Page 36 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to California

STATE & NATIONAL PARKS
beaches. Farther north at Lassen Volcanic
National Park, watch California take shape
in the roaring fumaroles, thumping mud
pots and boiling pools.
Giants in the Mist
While the Sierras are home to the heftiest
redwoods, the state’s fog-shrouded coastal
range from Oregon to Big Sur boasts the
loftiest—several are taller than the Statue of
Liberty. These rare trees, once logged to
near extinction, are now protected within
California’s redwood parks.
At Humboldt Redwoods State Park,
home to the largest contiguous old-growth
redwood forest on Earth, drive the 31-mile
Avenue of the Giants and make stops along
the way to stroll among the titans. Founders
Grove with its majestic 346-foot specimen
is always a favorite. Visit in spring to see the
pink redwood lilies and purple calypso
orchids in bloom.
Farther north and closer to the coast,
the Redwood National and State Parks is
a collection of four parks with miles of
unspoiled coast and hiking trails. The
tallest recorded coast redwood hides here,
its location kept secret to protect it. How-
ever, you can visit the remote Tall Trees
Grove if you have a day to spare and want to
nab one of the daily permits. But all the
34 2023-24 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
parks provide easy access to magnificent
groves as well as picnic sites, campgrounds
and trails for hikers, cyclists and horses.
Burning Sands & Delicate
Wildflowers
Miles from the coast, California’s deserts
are lands of extremes. Vast Death Valley
National Park holds the record for the
hottest temperature, driest climate and
lowest elevation in North America. It is also
famous for its explosion of wildflowers
after winter rains. For a bird’s-eye
panorama, stop at Dante’s View. On the
valley floor, walk the Badwater Salt Flats or
take an afternoon drive to Zabriskie Point to
snap the garishly colored badlands. Trips to
Titus Canyon and the Racetrack take you
deeper into the park’s unique landscape,
but only for those with proper vehicles and
preparation. Unfortunately the road to
Scotty’s Castle remains closed due to flood
damage. Furnace Creek Campground, one
of nine in the park, with sites for RVs,
groups and tents, provides a central loca-
tion for exploring the park. Because of
favorable weather and temperatures, fall to
spring is the park’s busiest time.
The Mojave National Preserve is famous
for its singing sand dunes and 7.6-million-
year-old volcanic cinder cones. Joshua Tree
GIANT SEQUOIA TUNNEL TREE,
Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park,
left; a hiker assesses the salt in Death
Valley’s Badwater Basin, below;
tent camping in Redwood National Park,
opposite center; Sunset at Huntington
Beach Pier, opposite bottom.
National Park, a favorite with rock climbers,
mountain bikers and birders, is home to the
gangly tree that gives the park its name.
While both have spring wildflower displays,
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is legendary.
Its flowers are usually the first to burst into
color—catching the park’s cactus bloom is
the prize.
To the Beach
A visit to California is incomplete without
spending time on the beach, but not all of
them are the iconic white sandy kind. You
will find black sand at Sinkyone Wilder-
ness State Park on the north coast. At
Mendocino Headlands State Park, bundle
up and enjoy a beach walk with a view of
the Victorian village.
Closer to San Francisco, the sweeping arc
of Point Reyes National Seashore is home to