California has nine national parks—the most of any state—plus countless monuments and seashores. From deserts to forests to alpine peaks, these parks showcase it all. Here’s our guide to California’s best national parks with Shaka Guide.
Map of National Parks in California
National Parks in California
9. Pinnacles National Park
Coming in at number 9 is Pinnacles National Park. Though even if you’re the ninth-best national park in California, you’ve still got a lot going for you.
Located a couple of hours south of the Bay Area, Pinnacles National Park is known for its pinnacle rock formations and talus caves.
And it’s one of the newer national parks, having been upgraded from a national monument to a national park in 2013.
Here, trails meander in and out of caves as they traverse the rugged terrain. Hiking the High Peaks Trail and Balconies Cave are highlights.
Another notable feature of Pinnacles is the chance to see the endangered California condor soaring above the rocky spires.
Pinnacles is small and divided into two sections, with an east entrance and a west entrance.
The roads don’t meet in the middle, so to drive from one section to the other takes over an hour.
8. Channel Islands National Park
Ryan Nelson
Channel Islands National Park is located off the coast of southern California and encompasses isolated islands with unique flora and fauna, marine life, and rugged terrain.
Visitors can enjoy kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, wildlife viewing, and camping.
Besides the stunning beauty of the islands themselves, one of the main attractions is the opportunity to see unique species like the Island Fox and diverse marine life.
Boat tours take you around the islands in search of whales, shorebirds, and more.
Channel Islands National Park is only accessible via ferry, and there are no roads on the islands.
7. Lassen Volcanic National Park
Robin Montgomery
In remote northern California, Lassen Volcanic National Park offers an alternative alpine landscape to the more familiar sites in the Sierra Nevada.
Here, you’ll find volcanic landscapes, geothermal features, and a wilderness rebuilding after volcanic eruptions and wildfire.
The namesake of the park, Lassen Peak, is the tallest plug dome volcano in the world.
Another standout feature of Lassen is Bumpass Hell, a geothermal area with boiling springs and fumaroles.
Visitors will be rewarded with a much quieter and less busy experience than in national parks like Yosemite or Sequoia.
Our Shaka Guide tour crosses the park on the scenic byway, taking you to all the highlights. You can enter the park either from the north or south, and our tour works either way.
6. Kings Canyon National Park
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If you’re visiting Sequoia National Park, then there’s no reason not to see its next-door neighbor, Kings Canyon National Park.
In fact, both parks are actually administered together. Here, you’ll see the world’s second-largest tree, the General Grant Tree, which is both a National Shrine and the Nation’s Christmas Tree.
But there’s more to this park than more sequoias. Take the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway into Kings Canyon itself, which at 7700 feet, is deeper than the Grand Canyon.
Enjoy epic mountain scenery, waterfalls, and hikes through the wilderness.
5. Redwood National and State Parks
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We’re getting into our top 5 national parks in California. Every park from here is stunning in its own way, and they all offer something completely different.
Now let’s move to the coast. Redwood National and State Parks is home to towering coastal redwoods, lush forests, and a rugged coastline.
Visitors can hike through Tall Trees Grove and Fern Canyon, take scenic drives like the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, and camp among the giants.
Sequoias might be the biggest trees in the world, but Redwoods are the tallest, with some reaching over 350 feet high.
These lush forests have inspired filmmakers to shoot some of the world’s biggest blockbusters among these incredible trees.
Like the name suggests, this national park has a unique relationship with several nearby state parks, and they are administered together.
The Shaka Guide tour takes you to all five of the related parks, so you won’t miss any of the highlights.
The tour is designed to be taken either north to south, or south to north, so you can start from either direction.
4. Death Valley National Park
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Death Valley National Park is characterized by its harsh desert environment, unique geological features, and extreme temperatures.
But it is absolutely stunning in its scope, with the landscape continuing for dozens of miles.
Be sure to walk the salt flats of Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. And then drive more than 5,000 feet up to Dante’s View, to witness the majesty of the valley below, and the mountains that surround it.
It really is one of the most astoundingly epic views in the United States.
Other popular activities include sightseeing at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Zabriskie Point, hiking, stargazing, and trying your hand at some off-road driving.
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the lower 48 states, and some of the far flung areas require a 4x4 vehicle.
The Shaka Guide tour is designed to be taken either from the east or west, and sticks to the more popular area between Dante’s View and Stovepipe Wells, as well as a long excursion to the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns.
Other sections of the park not included on the tour, such as roads leading to Ubehebe Crater and Scotty’s Castle, and unimproved roads to places like Racetrack Playa, are susceptible to weather-related closures or potentially unsafe in the wrong vehicle.
3. Joshua Tree National Park
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Maybe it used to be fair to say that Joshua Tree National Park was underrated, but the park has exploded in popularity in recent years. Joshua Tree features an otherworldly landscape, dotted with iconic Joshua trees and dramatic boulders.
This park straddles two unique desert ecosystems, which means double the unique plants, stunning rock formations, and expansive landscapes.
Visitors can enjoy rock climbing, stargazing, hiking through the desert in places like Hidden Valley and Barker Dam, and camping among whimsical rock formations. It’s unlike any other desert you’ve been to.
Our tour of Joshua Tree takes you through the entire park. There are a few different entrances and multiple ways you might take to enter the park, and we’ve got them all covered.
There’s no gas or food in the park, so our tour also includes time in nearby towns like Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree, providing a convenient time to stop for what you need.
2. Sequoia National Park
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The sequoia groves in Yosemite are nice, but they’re really just a sample of what awaits you in Sequoia National Park. Here, you can wander entire forests of sequoia trees, the largest trees on earth.
And the biggest of them all is right here: the General Sherman Tree. Sequoia also boasts deep canyons, rugged mountains, and diverse landscapes.
Activities include hiking to waterfalls, hiking to the top of Moro Rock, exploring Crystal Cave, and looking for wildlife in the meadows.
This is also one of the only places you can drive your car through a sequoia tree. Add it to the bucket list!
Now, if you’re the type that enjoys hiking and camping through the backcountry, then Sequoia has even more to offer.
Far into the wilderness, away from the busy Generals Highway that cuts through the western portion of the park, is Mt. Whitney.
With an elevation of 14,505 feet, Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states.
The tour works in both directions, making it easy to combine with a visit to Kings Canyon National Park, which is right next door.
1. Yosemite National Park
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The park coming in at number one really shouldn’t be a surprise. Yosemite National Park is renowned for its stunning granite cliffs, majestic waterfalls, giant sequoias, and diverse ecosystems.
Visitors can enjoy hiking trails such as Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, rock climbing, camping, and sightseeing at iconic viewpoints like Glacier Point and Tunnel View.
Of course, no trip to Yosemite is complete without exploring Yosemite Valley, known for its breathtaking scenery, including El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall.
Our tour is also designed so you can use the tour on the park’s shuttles. Take your time, enjoy each section of the park.
There’s no shortage of outstanding views and mountain scenery, which is why it’s our pick as the best national park in California.
Final Thoughts
Well, are you feeling fully inspired? Explore the best of what California has to offer through these nine national parks. And if you think you’d rank the parks differently, let us know in the comments! Like we said, they’re all excellent in their own way.
Be sure to check out the other national park sites in California to discover more historical sites, wildernesses, and scenic coastlines. And don’t forget to let Shaka Guide lead the way, and take you on the best and most flexible tours available.
Matt Caracciolo is a travel writer based in Ohio and author of the Shaka Guide tour for Yosemite. Born and raised in Columbus, Matt fell into travel writing while teaching English abroad in South Korea.
He has written two travel books, including the Moon Ohio guidebook, and enjoys writing and editing tours for Shaka Guide. Matt follows Mark Twain’s belief that “travel is fatal,” embracing travel as a way to learn more about the world and ourselves.
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