Page 43 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE
lighthouse, below; China Cove and rock
formations at Point Lobos State Natural
Reserve, right.
Closer to San Francisco, the sweeping
arc of Point Reyes National Seashore is
home to a dozen beaches, with drive-up
Drakes Beach and hike-in Limantour as
favorites. Make your way to park headlands
in early spring to view the gray whale
migration. Edging the entrance to San
Francisco Bay, the beaches and cliff trails
of the Golden Gate National Recreation
Area are the gateways to urban adventures
and historic sights such as Alcatraz Island.
Continuing down the coast to Santa Cruz
and Monterey, surfing spots alternate with
quiet coves home to sea otters and seals. At
Año Nuevo State Reserve, witness elephant
seals in breeding season. In Carmel, whose
beauty has been long favored by plein air
artists, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is
a must-visit for everyone. Big Sur’s Julia
Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers stunning
views of the rugged coast from its cliff-side
trails. Access to Pfeiffer Beach, a day beach,
is just south of the Big Sur Ranger Station.
At mid-coast, rocky cliffs finally give
way to warm water and California’s famous
endless flat beaches. Movie buffs can camp
at Malibu Creek State Park where M*A*S*H
and Planet of the Apes were filmed. And
then there’s Huntington Beach, aka Surf
City USA. Huntington State Beach’s soft
sand, safe swimming and good surfing
make it the California classic.
Rocks to Castles
California is more than its geography.
Living history programs bring the past to
life in many parks. Indian Grinding Rock
State Historic Park features a reconstructed
village with a ceremonial roundhouse and
presentations by descendants of the
Miwoks. The 21 missions founded by the
Spanish along El Camino Real, or the King’s
Highway, preserve the arrival of non-natives
to California. Imagine mission life at La
Purisima Mission State Historic Park, one of
the best along the Historic Mission Trail.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park,
with its restored plaza and adobes, captures
the period when San Diego grew from a
Mexican pueblo into an American town.
And then there’s gold fever. Pan for gold at
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
where the mineral was first discovered.
Imagine a miner’s life at Bodie State Historic
Park, an intact ghost town from the era.
No place reflects California’s big
dreamers better than the Hearst San
Simeon State Historical Monument, a
testament to publisher William Randolph
Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Tour
the 115-room castle and imagine the
presidents, publishing luminaries and
Hollywood stars who gathered there.
Whatever kind of experience you seek,
from a city adventure to a high country
trek, California’s parks have something
for everyone.
» FIND
YOUR PARK
Individual State Parks
parks.ca.gov
National Parks
nps.gov/state/CA
Campsites & Lodging Reservations
reserveamerica.com
recreation.gov
Lighthouses
(many open to the public, some
offering accommodations)
nps.gov/history/maritime/paciflt.html
Wildflower Updates at
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Wildflower Hotline
760-767-4684
Or check the park’s website at
parks.ca.gov.
2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 41