Exploring California’s Premier Outdoor Destinations

Mount Shasta

When people think of California’s natural beauty, the first thought that might come to mind is the state’s beaches. And these are certainly a significant aspect of the state’s appeal, but California also includes deserts, snowy mountains, lush forests, and serene lakes. 

Exploring all of California’s picturesque settings might not be possible, as California is bursting at the seams with beautiful places to explore. However, if you want to see the best of the best, we’re here to help with a quick look at some of the state’s most jaw-dropping outdoor destinations. 

Lake Tahoe

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is one of California’s best-known destinations, a sprawling national park in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Yosemite is known for its massive granite cliffs and the rare, ancient sequoia trees throughout the park. You’ll also find top-notch hiking trails, waterfalls, and a village with restaurants, shops, and museums. 

Yosemite National Park

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park straddles the California-Nevada border, stretching into both states. This dry desert park encompasses over three million acres with much to explore. Death Valley is known for its salt flats, dunes, and canyons. It is an otherworldly environment that reaches uncomfortably high temperatures in the summer, so exploring this park in the winter is ideal.

Death Valley National Park

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is one of the country’s most famous bodies of water. It is along the border of California and Nevada, with portions of the lake in both states, and it has a mountainous setting in the Sierra Nevada range. In the winter, people visit the lake’s surrounding mountains to ski and snowboard, and in the summer, the lake is filled with boaters, anglers, and swimmers.

Lake Tahoe

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic National Park is a geothermal wonderland in Northern California. It contains an area known as the Devastated Area, which still has debris from Lassen Peak’s most recent eruption in 1915. This park is a one-of-a-kind outdoor destination with large lava rocks. It also has many scenic lakes where visitors swim, canoe, or kayak. This park is usually not very crowded and has much to see for intrepid visitors. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Schooner Gulch State Beach

Schooner Gulch State Beach is a large beach in Mendocino County with huge bluffs alongside the coast that give it a dramatic appearance. The beach is especially popular among surfers, and its many coastal trails appeal to hikers. Bowling Ball Beach is the highlight of this area, which is a subsection of Schooner Gulch where complex sedimentary processes have led to a large build-up of bowling ball-shaped rocks along the water. Strolling along this beach at low tide makes for a postcard-worthy view.

Bowling Ball Beach | Image credit: Mick Haupt

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

California’s redwoods are an iconic part of the state’s natural scenery, and there may be no better place to view these incredible trees than Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Humboldt Redwoods includes Rockefeller Forest, the world’s largest remaining stand of old-growth redwoods, which stretches over 10,000 acres. The Humboldt Redwoods forested area spreads across more than 53,000 acres and includes five of the ten tallest trees in the world, including Stratosphere Giant, which stands at approximately 372 feet. 

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta is an ice-capped volcano in Northern California that is part of the Cascade Range. This mountain reaches an elevation of more than 14,000 feet. It is surrounded by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, which has plenty of beautiful hiking trails and scenic views. Some believe Mount Shasta has a mystical significance, and many spiritual seekers have visited. It has also become a destination for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.

Mount Shasta