite outcroppings like El Capitain and Half Dome looming in the distance. Snow melt feeds some of the world's largest waterfalls, such as Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls, as they drop thousands of feet into the valley. You'll also find more sequoias and a diversity of wildlife in the 1,200 square miles of this northeastern California park.

Redwood

• Redwood National Park is famed for its trees, the tallest on the planet. This park in Del Norte and Humboldt counties in northern California also has rushing rivers, oak-filled woodlands, expansive prairies and 40 miles of coastline. The national park and three adjoining state parks comprise 133,000 acres and protect nearly half of the remaining coast redwoods in the world.

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7 Must-See National Parks

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home, that mountain parks and reservations are fountains of life," John Muir wrote in Our National Parks.

Today, national parks seem American as apple pie, but a hundred years ago the idea of reserving glorious, undeveloped landscapes for public use was considered radical. Muir's was one of the earliest and most eloquent voices advocating the parks program that today protects some 83 million acres of our country's splendor. Writer Wallace Stegner was another supporter. He called national parks the best idea the United States ever had, saying that the existence of a park is good for our spiritual health, even if we never set foot in it.

Yet Americans do set foot in national parks, and tourists flock from foreign shores to join us, to the tune of 275 million visitors annually. With parks and reserves in every state, you don't need to travel far to be inspired. But some national parks are so wondrous that you'll want to add them to your life list. Here are 7 to visit first.

1. Yellowstone

Geysers and bison and bear, oh my! Yellowstone was the first national park to be protected, and remains one of the most popular. It's an intoxicating mix of geothermal wonders (the park houses half of all natural geysers in the world) and exceptional wildlife; people trek to this huge Wyoming wonderland for glimpses of wolves, elk, eagles, buffalo and grizzly bear as well as the planet's most famous geyser, Old Faithful, and other-worldly, iridescent, boiling mudflats. Plan your visit to Yellowstone with the weather in mind. Camping and auto touring are best reserved for summer. Although the north entrance is open year-round, many other roads are closed to vehicles in winter. Still, winter visitors are dazzled by the sight of geysers shooting from snow-covered ground.

2. Yosemite

The biggest living beings on the planet dwell in Yosemite -- the giant redwoods -- but theirs will not be the only heads in the clouds if you visit this magical park in the California Sierras. No photos or brochures prepare you for the glory of ascending a rocky cliff for a view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and the Sierras beyond. Think forests, rivers, deer, spectacular waterfalls splashing down from twice the height of the Empire State Building. Summer you can get a wilderness camping permit and hike back into undeveloped territory. Alternatively, choose one of the popular campgrounds on the valley floor, opt for tent cabins at Curry Village or even splurge for an overnight the the fabulous, five-star lodge, the Ahwanhee Hotel, with its walk-in fireplace and classical music. Winter visitors get an extra dose of serenity, crystal landscapes and cross-country skiing.

3. The Great Smoky Mountains

Just try describing the Great Smoky Mountain National Park without superlatives -- the mountains are the tallest in the Appalachian chain, host the most diverse plant, animal and insect life of any temperate area, and attract more visitors to this park than any in the national system. The park's 500,000 square-acres are bisected by the mountain chain whose crest represents the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Line after line of ancient mountains decline in the distance, some 300 million years young. You can tour the park by car, bike or on horseback, or delight in the 800 miles of hiking trails that lead you to old-growth forests, waterfalls and endless stunning vistas. Summer brings an explosion of leaves, wildflowers and wildlife -- like black bear cubs and some 30 different species of salamander. Autumn arrives wearing brilliant red and coral; but the views in winter are unsurpassed as the bare trees make room for roaming eyes.

4. The Grand Canyon

It is a canyon without equal on the planet -- one mile deep, 10 wide, 277 long -- an awe-inspiring vista that redefines your personal definition of immensity. Some 5 million people arrive annually to gaze over the rim at the variegated layers of geologic color exposed over millennium as the Colorado river did its work. But there's more to a visit to the Grand Canyon than staring. You can hike or ride a mule down winding paths to the floor of the canyon, soar above it in a helicopter, or arrange a daring, white-water raft trip down the mighty Colorado, with the canyon walls rising on either side. In summer, both the South Rim and the North Rim centers offer lodging and dining facilities. The South Rim is the more popular vista point, the easiest one to access and the only one open in winter.

5. Denali

It's more than the home to the loftiest peak in North America; Denali is a national park that someone did right. Imagine 6 million acres of taiga forest, tundra and the jagged peaks of the Alaska Range, accessed only by a thin, unpaved road running down the center. No private car tours here; only park-operated buses ply the road, but that leaves you free to press your nose to the window. You can descend at any stop and spend the day hiking, picnicking, or taking incredible photos. The views rise from low forests to the 20,320 foot majesty of Mount McKinley, and fearless wildlife roam the unfenced wilderness. Look for grizzly bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep (with their curling horns), red fox, snowshoe hare, wolves and marmots. Your most exciting lodging option is to obtain a backpacking permit at the gate, but you can also reserve a spot at one of the six established campgrounds.

6. Olympic

Travel to the Pacific Northwest to experience the trinity of bioscapes of the Olympic National Park, a million-acre almost-island on the Washington coast, surrounded on three sides by seawater. You'll see soaring mountain peaks surrounded by subalpine meadows, a portion of the world's largest temperate rainforest, and the rough glory of the rugged Pacific Coast. No roads cross the park (although there are ample access roads off US 101) and its unspoiled beauty and astounding scenery helped it achieve international-biosphere-reserve and World-Heritage-site status. Although the vast majority of the park's million acres are official wilderness, you'll find everything from luxury lodges to rustic campgrounds within a few miles from the entrance. Choices are tough if time is limited: hike through the dense, primeval rainforests in the Quinault or Hoh Valleys, tour the most fabulous of the waterfalls like the Sol Duc or Madison Falls, kayak the wild coastlands.

7. The Everglades

No place is better to hide than the lush, swampy vegetation of the Everglades National Park, with its cypress marshes and mangrove forests. A place of refuge in yesteryear for the Seminole Indians as well as for runaway slaves, it currently provides safe haven for crocodiles, manatee, Florida panther, wading water birds like egrets, and thousands of species of plants. You'll see the most if you opt for some type of water transportation, and kayaking, canoeing and boat tours are popular, but visitors can also hike, bike, fish and birdwatch. This is a great park to choose for a winter (dry season) vacation between December and April, since the wet season (May through November) can be muggy, with humidity up to 90% and temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. No lodging is available in the park, so make camping or hotel reservations in nearby communities, like Chokoloskee, Homestead, Miami, Florida City and Everglades City.

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