california state parks road trip

How to visit all of California's national parks in one epic road trip

Mar 14, 2022 • 12 min read

A road trip to California’s national parks will show you the best of the state’s stunningly diverse landscapes © Albert Pego / Shutterstock

California is romanticized for its sparkly Pacific oceanfronts, thickets of palm trees and glass-walled high-rise buildings in the big coastal cities. But the state consists of so much more than its famed southern coast.

If you go north, inland or even offshore, you’ll be treated to dazzlingly unique terrain, insanely diverse ecosystems and eyebrow-raising history lessons — all of which you can experience through the nine (yes, nine!) US national parks in the Golden State.

Each of these parks represents a distinct piece of California’s beautiful, multifaceted puzzle. Here's how to visit them all in a single trip that you’ll talk about — to anyone and everyone who will listen — for the rest of your life.

Breaking down the itinerary

• Total parks visited: nine
• The parks: Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia National Park, Death Valley National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Pinnacles National Park, Yosemite National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, Channel Islands National Park
• Total trip time: 17 days, starting from Los Angeles
• Total mileage: 2,003 (may vary depending on your exact route and road closures)  

Day one: Los Angeles to Joshua Tree  National Park

Leave LA in the morning, and travel 131 miles to Joshua Tree, where you’ll camp.

Day two: Hang out in Joshua Tree 

Spend the day in Joshua Tree National Park; camp here for a second night.

Where to stay

Joshua Tree National Park has several campgrounds. Take your pick, but book far in advance if your trip will take place between October and May — the cooler months are busy in the desert parks. If you want to lodge, check for availability in the nearby towns of Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms.

Need-to-know

Desert weather can change suddenly. It’s not uncommon for dampened fires to reignite when nighttime winds fan the embers. Make sure to fully put out your fire, and secure any items that may fly away in strong winds. 

How to get around

Joshua Tree is a relatively small park and easy to navigate. Park Blvd runs through the entirety of the park, with offshoots to get to attractions. You can drive your vehicle to almost all of them, and trailheads too.

What to do while you’re here

Joshua Tree has several hikes ranging from easy to hard, and ample rock-climbing and bouldering opportunities. One fun thing to do in Joshua Tree is drive down Park Blvd to see the flora shift from Joshua Tree groves to thickets of yucca cacti.

Day 3: Joshua Tree to Death Valley  National Park

Leave Joshua Tree in the morning and drive 228 miles to Death Valley, where you’ll camp or lodge.

Day 4: Take in the scenery in Death Valley 

Spend the day in Death Valley National Park; camp or lodge here again.

Death Valley National Park has primitive and full-hookup campgrounds, and lodges  ranging from basic to luxurious. All but one of the campgrounds are first-come, first-serve, but you need reservations for a lodge.

Camping is probably not the best option if you visit Death Valley in the summer months — temperatures can remain high, up to 100ºF (38ºC) throughout the night, and spike as early as 9am. It's not a great idea in the middle of winter either, when temperatures can drop below freezing at night.

The best way to get around Death Valley is by car. Highways stretch far and wide throughout the park, along with offshoot roads to get to attractions and trailheads. The National Park Service recommends keeping hiking to a minimum in the summer, due to extreme temperatures.

Walk out to the biggest, sparkliest dunes at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes ; drive Artists Drive to see mountains in shades of seafoam and mauve; visit Badwater Basin (the lowest place on earth at 282ft below sea level); and check out Ubehebe Crater on the north side of the park.

Day 5: Death Valley to Sequoia National Park

Leave Death Valley in the morning, and travel 268 miles to Sequoia National Park, where you’ll camp or lodge.

Sequoia offers incredible camping opportunities, with both primitive and developed campgrounds. There is one developed lodge in Sequoia National Park, Wuksachi Lodge , as well as a primitive lodge maintained by an NPS partner.

The road between Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park can close during the winter due to snow. If you plan to visit during the winter months, check for road closures and adjust your route as needed.

Generals Highway traverses the entire park; you’ll drive your vehicle to and from all trailheads and attractions. There are parking areas along the way, though parking can be tough to find in the summer.

You’ll never be able to do everything in Sequoia National Park in just a day or two, but you can get a good idea of what the park has to offer. Spend some time romping around Giant Forest to understand the sheer size of Sequoia's trees; hike to Little Baldy for a relatively quick trek with a fantastic payoff; and see the huge  General Sherman Tree (the world’s largest tree by volume).

Day 6: Sequoia to Kings Canyon  National Park

Spend the day in Sequoia; move on to Kings Canyon National Park (48 miles) in the evening, where you’ll camp or lodge.

Day 7: Spend time in Kings Canyon

Spend the day in Kings Canyon National Park, then drive 112 miles to Yosemite National Park, where you’ll camp or lodge.

Like Sequoia, Kings Canyon National Park has both camping and lodging options . Make reservations in advance and check to ensure your vehicle isn’t too large for the campground you book.

It seems like Sequoia and Kings Canyon are one and the same, but the parks do have defined borders — they are connected by Generals Highway, but closures can occur. Check the driving guidelines from the NPS to make sure your route and vehicle are appropriate. Depending on your vehicle and the season, you may have to exit Sequoia and drive around the park to get to Kings Canyon.

You’ll get around mainly by vehicle in Kings Canyon National Park, hopping out to travel on foot for hikes and attractions.

See General Grant , the second-largest tree in the world; walk up 172 steps to Buck Rock’s dizzying 8205-foot lookout; and enjoy the view at Kings Canyon Overlook off Generals Highway.

Day 8: Explore Yosemite  National Park

Spend the day in Yosemite; camp or lodge here.

For quieter camping, camp on the east side of Yosemite near or in Tuolumne Meadows . If you want to lodge, you can choose one of the many options within the park .

Two main roads in Yosemite, Tioga Road (Hwy 120) and Glacier Point Road, close in the winter due to snow. They usually reopen in May or June — plan your trip accordingly. If you want to see wildlife, spend more time in the Tuolumne Meadows area, rather than the valley.

Yosemite is well-developed, with many roads, paved walking trails, boardwalks and unpaved trails. There is also a shuttle system in the valley area. If you visit during the summer, be prepared for congested traffic and trouble with parking. Getting around by bike or foot is typically easier during the summer months.

Yosemite has so many attractions that it can be tough to choose which ones to see. With limited time, see  El Capitan and Half Dome from the valley floor, hike Tuolumne Meadows Trail to Soda Springs , or raft down the Merced River (summer or spring). For an expansive view of the famous granite structures, drive to Tunnel View on Wawona Road.

Day 9: Yosemite to Lassen  Volcanic National Park

Leave Yosemite by early afternoon and travel 301 miles to Lassen, where you’ll camp or lodge.

Day 10: Stay overnight in  Lassen

Spend the day in Lassen Volcanic National Park; camp or lodge here.

There is only one lodge in Lassen Volcanic National Park , Drakesbad Guest Ranch , but there are many campgrounds . Most campgrounds require advance reservations, and some are first-come, first-served.

Park Highway (Hwy 89) closes past the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center during the winter months. The visitor center itself can also close during winter storms. While in the park, stay on established trails and boardwalks. Hydrothermal areas can be disguised and dangerous, and visitors who travel off-trail can suffer severe burns.

Lassen Volcanic National Park has several roads running through the park, but they can all close due to snowfall. The NPS highly encourages checking road conditions before you visit, or simply visiting after roads are cleared in April.

Lassen Volcanic National Park is quintessential northern California: It shows off with glistening mountain lakes, snowy peaks, and lush meadows. But the park’s real claim to fame are the boiling hydrothermal areas and volcanoes. Backpacking, hiking, biking and auto-touring are popular activities for seeing the attractions.

Day 11: Lassen to Redwood National Park

Leave Lassen Volcanic National Park by mid-morning; travel 177 miles to Redwood National Park, where you’ll camp or lodge.

Day 12: Mess around in the Redwoods

Spend the day in Redwood National Park; camp or lodge here again.

Redwood National Park — technically known as Redwood National and State Parks — has eight basic campground cabins but very limited lodging. If you want a real roof over your head, consider staying outside of the park in nearby communities.

The campground cabins tend to book up several months in advance, so if you're keen to stay in them, be sure to plan well ahead of your trip. 

The park is mostly oriented around US Highway 101, the corridor that runs north and south along most of California. Many other roads, including designated scenic drives, run throughout the park. 

Marvel at some of the tallest known trees in the world, obviously! Aside from craning your neck to attempt to see the tops of coastal redwoods, biking, hiking, horseback riding and kayaking the Smith River (summer only) are popular activities.

Day 13: Redwoods to Pinnacles National Park

Leave the Redwoods by early morning and travel 437 miles to Pinnacles National Park, where you’ll camp or lodge.

Day 14: Escape the crowds at Pinnacles

Spend the day in Pinnacles; camp or lodge here again.

There is only one campground at Pinnacles National Park , and it’s on the east side of the park. The east and west sides of Pinnacles are not connected by road — only by hiking trails. If you plan to camp, make sure you enter on the east side through Hollister, California. You can lodge in Soledad, California, if you plan to enter on the west side.

On this trip, you only have time to enjoy one side of the park. Plan accordingly. Both the east and west side offer great hiking trails and California condor viewing, though the cave attractions differ.  

Highway 146 takes you into the west side, while highway 25 takes you into the east side. Both highways weave through the park for a few miles, and then it’s mainly foot traffic from there.

Pinnacles is one of the smaller national parks in California and has very limited facilities. Its lack of development makes for quiet hiking and uninterrupted wildlife-viewing. Make sure you shimmy through Bear Gulch Cave (east side) or Balconies Cave (west side), and look into the sky to see some condors (the largest land birds in North America!).

Day 15: Pinnacles to Ventura

Leave Pinnacles National Park and travel 233 miles to Ventura, California.

Day 16: Ventura to Channel Islands National Park

Make a reservation for an Island Packers tour to Channel Islands National Park. Head back to Los Angeles after the day tour, or stay in Ventura for another night.

Ditch your car or camper van for a night (it'll be safe in Ventura Harbor, or you can pay to park in a nearby garage) and take a park concessionaire boat to the island. Pitch a tent in one of the park's lush campgrounds or venture into the backcountry — but watch for ticks, and seal your food in rodent-proof containers. You can also opt to return to the mainland on the same day and lodge in the beachside town of Ventura.

There are no remedies for poor planning at Channel Islands National Park , so make sure you bring enough food, water, clothing and other supplies. You must reserve your Island Packers tour in advance — it’s likely that you’ll have to plan your entire trip around this day, because tours are limited and fill up fast.

You'll need fresh legs for a visit to the Channel Islands, as there's no transportation service on the islands. Everything must be accessed by foot or kayak, unless you have a private boat.

Island Packers boats most commonly go to Santa Cruz Island , the largest island in California at over 96 sq miles. On Santa Cruz, you can go hiking, bird-watching, snorkeling, kayaking and whale-watching. You can also peruse old Chumash Native American residences and ranching quarters from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Day 17 (optional): Return to LA

Travel back to Los Angeles (68 miles).

You might also like:   15 unforgettable experiences in US national parks    Why you should drive California's scenic Highway 395 The best free things to do in the US national parks   

This article was first published February 2020 and updated March 2022

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Ultimate California Road Trip Itinerary: From the Pacific to the Redwoods!

Are you looking for the best California road trip itinerary to explore the most beautiful places in the Golden State? Our 10 days in California itinerary will take you from the rugged coast and beautiful beaches to the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevadas. Hike the Mojave desert, sleep underneath a yucca tree, and visit the lowest place on the continent while you road trip in California. Read our 10 day California Road Trip guide now. You may also like our post on 20 Best Road Trips in the USA .

Welcome to our ultimate California road trip planner!

We created this planner to help you plan the perfect road trip around California and it contains all the essential information you need to plan your trip today including budget and costs, what to eat, where to stay, etc.

Here you will find recommendations for a variety of California itineraries as well as get more information on California road trip must-see attractions including the Golden Gate Bridge, Big Sur, Yosemite, and Los Angeles.

Our mission? To make sure you have a blast in California!

Also Read: Portland to San Francisco Road Trip Itinerary California To Texas road trip planner Best Things to do in Washington State

California is our favorite destination ever.

I have been enamored with California long before I visited it.

California, San Jose, and the West coast are randomly thrown around in conversations in India – because everyone knows someone working in Silicon Valley – and you can’t help but know about this slice of America.

Growing up, I knew more about Cisco, Apple, Google, and Yahoo (remember when everyone used Yahoo?!) than San Francisco, Yosemite, and Big Sur.

And Disney – because everyone knows Disney!

California has such a unique history.

The oldest, tallest, and widest trees live here and guess what, they have been around since prehistoric times – yes, even dinosaurs lived among the redwood trees!

One of the lowest, aridest, and hottest places on earth is right here in California in Badwater Basin.

And as for scenic places: California has so many of them!

We love Big Sur and its rocky coast, the wildflower super blooms, blue Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake and its tufas, unique shapes of Joshua trees!

There are so many things to see in California road trip that the list just goes on!

Also Read: 24 Best Places to Visit in California in winter

Dotted Globe contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full  Disclosure  here. Thank you!

And that’s why in our California road trip itinerary of 10 days, we take you around all these unique and beautiful places in the Golden State.

Our California 10 day road trip itinerary is perfect for driving around dreamy landscapes of yellow poppies, orange orchards, purple foliage, and lush green vineyards.

We have divided this California roadtrip itinerary into 4 essential stretches as per the geographic features of the state – yepp, we are that geeky – and you can customize it as you want. 

Best waterproof walking shoes for California beaches

If you are a beach person like me, then extend the Pacific Coast Highway Itinerary to 10 days.

If you are a mountain lover like my hubby, then take a 10 day road trip from San Francisco to Yosemite.

Pick your favorite area and stay there as long as you want. Or follow our California in 10 days itinerary exactly as described!

As always, we have also included suggestions for if you have more or less time.

Whatever you chose, you are going to have the time of your lives – because this is California!

“Every time I come, I’m still amazed at the breadth California has. Big Sur, Yosemite, the desert… I love it.” – Theo James, the English actor

Best of California Road Trip 10 Days Itinerary

We, like most people, have seen California in bits and pieces rather than in one go.

We first visited California almost a decade ago and did San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the theme parks.

Second time around, we visited Death Valley National Park on a road trip from Vegas.

Then I lived and worked in the Bay area in tech (oh, the irony!) and that’s when we explored the California National Parks, North Coast, and the Sierra Nevada side of the state.

Our most popular posts: 22 Best City Breaks in the USA The Best Things to do in New York on your first visit Ultimate List of Best Places to visit in the USA

Most recently, we did the San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip along the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway – oh and also road-tripped Southern California and Disney with the kids.

On our next trip – we plan to do the North Coast and Redwoods Scenic Highway AGAIN.

Yeah – that’s how much we love California – have been to many destinations several times and still can’t have enough.

The best way to tour California is obviously by driving. The state is beautiful but huge and it’s not easy planning California trip that covers all the major attractions with limited time in hand.

And planning a California road trip with kids is even more difficult – how do you prioritize between theme parks and natural attractions?

And that’s where we rush in – your knights in shining armor – delivering the ultimate 10 day California road trip itinerary. 

Our California trip planner is more like going on a series of best California road trips – each more gorgeous than the previous.

Also, we follow this road trip along two of California’s most popular routes: south on the SR1 or Pacific Coast Highway and then back north along the scenic SR 395 through Eastern California .

That’s what makes our itinerary the absolute best California driving trip planner!

You can also call it the California National Parks road trip because we will be visiting the most popular of them on an epic road trip.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Stretch 1: Down The Pacific Coast – 4 Days

Often enough, when someone talks about a California driving holiday, this stretch along the Pacific Coast Highway is the one they actually mean.

Constantly ranked among the top scenic drives in the world, the coastal drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles is the best of both worlds.

It combines the urban getaways of California’s two largest cities with the natural panoramas of Big Sur and the Pacific. 

If you have limited time, we would recommend spending 3 to 4 days along this route.

If you want to focus only on this coastal road trip, then just drive south on a road trip from San Francisco on SR1.

Take your own time to enjoy roadside stops like Carmel-By-The-Sea, Morro Bay, and the stunning Big Sur.

Hike or camp and explore nature.

Here’s our suggestion for this stretch of 10 day California itinerary planner.

San Francisco – 1 Day

Start with our San Francisco road trip planner.

San Francisco is our favorite city to start a 10 day California trip.

The city is quite easy to fly into; the 3 airports of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland are located close by and many airlines have deals to the Bay area.

We would recommend spending a minimum of one day in San Francisco before picking up your rental car and driving south.

Or you can rent a car before, see SF, and then drive the PCH.

You can also start your 10 day road trip from Los Angeles, in that case, adjust your plans accordingly.

Read this now! Whatever you do – don’t casually park your car at an empty garage in San Francisco. Car Break-ins in San Francisco are very common, as we discovered to our ill-fortune . On our latest trip to San Francisco, we had parked in a garage two blocks away from Pier 39 and came back to find the rear glass broken and both our children’s suitcases gone!  We had to spend quite some time to sort the issue and it left a sad memory on an otherwise awesome road trip around California in 10 days. We would recommend parking at your hotel while taking a cab or the tram to explore the city. 

San Francisco has many names – SF, San Fran, Fog City, the City by the Bay, Frisco (though don’t say that in front of locals) or simply, the City – going back to the days of the Wild West when there was nothing much in Northern California but the city.

San Francisco is colorful, vibrant, and bohemian.

It’s amongst our favorite US cities – right there at the top along with New York , Chicago , and New Orleans.

There are quite a few things to do in San Francisco: unsurprisingly most of them begin at or near the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco’s gigantic urban park.

Begin your visit at the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center near the southern end of the bridge.

Learn interesting facts and see construction relics from the building of the Golden Gate Bridge before visiting the bridge itself.

Next walk across all 1.7 miles of this engineering marvel and icon of America.

The views of the bay from the bridge are beautiful and you feel an indescribable thrill while walking across it.

Definitely the highlight of your California travel itinerary!

Up for more adventure?

Bike the Golden Gate!

We have done it twice – most recently with our 3 yrs and 6 months old kids – it is a superb experience.

We love biking across to Sausalito, exploring the quaint town, and taking the ferry back to San Francisco.

You can also bike to the redwoods if you have more time.

Read our ultimate guide to biking the bridge here.

If not biking, then use the rest of your day to explore San Francisco’s highlights: Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, Lombard Street, and Ghirardelli Square.

If you want to spend more time in San Francisco, see the Painted Ladies – those famous SF houses shown in Full House!

You can also check out the city from the Twin Peaks.

The Golden Gate Park is perfect for a stroll.

Ride the cable car to Chinatown and have some dumplings and noodles for lunch.

Spend an afternoon admiring the beautiful architecture of the Palace of Fine Arts or visit the prison of Alcatraz Island.

Visit the beautiful redwood trees at Muir Woods National Monument or whale watch and hike at Point Reyes.

San Francisco is a beautiful city and you can easily spend a couple of days there as a part of your 10 day trip to California.

Read our San Francisco posts now to plan this part of the trip: San Francisco 3 to 5-day itinerary ideas 17 Best Things to do in San Francisco on your first visit

The area around San Francisco is also full of activities and tourist attractions.

Here are some suggestions if you want to spend a few more days exploring around the Bay Area during your California itinerary of 10 days:

Napa & Sonoma 

Take a day trip from San Francisco to Napa Valley along the Silverado Trail.

Sonoma County is also a great place to visit for wine lovers.

You can tour the many vineyards, taste local wines, dine at Michelin starred restaurants, and visit famous tasting rooms.

If you happen to visit in the fall, you will see beautiful fall colors in the vineyards and be able to attend grape stomping. 

San Jose is popular with millennials and those working in Silicon Valley.

You will find plenty of trendy nightclubs and bars in San Jose.

If you enjoy shopping, check out the high fashion brands on Santana Row.

For outdoor lovers, a hike to Mission Peak is a must while families will love the Winchester Mystery House.

Silicon Valley

If you love tech then you need to visit Silicon Valley.

It boasts the largest concentration of geeks and nerds – and as a fellow geek, I say it quite fondly!

Start your visit at the Computer History Museum to know everything about the machine that changed our lives.

Then see Google’s Android lawn sculptures in Mountain View or the garage where Hewlett Packard began in Palo Alto.

Visit Stanford University’s sprawling campus as well as Facebook and Apple!

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip – 2 Days

On to the next part of the 10 day road trip in California.

After seeing San Francisco, drive south along the SR1 or Pacific Coast Highway.

Over the next 2 days, you will follow the coastal route to Los Angeles while making plenty of stops along the way.

Check the coastal communities of Half Moon Bay and Davenport before reaching Santa Cruz.

If you have kids, spend some time at the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk.

Next visit Monterey and Carmel by the Sea. Hike in Point Lobos or walk the coastal bluffs at Garrapata State Park.

On the way, you will see secret beaches, hidden coves, and beautiful views. 

As you begin driving PCH1 while following our 10 days in California itinerary, you understand why artists settle here, photographers and writers both wax lyrical about this region, and why the drive is called the most beautiful in the world.

We recommend staying somewhere in the vicinity of Carmel Highlands for the night.

The next day, rise early for the star attraction of the drive: the 90-mile long rugged, wild Big Sur.

Big Sur is 6 hours from Los Angeles and you have a big day ahead.

It is really hard to describe Big Sur.

Rocky cliffs, foaming waves, spring wildflowers, lighthouses, migrating whales, turquoise water, redwood trees: Big Sur has everything.

It is gorgeous in a wild way.

In Big Sur, you will find amazing state parks, some of California’s best hiking trails, iconic beaches, and tons of marine life, including otters, elephant seals, and dolphins.

Some areas of Big Sur can be closed at any given time of the year due to floods or landslides – so we recommend checking out the PCH status before your 10 days road trip California.

Read more about all the attractions including the beautiful McWay Falls in our post One day in Big Sur . 

Other attractions of the Pacific Coast Highway drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles include Monterey’s famous 17-mile drive, the seaside towns of Pismo Beach and Morro Bay, the famous Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara, and the beaches of Malibu.

For the purposes of this California Itinerary of 10 days, we would suggest 2 to 3 days on PCH.

However, if you have more time then the PCH is easily a 4 day to week-long road trip in itself.

To read more about all the awesome stops on PCH and planning a detailed itinerary, check out our article on Planning a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway . 

Also Read: Top 10 Convertible drives in the USA

Los Angeles – 1 Day

While San Francisco and Silicon Valley are for tech lovers, Los Angeles is for Hollywood fans.

How long to stay in Los Angeles is a tricky question.

If you only have one day in Los Angeles, start by seeing the famous Hollywood sign and then visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame to take selfies with your favorite stars.

Also, see the Kodak Theatre (now Dolby Theatre) which hosts the Oscars and tour the movie star homes on Rodeo Drive.

If you have more time to explore Los Angeles, we suggest starting with lunch at the Santa Monica Pier.

Then visit the Griffith Observatory and see Los Angeles from above.

Or you can take a behind the scenes VIP studio tour at one of your favorite studios: pick from Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures or Sony!

You can also check out the beautiful exhibits at the Getty Center or the beautiful modern art at the Broad.

LA also has many other top museums and a large number of attractions – read our post on Best Things to do in Los Angeles for more ideas.

For more help in planning your day, read our Los Angeles itinerary for first-time visitors .

Here are some suggestions to explore the area beyond Downtown Los Angeles:

No California family road trip is complete without a trip to Disney.

Both of California’s Disney Parks are located close to Los Angeles in Anaheim.

On the best California vacation itinerary, you have to meet Mickey, Goofy and other beloved cartoon characters!

Kids also get to meet Disney’s princesses in full attire at the parks.

To plan a California family vacation itinerary including a trip to Disney, read our Disney posts .

Universal Studios

To understand all about movie-making, see movie sets, and enjoy thrilling rides visit Universal Studios.

This theme park has really cool attractions and the Studio Tour will take you through sets based on Shutter Island, Jaws, King Kong, and more.

Harry Potter fans will love visiting Hogwarts and taking thrilling rides based on the books and movies – and is a must-visit if you are spending 10 days in California.

Channel Islands National Park

For a unique experience, customize our itinerary for California 10 days and visit the remote Channel Islands.

Comprised of 5 islands, the park has excellent wildlife, sea caves, and lots of natural beauty.

You can take a ferry to the park from Ventura.

Optional: San Diego – 1 Day

From Los Angeles, you can venture on the next part of California 10 day itinerary or extend your trip down the coast by visiting San Diego.

Not many people know that San Diego is the oldest city on the West Coast.

It has beautiful Spanish Colonial architecture and lots of history. 

Read our post 22 Best Things to do in San Diego now to know more about this beautiful city.

If you have one day, you can visit the Historic Old Town and understand the Mexican and Wild West roots of the city.

Next, visit the famous Balboa Park with its beautiful architecture, renowned museums, and the San Diego Zoo.

Round off your time in the city by exploring the historic Gaslamp Quarter and its Victorian architecture and trendy eateries, hotels, and pubs.

This area is perfect for ending the day with dinner and drinks.

If you have more than a day, visit the famous San Diego Sea World and see the dolphins in action.

San Diego is home to many beautiful beaches; the Mission Beach boardwalk is very popular.

Other things to see include Mission San Diego, Sunset Cliffs Park, and the bustling waterfront area of Seaport Village.

If you have more time on 10 day itinerary California, check out the dramatic sculptures in the desert city of Borrego Springs.

Related: For more California road trip ideas, check out our post on 12 Best California road trips

Stretch 2: Through The Arid Californian Desert – 2 Days

Continue on the California road trip route planner through deserts of southern California.

While most people associate California primarily with the coast and then with the dense redwood forests, the state is also renowned for its unique desert landscapes.

Most of these parts of southern California have a desolate beauty.

It is full of desert cities like Palm Springs which offer unique tourist attractions for visitors.

In this post, we focus our California 10 days itinerary on exploring two of the region’s national parks: Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park.

Joshua Tree National Park – 1 Day

Located partly over the Colorado desert and the Mojave desert, Joshua Tree National Park is named after the iconic Joshua tree.

This is a type of Yucca tree that is twisted, scraggly, and found only in the Mojave desert of California.

The easily recognizable tree looks even more dramatic in the desert landscape and bare rock formations of Joshua Tree National Park.

The national park is one of the most underrated California road trip destinations.

Its unique vistas have drawn photographers and artists to the park for decades.

Read our post on One Day in Joshua Tree to plan your trip.

There are many things to do in Joshua Tree and its otherworldly landscape.

One of the best ways to see Joshua Tree is by driving around the paved road in the park.

Campsites in Joshua Tree are spectacular and hikes through Yucca trees and cacti adventurous.

The Hidden Valley Trail is a short mile-long trail that offers great desert landscape views.

The park has many popular geological rock formations that are used for rock climbing.

The park also has a dark night sky and is good for stargazers, astronomy enthusiasts, and night sky photographers.

Wildlife and birding opportunities around the park are also numerous.

Read more in our post 24 Best Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park .

While deciding how to plan a trip to California, we recommend keeping more time aside to explore the many attractions surrounding Joshua Tree.

You can easily include them on a South California road trip from San Diego to Joshua Tree in this order: San Diego – Anza Borrego – Galleta Meadows – Salton Sea – Palm Springs – Joshua Tree.

Here’s some more information about these desert experiences that are worth adding to your itinerary if you have the time.

Salton Sea 

The Salton Sea is an inland lake created by flooding from an irrigation canal of the Colorado River that carries water to the Imperial Valley in 1905.

Several resort communities were built along the new lake.

However, the lake has no discharge and as a result, the water became unusually saline causing the death of marine life.

As a result, the communities were abandoned and are extremely popular with ruin photographers.

If you have teens, then definitely include Bombay Beach ruins in your California vacation itinerary – they will love to see random objects lying on the beach.

Today, the Salton Sea shoreline is filled with deteriorating structures and RV communities.

The Salton Sea is also located directly on top of the San Andreas fault and geothermal activity including mud pools are present along the coast.

The Salton Sea State Recreation Area is popular for birding, boating, picnicking, and camping. 

Palm Springs

Palm Springs, located in the Colorado desert region, is one of the biggest Californian desert cities.

If you want a relaxing vacation, then Palm Springs is one of the best California ideas.

One of its main attractions is the Palm Springs aerial tramway which takes you up Mount San Jacinto and offers great views of the surrounding area.

Palm Springs also has many great museums, boutique stores, restaurants, and resorts.

It is one of the most popular winter vacation destinations in the USA.

If you plan to visit Palm Springs, then check out our post on 30 Best Things to do in Palm Springs, California.

Anza Borrego and Galleta Meadows Sculptures in Borrego Springs

While California has many beautiful state parks, few know about its largest – Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

This park is at its most beautiful in the spring when the cacti flower and the desert landscape comes alive with colors.

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is just two hours away from San Diego and can be seen on a San Diego Joshua Valley road trip.

In nearby Borrego Springs, you can see the unusual Galleta Meadows Estate sculptures.

These sculptures created by artist Ricardo Breceda are free to visit and beautiful works of art.

By driving all over the land you can spot dragons, serpents, wooly mammoths, and other fantastic creatures.  

Also, read our post on Planning the ultimate Southern California itinerary.

Coachella Valley Preserve 

Coachella’s Thousand Palms Oasis is a unique chance to see the oasis environment in the middle of the desert.

The oases directly sit on fault lines and the water seeping through the faults has given life to California Fan Palms and other big palms in the arid desert.

Wildlife including sheep, goats, bobcats, etc, also can be spotted at the oasis.

Entry to the reserve is free and it has many hiking trails plus offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

There are also other hiking areas close to Coachella Valley Preserve including Indian Canyons where you can hike through slot canyons. 

Death Valley National Park – 1 Day

Comprising of areas of the Mojave desert and the Great Basin desert, Death Valley is vastly different than Joshua Tree National Park.

For the most part, Death Valley is devoid of vegetation and is home to a variety of geological formations including the badlands, sand dunes, and the famous salt flats.

Death Valley also has the distinction of being the lowest point in North America and is also one of the hottest and driest places in the country.

No trip to Death Valley National Park is complete without visiting the Badwater Basin salt flats.

The salt flats, at 282 feet below sea level, are the lowest place in North America.

Death Valley National Park has many scenic drives that are perfect for exploring around the park.

Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes are good for taking a stroll, exploring the desert plants, viewing animal tracks, and sunrise/sunset photography.

The park has many interesting geological formations.

Death Valley also has a dark night sky and is great for stargazing and photographing the Milky Way.

Read our post on 14 Best Things to do in Death Valley National Park for more information.

We know you are planning to roadtrip California, but we can’t talk about Death Valley without mentioning Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is also a great city to begin your road trip to California.

The distance between Vegas and Death Valley is just over 2 hours and the route is quite scenic.

In fact, it is one of our favorite road trips from Las Vegas.

You can see the Sin City and then go on a road trip through California – an epic Las Vegas Los Angeles San Francisco trip, if you will!

Or you can also go on a memorable Las Vegas Grand Canyon road trip from California.

For Las Vegas travel inspiration, read our post on 52 Best Things to do in Las Vegas .

Stretch 3: Up Through The Sierra Nevada – 4 Days

After seeing Death Valley, take a road trip on California’s Scenic Highway 395.

This road trip is scenic whether you do it from north to south or like we recommend here, from south to north.

The best time to see the aspens turn yellow here is in fall.

The total distance from Death Valley to your final destination of Yosemite is 4 hours when the Lee Vining road to Yosemite is open in the summer.

However, we recommend keeping aside 4 days for this road trip as it has some of the most underrated road trip destinations in California including the Manzanar National Historic Site, Alabama Hills, Ancient Bristlecone pine forest, Bodie Ghost Town, etc.

For more information on these Route 395 stops, see this article .

For the purposes of this itinerary, we focus on the popular attractions of Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe. 

Route 395 will take you high up into the Sierra Nevada mountains, known for their spectacular beauty.

The Sierra Nevadas are home to many national and state parks including the mighty Yosemite and crystal clear high mountain lakes.

For the rest of your Californian road trip, you will be exploring the High Sierras and its many breathtaking attractions.

This is a welcome respite after the desert landscapes of Death Valley and Joshua Tree and depending on when you visit you will be able to see beautiful meadows, wildflowers, fall foliage, and even snow!

Mammoth Lakes And Mono Lake – 1 Day

Contrary to their name, Mammoth Lakes is not a lake but a winter ski town in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Mammoth Mountain is the main winter skiing area with a variety of ski runs.

In summer, it is a favorite with mountain bikers and hikers.

The town does have several beautiful lakes that are accessible only in the summer but none of them are named Mammoth.

The area has beautiful alpine meadows with wildflowers in spring and natural hot springs for some R&R.

In one day, we recommend taking the roughly one hour drive around the Lakes Basin and visiting all the lakes.

You can hike, picnic, kayak, and fish in whichever lake you like.

Or maybe just hang up a hammock and read a book by the lake.

Nearby Mono Lake is a saltwater lake surrounded by unique towering limestone formations called the tufa.

The lake visitor center has great information about the formation of the lake and the tufa while the short South Tufa trail is great for exploring the surrounding area.

The trail takes you along the lakeshore and among the tufas.

We suggest stopping here for an hour or so; Mono Lake accepts National Park Pass for entry.

On the way from Mammoth Lakes to Mono Lake, you will pass by June Lake and Devils Postpile Monument.

June Lake Loop Road is a great place to see the fall colors while the Devils Postpile National Monument is a unique geological formation of basalt columns.

Rainbow Falls, a 31m plunging waterfall, is another popular attraction of the monument.

Past Mono Lake, take the Lee Vining Road into Yosemite.

The official name of the road is Tioga Pass Road and it is closed in winter and spring (usually November to May) due to snow.

In that case, you can’t really visit Yosemite from the eastern side.

To know alternative routes in winter, check here . 

Yosemite National Park – 2 Days

Best known for its giant sequoia trees, bald granite cliffs, and spectacular waterfalls, Yosemite National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yosemite along with Yellowstone National Park and Grand Canyon National Park is known as the ‘Big Three’ and receives over 4 million visitors each year.

Yosemite is a must-stop on any Ca road trip itinerary.

The best time to visit Yosemite National Park is from the summer to fall when Tioga Pass Road is open.

We suggest spending 2 days in Yosemite National Park to hike, drive along scenic roads, and see the major attractions. 

On your first day, start by taking a Yosemite Valley Tour.

The Yosemite Valley is surrounded by the bald granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome.

Most of the waterfalls including Yosemite Falls are also located in the valley.

The Valley is also where most of the park services including accommodations, shuttle buses, etc are located.

The Valley has hiking trails for all difficulty levels that lead to stunning views of Yosemite.

Lower Yosemite Falls hike is a short and easy trail that goes to the base of the falls.

Touring the Yosemite Valley via the free shuttle bus is the easiest way to see the national park.

However, if you are visiting in summer (especially long weekends) it can get very crowded – so plan to start early in the morning.

The Valley Visitor Center has great information and exhibits about the history and geology of Yosemite, plus it is a good place to get souvenirs, postcards, and magnets.

The aptly-named Mirror Lake reflects Half Dome peak and is beautiful to visit.

However, it dries up towards the end of summer and is best seen in spring/summer. 

Another must in the Valley if you’re visiting in summer is Glacier Point.

Located along the valley rim, it can be reached only by car or private tour.

The views from Glacier Point are stellar. It is also the base for many of Yosemite’s rim hikes.

We suggest spending one day exploring the valley. Yosemite also offers paid guided tours if you prefer them.

On the next day, you can go up the Tioga Pass road if it is clear of snow.

This is your chance to experience Yosemite devoid of the crowds.

The shuttle bus will take you up the Tioga Pass road to Tuolumne Meadows.

To see Yosemite’s giant sequoia trees, visit the Mariposa Grove.

This area is also accessible by the park shuttle.

End your day by visiting Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Village.

Photographer Ansel Adams’s stunning black and white photos of Yosemite are a great reminder of how Yosemite looked over half a century ago.

Lake Tahoe And Emerald Bay – 1 Day

If you continue along Route 395 from Yosemite, you will reach lake Tahoe.

Note: Route 395 itself does not reach Lake Tahoe, so you will be following 207 from the Nevada side. 

The deep blue water of Lake Tahoe surrounded by snow-clad mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevadas is one of California’s iconic images.

Located on the California-Nevada border, Lake Tahoe is a popular travel destination for Californians throughout the year.

In winter it is popular for snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding.

Summer in Lake Tahoe is made for biking and camping.

In fall, the area around Lake Tahoe comes alive with spectacular fall foliage and is one of the top fall drives in the country .

South Lake Tahoe or the California side is best for enjoying the outdoors and nature with family while the Nevada side has lots of casinos and is more touristy.

Crystal clear waters of Lake Tahoe (CC 2.0 – Christian Abend )

The drive around Lake Tahoe is 72 miles long and takes about three hours.

It is highly scenic and one of the best road trips in California.

Much of the shoreline of Lake Tahoe is public and the views of the lake from the drive are stunning.

The lake looks a pretty shade of blue during the day and taking a beautiful picture of the water is a highlight of your visit.

An essential stop along the drive is the Emerald Bay State Park.

The drive here is spectacular and the views of the turquoise lake are lovely.

There are many other ways to enjoy Lake Tahoe.

You can take a helicopter tour or enjoy watersports on the lake.

The Sierra Nevada mountain ranges are an absolute delight for outdoor and nature lovers.

What you will see in these 4 days is just the tip of the iceberg.

The High Sierras have many beautiful alpine valleys, lakes, ghost towns, waterfalls, and hiking trails worth exploring.

If you can spend more time in the Sierra Nevada, then here are some other must attractions:

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 

These are the two other national parks located in the High Sierras.

The giant sequoias surround you as you drive the park roads creating a surreal and unique experience.

The twisting and turning roads here are not for the faint-hearted (hint: carry some Dramamine!).

Both national parks have great hiking trails and lots of wildlife.

John Muir Trail

While it is not possible to hike in a short time, John Muir Trail deserves a special mention.

This is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada and passes through Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks.

It is as renowned as the Appalachian or the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Bodie Ghost Town

The old mining ghost town of Bodie is an hour away from Mammoth Lakes.

Preserved as a state park, the town is full of historic saloons and deserted buildings.

While Sacramento is not in the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, the city is on the way while returning to San Francisco from Lake Tahoe and makes for a great addition to our California road trip itinerary recommendations.

One of the top attractions in Sacramento is the California State Railroad Museum.

Stretch 4: Along The Wild North Coast

There are many things to do in Northern California including national parks, scenic drives, beautiful coastal towns, and more.

You will need another 5 days minimum to fully explore the Northern part of the state.

Hence, we do not recommend covering the North Coast if you are following this California Road Trip Itinerary for 10 Days – you simply won’t have time.

The best way to explore this region is to plan a separate road trip in the northern part of the state, the details of which you can read here in our post, Ultimate Northern California road trip itinerary .

California’s North Coast is less visited, unspoiled, and partially unexplored compared to the famous central Coast and the crowded southern coast.

The prehistoric coastal redwood trees grow in groves along the road all the way up to Oregon.

Hwy 1 ends at Leggett where it joins Hwy 101.

While the road follows the coast, for the most part, it turns inward in the area of the Lost Coast.

The remote Lost Coast as the name suggests is devoid of major highways and remains the ultimate adventure for a 10 day trip to California.

However, the coast is not the only unique thing about Northern California.

The northern part of the state is also home to geothermal activity.

You can climb lava tunnels at Lava Beds National Monument and see volcanic craters, domes, mud pools, etc at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Here are a few attractions of the region:

Redwoods National and State Park

The Redwoods National and State Parks were created to preserve the old-growth redwood forests.

The Redwoods are the tallest living trees on Earth and also among the oldest.

The National Park and state parks are also home to a number of endangered animals including spotted owl, species of sea lions, etc.

The unique environment of the dense redwood forests by the coast has resulted in the park being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Seeing the Redwoods covered in fog during winter or spring is a surreal experience.

Point Reyes

Point Reyes National Seashore, located in Marin County, preserves a large swath of northern California’s coastal wilderness.

Most popular attractions at Point Reyes include Alamere Falls on Wildcat Beach and Point Reyes Lighthouse.

Other attractions include the endangered tule elk herd that can be seen around Tomales Point, Native American redwood houses, earthquake trail, and dramatic cliffside beaches.

Avenue of the Giants

Avenue of the Giants is an over 30 miles long scenic highway that passes through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park and its mighty coastal redwood trees.

Roadside attractions include tunnels cut into redwood trees, giant groves, and unique roadside attractions like a house created from a single redwood log and a Redwood RV.

We suggest hiking in the Redwood groves to experience the truly gigantic trees.

The quaint seaside town of Mendocino is quite different from the coastal towns on the Central Coast.

It reminded me of Maine and the coastal upper East coast due to its Victorian mansions painted in pretty pastel colors.

The town is a historical landmark and very pretty to wander and explore.

Nearby Mendocino Headlands State Park and Russian Gulch State Park are worth a visit.

Nearby Fort Bragg is no fort but a lumber town on the North Coast.

The famous ‘Glass Beach’ of which I’m sure you have seen pics floating around on social media is in Fort Bragg.

The beach is a part of MacKerricher State Park, a state park with amazing views of the undeveloped headlands, beaches, and tide pools.

Another popular attraction in Fort Bragg is the Skunk Train – a railroad built to haul timber logs from the redwood forests.

Other attractions on the North Coast include the pretty Victorian towns of Ferndale and Eureka, Del Norte Redwood State Park, and the seaport community of Crescent City.

More 10 Day California itinerary ideas for slow travelers

You can use our California road trip planner to customize your itinerary based on your interests. 

If you can only spend 10 days in California, then seeing all the above attractions can be overwhelming; here are a few suggestions for those who like slow travel.

California coast road trip itinerary

One great option is to go on a 10 day pacific coast highway trip or 10 day west coast road trip.

That way you can spend more time in the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles while seeing Big Sur at a leisurely pace. 

On this San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip in 10 days, you can tour the lighthouses, hike the trails, picnic on the beach, visit the wineries of the Central Coast, and enjoy nature – seriously the best road trip in California. 

You can even do the San Francisco to San Diego road trip in 10 days.

In that case, we would recommend keeping aside 2 days each for the 3 major cities and spending the rest of the time in the Big Sur region. 

This San Francisco 10 days trip lets you enjoy the beauty of the coast while visiting the Sierra Nevadas and the desert later.

California National Parks itinerary

California has 9 national parks – all of them are unique and make for an exciting California National park road trip. 

You can visit either the most popular ones or all of them, depending on how much time you want to spend in each park. 

We would suggest starting from Los Angeles, then seeing Joshua Tree and Death Valley before visiting Kings Canyon and Sequoia. 

Then see the beautiful Yosemite Valley. From Yosemite, head north to Lassen and then finally see Redwoods parks before returning to San Francisco. 

You can also see Pinnacles and Channel Islands if you have the time, to complete the national parks in California road trip. 

You can also use this route for creating your own California RV trip itinerary, since most national parks have RV campgrounds. 

Northern California road trip itinerary

Another great option for those who like slow travel is to plan a Northern California itinerary for 10 days. 

Start your road trip from San Francisco and drive along the less visited North Coast and see the majestic redwood trees. 

Drive along the Redwoods Scenic Byway before turning towards the mountains and exploring the caves at Lava Tubes National Monument. 

Visit Mount Shasta on your way to Lassen Volcanic National Park and end your trip in Sacramento, a couple of hours away from San Francisco. 

For more information on how to plan a California road trip focusing on the northern part of the state, read our in-depth post on Northern California road trip .

If you have less time: California itinerary 7 days

If you can’t spare 10 days, then we also have suggestions for 7 day California road trip routes. 

With only 7 days in california, we would recommend focusing on one region and exploring it at a leisurely pace. 

Of course, you can opt for a 7 day southern California itinerary or a 7 day California coast road trip along the PCH, but you can also consider some unique road trip ideas in California which explore its most popular attractions. 

Here are our favorites if you want to see the best of California in a week:

7 day road trip from San Francisco to Yosemite

If you are wondering how to spend a week in California but still see the most popular attractions, then this itinerary is for you. 

Start your road trip in San Francisco, see the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Mission District, Fisherman’s Wharf etc in two days. 

Then spend a day in Napa Valley and nearby Calistoga before seeing Sacramento.

In Sacramento, see the state capitol and the railroad museum then make your way to Yosemite National Park. 

Take a tour of the Yosemite Valley and see the famous El Capitan as well as the many waterfalls.

Enjoy the panoramic view from the Tunnel View Outlook. 

Then depending on the season, visit the Tuolumne Meadows area.

Return to San Francisco to complete 7 day road trip in California.

North California coast road trip

This California 1 week itinerary is perfect for slow travel. 

Land in San Francisco and take a day or two to explore it’s many attractions.

Then rent a car and drive north. 

Part of this road trip is on the Pacific Coast Highway 1 till Legett, after which you will be driving along the famous Redwood scenic byway. 

For your first stop, explore the beautiful Point Reyes.

See the lighthouse and the shipwreck, then eat oysters in Tomales Bay. 

Drive along the Avenue of the Giants and pass through the Redwood tunnels. 

Hike in the prehistoric Fern Canyon and visit the glass beach at Fort Bragg, then last stop at Eureka or Crescent City to finish the California coast 7 day itinerary.

7 Day Southern California trip itinerary

For this ca road trip planner, begin your trip with a day or two in San Diego or Los Angeles and then wind your way around Southern California’s desert attractions. 

See famous Joshua Tree and Palm Springs.

Enjoy the fantastic landscape of the Mojave desert and drink a delicious date shake.

See the sculptures in Borrego Springs. 

Then visit Anaheim and enjoy the theme parks.

There are also many things to do in Anaheim besides Disney. 

7 Day California Coast Road Trip

This is one of the most popular california driving holidays itineraries.

Follow this California road trip itinerary 7 days along the world famous Pacific Coast Highway. 

See the major cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Explore the charming mountain side towns of Pismo Beach and Morro Bay. Learn to surf and spot the elephant seals. 

Spend some time hiking and enjoying the wild, rugged vibe of Big Sur.

Take a tour of the Point Sur Lighthouse and hike down to Keyhole Rock. Go whale watching. 

If you have more time: California road trip itinerary 14 days

This two week california driving itinerary is perfect for long summer vacations, when most parts of the state including the High Sierras are completely accessible. 

Just use our main California trip planner, but add in all optional ideas including San Diego and the beautiful northern coast. 

Then see the Lassen Volcanic National Park area and visit the beautiful Burney Falls from Redding.

Spend some time in Mount Shasta and head back to San Francisco to complete California 2 week itinerary.

We hope you liked our California road trip blog.

Now you have everything ready to plan your perfect California trip itinerary, so make the most of it.

Did we miss any hidden gems in the Golden State?

Which part of the road trip did you enjoy the most? Let us know in the comments!

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Complete 3 Week California National Park Road Trip Itinerary

If you’re a family that loves the outdoors, a California national park road trip would be the ultimate west coast family vacation .

There are 63 National Parks in total across the United States (including overseas territories), and California hosts the highest number of National Parks compared to any other state in the US, coming in at nine official national parks. Each park is a great experience worth stopping on your road trip. 

If hitting all 63 National Parks is on your traveling bucket list, this road trip around the Golden State is a great way to cross nine off that list. California is a big state (the largest in the lower 48 contiguous states of the US), so a road trip traveling across the whole state may seem a bit daunting, but no need to worry!

We’ve mapped out the perfect route to visit all nine California national parks in a way that makes the most sense. We estimate between travel time and the time taken to enjoy each destination, you will need at least 2.5 to 3 weeks to complete this epic California road trip. 

California’s National Parks at a Glance

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• It makes a lot of sense before undertaking this road trip to get yourself an America the Beautiful Annual Pass – or see if your family might be eligible for the Every Kid Outdoors (a.k.a 4th Grader Pass)
• There are numerous possibilities for visiting California’s state parks on this road trip too, which come with day parking fees; consider investing in an annual pass for California’s state parks – it could pay itself off fast!

On this California Itinerary, San Francisco will be our starting point. We will be traveling in an anti-clockwise direction, hitting the west coast national parks first – but you can, of course, choose a different starting point or take this road trip in the reverse direction. 

• Before you set off, you may also like to spend a few days exploring San Francisco and the Bay Area with these 15 Fun Things to Do in San Francisco
• Distance: 128 miles
• Travel Time: 2 hours and 20 mins

Our first National Park stop is Pinnacles National Park . Pinnacles was established as a national park in 2013 and got its name from the towering rock structures throughout the park. Pinnacles is the smallest National Park in California, but despite its size, it has plenty to offer. 

How Long Should I Stay at Pinnacles National Park?

Being so small (relative to other California giants!), you don’t need a lot of time to make the most of visiting Pinnacles National Park . With it being just a short drive from San Francisco, you can make it there in plenty of time to enjoy the park for the day and rest for the night before heading to your next destination. 

Where to Stay at Pinnacles National Park

Pinnacles only has one campground , accessible only from the east entrance to the park. It is available for reservations all year round. The campground offers space for campers, RVs, and standard vehicles and a limited number of permanent tent cabins . Each campsite will have a picnic table and a fire ring to ensure there are accommodations to fit all of your needs. 

Inn at the Pinnacles is the next closest option outside the parks west entrance, or you can look for cheap motel accommodation in the small nearby town of Soledad .

Things to Do in Pinnacles National Park 

Rock climbing.

One of the most popular activities at Pinnacles is rock climbing. If you have never been rock climbing before there are a number of routes available on the west side of the park.

Pro tip: The rock climbing routes at the Pinnacles are pretty advanced so if you do not have experience it is recommended that you book with a tour guide to ensure you remain safe during your trek. 

Hiking Trails

There are a number of hiking trails ranging from simple to advanced making it a great spot for people of all ages and capabilities.

Hiking trails include the Bear Gulch Cave via the East Entrance (1.5 miles, 275 feet in elevation), the Balconies Cave Trail via the West Entrance (2.4 miles, 200 feet in elevation), and the High Peaks Trail which can be accessed via both the east and west entrances (4.3-6.5 miles, 1,259-1,800 feet in elevation).

Bird Watching

There are more than 200 bird species that reside within Pinnacles National Park including turkey vultures, golden eagles, and the park’s signature bird, the California Condor. 

The Pinnacles National Park is home to fascinating talus caves. These caves are divided into two main areas: the Bear Gulch Caves situated in the East District and the Balconies Caves located near the Chaparral Picnic Area in the West District.

When to go: Pinnacles National Park is open year-round and being in the state of California, the weather is suitable for travel year-round. Keep in mind, even in California temperatures can get pretty chilly when the sun goes down so be sure to pack layers and blankets for warmth. 

• Distance: 234 miles
• Travel Time: 4 hours

At the Channel Islands National Park you get the best of both worlds with it being both a national park with an island feel. The Channel Islands are made up of five islands out in the beautiful North Pacific Ocean which must be accessed by ferry. The islands include Anacapa, Santa Barbara, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz. 

How Long Should I Stay at Channel Islands National Park?

Because there are five separate islands to visit, we recommend taking 2-3 days to fully enjoy the whole area. You can travel from island to island with a number of fun outdoor activities at each destination. 

Where to Stay at Channel Islands National Park

Campgrounds are available on all five channel islands; to use these campsites, you must make an advanced reservation and secure overnight transportation service to ensure you have all the supplies and items necessary for your overnight stay. 

It is possible to only take a day trip to the islands and stay in the nearest large city, Santa Barbara.

Things to Do at Channel Islands National Park

For most, simply traveling out to the island is enough of an experience without any added activities, but if you are one that likes to stay busy and have plenty to do during your stay, the islands offer many outdoor and water-recreational activities.

Some popular activities include whale and dolphin watching, snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking. 

When to go: The Island Packers offer transportation to all five islands. There is year-round transportation available to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands while Santa Rosa and San Miguel Island trips are available from April through early November, and Santa Barbara Island trips are available from the Spring through Fall seasons.

All islands are available year-round via private transportation services if you choose. 

• Distance: 199 miles
• Travel Time:  3 hours, 45 minutes

Leaving the Channel Islands completes the western coast leg of our road trip, and we are moving into the Southern California national parks by heading to Joshua Tree National Park .

Joshua Tree is located in Southern California and is the meeting point of two well-known deserts, the Mojave and the Colorado deserts. The park gets its name from a type of yucca that grows in the desert, known as Joshua Trees. 

Bonus Tip: On the way to Joshua Tree, you can make a stop at Mount San Jacinto State Park to add another beautiful park to your road trip. 

How Long Should I Stay in Joshua Tree National Park?

While you can see the main points of Joshua Tree in just one day, we recommend spending at least two days to provide enough time to take your time and see everything the park offers.

Where to Stay at Joshua Tree National Park

There are 500 campsites across 8 campgrounds located on Joshua Tree National Park grounds, so as you can imagine, there are plenty of options to choose from.

While there are so many campsite options available, the park sees about 2.8 million visitors per year, so it is highly recommended that you make a reservation prior to visiting, particularly if you will be visiting during a peak or holiday season.

If you have a camper or RV , the best campgrounds include the Cottonwood Campground, Ryan Campground, and the Jumbo Rocks Campground.  

Things to Do in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree offers 300 miles of hiking trails varying from short 15-20 minute walks up to 6-hour trails. Some of the most popular trails include Barker Dam (1.1 miles, 1 hour), Discovery Trail (0.7 mil, 30-45 minutes), Skull Rock (1.7 miles, 1-2 hours), Split Rock Loop (2.5 miles, 1.5-2.5 hours), and the Lost Horse Loop (6.5 miles, 3-4 hours).

Other popular activities in Joshua Tree include Ranger-led programs, biking, and horseback riding. 

When to go: Joshua Tree is open and available for visitors all year round, and the San Diego weather offers a great experience during any season. Some campgrounds close during particular times, be sure to check reservation availability before going. 

• Distance: 228 miles

As you enter Death Valley National Park we are getting into the first of the Sierra Nevada Mountain national parks. Death Valley is the largest national park not just in the state of California but also in the continental U.S.

Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in America, filled with huge sand dunes and colorful sandstone canyons, making it quite a sight to see.

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How Long Should I Stay in Death Valley National Park?

We have found that the sweet spot for a time at Death Valley seems to be around 2-3 days, depending on how quickly you move through the trails and activities offered in the area.

Where to Stay at Death Valley National Park

If you’re looking for lodging within the park, the Furnace Creek area has several options to choose from. One of them is the historic Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort, which offers comfortable amenities and is conveniently located near key attractions. Another popular choice is Stovepipe Wells Village, where you can enjoy a rustic desert experience with a hotel, restaurant, and campground.

Outside the park, the town of Beatty, Nevada, provides convenient access and a range of accommodations, including hotels and motels suitable for families.

Things to Do in Death Valley National Park 

Death Valley is over three million acres giving plenty of room for a variety of fun activities and experiences to enjoy. Some of the most popular activities include: 

• Sightseeing – A lot of sightseeing points can be accessed via car, some of the most popular including the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the lowest point in North America, the Badwater Basin. 
• Hiking – Death Valley is a hiker’s dream. There are a number of incredible trails to enjoy ranging from easy to advanced. Hiking is best during the months of November through March as the temperatures can become quite extreme through the Spring and Summer months. 
• Backcountry Driving – If you prefer to skip hiking and stay in your vehicle, there are hundreds of miles of backcountry roads to enjoy. Spending the day driving around is a great way to take in the sights around you. 
• Self-guided Star Wars Driving Tour – If you’re a fan of Star Wars, visiting some of the sites where some of the famous Star Wars movies were filmed will be sure to fulfill your dream. Some of the Star Wars filming locations include Dantes View, the Golden Canyon, and the Twenty-mule Team Canyon. 

When to go: In the spring and summer, the weather can be quite harsh. Thus, it might be more preferable to plan a visit during the fall or winter months.

• Distance: 104 miles
• Travel Time: 2 hours

The Sequoia National Forest gets its name from the world’s largest trees, Sequoias, and the park has the largest number of sequoia groves in the world. The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are two adjoining National Parks that offer some of the most incredible sights in the U.S. 

How Long Should I Stay in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks?

We have found that because this stop is technically two parks it is best to spend around 3-4 days in order to cover everything that both parks have to offer. You can choose to split your time between two days at each park, or if you find that you prefer one park over the other, you can spend more time there and just hit the highlights of the other park. 

Where to Stay in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

The Sequoia & Kings Canyon area offers a number of lodging accommodations to its guests, including camping sites, log cabins, motels, as well as hotels.

Some popular options include Grant Grove, the John Muir Lodge , the Wuksachi Lodge , the Lodgepole Campground , and the Sequoia High Sierra Camp.

Things to Do in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Both parks offer beautiful sights to see, and there are plenty of great outdoor activities to enjoy, including horseback rides, cave tours, hiking, and more. Some popular park highlights include: 

• The Giant Sequoia National Monument (The world’s largest tree encompassing 328,315 acres)
• Mount Whitney (The highest peak in the Lower 48, standing at 14,494 feet)
• General Sherman Tree (The largest tree in the world by volume, standing at 275 feet tall and a 36-foot diameter).
• Crystal Cave  

When to go: The parks are open 24/7 all year round, but you will find the best weather and conditions during the months of June through September.

• Distance: 111 miles
• Travel Time: 2.5 hours

Yosemite National Park is probably the most well-known national park in California, and it is the most visited park as well, typically coming in at more than 4 million visitors per year and is the first stop to kick off our road to the northern California National parks. During your time at Yosemite, you will see a number of beautiful sights of nature.

How Long Should I Stay at Yosemite National Park?

Yosemite Park is huge; for a size comparison, it is about the size of Rhode Island , so as I’m sure you can imagine, ideally, you will need a good amount of time to see the park. We recommend spending 3-4 days at Yosemite.

Where to Stay at Yosemite National Park

There are a variety of lodging options at Yosemite National Park, ranging from tent campsites to traditional cabins, as well as full hotel accommodations. Popular choices include The Ahwahnee, a luxury hotel, the White Wolf Lodge, the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, and the High Sierra Camps.

Things to Do in Yosemite National Park

You will find plenty of activities throughout the park, including hiking trails, rock climbing, and water-based activities. Yosemite has so many highlights to see that it is hard to narrow it down to just a few choices, but the following are some of the most popular can’t-miss experiences: 

• Yosemite Falls – Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America, coming in at 2,425 feet. You can access the lower falls with a simple walk through the trail, while a more difficult trail will lead you to the upper fall’s crest. Bonus tip: Make sure you bring your rain gear if you want to avoid getting soaked!
• Half Dome – The half dome is one of the most awe-inspiring sights to see at Yosemite. There is a hiking trail that will lead you to the top of Half Dome, but it is extremely important to note that this hike is NOT easy, and you should not attempt it if you have not trained for such a vigorous trek. Permits are required in order to participate. 
• Glacier Point – Glacier Point is a can’t-miss stop at Yosemite as it is the opportunity to see many of the sights within Yosemite from just one point, including Yosemite Valley, the High Sierra Crest, the Merced River Canyon, and the Half Dome. 

When to go: Yosemite is a great visit all year round, with beautiful weather during the spring and summer months and a breathtaking snow-capped wonderland during the winter months. Camping is limited, though, in the winter and some trails are closed.

• Distance: 321 miles
• Travel Time: 5 hours, 40 minutes

The Lassen Peak volcano erupted in 1914 and continued for three years while it has now become dormant, allowing visitors of Lassen Volcanic National Park to explore what still stands today, as well as many other beautiful sights. 

How Long Should I Stay at Lassen Volcanic National Park?

While you can have a fulfilling experience with just one full day at Lassen Volcanic, if you have the extra day to spare, we recommend spending the full two days to really get the most out of your visit.

Where to Stay at Lassen Volcanic National Park

There are a variety of accommodations within the park to fit whatever style you are looking for. If you would like to stick with traditional camping, there are seven campgrounds on the property, camping cabins at Manzanita Lake, and hotel-style lodging at Drakesbad Guest Ranch .

Things to Do at Lassen Volcanic National Park 

Lassen offers plenty of fun outdoor activities and some of the most beautiful sights your family will surely love. Some popular things to do include: 

• Manzanita Lake – This lake is absolutely beautiful and provides plenty of fun water activities to enjoy, including swimming, kayaking, and a 1.6-mile hiking trail that circle around the lake. 
• Lassen Peak – One of the coolest experiences that you won’t want to miss out on is hiking up to Lassen Peak. The hike is not described as easy, but it isn’t particularly challenging either; it is suitable for your older kids. When you reach the peak, you will see the Lassen Peak crater and how the rock has evolved over time. 
• Bumpass Hell – If you choose to visit Bumpass Hell, you will take a three-mile round-trip trail that will lead you to the geothermal site that features 16 acres of boiling springs, mud pots, steam vents, and fumaroles, one of the absolute unique highlights of visiting Lassen and the Ring of Fire.

When to go: Lassen Volcanic National Park gets an extreme amount of snow during the winter months, making it a challenging visit, the best time to visit is during the months of July through October while the mountainous through-road is open.

• Distance: 214 miles

Finally, we round out our tour of California National Parks with Redwood National Park and some of the most utterly beautiful scenic driving in northern California . The forest is home to nearly half of the world’s old-growth redwood trees. Simply walking through the forest and seeing the redwoods standing so tall is an experience you don’t want to miss out on. 

How Long Should I Stay at Redwood National Park?

The Redwood National Park is one that you can easily experience within just one day, provided that you have the full day to immerse yourself in its nature. However, if you have additional time to spare, don’t hesitate to stay for an extra day or two!

Where to Stay at the Redwood National Park

There is not much lodging available at Redwood National Park, so if you choose to stay within the park, be sure that you make reservations and check availability before you go.

The park offers eight campground cabins split between the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. 

If you prefer hotel or motor inn accommodation, Crescent City on the border with Oregon or Eureka make your closest small city stopping points.

Things to Do in Redwood National Park

The best part (in our opinion) about visiting Redwood National Park is that your time there is spent just truly immersing yourself in the nature surrounding you. Some can’t-miss sites include: 

• Driving the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway – This drive is a 10-mile adventure that takes you right through the heart of the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. As you drive, you get the chance to enjoy the beautiful nature around you, including the wildlife that lives within the forest.
• Fern Canyon – If you are up for a long hike, you can embark on the James Irvine Trail, a 9-mile round-trip hiking trail that will take you to Fern Canyon. As you walk through the forest, you can admire that you are walking through the very filming location used in many of the scenes in the hit film Jurassic Park 2. This is a very cool experience for a movie buff or fan of the Jurassic Park franchise. 
• Trees of Mystery – The Redwood National Park is one of the few parks that actually have a ride within its grounds. The Trees of Mystery attraction will take you through a .08-mile trail where you will see beautiful sculptures, and you will get the chance to ride in the SkyTrail gondola ride in order to see the beautiful views from 130 feet above the ground. 

When to go: The best time to visit is between the months of April through September, as these months provide the most life and color within the trees and greenery throughout the forest. Additionally, the weather is the most cooperative and enjoyable during these months. As you head into late fall-winter, the weather tends to become cooler and more rainy, making it difficult to navigate through hiking trails. 

Bonus Tip: As you circle back around to San Francisco, there are several State Parks in the San Francisco area that you can add to your itinerary if you have time. These parks include Sonoma Coast State Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Woods National Monument, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. 

As we mentioned at the outset, you need at least 2.5 to 3 weeks to do this California National Parks Road Trip justice. If you have less time and would like to tackle smaller parts of the state and some shorter scenic drives in California , then we suggest you read next:

• San Francisco to the Redwoods – via Highway 1, Sonoma, and the Valley of the Giants
• Scenic journey from San Francisco to Yosemite
• You can extend this journey with a road trip between Yosemite to Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
• Alternatively, take in the majesty of Yosemite and Death Valley on one fascinating family road trip
• From San Diego , try this Joshua Tree road trip itinerary , which is ideal for a long weekend
• You may want to tackle just one half of the state, here we weigh up the pros and cons of Southern California vs Northern California

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An Epic California National Parks Road Trip Guide

E mbark on an epic California national parks road trip that stitches together the Golden State’s historic monuments and natural beauty. From the misty forests of the north to the sun-baked deserts in the south, this journey promises an unforgettable adventure.

Millions of people are captivated each year by California’s national parks’ rich history and diverse natural beauty. From the state’s protected wilderness to the haunting allure of Alcatraz Island and beyond, there are nearly 40 National Park Service sites to explore. This guide will help you chart your course through California’s national treasures from north to south.

Tule Lake National Monument

Reflect on the poignant history of Japanese American internment during WWII at Tule Lake National Monument. Surrounded by stark volcanic landscapes and ancient Native American rock art, this site offers reflective and educational experiences related to America’s complex past.

Lava Beds National Monument

Near the California-Oregon border, Lava Beds National Monument is a spelunker’s paradise with North America’s largest collection of lava tubes. From the icy depths of Skull Cave to the accessible Valentine Cave and biologically rich Sunshine Cave, it offers a unique underground adventure. Above ground, explore Native American rock art and historic battlefields.

Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood National and State Parks , a 5-hour drive north of San Francisco, offer a free escape into the world of the tallest trees on Earth. Highlights include the Avenue of Giants, a scenic drive leading to ancient redwoods, hiking trails, unique drive-thru trees and dark sand beaches .

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area , near Redding in Northern California , is a haven for nature lovers and adventure seekers. Dive into Whiskeytown Lake for swimming or kayaking, hike over 70 miles of trails and marvel at the 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Explore the unique landscape of Lassen Volcanic National Park , home to the world’s largest plug dome volcano. Experience hydrothermal sites with bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles and hot springs.

Point Reyes National Seashore

Just a short drive from San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore offers a tranquil coastal retreat. With its breathtaking seascapes, misty trails and rustic accommodations, Samuel P. Taylor State Park is an essential stop for those seeking the unique charm of California’s coastline.

Muir Woods National Monument

A stone’s throw from San Francisco, Muir Woods National Monument offers an accessible escape to ancient coastal redwoods towering skywards. Ideal for early morning tranquility or for sci-fi fans imagining Endor’s lush landscapes, it’s a serene introduction to California’s towering redwoods.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

In the heart of San Francisco lies the Golden Gate National Recreation Area , a diverse urban park that stretches beyond the famous bridge. Offering stunning waterfront views and miles of trails, it’s a great stop on any California road trip .

Fort Point National Historic Site

Tucked under San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point National Historic Site offers a glimpse into Civil War-era history paired with unmatched views of the bridge. A blend of historical significance and scenic beauty, it’s a must-visit for those looking to combine cultural exploration with iconic photo ops, making it a unique stop on a California National Parks road trip.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Set sail into history at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park , located at the bustling Fisherman’s Wharf. This park is a treasure trove of nautical heritage, featuring a collection of historic vessels and a maritime museum that chronicles the city’s seafaring saga.

Alcatraz Island

A must-visit on your California National Parks road trip, Alcatraz Island reveals the intriguing history of the infamous federal prison in San Francisco Bay. Accessible via an official ferry, the experience includes a compelling audio tour detailing life on the island for inmates and guards. The tour lasts about 3 hours, sharing tales of legendary inmates and dramatic escapes, all while providing stunning views.

Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park

In Richmond, the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park honors the American civilians — particularly women — who supported the war effort during World War II. This park ensures the stories of resilience and contribution on the home front are celebrated and preserved.

John Muir National Historic Site

In Martinez, the John Muir National Historic Site honors the man known as the Father of the National Parks. Visitors can explore Muir’s Victorian mansion, stroll through the orchards he planted and pay their respects at his gravesite. Interactive exhibits detail his conservation efforts, making this site a tribute to Muir’s enduring legacy in advocating for wilderness preservation.

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Port chicago naval magazine national memorial.

Located in Concord, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial commemorates the tragic explosion of July 17, 1944, which remains the largest domestic loss of life during World War II. This site honors the 320 servicemen killed — many of whom were African American — and educates visitors on the event’s significant impact on the desegregation of the U.S. Navy.

Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site

In Danville, the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site , or Tao House, celebrates America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright. Visitors can explore his home through guided tours, wander the inspiring gardens and engage in programs that honor his legacy.

Yosemite National Park

A crown jewel of the American wilderness, Yosemite National Park captivates with its soaring granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls and ancient sequoias. Iconic landmarks like El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls underscore its grandeur. Whether seeking adventure through its vast trails, capturing the beauty from Tunnel View or enjoying sunset at Glacier Point, Yosemite offers experiences for every visitor. 

“The NPS site for Yosemite is essential. Not only do you need to check this site for the opening and closing of roads throughout the park — namely Glacier Point Road and Tioga Pass — but you’ll need to hop on during Yosemite’s peak season and grab a reservation as well before heading out.” — Nina Ragusa, California is for Adventure

Pinnacles National Park 

Just a few hours from California’s urban centers, Pinnacles National Park is a sanctuary of dramatic landscapes and home to the endangered California condor. Offering trails from moderate to strenuous, it’s a haven for hikers and nature lovers with unique cave explorations and prime wildlife viewing.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Home to the world’s largest trees, including the General Sherman Tree, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks provide a majestic escape into nature. Adventure seekers can enjoy hikes to Tokopah Falls, explore Crystal Cave and marvel at panoramic views from Moro Rock.

César E. Chávez National Monument

Don’t miss the César E. Chávez National Monument on your California national parks road trip. It’s a meaningful tribute to the civil rights advocate widely recognized as the most important Latino leader in the United States during the 20th century.

Manzanar National Historic Site 

Situated between the majestic beauty of sequoias and the extremes of Death Valley, the Manzanar National Historic Site memorializes the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. It invites reflection on civil liberties through its preserved camp remnants.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is the hottest, driest and lowest national park in the U.S.  Marvel at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, the salt flats of Badwater Basin — the lowest point in North America — and the colorful mineral deposits at Artist’s Palette. Panoramic views await at Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View, and the park’s Gold Tier Dark Sky Park status offers unrivaled stargazing opportunities.

Mojave National Preserve

The Mojave National Preserve is a desert oasis between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It features singing sand dunes, ancient volcanic cinder cones and springtime wildflower explosions.

Castle Mountains National Monument

The secluded Castle Mountains National Monument is a hidden gem tucked between Mojave National Preserve and Nevada. Designated in 2016, this 21,000-acre area boasts grasslands, Joshua tree forests and a rich history of Native American culture and gold mining.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is a climber’s haven with over 8,000 routes and a variety of experiences. Daytime adventurers can enjoy hikes among unique formations like Skull Rock and the Cholla Cactus Garden, and at night, the entire park transforms into a stargazer’s paradise.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a tranquil haven near Los Angeles. It offers a rich mix of activities, from challenging hikes to leisurely wildlife viewing.

Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park includes five remarkable islands off Southern California’s coast. Accessible via ferry from Ventura Harbor, this vehicle-free sanctuary lets you embrace the tranquility of camping or backcountry exploration, but come prepared — pack food securely and stay tick-aware .

Cabrillo National Monument

Conclude your California national parks road trip with a visit to Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego. This site is a tribute to the age of exploration and Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo’s 1542 landing, melding historical education with natural wonders like tide pooling and panoramic ocean views.

Wrapping up your California National Parks road trip

As you journey through the vast landscapes and delve into the rich history of the Golden State, you’ll enjoy unparalleled experiences. From the majestic redwoods reaching skyward to the arid expanses of desert , these National Park Service sites showcase America’s natural splendor and historical depth while beckoning visitors to return.

Sage Scott was bitten by the travel bug as a preschooler when her family moved abroad for the first time. Now settled in America’s Heartland, Sage is a travel writer, world wanderer and photographer whose favorite color is golden hour.

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California National Park Road Trip & Itineraries

Yosemite Road Trip and Beyond!

Summer will be here before you know it – the long days of sun-filled warmth and possibility radiating from the soles of your sandals to the tip of your sun hat. The smell of sunscreen, and best of all, the sound of the key in the ignition and a car packed with the essentials for adventure.

It’s time to start planning that summer national park road trip! Goodbye to the same four walls we’ve been staring at for months. Goodbye to urgent deadlines, the growing pile of demands, and the stale routines that we promised ourselves months ago we would kick. Hello to a Yosemite road trip and to the freedom of the open road and national parks – America’s Best Idea.

Think about it.

California has nine — count ’em NINE — different national parks, more than any other state. That’s plenty to keep everyone busy for a whole host of summers. And that doesn’t even count 18 national monuments, over 270 state parks, the miles of coastal highway and more.

On a California national parks road trip, you can visit everything from one of the hottest dessert environments on earth at Death Valley National Park , to the island national park with world-class marine exploration at Channel Islands National Park . There are volcanic mountains ( Lassen Volcanic National Park ).

Photograph the distinctive trees and rock formations at Joshua Tree National Park . Wander through the cobblestone cliffs at Pinnacles National Park. Stand in awe below the most massive trees in the world in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and visit the tallest trees at Redwoods National Park .

And naturally, you can’t visit California’s National Park system without stopping in the crown jewel of them all, Yosemite National Park. The park is so beautiful that people travel from around the world to see the towering granite cliffs and waterfalls.

There is so much to do in California, you won’t be able to get to all of it in one trip unless you have much more time than most. And take our word for it, each of these destinations is so rich and so unique that they are worth slowing down for.

Leave time to follow your curiosity. Linger in the places that bring you the most joy. Soon find yourself making plans to return again next year to revisit your favorites, and become inspired by new spaces.

The key to an epic road trip is balancing the time in your vehicle on the road, and the time you spend actually exploring the national parks. Make sure you’re not so focused on your checklist that you miss out on discovering all there is to see in each destination.

The One Must-See National Park

If you had to pick just one national park to road trip to this summer, it would have to be Yosemite.

The renowned park ranger, Carl Sharsmith was once famously asked what he would do if he only had one day in the park. His answer: he would sit by the Merced River and cry. That’s because he spent a lifetime exploring and discovering every nook and cranny of this magical place as a Yosemite National Park Ranger. So, in case you were wondering if there is enough to do, the answer is yes.

There are spectacular historic and cultural locations. You could spend three days alone following in the footsteps of the famous naturalist John Muir on his first visit to Yosemite.

• Start that route in Gilroy, the Garlic Capital of the World.
• Cross Pacheco Pass.
• Take the back roads through welcoming small towns like Snelling, Coulterville, and Greeley Hill on your way into Yosemite filled with a wide array of lodging and dining options.

You can also break up your drive from the Bay Area with a stop at Lake McClure and Lake McSwain . These are beautiful places to camp, fish, and enjoy some of the area’s “˜off-the-beaten-path’ activities. Take a lap at Exchequer Mountain Bike Park ““ a 700-acre park with views of Lake McClure dedicated exclusively to mountain biking. Cool off at the Splash and Dash Aqua Park .

Yosemite is one of the most popular parks in California, and its popularity is growing. You’ll want to plan for your visit, so make sure you’re signed up for the Yosemite.com newsletter to get the best and most current information as well.

California National Park Road Trip Loops

Given its location in the center of the state, Yosemite is also an essential part of any California National Park loop trip. Making the scenic trip over Tioga Pass is the ideal, and most scenic way to cross the Sierra Nevada. If you have two weeks or more, and you’re looking for some longer loops, check out these itineraries. Just remember to take your time and linger in the places that are bringing you the most joy.

The Northern National Park Road Trip Itinerary

The northern national park road trip boasts three national parks, four if you are willing to go outside of California (we will forgive you). But wait, that’s not all! It also includes three National Monuments and a National Seashore.

If you start in San Francisco , you’ll find several outdoor parks nearby worth a visit. Take your time exploring parks like Fort Point with its unique history and vantage point overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge . Gaze up into the towering tops of the old-growth coastal redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument . Wander Point Reyes National Seashore’s windswept beaches, and keep your eyes open for wildlife like tule elk or elephant seals.

Start your trip with a visit to the world-famous, Yosemite National Park . Breathe in the sweet pine-scented air and dangle your toes in playful mountain rivers. With the diverse natural landscapes in the region, you could easily spend 3-4 days (or a lifetime) exploring the trails , rock climbs , and other things to do . Don’t forget to get a taste of history and some “˜spirited’ refreshment in Mariposa on your way back to San Francisco .

From Yosemite, you’re ready to head north to Lassen National Park . Lassen is the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range, and the park is filled with fascinating mud pots, fumaroles and hot springs.

At this point, you’ll be close to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. We would forgive you a detour beyond the California boundary, or you could stick to California-based sights and visit two National Monuments on the way to Redwoods National Park. Lava Bed National Monument’s volcanic landscape includes more than 800 caves, Native American rock art sites, and historic battlefields. Tule Lake National Monument provides a sobering reminder of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

After visiting the most massive trees in the world in one of the giant sequoia groves in Yosemite, you should visit Redwoods National Park, which boasts some of the tallest trees on Earth. Then take a leisurely trip down the Pacific Coast Highway back to San Francisco .

The Southern Coastal National Park Road Trip Loop

If the three (or four) national parks on the northern route were not enough to tempt you, then check out the southern national parks loop with a whopping SIX national parks, plus three iconic cities and a national monument.

Starting again in San Francisco , take your time driving to Yosemite National Park . This gives you more time to enjoy gold country along the way. Try your luck panning for gold or cast a fishing line in a clear lake or mountain stream.

If you have time, there is plenty to do here for a week or more if you have the time. Yosemite is the kind of destination that people return to year after year because there is so much to see and do.

From there head south to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks . Take your time to get one of the best views in the Sierra Nevada from Moro Rock, then visit the famous sequoias and contemplate the most massive trees in the world, like the General Sherman. Each grove has it’s own unique character.

Discover how these compare with the Tuolumne , Merced and Mariposa sequoia groves in Yosemite National Park. Don’t forget to also stop to wonder at the striking cave formations at Crystal Cave or watch the sunset at Moro Rock.

Once you’ve filled your mind with the ancient giants, head south to Joshua Tree National Park and marvel at the photogenic trees and scramble the natural rock formations. Many diverse hikes and viewpoints await your exploration.

From Joshua Tree National Park, drop south to explore San Diego and learn about 16th century exploration and go tide pooling at Cabrillo National Monument .

Follow the Southern California Coast to Ventura and Channel Islands National Park. Hopefully you’ve made a reservation to visit the national park for the day, or spend the night on the island. Just getting to the islands is a scenic journey on its own, and filled with opportunities for wildlife viewing.

More coastal exploration awaits you on the way to Pinnacles National Park to relish the quiet hiking there before returning to your starting point.

This one is for mountain lovers! But how do you top the six national parks in the southern coastal loop? Easy, with seven national parks in the southern mountain loop.

Start this loop the same way you started the Coastal loop from San Francisco , through Mariposa County into Yosemite National Park .

This time, instead of turning South, drive across the Sierra through Yosemite’s gorgeous high country. Olmsted Point , Tenaya Lake , and Tuolumne Meadows provide scenic stops and spectacular hiking options that are worth at least a day or two if you can manage it.

Emerge from Yosemite at Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve to see the delicate calcium-carbonate towers and abundant bird-life.

From here, the drive down Highway 395 parallels the scenic serrated edge of the Sierra Nevada. If you manage to get a highly-prized permit to hike Mount Whitney, you can go from the highest point in the contiguous US to the lowest point in Death Valley National Park .

From Death Valley, continue South to visit the unique trees and rock formations at Joshua Tree National Park. Then continue west to Ventura Harbor and Channel Island National Park .

This time, instead of following the coast, head inland past César E. Chávez National Monument toward the giant sequoia groves of Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park .

From there, drive west to visit Pinnacles National Park before finishing your loop.

The Complete California National Park Road Trip Itinerary

If you have a lot of time, love the open road and can’t bear to choose between these amazing options, by all means, visit them all. Simply combine the northern road trip with the southern mountain loop. You’ll be in for an epic California National Park road trip itinerary that hits all the bases.

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Epic California National Parks Road Trip: 2-Week Itinerary

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The perfect two-week California national parks road trip to see the best highlights and experience the Golden State’s outdoor nature to the fullest.

I vividly remember my first introduction to each national park I’ve visited in California. 

The first time I saw a Joshua Tree up close and experienced the next-level nature of desert stargazing. 

Driving along El Portal Road on my way into Yosemite Valley, my skin prickling from the jaw-dropping scenery in front of me. 

That feeling of awe as a huge California Condor flew overhead while I was hiking through Pinnacles National Park. 

The national parks in California are memorable, to say the least, and all of them deserve a place on any California bucket list . 

That’s why I wanted to put together an epic road trip itinerary to hit the highlights of the California national park system in two weeks. 

In this itinerary, I take you through the heights of the Sierras to the lowest point in North America, as well as California’s most beautiful islands . 

Along the way, you’ll experience the best of California nature and what makes each of these parks so special. 

Here’s to having a national parks road trip of a lifetime, happy road tripping! 

Note: this post contains affiliate links, which help run this site at no extra cost to you so I can keep providing free travel advice and tips. 

Table of Contents

How Many National Parks Are in California?

There are a total of nine national parks in the Golden State. This is the full list of California national parks :

• Redwood National and State Parks
• Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Yosemite National Park
• Sequoia National Park & Kings Canyon National Park  
• Death Valley National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Channel Islands National Park  
• Pinnacles National Park  

How Much Time Do You Need to Visit All of the National Parks in California?

California is a large state and its national parks are very spread out, so if you want to hit all nine I’d give yourself at least three weeks if not a full month. 

This two-week epic road trip itinerary takes you to 7 out of 9 of the national parks and is very doable, but if you want to add on more than that you should probably give yourself more time. 

If you don’t have two weeks and you just want to see the most popular national parks, such as Yosemite, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree, you could do a 5-day to one-week road trip instead. 

I have more road trip itinerary recommendations below for different lengths of time.

Get your FREE California Travel Planner – including printable checklists and my favorite two-week itinerary for the state. 

When’s the Best Time of Year to do a California National Parks Road Trip?

It depends on what you’re looking for, but my favorite time to do a California road trip around the national parks is either late spring or fall . 

Summer is the most popular time to visit the national parks, but it’s also when they’ll be at their busiest. And the ones in the deserts are impossibly hot at that time (Death Valley and Joshua Tree). 

Winter can be tricky if you’re visiting the national parks in the Sierras (Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and Lassen Volcanic National Park) because road closures are common due to snow.

There’s also less open in the winter so you don’t get the same atmosphere at certain parks. 

Spring, on the other hand, can be an ideal time for wildflowers , waterfalls, and nice weather without too much rain (especially in late spring). 

The fall will usually be warmer in California than in spring. In the fall, you’ll also be treated to fall foliage around the Sierras and reasonable temperatures at most places (for the deserts you might want to go in late fall though). 

Overall, different parks are good for different times of the year but if you’re looking to hit the most national parks in one go, spring or fall are the best seasons to plan your California road trip. 

• America the Beautiful Pass

If you’re doing a national park road trip, it’s worthwhile to grab an America the Beautiful Pass to save on the cost of the parks. 

The entrance fee for most national parks in California is around $35 per vehicle, so as long as you hit three different national parks the pass will pay for itself. 

The pass is good for a year and can be used at any other US national parks as well if you’re planning other out-of-state adventures this year. 

You can grab an America the Beautiful Pass here  

PS – you might also want to grab a national park passport just for fun!

California National Parks Road Trip from San Francisco

Day 1-3: san francisco to yosemite national park.

Distance: 179 miles, 3.5-hour drive

Note: since we’re skipping Redwood National & State Parks on this California road trip itinerary, you might want to visit Muir Woods to see the California redwoods before you leave or once you get back to San Francisco. 

Starting from San Francisco , you’ll make the 3.5-hour drive to Yosemite National Park. 

Once you make a right at Yosemite Junction, prepare yourself for a winding road up to the Sierras until you get to the Big Oak Flat Information Center. 

This is the western entrance of Yosemite National Park and you’re going to either be staying near this entrance or within the park for the next couple of nights. 

For this first day, you’ll probably only have a half-day to see the park after driving from San Francisco. 

Once you arrive, spend the rest of the day doing a mini road trip around Yosemite Valley and its surrounding areas to get your bearings and take in those jaw-dropping vista points. 

Here are a few vista points to go see: Lower Yosemite Fall, El Capitan Meadow, Valley View, Tunnel View, Washburn Point, and Glacier Point. 

Since you’ve already been in the car for a few hours, you can choose to do as few or as many of these as you want. 

Maybe you just want to have a picnic at Lower Yosemite Fall and watch the sunset at Glacier Point and call it a day, it’s up to you! 

This is your day to get out of the car and start hiking Yosemite’s popular trails. You have two options for today – a challenging long hike or a self-guided waterfall hiking tour. 

If you want to go with a challenging hike, hike either Half Dome (16.3 miles) or Clouds Rest (11.9 miles). 

Half Dome is the most famous hike in Yosemite, but you’ll need to really plan ahead and snag a permit to do the full hike and climb the cables at the end. 

Permits are done by lottery (the best way to enter is by doing the pre-season lottery from March 1st-31st on Recreation.gov ) so you’ll want to book early and there’s no guarantee you’ll get one. 

If you’re not able to get a permit for Half Dome, tackle Clouds Rest instead, which is just as beautiful and not as crowded. 

If you’re not up for that strenuous of a hike, I’d recommend doing a tour of Yosemite’s waterfalls through 1-3 trails. These are your options: 

• Bridalveil Fall Trail (0.5-mile) 
• Lower Yosemite Fall Trail (1 mile) – Most family-friendly waterfall hike for those traveling with kids or with mobility issues. 
• Vernal Falls (2.4 miles) and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail (5.4 miles) 
• Wapama Falls Trail (4.6 miles) – You can also see Hetch Hetchy Reservoir here too. 
• Upper Yosemite Falls Trail (7.2 miles) 

Note: The best time to do waterfall hikes in Yosemite is during peak runoff in May or June. If you’re traveling outside of this time, these are still stunning hikes to tackle. Otherwise, I’d recommend the Mirror Lake Trail (2-5 miles) at any time of the year besides winter. 

For your last day in Yosemite, it’s time to check out the eastern side of the park in the Tuolumne Meadows area. 

Head over to Olmstead Point to start your day with a stunning viewpoint. Then, drive to Tenaya Lake to relax and have breakfast or an early afternoon picnic. 

Next, stop by the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center to grab a map and learn more about the area. From here, you can do a short walk to Soda Springs and Parsons Lodge .

If you’re not too tired from hiking the previous day, you can also tackle one of the many hikes in the Tuolumne Meadows area. 

The hikes around here take you through the subalpine meadow, as well as craggy peaks and calm lakes. In other words, they’re gorgeous. 

A few you could do include: Gaylor Lakes (2 miles), Lembert Dome (2.8 miles), and Cathedral Lakes (7.7 miles).

Once you’re done hiking, continue enjoying the scenic drive along Tioga Pass , taking your time and stopping to check out the views along the way. 

If you have extra time, drive just outside the eastern side of Yosemite National Park to spend an hour or so at Mono Lake . 

This is one of the oldest and most unique lakes in North America, featuring alien-like tufa towers. 

Looking for more to do? Read our guides to the best things to do in Yosemite , two days in Yosemite itinerary , and how to see the Yosemite Firefall .

Where to Stay in Yosemite

• Camping: Lower Pines Campground , North Pines Campground , Upper Pines Campground
• Hotels: Yosemite Westgate Lodge , Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite , The Ahwahnee 

Read our guide to the best campgrounds in Northern California .

Day 4-5: Yosemite National Park to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Distance: 147 miles, 3.5-hour drive

The drive from Yosemite National Park to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Parks is another 3.5-hour journey, so I’d recommend starting early from Yosemite and arriving at Kings Canyon National Park (your first stop) by noon. 

Note: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are two separate California national parks. However, they’re often grouped together because they’re located next to each other and administered together by the National Park Service.

Leaving from Yosemite Valley, don’t miss Mariposa Grove where you’ll find the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite and some of the biggest sequoia trees in the world.  

At Kings Canyon National Park, you’ll have the chance to explore meadows, waterfalls, epic views, and Sequoia trees. Kings Canyon National Park is also home to the deepest canyon in the US (8,200 ft).  

Once you get to Kings Canyon, drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway that starts around Dunlap on Highway 180 and goes until Road Ends. 

Along the way, there are plenty of sights to check out, including the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, Panoramic Point, General Grant Grove, Hume Lake, Junction View, Grizzly Falls (a good picnic area), and Zumwalt Meadows.  

You have all of today to explore Sequoia National Park at your leisure and there’s a lot to pack in. 

Sequoia National Park is another place where you’ll find some of the biggest trees in the world, as well as interesting rock formations, caves, viewpoints, and plenty of hikes.  

If you have the energy, start your day off with 1-2 hikes inside the park. Here are a few options: 

• Big Trees Trail (1.5 miles) 
• Tokopah Falls (1.7 miles) 
• Crescent Meadow Trail (1.8 miles)
• The Congress Trail (3 miles) 

And then spend the rest of your day visiting Moro Rock, General Sherman, and the Giant Forest Museum. 

If you have extra time, you can also sign up for a 45-minute tour of Crystal Cave, just reserve your spot at least two days in advance.

Where to Stay in Sequoia and King Canyon National Parks

• Camping: Lodgepole Campground , Dorst Creek , Azalea Campground
• Hotels: Waksuchi Lodge , John Muir Lodge , Cedar Grove Lodge  

Day 6-7: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks to Death Valley National Park

Distance: 311 miles, 5.5-hour drive

The next segment of your California national parks road trip itinerary will feel completely different from what you’ve done so far. 

You’re now entering the Southern California desert region and the first stop is Death Valley National Park – the most brutal and extreme California national park on this list. 

In fact, it’s the lowest and driest national park in the contiguous US. 

This is the longest driving day in terms of distance between parks, so make sure you budget enough time from Sequoia National Park to get to Death Valley while it’s still light out. 

Day 6 

On your way into the park, stop at Father Crowley Overlook where you can sometimes see fighter jets practicing overhead. 

If you want to pick up a map and learn more about the history of the area, your next stop should be the Death Valley National Park Information Center . 

Depending on what time of day it is and where the temperatures are at, you may just want to rest for the afternoon until it starts cooling off. 

Once it gets close to golden hour, head over to two of the park’s best viewpoints at Dante’s View and Zabriskie Point . 

Start your only full day in Death Valley as early as possible. 

Spend the morning at Badwater Basin , the park’s famous salt flats and the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. 

Take your time walking around this massive area and snap some pictures while you’re there. 

Right next to Badwater Basin, you can do the two-mile hike to Natural Bridge to look at interesting rock formations. 

Next up, you can visit Devil’s Golf Course , which is another unique salt flat near Badwater Basin. 

Nearby there’s also the 9-mile Artist’s Palette Drive , which features two viewpoints looking out over a rainbow-colored mountain.

If it’s not too hot yet, you can also do a hike at Golden Canyon (there are a few different hikes of varying lengths at the trailhead). 

Spend your last evening in Death Valley making the journey to Mesquite Sand Dunes . You can hike to the top of them (it takes about 20 minutes) for prime golden hour views. 

Looking for a more detailed Death Valley bucket list? Read our full guide to the best things to do in Death Valley National Park .

Where to Stay in Death Valley National Park

• Camping:  Furnace Creek Campground , Wildrose Campground , Mahogany Flat Campground  [But I’d only recommend camping at Death Valley if you’re visiting during the cooler months (October-April)] 
• Hotels: The Inn at Death Valley , The Ranch at Death Valley , The Oasis at Death Valley  

Day 8-9: Death Valley National Park to Joshua Tree National Park

Distance: 228 miles, 3.75-hour drive

Continuing your California road trip itinerary, it’s now time to introduce you to my favorite California national park – Joshua Tree! 

There’s really no other place like Joshua Tree. It spans two deserts (the Mojave and Colorado) and features alien-like landscapes and funky-looking cacti. 

It was the first place I realized how beautiful the desert can be. 

There’s a lot to see in and even on your way to Joshua Tree, so you’ll want to be on the road early for the four-hour drive through the desert. 

Make sure to fill up on gas when you can and enjoy the many unique sights the California desert has to offer. 

There are a few stops you can make on your way into the west entrance of the park. 

Make a stop at Pioneertown to see what was once a Wild West movie set turned live town, grab a coffee from Joshua Tree Coffee Company , and walk around the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Art Museum to see the beauty of “junk art.”

Once you get into Joshua Tree, you’ll probably have a few hours left to sneak in some sights before calling it a day. 

For your first introduction to just how beautiful the Joshua Tree landscape can be, head over to the Arch Rock Nature Trail .

This 1.2-mile trail takes you to an interesting rock formation in the middle of the desert shaped, as you probably guessed, in the form of an arch. 

Afterward, you can head over to Skull Rock and the Jumbo Rocks Campground to immerse yourself in the massive boulders and weird rock formations that make Joshua Tree such a fun place to visit. 

Next, head over to another one-mile loop at the Hidden Valley Nature Trail to take in even more desert scenery. 

Finally, end your day with a sunset at Keys View – a panoramic viewpoint that looks out over the Coachella Valley. 

Start your day early today to beat the heat of the desert and get in some hikes. 

You have a few options today for hiking around the park.

If you’re up for the challenge I’d recommend starting with the more difficult Ryan Mountain Hike (3 miles). It’s a steady uphill climb to get to the summit but the views at the top are worth the effort. 

Note: If you’d rather explore the other side of the park that features a slightly different landscape, head south instead of doing the Ryan Mountain Hike. In the southern part of the park, you can hike the Mastodon Peak Loop Trail (2.6 miles) or the Lost Palms Oasis Trail (7.2 miles) to get a different perspective of Joshua Tree. 

After the views at Ryan Mountain or doing a hike in the south, it’s time to tackle one or two of Joshua Tree’s most popular (and easier) trails – the Barker Dam Nature Trail (1.3 miles) or the Wall Street Mill Trail (2.4 miles). 

The Barker Dam Nature Trail gives you the highlights of the Mojave Desert and guides you through the landscape with interpretive displays. 

This is a good one to do if you want to learn more about the local flora and fauna or you’re traveling with young kids. 

However, if you’re a history buff interested in looking into Joshua Tree’s past, head to the Wall Street Mill Trail. 

Along the trail, you’ll find leftover remnants of another time in the form of rusted-out cars and a mill that’s in disrepair. There are also signs along the trail that teach you about the history of the area. 

This is actually my favorite hike in Joshua Tree if only for the interesting juxtaposition of abandoned cars in the middle of the desert.  

After you’re done hiking for the day, head over to the Cholla Cactus Garden to see the cute and fuzzy teddy bear cacti (just don’t give it a hug!).

These are also nicknamed “jumping cholla” cacti because they “jump” when you get too close, so please be careful and keep your distance from the cacti. 

If you have time, you can round out your day by touring Keys Ranch , which is a historic ranch and homestead that was once lived in from 1910 to 1969 by William F. Keys and his family. Just note that tours are only offered from October to May. 

Before hitting the hay, finish off the night with a warm cup of hot chocolate (or a hot toddy depending on your preference) and do some stargazing.

Where to Stay in Joshua Tree National Park

• Camping: Belle Campground , Hidden Valley Campground , Jumbo Rocks Campground  
• Hotels: Pioneertown Motel , Joshua Tree Inn , Sacred Sands

Read my full guide to the best hotels near Joshua Tree  

Day 10-12: Joshua Tree National Park to Ventura & Channel Islands National Park

Distance to Ventura: 200 miles, 3.5-hour drive

Ventura to Santa Cruz Island: 1-hour ferry ride 

Oxnard to Anacapa Island: 1.5-hour ferry ride 

You’ve made it to the last leg of your national parks road trip, congrats! It’s finally time to head to the coast to check out California’s famous Channel Islands. 

Since ferries to the islands leave early from Ventura and Oxnard, I’d recommend using your road trip from Joshua Tree to Ventura as an excuse to see some nearby Southern California sights instead of trying to rush to the ferry in time. 

Once you arrive in Ventura, you have the option of staying on Santa Cruz Island for two nights or doing two-day trips – one to Anacapa and the other to Santa Cruz – to see more of the islands. 

Today is the perfect day to add some detours into your California road trip itinerary, especially since you’ll need to cross through the Los Angeles area anyway. 

Here are a few detour options you can make on your way to Ventura. 

• Whitewater Preserve – a scenic park in the desert that’s not too far from Joshua Tree. 
• Disneyland – You’ll want to get here early if you plan to visit, but this can definitely be a fun stop to break up the long hiking days and time in nature. 
• Spend the day around Los Angeles – Read my full list of 100+ Things to do in the city .
• Enjoy a mini Pacific Coast Highway road trip – You can hightail it over to the California Coast from Joshua Tree, and then do a mini highway 1 road trip starting around Dana Point and ending in Ventura. Check out my guide to the Pacific Coast Highway to find out where to stop along the way. 

It’s time to choose your adventure. You can either head to Santa Cruz Island today for two nights of camping or just do a day trip to Santa Cruz Island. 

I recommend starting with Santa Cruz Island because it’s close to the mainland and there are the most things to do for first-time visitors. 

On the island, you can book a kayaking tour to explore the island’s sea caves, go snorkeling in clear waters, spend the day at the beach, or hike around the island.  

Today, you’ll either continue exploring Santa Cruz Island if you’re camping there or you’ll do a day trip to Anacapa Island. 

Anacapa Island is another Channel Island that’s close to the mainland and offers good views, a touch of history, and some short hikes. 

There aren’t any accessible beaches on Anacapa but it’s a nice spot for a picnic and some coastal hiking. 

Where to Stay in Ventura: Amanzi Hotel , Waypoint Ventura , Crystal Lodge Motel

Where to Stay on Santa Cruz Island: Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground , Santa Cruz Del Norte Backcountry Campground

Day 13: Ventura to Pinnacles National Park

Distance: 225 miles, 4-hour drive

You’ll end your California national parks road trip at the newest national park in the state – Pinnacles! 

Pinnacles is a small park so you can easily see a good chunk of its sights and viewpoints in one day. 

If you’re driving up from the south, I’d recommend hiking the 8.4-mile High Peaks to Balconies Cave Loop . 

This trail gives you the bulk of the park highlights and even lets you explore the Balconies Cave (if it’s open), just make sure to bring a headlamp! 

Also, keep your eyes peeled for California Condors flying overhead. They’re the park’s most famous residents and pretty incredible to see in person. 

If you don’t have time for an 8-mile trail, there are a number of shorter hikes you can do from the west side of the park as well. The best one is probably the 2.4-mile Balconies Cliffs to Balconies Cave Loop .  

Read my full guide to Pinnacles National Park

Where to Stay in Pinnacles National Park

• Camping: Pinnacles Campground
• Hotels: Inn at the Pinnacles , Valley Harvest Inn

Day 14: Pinnacles National Park to San Francisco

Distance: 145 miles, 2.5-hour drive

It’s time to head back to the starting point of your road trip today. 

Depending on your energy levels, you can just head back to San Francisco to rest up, grab some food, and maybe have a drink to cheers to an epic road trip. 

Or, if you want to squeeze in a few more sights, you can stop by Mission Soledad , the Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, and grab some garlic ice cream while driving through Gilroy. 

San Jose also has a lot of things to do if you’re looking for a more full day of sightseeing. 

Another alternative is heading to the coast and taking the longer but more scenic route back up to San Francisco along Highway 1. 

Where to Stay in San Francisco: Stanyan Park Hotel , Omni San Francisco , Argonaut Hotel  

California National Parks Road Trip from Los Angeles

If you want to do a national park road trip from Los Angeles, you can just reverse the above road trip itinerary and start from the bottom. 

I’d recommend the following order if you’re starting from Los Angeles: Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Yosemite National Park, Pinnacles National Park, and Channel Island National Park.

Other 14-Day National Park Road Trip Variations You Can Do

Winter: Redwood National & State Parks, Pinnacles National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and Sequoia National Park (if you want to see red sequoias in the snow ).  

Summer: Redwood National & State Parks, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, and Channel Islands National Park.

Shorter Road Trip Variations to see California’s National Parks

5-Day Itinerary

From San Francisco: Yosemite National Park and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.

From Los Angeles: Joshua Tree National Park & Death Valley National Park.

7-Day Itinerary

From San Francisco: Lassen Volcanic National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.

From Los Angeles: Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and Channel Islands National Park.

10-Day Itinerary

From San Francisco: Yosemite National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Death Valley National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park.

From Los Angeles: Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Tips for Planning a National Park Road Trip in California

• Double-check the weather and air quality ahead of time – If you’re traveling in winter or early spring, check snow levels and make sure there aren’t any road closures (this is mostly for the Sierras). Wildfires are also always something to keep in mind when you’re doing a California road trip. They can, unfortunately, happen pretty much year-round these days, but it’s especially good to check air quality and any nearby fires in the summer and fall.
• Book things early – National parks are very popular in California, make sure to book your accommodation (especially if you’re staying at campsites or in the parks) at least three to six months in advance. 
• Fill up on gas and don’t always expect to have cell service – This is especially the case near the more remote parks like Death Valley, but make sure to fill up on gas when you can. Also, don’t expect a ton of cell service in a lot of the areas around or inside the parks. It’s good to download maps ahead of time so you can access directions even without service.
• The best parts of these parks are outside your car – Although some people visit national parks and barely get out of their cars, the parks in California are best experienced when you’re hitting the trails and immersed in the outdoors. Sure, you might be able to see some nice viewpoints from the road in parks like Yosemite, but it won’t beat getting out on the trail to really take in what these parks have to offer. 
• Leave no trace – This is just common courtesy when you’re visiting any place, but please pack out what you brought with you and leave no trace. We want to keep our national parks beautiful for years to come.

What to Pack for Your California Road Trip

• Driver’s license/registration
• Spotify/iTunes playlists
• Road trip snacks & extra water
• Hat that’s good for hiking
• Daypack for hiking
• Hiking shoes
• Lightweight and moisture-wicking hiking clothes
• Sandals or flip flops
• Good walking shoes
• Bathing suit
• Various tops , shorts , jeans/pants , dresses , underwear , socks , PJs (and at least one super comfy outfit for longer driving days) 
• Light sweater
• Windbreaker , puffy jacket , or backpacking poncho
• Beanie  
• First aid kit
• Reusable water bottle
• Microfiber towel
• Usual toiletries ( lip balm , hairbrush , hair ties , toothbrush , toothpaste , floss , deodorant , makeup , pads / tampons )
• Downloaded maps/paper maps
• Camera / phone
• Outdoor watch (like a Garmin watch )
• Portable charger / USB cord  
• Books or Kindle
• Camping gear (if you plan to camp)
• Travel insurance

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi McFadden Founder & Editor-In-Chief

Mimi McFadden initially started The Atlas Heart in 2013 to write about her adventures abroad. But since 2019, The Atlas Heart has become a love letter to the Golden State. Mimi enjoys sharing her first-hand knowledge and expertise with the places she knows so well and making the most comprehensive travel guides possible. When she’s not hiking and exploring new places in California, she loves to travel abroad, read in her cozy chaise lounge, play basketball, and connect with friends and family over board games. Over her 28 years in California, she has lived in Santa Cruz (18 years), San Diego (5 years), and the San Francisco Bay Area (5 years), where she currently resides.

Looking for more California travel inspiration? Check out these related posts below! 

The 30 Best California Breweries to Visit

California State Parks List

California Hot Springs Guide

Best Glamping Spots in California

Best Places to Spend Christmas in California

Most Beautiful Sunflower Fields in California

Most Romantic Getaways in California

Best Lavender Farms in California

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Hi, I'm Mimi! I'm an outdoorsy Californian who has spent over 28 years immersed in the incredible natural beauty that California has to offer. My goal is to inspire others to get out and find their next adventure in California. Whether it’s escaping to an alpine lake in the Sierras, finding peace among the giant redwoods, or road tripping down the PCH, there’s always more to explore in this beautiful state.

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Complete California National Parks Road Trip Itinerary

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Do you want to take an epic California National Parks Road Trip? I’ve got you covered

If you’re planning a road trip to California’s national parks, you’re in for a treat. I’ve personally taken this trip, and let me tell you, it’s an experience of a lifetime.

As someone who loves exploring the great outdoors, California’s national parks are some of the most breathtaking and diverse in the country. From the towering sequoias of Yosemit e to the rugged coastline of Redwoods National Park , there’s something for everyone on this trip.

But before you hit the road, plan ahead and make sure you have everything you need for a safe and enjoyable journey. In this article, I’ll share some tips and insights based on my own experience, so you can make the most out of your California national parks road trip. So, let’s get started and start planning your adventure!

Did you know that California has the most National Parks out of any state ? It makes sense when you see just what parks are in the Golden State, as well as the size and geographic variety of the state. While Texas and Alaska may be bigger, California is by far the largest state if you’re measuring North to South . Which is what gives it the variation in climate and geology. I know, that’s getting a little nerdy! But if you want to see the variety, you can in this California National Parks Road Trip.

This itinerary covers the 8 National Parks in California . However, depending on the time of year you visit, it may not make sense to hit them all in one trip. Use this as a guide to determine when and how you want to visit California. I’ll include suggestions on how to break this into more than one trip.

I did build this as a round trip from San Francisco. You could easily do this trip out of Los Angeles and start at the Channel Islands or go west and start at Joshua Tree. It’s also easy to start in San Francisco and end in Los Angeles. However, I know a round trip from one destination is usually a cheaper flight, which is why I created this as a circle tour.

Table of Contents

How to Plan a California National Parks Road Trip

To start a road trip this massive, it’s helpful to have a route planner. This could be Google Maps, where you can input multiple stops along a trip. However, I prefer Roadtrippers . With Roadtrippers Pro, I can add as many waypoints (or stops) as I’d like, and it automatically inputs the stop in the best place along the route. And if I don’t like it there, I can easily move stops around.

I used Roadtrippers to create this itinerary here, with some small modifications. My goal is no more than five hours on the road. However, California is vast, so there is a six-hour day in here. Plus, keep in mind, road conditions and estimates can vary.

You can learn more on how to use Roadtrippers here .

Moon Guide’s USA National Parks is another essential to getting the details of every park. The NPS site is good as well, but Moon Guides will tell you the best hikes, the top 3 sites in the park, what to do if you have one day, etc. It was an essential guide for some of the hikes I did on my recent trip to California.

Finally, you’ll want to grab your National Parks Annual Pass, the America the Beautiful pass. This will get you into all the National Parks in California. At $80, for the whole family I might add, this pass will pay for itself with visits to two of these destinations.

How to get from park to park

We’re talking an epic road trip here. For this trip, I am mapping this out as if you have a car, RV, or plan to do some van camping in California .

I recommend camping, as it is a beautiful opportunity to connect with the natural beauty that is the National Parks. You could even rent something such as an Escape Campervan so you’re not pitching a tent or setting up an RV every night.

I realize camping is not for everyone, so I also have lodging recommendations in each location as well. These range from cabins in campgrounds, to home rentals , and park accommodations where possible.

Ready to hit the open road? Let’s go!

Download my Roadtrippers map for every California National Park here .

🤩 Save $5 off Roadtrippers Plus Membership with my code BTR5QTP

Day 1 – San Francisco

• Start: Home
• End: Sonoma Valley
• Miles: 80 miles

If you’re flying in, you’re likely not landing until the afternoon. By the time you get off the plane, get your rental vehicle, and load up on snacks or groceries, it doesn’t leave you with a lot of time to get to the Redwoods.

If you do get in early, head straight to Day 2.

Why not cross the Golden Gate Bridge and spend some time in Sonoma County instead? Visit wine country and grab a bottle or three for the road . Don’t drink and drive of course. This is for your evenings around a campfire.

Must See: Vineyards, everywhere. It’s lovely driving through this farmland and seeing every vineyard, even small homestead ones.

Where to Stay: Vintner’s Inn is everything you’d expect an inn to be in the middle of wine country. Located on a vineyard trail, guests receive a free bottle of wine upon arrival.

For camping in the area, we stayed at Bodega Dunes. There are a few different options here, with a boardwalk to the beach.

Alternate Stay: Stay in Point Reyes National Seashore at Samuel P Taylor State Park. Cabins and camping is available and it’s not too far to visit the seashore.

Where to eat: These amazing restaurants in Healdsburg are a hidden gem and are just a few miles from Santa Rosa.

Day 2 – Redwoods

• Start: Santa Rosa
• Miles: 259 miles

National Park: Redwood National Park and State Parks

On your way to the Redwood National Park, take a slight detour and drive through the Avenue of Giants. You won’t regret this scenic drive with plenty of stops to wander the giant Redwood trees. It’s about 40 miles long. Redwood trees are the tallest trees, while later in the trip you’ll view Sequoias, the biggest by volume.

The Redwoods National Park requires no entrance fee, however for some of the activities you do need a reservation. This ensures the area isn’t overcrowded. Highlights include visiting Elk Meadow and strolling the beach just inside the park.

Must See: Hiking through Fern Valley was one of my favorite things we did during our trip to Redwoods. During peak season it does require a reservation permit to visit. Also, keep in mind the drive is somewhat steep and narrow to climb. Four-hour permits are available at 8:00 am and 1:00 pm. From talking to the rangers, essentially you are allowed in at any time during your reserved time slot, so you could do this on the same day as you arrive. Alternatively, you could go first thing on day 3 and then use the remainder of the day to drive to Lassen.

Where to Stay: Sue Meg State Park was stunning and just outside the Redwoods area. The park is filled with tall pines and paths lead out to a rocky beach overlook area. Cabins are available if you’re not camping.

Day 3 – Lassen Volcanic National Park

• Start: Orick
• End: Manzanita Lake
• Miles: 223 miles

National Park: Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen Volcanic is a hidden gem on your national park road trip. Because it’s tucked away in Northern California, it often gets overlooked. The good news is it makes it a great place to get away and have some hikes to yourself, even in summer. A lot of this park does close for winter, and even one of the trails we wanted to do wasn’t open yet in June. Snow stays on the ground and we even hiked while it was snowing.

Lassen Peak is not the tallest mountain in California or even the US. But it does clock in at over 10,000 feet and makes for an impressive visit. It is an active volcano, but don’t expect molten lava pouring from the mountain. the US Geological Society believes the volcano is in a period of subsidence, or a less active period.

Must See: While the Bumpass Hell trail is most mentioned, for its hydrothermal and sulfur mud pool activity, it may remain closed until mid to late June. We enjoyed Kings Creek Falls Trail . This trail took us through a meadow, still dotted with snow, to a mountain climb. The trail circles around to a rocky and beautiful waterfall.

Note that this area was devastated by the Dixie fires in 2021. You can still see where many burnt trees are standing. Don’t let this deter your visit however as it’s a striking contrast from one side of the trail to the other.

Where to Stay: Manzanita Lake Campground, both camping, and cabins available. Manzanita also has showers, laundry, and a decent general store for stocking up.

Day 4 – Lake Tahoe

• Start: Manzanita Lake
• End: Lake Tahoe
• Miles: 216 miles

While technically this is not a national park, I included Lake Tahoe to break up the drive. Your California National Parks Road Trip has long drives these first few days. You could skip over Lake Tahoe and head straight to Yosemite. That would be about a 7-hour drive through the Sierra Nevada mountains. While Lake Tahoe isn’t a direct path between the two parks, it does break it up nicely and you still get extraordinary hikes and views.

Must See: Emerald Bay is part of Lake Tahoe and seemingly where a lot of the action happens. We hiked into the main area, but you can drive as well. During the summer it is busy with lots of activity. Our hike began at our campground, making it that much more convenient. We kayaked near Fannette island, toured the Vikingsholm grounds, and enjoyed the clear emerald water views.

Where to Stay: Emerald Bay State Park and Eagle Point campground was an absolutely perfect campground. Our site was steps from the hiking trail, allowing us to park the van and explore immediately. They do close in early September and fill up in the summer. be sure to book early.

For non-campers, I would look at any of the stunning home rentals here . Many cabins have extraordinary lake views.

Day 5 – Yosemite

• Start: Lake Tahoe
• End: Yosemite Valley
• Miles: 165 miles or 195 miles

National Park: Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park has 4 entrances. I would recommend the Big Oak Flat Entrance on the northwest side. if you map to the valley, however, it may take you through the Tioga pass entrance on the east side. Either works, but we’re all about maximizing our time in the parks and not on the road.

Since we’re only allowing 2 days on this itinerary, I’m focusing on the highlight of Yosemite National Park, in the Yosemite Valley.

Must See: If you feel up for squeezing in a hike after arriving at the park, head to the Lower Yosemite Falls. This flat easy 1-mile hike will give you a view of the lower falls and plenty of photo ops. You could also head over to the Mist Trail at Vernal Fall.

Take either today or the later part of tomorrow and visit the history of the Yosemite park in the museums located in the valley. See the valley Visitor Center, Yosemite Museum, Ansel Adams Gallery, and the Indian Village of the Ahwahnee, all steps from each other.

Where to Stay: You can’t go wrong with any of the accommodations within the valley. Choose from Yosemite Valley Lodge, The Ahwahnee, or Curry Village for luxury accommodations or cabins. Housekeeping Camp has tent cabins for a glamping experience. The valley also has tent and RV camping at Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, and Camp 4. Note Camp 4 used to be first come first serve, but during peak season is available by a daily lottery, one day in advance . If you’re willing to chance it, this is a perfect base camp for your hike to upper Yosemite Falls .

Day 6 – Yosemite

• Start: Yosemite Valley
• Miles: 0 miles

You need at least 2 days in this popular park, especially if you want to get a good hike or two in. Today, tackle all or half of Upper Yosemite Falls . It is a strenuous hike in the 2nd half with steep rocky inclines. If you do just the first half, you still get rewarded with stunning views of the falls. The full hike will take you to the top of the mountain with more once-in-a-lifetime views of El Capitan, but it’s not for everyone.

You could also check out these guided hikes in Yosemite .

If you didn’t get to Mist Falls yesterday, do that one today. Or hike an easier terrain at Mirror Lake.

Not up for a hike today? Take in views of Half Dome, Bridal Veil Falls, and Yosemite Falls, by riding the free bus transportation throughout the valley floor, stopping at various scenic points.

Where to Stay: Spend another night here and relax!

A note about the timing in this trip. Depending on the time of year, you may want to exclude Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks due to the extreme heat in the summer months. if you’re traveling in the later winter months, you may find sections of the northern parks closed. Do some research on the National Park Service website to find what is open and when. You could also split this trip into separate times of the year and start in Southern California for the following parks.

Day 7 – Yosemite

• End: Furnace Creek
• Miles: 303 miles

National Park: Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National park

While today you will end up in Death Valley, depending on the time of year and the heat, you may not want to arrive until the evening when the heat has abated. Plan to drive and explore more of Yosemite National Park and arrive late.

Today you’ll head out of the park towards the Tioga Pass entrance. This scenic drive passes Tuolumne Meadows , Tenaya Lake, and Olmsted point. Tuolumne Meadows is a popular place to spot wildlife and wildflowers. Tenaya lake as well as Cathedral Lakes, and Gaylor Lakes also make for scenic reflective views as well as easy to strenuous hikes.

Finally, you’ll head towards Death Valley, which is about a 4-hour drive from the Tioga pass Entrance Station.

Must See: Nighttime in Death Valley offers some of the best stargazing in America . Designated as a Gold Tier Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky association means you won’t miss a thing by arriving here at night. Death Valley has a Dark Sky Festival in the later winter or spring months. There are night ranger programs and even full moon night hiking at Mesquite flat Sand Dunes or Badwater Basin. Check out the park’s night explorations here .

Where to Stay: the oasis at Death Valley is a privately owned historic luxury property with pool views overlooking the desert. however, for more unobstructed night sky viewers, I’d recommend Furnace Creek Campground which is open year-round. Furnace Creek, as opposed to the other first-come-first-served campgrounds, accepts reservations.

Day 8 – Death Valley

• Start: Furnace Creek
• End: Twenty-Nine Palms
• Miles: 236 miles

National Park: Death Valley National Park & Joshua Tree National Park

Did you know that Death Valley is below sea level, making it the lowest point to visit in the national parks? Today explore what you can of Death Valley before driving your California National Parks road trip to Joshua Tree. By making your way south from Furnace Creek, you’ll hit the highs and lows of Death Valley.

Must see : Just south of Furnace Creek is Zabriskie Point, with an overlook of the badlands and unique erosion and winds that shape the desert. From there, keep traveling south to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America. Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level. Badwater’s salt flats provide another highlight of what the variety in Death Valley offers.

Where to Stay : tonight stay in Twenty Nine Palms or Joshua Tree. Joshua Tree National park only has campgrounds. black Rock or Cottonwood Campgrounds are the most developed. Outside of the park check out the Desert Lily Lodge for more dark sky views.

If you can and have the time, this would be a great time to check out all the cool things to do in San Diego .

Day 9 – Joshua Tree

• Start: Joshua Tree
• End: Ventura
• Miles: 224 miles

National Park: Joshua Tree National Park

Wake up and explore Joshua Tree National Park from the north or west entrance stations. Either will take you along Park Boulevard for the more popular sections of the park. If you can enter through Oasis Visitor’s Center and exit through to the Joshua Tree Visitor’s center, you’ll explore all of Park Boulevard.

Must See: Hidden Valley has more than 400 places to climb and clamor over the various rock formations. With 8,000 climbing routes, it’s a rock climbers’ paradise. Even if you’re a beginner, you can join a beginner rock climbing course . And if you don’t want to climb, you can still pretend you are a rock climber by walking the Barker Dam Nature Trail.

After exploring Joshua Tree, head west towards the Channel Islands.

Where to Stay: Emma Wood State Beach is near the ferry that will take you to the Channel Islands National Park.

Day 10 – Channel Islands

• Start: Ventura
• End: Sequoia
• Miles: 221 miles

National Park: Channel Islands National Park

Wake up in Ventura and explore the Channel Islands National Park. You cannot drive to the Channel Islands and there are no cars on the islands. If you want to camp, you can pack in for primitive camping on the island. Otherwise, boats leave at 4 pm allowing you enough time to drive to Sequoia next.

There are five Channel Islands in total. The ferries take you to Anacapa or Santa Cruz Islands year-round, and to Santa Rosa during the summer months. A popular and easy hike is the one to Inspiration Point on Anacapa Island . This is where you’ll see the Anacapa Lighthouse and spectacular views and photo ops from the higher elevation.

Must See: The sea caves on Santa Cruz Island are a perfect place to explore by kayak. For kayak rentals and tours, check out the Channel Islands Kayak Center . Rates are very reasonable for a full day at $35 for a single kayak.

Where to Stay: You’re on your way to Sequoia once you depart the boat. Stay in one of the many campgrounds between Sequoia and Kings Canyon, or check out the Sequoia National Forest Campgrounds. The Silver City Mountain Resort is another perfect cabin getaway too.

Day 11 – Sequoia & Kings Canyon

• Start: Sequoia
• End: Kings Canyon
• Miles: 60 miles

National Park: Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park

Because they border each other, Sequoia and Kings Canyon are often lumped together as one park, but still operate separately. Today start out at the south end of the park and make your way to Moro rock for an overlook of the park. It is a strenuous hike, but only a 1/2 mile round trip and mostly stairs with guard rails. There are 380 steps up (and down).

Must see: The top sight in Sequoia National Park is the giant sequoia trees, and you won’t go wrong doing the largest tree, General Sherman tree and surrounding trails. You’ll find other tall trees along the Congress Trail. If you have time, stop into the Forest Museum to learn more about what makes these the largest by volume trees and the sturdiest.

From here, make your way north along the Generals’ Highway, through the Sequoia National Forest, and on to Kings Canyon National Park.

In Kings Canyon, do the short trail that leads to the General Grant tree . Take Kings Canyon Scenic byway and stop at Canyon View for amazing views of Kings Canyon.

Where to Stay: Grants Grove has campsites and cabins available.

If you want to do just Sequoia and Yosemite on a trip, follow the route here .

You can grab another national monument by visiting the Manzanar National Historic site . It’s west of Sequoia and northeast of Death Valley.

Day 12 – Pinnacles

• Start: Kings Canyon
• End: Pinnacles
• Miles: 190 miles

National Park: Pinnacles National Park

Get an early start and you can get to Pinnacles National Park by noon. Alternatively, you could leave the night before and wake up in Pinnacles. Pinnacles National Park is the home of the California Condor, an endangered species. If you are lucky, you’ll see them soaring above in on the high peaks trail. A strenuous, 7.2-mile trail if you complete the whole thing, you may want to start this in the morning when you’re fresh.

Pinnacles is also noted for its cathedral-like rocky spires. Many of the hikes here are moderate to strenuous. If you’re not a hiker, however, you can still drive from the east entrance to overlooks at Peaks View and the trailheads at Old Pinnacles and Bear Gulch to view the ancient and intricate geological formations.

Must See: Bear Gulch Cave has a self-guided path that weaves between the lodged boulders. These boulders create gulches, caves, and caverns. Be sure to bring some light beyond your cellphone flashlight. The trails from the Bear Gulch Day Use area is about a 2.2-mile moderate hike.

Where to Stay: Tonight stay in the Pinnacles campground if you’re van camping on your California National Parks road trip. Keep in mind this campground fills up fast so make your reservations early. Pinnacles has an east and a west entrance and they do not connect by road. If your activities are on the east side, and you want to avoid driving all the way around the park, you may want stay the night in Hollister, about 34 miles north. The good news is that puts you closer to your final destination.

Day 13 – San Francisco

• Start: Pinnacles
• End: San Francisco
• Miles: 134 miles

If you’re doing some of the more strenuous hikes and arrived mid-day yesterday, you’ll want an extra day in Pinnacles. If not, make your way to San Francisco for the final leg of your journey.

Many flights east leave late in the day in San Francisco so that you can have a red-eye home. If like us, you take a later flight, you’ll have time to explore the city.

Note, however, that if you’re renting a campervan for your California National Park road trip, you may need to return it early in the day. This can also play a factor in your overall driving and touring plans.

We returned our van early in the day and then took an Uber to the city to explore. We rented baggage space at a local hotel using the Bounce App . After exploring, we took an Uber to the airport for our 9 pm flight.

Must See: There are a lot of things to see and do in San Francisco if you want an extra day, to spend, go for it. These are just a few of our favorites.

• Ghiradelli sign
• Fisherman’s Wharf
• San Francisco Trolley
• The Painted Ladies
• Lombard Street

If you do decide to take a Day 14, an extra day on this trip, cruise up the California coast on the Pacific Coast Highway, Bixby Bridge, and Big Sur for a scenic route.

2 Week California National Parks Road Trip

There you have it. 2 weeks to see every California National Park on a road trip. It’s a lot and only covers the highlights of each park. But if you’re on a mission with limited time, this will do it!

On our California adventure, we did 11 days covering more days in the parks. Our trip looked like this:

• Day 1 – Bodega Dunes Campground
• Day 2 – Redwoods – Sue meg Campground
• Day 3 – Lassen – Manzanita Lakes Campground
• Day 4 – Overnight in Sierraville
• Day 5 – Lake Tahoe – Emerald Bay Campground
• Day 6 – Drive to Yosemite – Groveland, CA
• Day 7-8 – Yosemite
• Day 9-10 Sequoia & Kings Canyon
• Day 11 – Santa Cruz and depart San Francisco

We enjoyed a lot of scenery and hikes on this trip, as well as many bucket list destinations.

Alternate Itineraries

Here are a few other California National Parks Road Trip itineraries you could do in fewer days. or take these itineraries and spend extra time in places such as Yosemite, Sequoia, or the Channel Islands.

Northern California National Parks Round Trip Route:

• San Francisco
• Kings Canyon & Sequoia

Lost Angeles to San Francisco Route:

• Los Angeles
• Joshua Tree

Southern California National Parks Round Trip Route:

• Death Valley
• Channel Islands

When to go on a California National Parks Road Trip

With a trip this size, it’s hard to say when the right time to go to California would be. Too early in the spring, and some sites may still be closed due to snow. Some rentals will tell you not to visit Death Valley in the summer. And fall may see some of the campgrounds closed, although crowds will be fewer.

Personally, I think if you’re going to visit all the California National Parks on your road tri p, spring or fall would still be the best time to do it. You may sacrifice some trail and campground closures, but you’ll still see a majority of the highlights with fewer overall crowds.

What California National Parks Allow Dogs

Service animals are always allowed. Dogs are usually allowed in the campgrounds. However they will not be allowed on most of the hiking trails.

How much does it cost to visit California’s national parks?

The cost of visiting California’s national parks varies depending on the park and the activities you want to do. Entrance fees range from $10 to $35 per vehicle, and camping fees range from $15 to $35 per night. Some activities, such as guided tours or ranger-led programs, may also have additional fees.

Which national parks are worth visiting on a California road trip?

Some of the most popular national parks in California include Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Redwood, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Death Valley. Each park has its unique features and landscapes, so it’s worth researching each one to determine which ones are the best fit for your family.

When is the best time to visit California’s national parks?

The best time to visit California’s national parks depends on the park you’re planning to visit. Generally, spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) are the best seasons to visit as temperatures are mild, crowds are smaller, and there are fewer bugs.

How long does a California national parks road trip typically take?

The length of a California national parks road trip varies depending on the number of parks you want to visit and how much time you have. A typical itinerary can take between one and three weeks.

What should we pack for a California national parks road trip?

It’s important to pack for all weather conditions and activities, including comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, hats, layers, and waterproof gear. It’s also a good idea to bring a first aid kit , insect repellent, and plenty of water and snacks.

Are there guided tours available in the national parks?

Yes, many of the national parks offer guided tours led by park rangers or private tour companies. These tours can be a great way to learn more about the park’s history, geology, and wildlife.

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Tonya Denmark

A Vanlifer’s Ultimate California Road Trip [With Local Destination Guides]

The beauty of van life is the ability to drive wherever, whenever you want. And, in our opinion, a California road trip is one of the best adventures you can go on in the United States.

There aren’t many places in the world that have deserts, mountain ranges, and white sandy beaches all in one area — this is why California comes out on top as a road trip destination. From the redwoods in the Sequoia National Park to the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California has it all. And if the Golden State wasn’t on your road trip bucket list already, it will be soon enough.

As road trippers, we know that sometimes the hardest part about van life or road trips is finding a route that’s both time and fuel-efficient. It can be a tedious task, we get it.

But luckily for you, we’ve done the hard part and curated the ultimate California road trip itinerary.

Whether you plan to begin your journey in California or if you’re passing through the area, keep on reading. You won’t want to miss this California coast road trip!

Short On Time? Here’s Our California Road Trip Itinerary

If you don’t have time to read our entire guide, you can view a short version of the itinerary below; you can go ahead and jump to any section that peaks your interest. 

Also, be sure to check out our itinerary maps. So as not to overwhelm you, we’ve split the itinerary into 2 legs:

• Redwood National Park to Los Angeles

LA to Lassen Volcanic National Park

Redwood national park to la.

The first leg largely takes you along the Pacific Coast Highway. Here is our recommended list of stops on this leg of the road trip:

Redwood National Park

Napa valley, san francisco, monterey county, santa barbara.

• Greater Los Angeles

This leg will keep you on the coast until you reach San Diego; from there, you’ll head inland and north again.

These are the stops we’ll recommend for the second leg of the journey:

Palm Springs

• Joshua Tree
• Death Valley

Sequoia National Park

• Lassen National Forest

Our California road trip starts off along the state’s north coast at the Redwood National Park. 

As I’m sure you can gather from the name, the Redwood National Park is one of the top places in the world to walk amongst some of the biggest trees on Earth. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be an ant, then you’ll have your answer after visiting Redwood. 

Some of the trees in the Redwood National Park are over 2,000 years old and stand over 300 feet tall. With countless hikes, scenic drives, and access to the beach, you can spend 2 to 3 days at the National Park, taking in all the natural beauty, wildlife, and breathtaking views. 

Scenic Drives in Redwood National Park

Sometimes, the best part about a road trip is driving along large stretches of road with valleys or coastlines rolling past your windows.

As the Redwood National Park is easily accessible, there are numerous routes you can drive along for uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean or the towering redwoods . Here are some of our favorites: 

• Redwood Creek Overlook
• Klamath River Overlook
• Crescent Beach Overlook
• Howland Hill Road
• Bald Hills Road
• Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway
• Coastal Loop

Campgrounds in Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park is actually split into 4 sections: the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and the Redwood National Park.

There are no hotels within the National Park boundaries , but there are 4 campsites in the 3 State Parks. It’s best to book these campsites in advance, especially if you’re visiting during the summer months. 

Visitors Centers

As with many National Parks throughout America, the Redwood National Park has a couple of visitor centers where you can learn more about the area and all of its history.

The Kuchel Visitor Center is the park’s main center, but you can also find the Hiouchi Redwoods Visitor Center in the northern section of the park.

From the Redwood National Park, there is a beautiful scenic drive down Highway 1, aka Pacific Coast Highway, which takes you along vast stretches of California’s coast. Many people refer to this drive as the Lost Coast, and we find it the perfect route to the next California road trip stop of Mendocino. 

The drive is roughly 4 hours , but there are numerous campgrounds along the way to break up your time on the road. Some of the campsites are even dotted along the shores, so the journey is a destination in itself. 

When you reach Mendocino, you’re in for even more incredible hikes through spectacular state parks, strolls along the magnificent California coastline, and you can even add a little wine tasting to the itinerary if you so wish. 

State Parks in Mendocino

These are the state parks you’ll find in Mendocino :

• Russian Gulch State Park 
• Mendocino Headlands State Park
• Van Damme State Park

Other Things to Do in Mendocino

Apart from visiting parks, here are a few more things you can do while you’re exploring Mendocino :

• Wonder through Downtown Mendocino
• Visit the Mendocino Bay Viewpoint for that perfect photo opportunity
• Cycle or hike along the Big River Haul Road
• Witness incredible wildlife at the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
• Kayak or paddle board down the Big River
• Head to the Point Cabrillo Light Station
• Visit one of Mendocino’s vineyards for a wine tasting experience

Also, from November through to April, you can head out on a whale watching tour to see California gray whales .

If you didn’t manage to get any wine tasting done in Mendocino, you’re in luck. Napa Valley is one of California’s most famous wine regions , and is lined with vineyards and wineries of indescribable beauty. If you’re a wine connoisseur, we’d highly urge you to dedicate a few days for a wine country road trip through Napa County.

Of course, as you can imagine, there are numerous vineyards to explore, with the most popular being the Sattui Winery in St. Helena.

Things to Do in Napa Besides Wine Tasting

If you aren’t a fan of wine , don’t worry — there are plenty of other things to do in Napa :

• See the vineyards and Mount Saint Helena from a bird’s eye view in a hot air balloon.
• Ride the 36-mile round trip Napa Valley Wine Train.
• Visit Calistoga and relax in some of the country’s best and only mud baths.
• Walk along the streets of Downtown Napa.
• Dine in style at one of Napa’s six Michelin Star restaurants. 
• Hike up, Mount St. Helena. The hike is moderately challenging, but you get magnificent views of the Napa region.
• Drive down the Silverado Trail to see the hills and vineyards of Napa.

After wrapping up in Napa Valley, you’ll want to make your way down to San Francisco.  Well known throughout the world for its numerous attractions and landmarks, San Francisco is an absolute must-visit destination on your great California road trip. 

Golden Gate Bridge

When 4 engineers designed and built the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge on Earth. That record has now been beaten by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Tokyo, but the Golden Gate Bridge still remains one of the modern wonders of the world.

The bridge, which is 1.7 miles long , has become the most photographed bridge on the planet and should definitely be on your must-see list when visiting San Francisco.

If famous bridges weren’t enough, San Francisco is also home to — arguably — the world’s most notorious prison, Alcatraz. The federal prison may not house any prisoners today, but it has become one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.

When you visit the prison on Alcatraz Island, you can take a walk inside and see where the likes of Al Capone and George Kelly served their time . 

Ride the Cable Cars

San Francisco is the only place in the world with manually operated cable car systems running through its streets. 

When the first cable cars were added to their tracks in 1873, their popularity soared. But, just under 20 years later, engineers designed the first electric streetcar, and so the decline of manual cars began. 

In our opinion, the cable cars in San Francisco are an excellent way to see the city, and as they’re the last manual cable cars in the world, its an experience you won’t get elsewhere.

Visit San Francisco’s Resident Sea Lions

If you’ve heard anything about San Francisco, then you’re probably well aware of the city’s resident sea lions. You can find the California sea lion community on the docks of Pier 19 at the Fisherman’s Wharf . 

If you’re traveling with kids, then Fisherman’s Wharf is also a great place to explore as it has a high concentration of family-related activities. The USS Pampanito submarine, which took part in World War II, Madame Tussauds wax museum, and  Ripley’s Believe It or Not! are just a few of the kid-friendly attractions in Fisherman’s Wharf. 

Visit the Twin Peaks

If you’re after amazing views of the Bay Area, you need to head to the Twin Peaks. The peaks stand at 922 feet tall and are easily accessible by car or tourist bus.

After you’ve been to the top of the peaks, you can make your way back down to the 64-acre park and enjoy some quiet time. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly.

Roughly an hour’s drive south of San Francisco is the next stop on your California road trip — Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz sure does have some character and is seen by many as the land of the mountains, surf, and laid-back vibes .

When you think of a Californian beach town, Santa Cruz is what will pop up in your head.  Surfers ripping waves in the ocean, boardwalks along the beach, and plenty of ice cream stalls dotted around the place. 

Whether you stop in Santa Cruz for just the day or if you spend the entire weekend there, you’re guaranteed a fun, relaxed, and enjoyable visit. 

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is iconic. It’s been in numerous movies mainly thanks to its old-fashioned fun fair that features a historic wooden roller coaster, The Giant Dipper. 

Everyone loves amusement parks, especially when they’re situated right alongside the beach, so spend the afternoon getting your adrenaline pumping and indulge in the Boardwalk’s many sweet treats.

Drive Along West Cliff Drive

Driving along any stretch of California’s Pacific Coast Highway is unforgettable, and the West Cliff Drive is no exception. West Cliff has some of the most beautiful views in all of Santa Cruz, and if you have time, we highly recommend getting out of your car and taking in the refreshing ocean air.

You may never have heard of Monterey County, but once your road trip is complete, you’ll most definitely want to head back. 

Carmel-by-the-Sea

One of the most popular attractions in Monterey is the beach in the city of Carmel. The beach is stunning with its white sand and relatively calm waters, which makes it a great stop for families on the road.

After you’ve finished up at the beach, you need to take a stroll through the quaint Carmel-by-the-Sea town. It feels like you’ve jumped in a time machine and headed back in time. The cobblestone paths and unique buildings are an attraction of their own when visiting Monterey. 

Drive the 17 Mile Drive

The 17-mile drive down the Monterey Peninsula’s southern side is an epic road that gives you some of the most beautiful views that Monterey has to offer.

We recommend starting the drive from the Pacific Grove Gate and working your way down to Carmel to enjoy the beach and Carmel city. 

Other Things to Do in Monterey

Here are a few more activities that are worth your time while you’re in Monterey :

• Go shopping on Cannery Row and see one of the largest populations of California sea lions.
• Visit the award-winning Monterey Bay Aquarium.
• Go souvenir shopping at Old Fisherman’s Wharf.
• Head out on one of the many whale watching tours.

A short, 45-minute drive south of Monterey, is Big Sur, which is home to over 90 miles of jagged coastline and the St. Lucia Mountain Range . With this great diversity of landforms come numerous activities for nature lovers to enjoy. 

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

The Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park got its name from one of Big Sur’s beloved pioneers, Julia Pfeiffer. While walking one of the seven marked trails, you’ll encounter intriguing coves, picturesque waterfalls, and towering redwood forests. 

One of the most popular trails is the Waterfall Overlook Trail. It’s less than a mile long and takes you to the McWay Falls, which is one of Big Sur’s most popular attractions.

If you’re on the hunt for whales, this is the place to be.

From December to February and March to May, migrating gray whales frequent the waters around the Big Sur coast , with some even coming up into the cove into which the McWay Falls flows.

Pfeiffer Beach

If your feet are sore from hiking, or you’re just short on time, you can head to Pfeiffer Beach.

Pfeiffer offers its visitors expansive shorelines that are towered by rock formations and thick vegetation.

One of the most famous rock formations in the area is a few feet out into the ocean.

This rock is the Pfeiffer Keyhole Rock, which got its distinguishable arch from thousands of years of erosion. During low tide, you’re able to walk through the water to the rock, and if you can wait until sunset, then you’ll have an incredible photo opportunity. 

Sand Dollar Beach

Sand Dollar Beach is Big Sur’s largest stretch of unbroken sand and is said to be one of the best surfing locations in the area.

Now, we know not everyone is into surfing, so if you’re heading to the beach, you can also try your luck at beachcombing.

You see, this is where the shoreline gets its name — from sand dollars that wash up on the shore. Sand dollars are flat, burrowing sea urchins that, once dead, turn white and end up on the beach.

From Big Sur, your next stop will be down the coast in southern California.

Santa Barbara is home to many celebrities , including George Lucas, Ellen DeGeneres, and Drew Barrymore.

And, with celebrities settling in Santa Barbara, it must be a nice place to visit. 

This charming city, which many people nickname the American Riviera, is full of fancy shops and 5-star restaurants, along with beautiful beaches, cozy cafes, and numerous photo opportunities. 

Visit the Mission Santa Barbara

The Mission Santa Barbara is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, which makes it a must-see during your California road trip. 

In 1925, an earthquake destroyed buildings all throughout Santa Barbara. Then, during the rebuild, builders designed and constructed buildings in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, which was inspired by the Mission Santa Barbara.

Stearns Wharf and the Santa Barbara Pier

Stearns Wharf isn’t just a great place to head to if you’re after incredible views — it also leads to the Santa Barbara Pier, which sits at the end of State Street. 

Built in 1872, the Santa Barbara Pier is the oldest working wooden wharf in California . At the time of construction, it was also the longest deep-water pier in the area between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Nowadays, the pier is home to numerous attractions, like the Sea Center and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Walk, Skate, or Cycle the Cabrillo Bike Path

If you want to feel like you’re in a California-based movie, you’ll want to either skate, cycle , or walk down the Cabrillo Bike Path. The path runs between some of Santa Barbara’s best beaches and has palm trees lining its edges.

Head to the Funk Zone for Some Nightlife

After a week or two on the road, you may well feel like you need a night out. If that’s the case, the Funk Zone is the perfect place to go!

The Funk Zone is full of some of Santa Barbara’s best cafes, restaurants, and entertainment venues, as well as boutique shops, art galleries, and street art displays .

Just over an hour down California’s Pacific Coast Highway is the beach city of Malibu.

Now, we would be lying if we said the majority of your time won’t be spent on one of Malibu’s many beaches, because, well, that’s what Malibu is known for!

Point Dume State Beach

One of Malibu’s most popular beaches, Point Dume is the perfect place to relax and unwind. If you aren’t into lying on a beach, the State Beach also has a hiking trail that offers you a short and interesting hike with views of the Santa Monica Bay, Santa Monica Mountains, and, on a clear day, Catalina Island.

Zuma is another one of the city’s well-known beaches. It’s the biggest one in Malibu, so as you can imagine, it’s a hotspot for locals and tourists alike. 

The beach is a great stop for families, couples, or solo travelers; if you can, stay for the sunset . Depending on the conditions, the sky lights up with shades of orange, red, and pink.

Once you finish up in Malibu, you can drive a further 20 minutes south to Santa Monica to enjoy the Santa Monica Pier, the Santa Monica Beach, and even visit the original Muscle Beach Gym.

Los Angeles

Everyone, and we mean everyone, has heard of Los Angeles. So, of course, it was a no-brainer to add to your California road trip itinerary.

LA is home to amazing entertainment, nightlife , restaurants, and theme parks, all of which certainly make it a place you don’t want to miss.

Hollywood Sign

If you head to Santa Monica, the Hollywood Sign in northern Los Angeles is on your way. The Hollywood sign is about a 30-minute drive from Santa Monica , and in our opinion, you can’t visit LA without making a trip to see the world-famous mountainside lettering. 

If you don’t want to hike up to the sign, then there are a few places you can head to that offer amazing views from down below. These include Lake Hollywood Park, the Hollywood Reservoir, and North Beachwood Drive. 

While, sadly, you can’t touch the sign, you can hike up Mount Lee to get views of Los Angeles from behind it.

There are a few options to get you to the top of the mountain; these include:

• Walking along Mulholland Dr or Deronda Dr from Lake Hollywood Park
• Hike the Wonderview Trail
• From the Griffith Observatory parking lot take the Mount Hollywood Trail
• Set off from the Bronson Caves

Stargaze at the Griffith Observatory

At the peak of Griffith Park is the Griffith Observatory, which is one of the world’s finest planetariums. If you’re interested in all things space, then the Griffith Observatory is a must-do while you’re on your California road trip visiting LA. 

The observatory has a 290-seat planetarium, giant telescopes, and educational films that teach you all about the planets, stars, and give you sneak-peek at the mysteries of the universe.  

Take a Ride on a Hop-on-Hop-off Bus

One of the easiest ways to see LA is by jumping on a hop-on hop-off bus. Not only do these buses take you to all the must-see destinations, but they also have guides to the city’s history and other relevant information.

Head Down to Venice Beach

While in LA, you’ll find yet another world-famous California destination — Venice Beach.

Venice Beach is an ideal destination for those looking to catch some waves before relaxing with a drink at one of the many bars.

Drive to Huntington City Beach

If you’re a beach lover, you’ll want to head about an hour south of Venice Beach to Huntington Beach.

On your drive, you’ll also pass through Long Beach; we highly recommend visiting all 3 beaches as they all have unique characteristics that set them apart from the rest.

This one only really applies to all the Disney lovers out there, but when there is a Disney park in the area, you just have to go.

The first-ever Disneyland Park to open was in Anaheim in 1955. Since Anaheim is only a 26 drive from Los Angeles, it is a no-brainer. 

Laguna Beach

If you aren’t a Disney fan, your next stop after departing Los Angeles should be Laguna Beach. It’s about an hour’s drive south, but the picturesque coastline is well worth it. 

After all the outdoor activities you’ve been doing, we hope you aren’t sunburnt by this point, as Laguna Beach has lengthy stretches of sandy seashore, and many hiking trails to explore.

Head to the Beach

As Laguna Beach has seven miles of coastline, you could spend days exploring some of its many beaches. Here are some to help you make a decision:

• Crescent Bay – Good for kayaking and sea lion spottings
• Thalia Street Beach – Perfect for beginner surfers
• Rockpile Beach – Ideal for experienced surfers
• Treasure Island Beach – Amazing views and a secluded cove to explore
• Aliso Beach – For firepits and bonfires
• Main Beach – Basketball and volleyball nets

Hike Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

The Laguna Coast Wilderness Park has 40 miles of trails that wind through vast sycamore and oak woodlands. You can do all sorts of activities on the trails, from mountain biking to bird watching.

The southernmost destination of our California road trip takes us to San Diego.

San Diego is yet another city in California that has unforgettable beaches, vibrant nightlife , and captivating attractions. Exploring these is definitely worth your time.

Visit Balboa Park

Balboa Park is home to the San Diego Zoo, which is classed as one of the best zoos not just in the United States but in the entire world. 

What’s more, the 1,200-acre park that houses the zoo makes an ideal location for bike rides, scenic walks, and picnics.

Spend Time at Mission Beach and Pacific Beach

Mission Beach and Pacific beach connect together to form the shoreline of San Diego. With miles of sand, nearby boardwalks, and even an amusement park, you’ll always find something to keep you entertained throughout your visit. 

Although these beaches are connected and share the same coastline, they couldn’t be any more different from one another. Mission Beach has calmer waters and a more relaxed vibe in general. Pacific Beach, on the other hand, is more upbeat and lively, with restaurants, shops, and bars lining the Mission Boulevard.

Enjoy the Views at Sunset Cliffs

As I’m sure you can tell by its name, Sunset Cliffs is San Diego’s best sunset-watching location. With untouched vegetation and dramatic cliff faces, the area is picture-worthy during the day and night, but it’s best to go around sunset time.

Now it’s time to turn around on your California road trip and head back up north to Palm Springs.

Palm Springs has a few notable attractions that deserve your attention, so it makes sense to stop here before you go on to hike Joshua Tree and Death Valley later on in the trip. 

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Once you make it to Tramway Road, you’ll come across a gondola ride that works its way from Palm Spring up into the San Jacinto Mountains.

If you’ve been struggling with the heat, the aerial tramway will be a godsend as the air temperature drops by double digits once you reach the top . 

Tahquitz Canyon

It’s not every day you see flowing water right in the middle of a desert. But, at Tahquitz Canyon, that is exactly what you’ll see. 

The two-mile loop trail leads you to a waterfall that is tucked into the Tahquitz Canyon. If you worked up a sweat on the trail you can even take a dip in the falls to cool off .

Mount San Jacinto State Park

If you like what you saw on the Palm Spring aerial tramway, why not hike through southern California’s second-highest mountain range?

The Mount San Jacinto State Park takes you up roughly 11,000 feet above sea level and gives you impeccable views of the alpine forests and surrounding areas.

Joshua Tree National Park 

We hope you rested up in Palm Springs as you’ve got some long hikes ahead of you in the Joshua Tree National Park.

Joshua Tree is around a 40-minute drive from Palm Springs and has some stark differences from the coastal towns you drove through not long ago.

Joshua Tree has over 795,000 acres of rock formations and stark desert with hiking trails a-plenty throughout. 

Hidden Valley Nature Trail

The Hidden Valley Nature Trail is one of the shorter and easily accessible hikes in Joshua Tree, and it will take you on a 1-mile loop through an opening into a large rock-walled bowl. 

Barker Dam Nature Trail

The Barker Dam Nature Trail is another relatively short route that goes for 1.3 miles past Joshua trees, rocks, and bodies of water.

Many people turn around and walk the loop back once they reach the remnants of a water tank. But we recommend carrying on. Although this makes the hike shorter, you actually miss the best bit — the largest trees beyond the dam.

Ryan Mountain Hike

If you’re after a more challenging hike, then the path from Park Boulevard up the Ryan Mountain should be right up your alley. Known as the Royal Mountain Hike, this 3-mile up-and-down hike takes you up 1,000 feet of elevation. But the 360-degree views of Joshua Tree at the top are well worth it. 

Other Things to Do in Joshua Tree

Here are a few more things you can do at Joshua Tree National Park apart from hiking:

• Visit Skull Rock
• Drive up to Keys View Lookout Point
• Explore the Cholla Cactus Garden
• Marvel over Joshua Trees’ rare permanent spring, Cottonwood Spring Oasis
• Hike the Arch Rock Trail
• Gaze at the stars come nightfall

What to Do After Joshua Tree

If you want to explore other natural attractions on your California road trip, make your way over to the San Bernardino National Forest. From the deserts in Joshua Tree to the 800,000 acres of woodlands in San Bernardino, you’ll truly feel like you teleported to another world and not just driven an hour down the road. 

San Bernardino is an awesome hiking location with hot springs, the Big Bear Lake, scenic drives, and wildlife encounters. But be aware, there are bears in the area.

Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree has a large selection of campsites to choose from. However, if you’re traveling into the area with an RV or van, 2 of the best sites are the Black Rock Campground and the Cottonwood Campground as they both have drinking water and flushable toilets.

Death Valley National Park

Now it’s time to head back up to northern California to explore Death Valley. And don’t worry, we know it doesn’t have the most appealing name, but the area is truly magnificent. 

Death Valley is the lowest, driest, and hottest place on Earth. If that doesn’t intrigue you, then I’m not sure what will.

An aptly-named section of the park, Furnace Creek, received the hottest temperature ever recorded in July of 1913.

Wondering what that temperature was?

Well, it was 134°F. Yikes.

Dante’s View

Dante’s View offers one of the best viewpoints at Death Valley.

There is a parking lot at the viewpoint, along with trails, to give you a different perspective of the land down below. 

Zabriskie Point

If you’re visiting Death Valley at sunset, you should head to Zabriskie Point. There is a short walk to the overlook, and then there are short trails that lead out into the hills.

Badwater Basin

Few can say they’ve been to the lowest point in the USA. But you can — if you visit Badwater Basin, that is! Badwater Basin sits 282 feet below sea level and comprises wide-open salt flats.

Other Things to Do in Death Valley

If you feel that you can tolerate a bit more heat, here are a few other activities to engage in at Death Valley National Park :

• Explore the lumpy salt flats of Devil’s Golf Course
• Enjoy the 9-mile scenic drive down Artists Drive
• Hike Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch
• Walk to Darwin Falls and enjoy the natural wonder of a waterfall in the desert
• Sled down the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
• Visit the Ubehebe Crater and witness a once active volcano

Campgrounds in the Death Valley National Park

Campsites in Death Valley work on a first-come-first-serve basis.

That said, the Furnace Creek Campground takes reservations during its busy season.

If you plan to camp at Death Valley, remember — temperatures are scorching during the summer months, and because of this, most campsites are closed.

Time to beat the heat of Death Valley and head west to get to some much-needed shade in the Sequoia National Park.

The Sequoia National Park is home to the world’s largest redwood, Hyperion .

Hyperion stands over 380 feet tall, and if that isn’t a reason to visit Sequoia, then I don’t know what is. 

If the height of Hyperion doesn’t impress you enough, Sequoia is also home to the largest tree by volume. The General Sherman Tree is more than 36 feet in diameter at its base. For perspective, it would take about 20 people holding hands to hug this tree.

Things to Do in the Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park offers more than just majestic redwoods for you to admire; there are plenty of attractions and activities from which to choose.

Here are some that we’d recommend:

• Visit the Giant Forest Museum
• Climb 390 steps to Moro Rock (the view is well worth it)
• Drive through the Tunnel Log
• Explore the Crystal Cave marble cavern
• Take a dip at the Tokopah Falls
• Drive under Tunnel Rock

Hiking Trails in the Sequoia National Park

Needless to say, there are a few excellent hiking trails at the park, too:

• Crescent Meadow Trail
• Big Trees Trail
• Congress Trail

Campgrounds at the Sequoia National Park

There are 7 campgrounds dotted around the park.

That said, the best one to head to if you’re traveling in RVs or vans is the Potwisha Campground.

Potwisha can accommodate RVs up to 24 feet long, and the area has flushing toilets, water, and other amenities.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite is one of America’s most famous National Parks. And for a very good reason.

The park’s vistas are stunningly beautiful and offer guests a range of activities, from hiking and biking to fishing and rock climbing. 

Yosemite Falls

One of the prettiest parts of the Yosemite National Park is the Yosemite Falls. This waterfall pours its way down over the granite wall smashing against the rocks down below.

Because of its height, you can see the waterfall from numerous areas in the park, but the best view is at the start of the Yosemite Falls hike. 

You can hike your way down the trail to reach the base of the falls with minimal effort. On particularly hot days, the mist the falls create is pleasant and refreshing, so we highly recommend this hike.

Another of Yosemite’s popular sites is the Half Dome climbing wall. Climbers from all over the country have flocked to Yosemite to tackle the giant granite wall that towers over the valley.

If you aren’t looking to climb the wall, then there are two great options that give you fantastic views of the Half Dome.

The first is at the Glacier Point Lookout, where you can see how much the rockface actually looms over the valley and the surrounding mountains.

And the second option is the Mirror Lake hiking trail, which takes you to the bottom of the rock so you can see it from an ant’s perspective.

Tunnel View

The most iconic Yosemite Valley view is from the Tunnel Valley, which stretches out to Bridalveil Fall, El Captain, and the Half Dome.

The best time to visit is during the afternoon, when all the walls are bathed in direct sunlight.

Other Things to Do at Yosemite

Here are a few more things for you to do while you’re at Yosemite National Park :

• Gaze at the 3,000-foot El Captain Rock.
• Drive an hour up to Glacier Point
• Hike to the Bridalveil Fall
• If you’re skilled, try climbing the rocks of Yosemite
• Hike Tioga Road
• Cycle along Yosemite’s 12 miles of paved paths

Campgrounds at the Yosemite National Park

Yosemite has 13 campgrounds, most of which have sites for RVs.

It’s important to book ahead as much as possible to secure yourself a camp space , as all the campgrounds in Yosemite fill up fast.

Heading further northeast on the ultimate California road trip will take you up to Lake Tahoe, where you can spend the day hiking through the Sierra Nevada Mountains or participating in water sports on the lake itself.

Emerald Bay

Emerald Bay is a small sheltered cove of Lake Tahoe that has relatively shallow water, which gives the bay its beautiful turquoise color . 

Overlooking the bay is a Scandinavian castle, Vikingsholm, which is open to the public. Guests can take a tour inside after hiking its steep one-mile trail.

Alternatively, you can jump in a kayak or get up on a paddle board and explore the lake from the water itself. 

Hiking Lake Tahoe

Some of the more beautiful hiking trails are at the lake’s southern end. These trails include:

• Fallen Leaf Lake Trail
• Cascade Falls Trail
• Rubicon Trail

Partake in Winter Sports

During the winter months, Lake Tahoe transforms into a world-renowned alpine skiing destination. Even if you aren’t an avid skier, the ride to the Observation Deck via a 9,123-foot gondola gives you outstanding views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas. 

Other Things to Do in Lake Tahoe

When you’ve had enough of skiing and water sports, you can still find a few exciting things to do around Lake Tahoe:

• Have a picnic at the D.L Bliss State Park
• Relax on the sandy beaches at the Sand Harbor State Park
• Hike the Eagle Rock Hiking Trail

Sacramento is one of our final stops on this California road trip itinerary. As the state capital, the city features plenty of historical landmarks . Below are our top picks.

California State Railroad Museum

Over 500,000 people flock to the California State Railroad Museum every year, and if you too are interested in trains, we suggest you make a stop there yourself . 

The museum is spread out over six buildings and showcases railroad cars and locomotives, along with their history, and how the railroads shaped California and its economy.

Pony Express Terminal

The endpoint of the Pony Express was in the Pony Express Terminal in Sacramento. Although the mail service is no longer around, the building was named a National Historic Landmark, which now belongs to the Wells Fargo History Museum.

American River Bike Trail

Grab a bike and cycle along 32 miles of paved roads on the American River Bike Trail. The trail runs from Discovery Park to Beal’s Point and has separate lanes for people going either way.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Our final stop on this California road trip will take you to the Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is around a 3-hour drive from Sacramento. And, don’t worry, Lassen is well worth it.

The Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to all 4 types of volcanos: cinder cone, plug dome, composite, and shield. And the best part is some of these volcanos are still active . 

Hikes and trails throughout the park can take you alongside volcanic gas vents, steam vents, turquoise pools of water, and boiling mud pots. Now, that’s something you don’t see every day. 

But, along with the volcanic activity in the area, there are also plenty of lakes, waterfalls, and scenic drives that you can fill your days in Lassen with. 

The Best Trails in the Lassen Volcanic National Park

Not everything comes easy, and some of the best views require some work to get there. We hope you have your hiking boots ready, as the Lassen National Park has some incredible hikes that you won’t want to miss. These include:

• Bumpass Hell Trail – Easy
• Sulphur Works Sidewalk Trail – Easy
• Devils Kitchen Trail – Challenging
• Lassen Peak Trail – Challenging
• Cinder Cone Trail – Challenging

Other Things to Do in the Lassen Volcanic National Park

If you’re tired of hiking, you can find some time to relax and take in the natural beauty at the landmarks below:

• Manzanita Lake 
• Juniper Lake
• Emerald Lake
• Boiling Springs Lake
• Kings Creek Falls
• Mill Creek Falls

Finally, you can take a drive down the Lassen Park Highway and immerse yourself in the surrounding scenery from the comfort of your vehicle.

Campgrounds in Lassen Volcanic National Park

There are 7 separate campgrounds throughout Lassen, but only 3 can accommodate RVs and trailers. These 3 sites include Manzanita Lake, Summit Lake, and Butte Lake.

That said, there are no RV hookups, so make sure your RV or van is equipped with everything you’ll need during your stay. 

California Road Trip: Conclusion

So, there you have it! The ultimate California road trip. We hope this itinerary has helped you shape your future trip through the beautiful state of California.

As we wrap up this article, we’d love to know your favorite parts of California. Did this itinerary help you? And is there anything we should have added to the destination or activity list? Let us know in the comment section down below!

Please note that all comments will be checked by our team before being approved.

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The Best Road Trip to California's National Parks

Go on an epic adventure and see some of the state's most iconic destinations on this California national parks road trip.

September 08, 2020

The fresh breeze flows through your hair; the scents of pine trees, ocean spray, and sun-baked desert clay greet you along the way; and an immense sense of wonder envelops your thoughts as you travel to and fro in California. A road trip to California’s national parks is a right of passage, serving as proof that you’ve truly experienced all that this great state has to offer. Whether you’re planning next weekend’s explorations or the trip of a lifetime, you won’t want to miss seeing these incredible spots.

The Ultimate California National Parks Road Trip Itinerary

While the best way to see the Golden State is to take a road trip through all the California national parks , sometimes life gets in the way and you have to break up this grand adventure into smaller segments that can be woven around your work and school schedules. But no matter how you tackle this trip, the fresh air, photographs, and unforgettable scenery are sure to soothe your soul. So, get ready to pack your bags or pencil in your future vacay—this road trip to Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley , and beyond is well worth the time.

San Diego To Joshua Tree Road Trip

Driving time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

San Diego is a classic Southern California stop , so it makes sense that your Golden State road trip would start here. Renowned for its idyllic white-sand beaches, world-class surfing conditions, and the invention of the California burrito , San Diego is a must-see destination for locals and out-of-towners alike. After getting a good feel for the city’s laid-back vibe, it’s time to hit the road. 

Though a trip up the 15 would undoubtedly be a faster way to get to Joshua Tree National Park, the journey is half the fun, so take the scenic route: First, cruise along the California border on Route 94, and stop near Campo to see the Southern Terminus of the iconic Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Take a quick walk on the PCT to get a taste for the thrill of thru-hiking, but don’t go too far; there’s plenty more road to cover before arriving at the real destination. 

Continue driving on the 94 until it runs into I-8. Before you know it, you’ll be turning north onto the 111 on your way to the Salton Sea . This unique area might not seem like much, but its unusual history makes up for its lack of pizzaz. If a more vibrant experience is more to your liking, be sure to stop by Salvation Mountain for an unexpected piece of desert artwork.

After fully experiencing these unusual bits of California’s landscape, continue on the 111 before turning right onto 66th Avenue, toward the south entrance of Joshua Tree. There’s nothing quite like a trip to Joshua Tree National Park . You’ll understand why as soon as you witness the stunning sunsets, incredible bouldering opportunities, and serene desert ambience. From here, cruise on up to Death Valley if you’re ready for more dusty days, or turn off the path for a short reprieve. 

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Detour: L.A. to Death Valley Road Trip

Driving time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

With a few days of camping under your belt, you may want to take a quick detour to Los Angeles for a taste of city life. Once satiated, hop back in the car for the drive to Death Valley—but be sure to stop by the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve , especially in peak poppy season.

Alternate Route: Los Angeles To Sequoia National Park Roadtrip

Driving time: 3 hours, 40 minutes

If you need a longer break from the state’s best desert attractions, cruise directly from Los Angeles to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park before landing in Yosemite. These locales are full of towering trees and shady canopies that will make you wonder how they could be so close to such barren deserts. 

Death Valley To Yosemite Road Trip

Driving time: 5 hours

Death Valley is one of the most astonishing places in the Golden State and really ought to make it onto your California national parks itinerary . As the driest, lowest, and hottest national park—complete with record-breaking temperatures—Death Valley is not your typical vacation destination. While this spot does require you to plan ahead and pack a lot of water, the starry night sky, singing sand dunes, and vistas you’d think were located halfway across the world are well worth the effort. 

Once you’ve gotten your fill of desert oases, jump in the car and venture onto the open road. Though it’s hard to imagine that the granite surfaces, lush trails, and serene waterfalls of Yosemite National Park lie within a few hours’ journey from such a desolate place, this excursion will prove it’s true.

Drive along the 190, and continue on as it turns into State Route 136 near Owens Lake. Just outside of Lone Pine, turn right onto the 395 and drive north for a couple of hours, making time to admire the scenery along the way. As you draw closer to the park, turn onto the 120, cruise past Tuolumne Meadows, and keep driving through the region. The beauty overwhelms the senses. and before you know it, you’ll be turning onto Big Oak Flat Road and meandering your way into the Yosemite Valley. 

Yosemite to San Francisco

Drive time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

After spending some time rock climbing, hiking, slacklining, camping, and appreciating your surroundings, drive out to the coast to see the San Francisco Bay Area. While the region isn’t home to any national parks, the Presidio of San Francisco is a must-see California Historic Landmark . 

San Francisco To Redwoods Road Trip

Drive time: 6 hours

Hop back on the road, and cruise across the Golden Gate Bridge and then along the 101 to Northern California. As you get closer to Redwood National and State Parks, the road curves west, providing gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. Travel through Eureka and up to Gold Bluffs Beach Campground in Orick to spend a few days on the coast. The 101 runs through the parks, so you’ll have incredible views the whole way. 

Whether you’re looking forward to taking a San Francisco to Yosemite road trip on another leg of this journey or are planning future San Diego to Death Valley road trips , your California national park trip itinerary will leave memories that last a lifetime.

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Northern California National Parks Road Trip Itinerary

Last Updated on March 24, 2024 by Bonnie

California is home to 28 national parks. This includes nine designated National Parks and 19 National Monuments, National Recreations Areas and other units managed by the National Park Service. You’d likely need several months to visit all these parks and truly enjoy the experience. Since most folks don’t have that much time, we suggest focusing on just one region at a time. Here, we share our itinerary for a northern California national parks road trip.

First, let’s clarify what we mean by “northern” California. For this particular itinerary, we focus on just the parks that are north of San Francisco and Sacramento. Second, because of the proximity, we include a couple of parks in southern Oregon. 

The seven parks you’ll visit on this itinerary are Redwood National and State Park, Oregon Caves National Monument, Crater Lake National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Tule Lake National Monument, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. What we didn’t know before setting out on our journey is that the National Park Service has named this particular itinerary the Circle of Discovery . 

Along the route, you’ll see the country’s tallest trees and deepest lake. You’ll also visit marble caves, hydrothermal areas, volcanic landscapes and even a Japanese American WWII relocation center. As you can see, the parks included protect a wide range of landscapes, natural features and historic sites.

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Planning Your Northern California National Parks Trip

The location of the seven parks on this Northern California national parks road trip itinerary makes almost a perfect loop. Thus, you could easily start at just about any location. It also can fairly easily be accessed from the north, south or east. This flexibility allows you to drive from home, fly into several different airports or connect the itinerary to other sights if you have more time.

For the sake of this article, we start the loop at Redwood National Park, which is easily accessed via Highway 101, better known as the Pacific Coast Highway. If you are coming in from the north side, you might prefer to start the loop at Crater Lake National Park. From the east, Lassen Volcanic National Park would be your starting point. 

You can also drive the loop either clockwise or counterclockwise. Honestly, this would probably just be based on personal preference or when you can get reservations in each location.

Best Time to Visit

Both Crater Lake and Lassen Volcanic national parks generally receive a large amount of snow in the winter. The parks are open year-round, but you’ll have limited services in the winter. Additionally, some areas of both parks will be very difficult to reach unless you are prepared for over-snow travel.

Thus, summer is certainly the best time to complete this road trip. But not too early in the summer. Crater Lake and Lassen Volcanic national parks are generally not fully open until late June or early July. The exact date of various areas and services changes from year to year, depending on snowfall. Additionally, Oregon Caves National Monument is located nestled in the mountains on a winding road that is closed in the winter.

You’ll also need to be prepared for a wide range of temperatures along your route. Lava Beds National Monument, Tule Lake National Monument and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area will likely be very hot and dry in the summer. In fact, during our visit, the temperature at Whiskeytown was more than 110 degrees.

On the other hand, the temperature at Redwood National Park was in the mid-60s. Due to its location on the Pacific coast, Redwood National Park gets quite a bit of cloud cover, fog and cool breezes off the ocean. You’ll likely want long sleeves or a lightweight pullover here, especially in the mornings and evenings. 

Crater Lake and Lassen Volcanic national parks tend to have more moderate temperatures. Mornings and evenings can be cool, though. Temperatures can vary greatly from lower elevation to higher elevation.

Basically, you need to make sure you have the proper layers with you while visiting the northern California national parks.

Northern California National Parks Itinerary

We did this trip as an RV road trip. It would also work well if you are just in a car and staying in hotels or tent camping. You definitely need a car, though, as this route goes through very remote areas with essentially no public transportation.

Redwood National Park – 3 Days

Redwood National Park is a very interesting park and you’ll likely never tire of looking up at the massive redwood trees it protects. That said, one grove of redwoods is really not all that different from another. So, you can get a very thorough visit to the park in one day or even less.

Still, the park preserves more than just redwood trees and you can easily spend several days exploring it all. A three-day visit allows you plenty of time to enjoy all the different aspects of the park.

Be sure to visit several groves, such as Lady Bird Johnson Grove on the south end or Stout Grove on the north end. There are also several scenic drives, including the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, Coastal Drive and Bald Hills Road. For a different perspective on the park, a hike through Fern Canyon offers a look at the lush vegetation that is found right along the coast. 

With three full days, you can get in a few longer hikes, such as the Trillium Falls Trail, Boy Scout Trail or Tall Trees Trail. You can even do some tidepooling and look for marine animals hiding out under the rocks at low tide.

Where to Stay for Redwoods National Park

We recommend staying in either Crescent City on the north end or perhaps Klamath or Orick further south. Based on the layout of the park, you may even choose to spend 1-2 nights on the south end and 1-2 nights on the north end.

Inside the park, there are a few campgrounds but no lodges or restaurants. 

Check out our full coverage of Redwood National Park here.

Oregon Caves National Monument – 1 Day

Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is located just east of Cave Junction, OR, which is just about an hour north of Crescent City, CA. The park preserves a marble cave that is somewhat hidden several miles off the main highway, in the Siskiyou Mountains. 

To visit the cave, you’ll have to schedule a cave tour. Typically, the park offers four options, the most popular of which is the Discovery Cave Tour. We also recommend the Candlelight Cave Tour. While we haven’t done that tour at this park, we really enjoyed the candlelight tour at Wind Cave and highly recommend it anytime it is offered.

Above ground, there are six hiking trails, offering views of the mountains and fir forest. While the cave is certainly the highlight of this park, we enjoyed a short hike. It’s also a good way to spend an hour or two while waiting on your tour.

During our visit in the Summer of 2021, the park offered only the Discovery Tour. Additionally, tour tickets were available only on a first-come, first-served basis, at the visitor center in Cave Junction, due to COVID-19. Traditionally, though, you can purchase tickets for any of the four cave tours ahead of time at recreation.gov . Tours are offered during the summer, typically starting Memorial Day Weekend and going through Labor Day Weekend. 

Check the park’s website for updated information regarding tour availability and where to purchase tickets.

Read our tips for visiting a National Park Service cave here.

Where to Stay for Oregon Caves National Monument

We camped for two nights in Cave Junction. It’s a fairly small town, though, with limited options for lodging and dining. 

About 45 minutes north of Cave Junction, Grants Pass is a much larger town with abundant options for camping, lodging, dining and shopping. If you can secure cave tickets in advance, we suggest staying in Grants Pass. If you will have to rely on first-come, first-serve tickets, you might prefer to stay in Cave Junction to avoid a very early morning drive.

The historic Oregon Caves Chateau, right across from the cave entrance and visitor center would be a great place to stay. Unfortunately, it has been closed for renovations and does not currently have a projected reopening date.

Read more about visiting Oregon Caves National Monument.

Crater Lake National Park – 1 Day

At 1,943 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It is also generally regarded as the bluest lake. A drive around the lake provides ample opportunity to take in the stunning blue water and surrounding scenic beauty.

Depending on how many stops you make, the drive around the lake should take you 2-3 hours. You can spend the rest of the day doing a couple of short hikes. In particular, we enjoyed the Plaikni Falls Trail, which is a relatively easy 2-mile hike. 

If you are up for a challenge, check out the Cleetwood Cove Trail, which descends 700 feet to reach the lake. At the lake, you can swim, fish or take a boat tour. Just make sure you can handle the hike back up to the rim!

Unfortunately, the park canceled boat tours during our visit (again, due to COVID-19). We were really looking forward to spending a few hours out on the lake and possibly even doing some hiking at Wizard Island. Hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to return to Crater Lake NP one day so that we can enjoy a boat tour!

I’d suggest adding at least one additional day onto your stop if you do plan to hike to do a boat tour or spend any considerable time down at the water. Of course, we could also just spend a couple of days sitting on the porch of the Crater Lake Lodge enjoying the scenery! 

Where to Stay for Crater Lake National Park

We spend almost a week in the area, camping at Broken Arrow Campground just north of the park. The campground does not have any hookups but was still one of our favorite campgrounds of all time. 

With well-spaced sites tucked into the trees, we really enjoyed the serenity of the campground. And, it was only a 10-minute drive to the north entrance of Crater Lake NP.

Honestly, though, the history, scenic views and charm of the Crater Lake Lodge is difficult to pass up. It will certainly be a struggle to choose between the lodge and a return visit to the campground on our next visit!

Get all the details of a one-day visit to Crater Lake National Park. 

Tule Lake National Monument and Lava Beds National Monument – 1 Day

Our Northern California national parks road trip itinerary returns to California to two national monuments: Tule Lake and Lava Beds. The two parks are located just 20 minutes apart in Tulelake, CA.

Previously, Tule Lake was just one unit of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. In March 2019, Congress redesignated the park, creating Tule Lake National Monument as a separate park from the better-known Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii. Tule Lake National Monument preserves the largest of 10 relocation “camps” that housed incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II. 

Unfortunately, Tule Lake National Monument has limited visiting hours and is only open Thursday through Monday in the summer. We were not able to visit this park during our trip in the Summer of 2021. We have, however, visited other relocation camps, such as Heart Mountain in Cody, WY, Minidoka National Historic Site in Jerome, ID and Amache National Historic Site in Granada, CO. This little-known piece of American history is a story that deserves more attention.

On a lighter note, Lava Beds National Monument preserves a volcanic landscape, which is home to more than 800 caves, historic battlefields and Native American art. What we enjoyed most about this park was being able to explore the lava caves on our own. At most parks, caves can only be explored on a guided tour.

Only a small fraction of the 800 caves are open to the public but you can still easily spend an hour or two exploring them. There are also a few hiking trails but be prepared to hike through a desert climate with essentially no shade. We generally love a good hike but based on the summer climate, the caves are a much more comfortable way to spend your day.

Where to Stay for Lava Beds and Tule Lake National Monuments

We actually visited Lava Beds National Monument as a day trip from our campground at Crater Lake. While that worked for us, it did make for a long day, since it was about a 2-hour drive each way. And that did not include a visit to Tule Lake National Monument. You probably don’t want to do that if you plan to visit both parks.

Tulelake is a very small town without much to offer in terms of camping, lodging or dining. As such, we would suggest staying in Klamath Falls, OR. You could use Klamath Falls as a base for visiting Crater Lake National Park also. Crater Lake is about an hour’s drive from Klamath Falls.

Check out our full coverage of Lava Beds National Monument.

Lassen Volcanic National Park – 3 Days

Continuing south, Lassen Volcanic NP is yet another volcanic landscape with mountains, forests, hydrothermal features and more. We suggest spending 1-2 days in the main area of the park and 1-2 days in the Warner Valley/Juniper Lake area on the southeast side. With additional time or specific interest, visit the northeast area of Butte Lake.

Coming in from the north, you’ll enter the park at Manzanita Lake. Stop here for a quiet and easy stroll around the lake, a visit to the Loomis Museum or pick up a bite to eat at the Camp Store. As you drive the main highway through the park, stop at some of the many pullouts to learn more about the landscape and take in the scenery.

To see the best hydrothermal area, hike the 2.6-mile Bumpass Hell Trail, our top recommendation in the park. If you’re not up for the moderately strenuous hike, you can still get a small taste of thermal features at the Sulphur Works pullout near the southwest entrance.

In Warner Valley, our recommendation is yet another thermal area, Devils Kitchen. As a much more remote area, you just might like Devils Kitchen even better than Bumpass Hell. At Juniper Lake, you can take an easy stroll along the lake or hike up Mount Harkness for some of the best views in the park. 

Dixie Fire of 2021

You likely heard the news of the Dixie Fire in the summer of 2021, which burned more than 950,000 acres in and around Lassen Volcanic National Park. The fire started less than three weeks after we visited the park. The fire burned through some areas of the park, destroying several structures along the way.

In particular, the Mount Harkness Lookout Tower was lost in the fire. When we did the hike up Mount Harkness in late June, we were surprised to find the tower unstaffed. Upon asking a ranger about this, she said that traditional staffing regulations hadn’t quite caught up with climate change. 

In addition to the fire lookout tower, a few other structures and a campground were destroyed. Some trails and footbridges have been affected as well. Of course, the burned areas will be visible for years to come. While this is heartbreaking to see, fire is a part of nature. And some vegetation thrives after a fire, with some relying on fire for reproduction.

Where to Stay for Lassen Volcanic National Park

Since Lassen Volcanic National Park is remote and fairly spread out, finding a central place to stay can be difficult. We camped at The Village at Childs Meadow, near the Southwest entrance in Mineral, CA. The location proved to be a good location for visiting the main area of the park, Juniper Lake and Warner Valley. There are a few other options for lodges and even a small resort in that area.

If you prefer to tent camp or stay in a cabin, you’ll find both at Manzanita Lake at the north entrance to the park. 

Larger cities with more services are at least an hour away.

Read more about visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area – 1 Day

As with most national recreation areas, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area will appeal mostly to visitors looking to recreate on or in the water. Whiskeytown Lake is the centerpiece of the park, with swimming, boating and paddling being popular activities for visitors. In the summer, the water is a welcomed relief from the oppressive heat that typically engulfs Redding, CA.

Of course, there are also opportunities for hiking, scenic drives and mountain biking, among other activities. Unfortunately, a good portion of the park is still closed following the 2018 Carr Fire. This fire burned 97% of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and affected more than 100 structures. It is considered the most destructive fire in the history of the National Park System.

Between the extreme heat (well over 100 degrees) and the lack of shade due to the fire, visitors must plan their time at this park carefully.

We made a point to get up early to do a couple of hikes. Indeed, by noon we found the heat to be almost unbearable. If you do have time for a couple of hikes, the namesake Whiskeytown Falls is well worth the moderately strenuous 3-mile roundtrip hike. Crystal Creek Falls is another nice waterfall that can be reached with a short and easy 5-minute walk along a paved road.

Additionally, the Kennedy Memorial is worth a stop. This memorial commemorates President John F. Kennedy’s participation in the dedication of the dam in September 1963, just two months before his assassination. 

While we made the most of our visit, I have to admit that Whiskeytown National Recreation Area was not our favorite park, at least in the summer. It was simply too hot to enjoy.

Unless you have a specific interest in boating or swimming in the lake, I’d say you can skip it. Of course, if you are like us, and are looking to visit all 400+ units of the national park system, you will go and find something to enjoy, if only for a few hours!

Mostly, we just want you to know what to expect in terms of the extreme temperatures so that you can have a safe visit.

Where to Stay at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is located just outside Redding, which is a large city with plenty of options for camping, lodging and dining. We camped at the Redding Premier RV Resort. While we enjoyed the campground, the extreme heat was just too much for our camper’s air conditioner.

Based on our experience, I would not advise camping unless you have a powerful AC that can withstand extreme temperatures. I certainly would not recommend tent camping unless you are very used to camping in extremely hot and dry conditions.

Thankfully, there is a wide variety of hotels available in Redding.

Read our full guide to visiting Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

Final Thoughts on the Northern California National Parks Road Trip

With a wide range of landscapes and features, Northern California and southern Oregon are home to some incredible national parks. The area is home to an incredible volcanic landscape, which creates much more variety than you might initially expect. With hiking trails, scenic drives and numerous caves, there is no shortage of activities to pique your interest.

Ultimately, this itinerary is full of extremes. You’ll find extremely tall trees, an extremely deep lake, extremely remote areas and, perhaps, even some extreme temperatures.

This Northern California national parks road trip itinerary is flexible on its starting point and makes for a good road trip in a car or RV. There also are several airports providing access to the region, though you should be prepared for a drive of at least an hour or two from any airport to the nearest park.

Many of the parks can be enjoyed in just a day or two. Those who prefer to travel slower or doing some additional hiking can easily enjoy a longer visit at most of the parks, especially the designated National Parks.

However you complete this journey, you are sure to find something you enjoy.

Travel Resources

What do you use to find a flight.

We use Skyscanner to find deals on flights. Skyscanner has a great interface and compares tons of airlines for the best pricing and routing. That said, it does not always have every airline and some airlines will have better deals on their website. Still, Skyscanner is a great place to start. Click here to search for a flight.

What do you use to find a hotel?

We typically stay at Hilton properties , so we use the Hilton website . You can find good Hilton Honors discounts or AAA discounts for a hotel there. We make great use of our free night certificates from our Hilton Honors American Express. Click here to book a Hilton property.

If there are no Hilton properties available, we use TripAdvisor to read reviews and book the hotel. We find we can get the best price that way. Click here to search for a hotel.

We recently partnered with Stay22 to add interactive maps to each of our destination posts. This will allow you to see a plethora of hotels and vacation rentals all in one responsive map of the area.

What if I need more space than I can get at a hotel?

We use Vrbo for the times when we have rented a cabin for a weekend getaway, like this cabin in Townsend, TN , or needed to rent a house for a large family vacation. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them. Click here to search for a vacation rental.

Who do you use for rental cars?

As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We have had nothing but good experiences with them. Plus, we really like unlimited mileage and not worrying about crossing state lines. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia . Click here to book a rental car.

How about booking a cruise?

We have found some amazing prices for booking a cruise through Cruise Direct . We have saved a lot of money on our cruises compared to what we found elsewhere, making a last-minute Bahamas cruise even cheaper. Click here to book a cruise.

What if I want to rent an RV?

We highly recommend Outdoorsy for RV rentals. We rented a camper van for a week to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for the elk rut and Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round-Up and had a blast. The program was easy to use and we really enjoyed the freedom of having a camper van for that trip. Click here to rent an RV.

What do you use for booking tours?

We don’t often book tours. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way. So, when we do want to book a tour, we always check Viator first. Click here to book a tour.

Do you use anything to get discounts on the road?

We make extensive use of both Good Sam and AAA on the road. Good Sam is normally regarded as a discount card for RVers at campgrounds and Camping World but anyone can use the 5 cents off a gallon at the pump at both Pilot and Flying J. Click here to get a Good Sam membership. We have had AAA as long as we have been married and it has more than paid for itself in discounts at hotels, aside from the peace of mind of having roadside assistance. Add in paper maps and the ability to get an international driver’s license and it is more than worth it for any traveler out there. Click here to get a AAA membership.

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