Page 31 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to California

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, opposite; a hiker
assesses the salt in Death Valley’s Badwater Basin,
below; Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, right.
Giants in the Mist
California’s fog-shrouded coastal range
from Oregon to Big Sur boasts the tallest
redwoods. Humboldt Redwoods State Park,
home to the largest contiguous old-growth
redwood forest, features the 31-mile Avenue
of the Giants. 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 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.
M01229/FLICKR; MARIDAV/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: MICHAEL COLA/SHUTTERSTOCK
Burning Sands & Delicate
Wildflowers
California’s deserts are lands of extremes.
Death Valley National Park holds records
for the hottest temperature, driest climate
and lowest elevation in North America. It is
famous for its wildflower explosion 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 after-
noon drive to Zabriskie Point to snap the
garishly colored badlands.
The Mojave National Preserve is famous
for its singing sand dunes and 7.6-million-
year-old volcanic cinder cones. Joshua Tree
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 wild-
flower 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
Continuing down the coast to Santa Cruz
and Monterey, surfing spots alternate
with quiet coves that are home to sea
otters and seals. Behold the thousands of
monarch butterflies that winter at Nat-
ural Bridges State Beach. 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 cliffside 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 end-
less flat beaches. Movie buffs can camp at
Malibu Creek State Park where The Sand
Pebbles, Planet of the Apes and outdoor
scenes from the TV show M*A*S*H were
filmed. And then there’s Huntington Beach,
a.k.a. Surf City USA. Huntington State
Beach’s soft sand, safe swimming and good
surfing make it the California classic.
2025-26 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 29