-400.jpg)
| Known for: | Los Angeles, Hollywood, beaches, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Sequoias, Redwoods, Entertainment Industry, Silicon Valley, Sunset Strip, San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, Pacific Coast Highway, Mojave Desert, Palm Springs. |
| When to Go: | Southeast CA: All year though summers very hot; Southwest CA: All year; Northern CA, Access in late fall, winter, amd early spring months very limited due to snow. |
| Top Trails: | Mt Whitney Trail, John Muir Trail, Lost Palms, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome |
California Travel Guide
From Hollywood glamour to Yosemite's granite cliffs, wine country, and golden beaches, California offers endless adventure, culture, and iconic scenery.
Top Locations
North California Map
South California Map
Places to See in California
California National Parks
Major Cities
Pismo Beach, CA
hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Central California Coast★
California region along the central Pacific Ocean coast directly west of Los Angeles and encompases the cities of Malibu, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay
Dantes View in Death Valley National Park
Mojave Desert★
Desert located primarily in southeastern California and southwestern Nevada, is the site of Death Valley, Barstow, and the Mojave National Preserve
Fisherman's Wharf at Monterey, CA
Amadscientist, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Monterey Bay★
Bay of the Pacific Ocean, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and north of Big Sur, and includes the cities of Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea and Santa Cruz
Lassen Volcanic NP
Northern California★
Northern, less populated area of California featuring the northern coastal region including the Lost Coast and Redwood National and State Parks, and mountainous region that features Lassen Volcanic National Parks and Mount Shasta
.jpg){kind=link}
Orange County★
Tourist center, with attractions like Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Balboa Island, Angel Stadium, Downtown Santa Ana, Crystal Cove State Park, and several popular beaches along its more than 40 miles of coastline
Fred Moore from Morro Bay, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Pacific Coast Highwy / Big Sur★
Rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean and is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery
Three segment panorama of Point Reyes headlands from Chimney Rock Trail
King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
San Francisco Bay Area★
Region of California known for its natural beauty, prominent universities, technology companies, and affluence. The Bay Area contains the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, Silicon Valley, Wine Country, and regional, state, and national parks
Cedar Grove, Kings Canyon NP
RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Sierra Nevada★
Mountain range in the Western United States, with the vast majority of the range lies in California, features include Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, twenty-six wilderness areas, ten national forests, and two national monuments
Palm Springs, CA
Southeastern California★
Southeastern region of California centering aorund the Sonoran Desert, and features the city of Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Salton Sea
Mission Santa Barbara
Elisa Rolle, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
California Missions★
Series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 founded by Catholic priests of the Franciscan order, the surviving mission buildings are the state's oldest structures and its most-visited historic monuments
Overview
California is the most populous state, with about 39 million people, and the third largest by area. Sacramento is the capital and Los Angeles is the largest city, and its nickname is the "Golden State." California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850.
Visitors come for iconic cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco with its Golden Gate Bridge, and San Diego, as well as beaches, theme parks, wine country, and Hollywood. They also come for nine national parks, including Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree, and Death Valley, and for scenic drives along Highway 1 and the Big Sur coast.
Geography
California has 840 miles of Pacific coastline and one of the most varied landscapes in the country. The Sierra Nevada rises along the eastern side, with Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 m), the highest peak in the contiguous U.S., while the Central Valley is one of the world's most productive farming regions. The Coast Ranges, redwood forests, and Cascade volcanoes lie in the north, and the Mojave and Colorado Deserts cover the southeast, including Death Valley, where Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level. The San Andreas Fault runs through the state.
History
More than 100 Native tribes lived in California when the Spanish explorer Cabrillo reached the coast in 1542. Spain established missions beginning with San Diego in 1769, Mexico took over in 1821, and the United States gained California in 1848 after the Mexican-American War. The Gold Rush of 1849 drew hundreds of thousands of people and led quickly to statehood. The transcontinental railroad arrived in 1869, Hollywood grew into the center of the film industry, and Silicon Valley made California a hub of technology.
National Protected Areas
California has nine national parks, the most of any state: Channel Islands, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Pinnacles, Redwood, Sequoia, and Yosemite. Other areas include Golden Gate and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Areas, Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Woods and Devils Postpile National Monuments, Mojave National Preserve, Lava Beds National Monument, and Manzanar National Historic Site.
State Parks and Historic Sites
California's state park system is one of the largest in the country, with more than 270 units. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest, Big Sur's Pfeiffer Big Sur and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Parks have redwoods and coastal waterfalls, and Humboldt Redwoods protects old-growth forest. Hearst Castle, Old Town San Diego, Sutter's Fort, Columbia, and Bodie State Historic Park preserve the missions, Gold Rush, and ghost town history. Torrey Pines and Point Lobos protect rare coastal landscapes.
Seasons and When to Visit
California can be visited all year. Spring brings wildflower blooms in the deserts and foothills, and summer is the best time for the high Sierra, with Yosemite's Tioga Road open from late spring to fall. Fall offers warm beach weather and color in the Eastern Sierra, and winter brings skiing at Lake Tahoe and Mammoth, whale migrations along the coast from December to April, and the best conditions in Death Valley and Joshua Tree. Wildfire season runs from late summer through fall, and summer fog can cool the northern coast.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "California", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Additional information was drawn from National Park Service, California State Parks, and Visit California.