Page 45 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

THE NEPTUNE POOL at Hearst Castle,
designed by Julia Morgan, below; it’s a
long way down to the lighthouse at Point
Reyes National Seashore, north of San
Francisco, 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 mis-
sion life at La Purisima Mission State
Historic Park, one of the best along the His-
toric 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 Dis-
covery 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 tes-
tament to publisher William Randolph
Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Tour the
115-room castle and imagine the presi-
dents, publishing luminaries and Holly-
wood stars who gathered there.
Whatever kind of experience you seek,
from a city adventure to a high country
trek, California’s parks have just what
you’re looking for.
» 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/maritime/inventories/
lights/ca.htm
Wildflower Updates at
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Wildflower Hotline
760-767-4684
Or check the park’s website
at parks.ca.gov.
2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 43