National Parks and Historic Sites in California

Following are the National Parks, Seashores, Monuments, Battlefields, and Historic Sites in California. Source: U.S. National Parks Service ALCATRAZ ISLAND Top of the Rock Address: Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Fort Mason, B201 San Francisco, CA  94123 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/alca/ Alcatraz Island offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US fort on the West Coast, the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, and the 18 month occupation by Indians of All Tribes which saved the tribes. Rich in history, there is also a natural side to the Rock - gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare. CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT Statue Plaza at Cabrillo NM Category:  National Monument Address: Cabrillo National Monument 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive San Diego, CA  92106 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/cabr/ Climbing out of his boat and onto shore in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo stepped into history as the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. In addition to telling the story of 16th century exploration, the park is home to a wealth of cultural and natural resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Discovery. CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK inspiration point, anacapa island timhaufphotography.com Category:  National Park Address: Channel Islands National Park 1901 Spinnaker Drive Ventura, CA  93001 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/chis/ Close to the California mainland, yet worlds apart, Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara) and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth and helped preserve a place where visitors can experience coastal southern California as it once was.  DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK Ubehebe Crater was caused by a massive steam explosion. Category:  National Park Address: Death Valley National Park P.O. Box 579 Death Valley, CA  92328 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/deva/ Hottest, Driest, Lowest: A superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers, water-fluted canyons and 3 million acres of wilderness. Home to the Timbisha Shoshone and to plants and animals unique to the harshest desert. Public input invited on Wilderness & Backcountry Stewardship Plan DEVILS POSTPILE NATIONAL MONUMENT Columnar basalt Category:  National Monument Address: Devils Postpile National Monument P.O. Box 3999 Mammoth Lakes, CA  93546 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/depo/ Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot high Rainbow Falls, and pristine mountain scenery.  The formation is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. Its columns tower 60 feet high and display an unusual symmetry. EUGENE O'NEILL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE Eugene and Carlotta O'Neill in their Tao House living room in 1941 - Yale Beinecke Library Photo Category:  National Historic Site Address: P.O. Box 280 Danville, CA  94526 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/euon/ America's only Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill, chose to live in Northern California at the climax of his writing career. Isolated from the world and within the walls of his home, O'Neill wrote his final and most memorable plays; The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten.Reservations are required to visit this site. FORT POINT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE Fort Point National Historic Site is located at the south anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge. Category:  National Historic Site Address: Fort Point National Historic Site Fort Mason, Building 201 San Francisco, CA  94123 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/fopo/ From its vantage point overlooking the spectacular Golden Gate, Fort Point protected San Francisco harbor from Confederate & foreign attack during & after the U.S. Civil War. Its beautifully arched casemates display the art of the master brick mason from the Civil War period. GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA View of the Marin Headlands from the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. (photo courtesy: Jeff Weisenburger) Category:  National Recreation Area Address: Golden Gate National Parks Fort Mason, Building 201 San Francisco, CA  94123 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/goga/ Golden Gate National Parks chronicle two hundred years of history, from the Native American culture, the Spanish Empire frontier and the Mexican Republic, to maritime history, the California Gold Rush, the evolution of American coastal fortifications, and the growth of urban San Francisco. JOHN MUIR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE Wanda, John and Helen Muir. Category:  National Historic Site Address: John Muir National Historic Site 4202 Alhambra Ave. Martinez, CA  94553 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/jomu/ John Muir was many things, inventor, immigrant, botanist, glaciologist, writer, co-founder of the Sierra Club, fruit rancher. But it was John Muir's love of nature, and the preservation of it, that we can thank him for today. Muir convinced President Teddy Roosevelt to protect Yosemite (including Yosemite Valley), Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Grand Canyon and MT. Rainier as National Parks. JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK Rockscape Category:  National Park Address: Joshua Tree National Park 74485 National Park Drive Twentynine Palms, CA  92277 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/jotr/ Viewed from the road, this desert park only hints at its vitality. Closer examination reveals a fascinating variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the attraction of this place. Come see for yourself! JUAN BAUTISTA DE ANZA NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL Staff Margaret Styles presenting at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park Category:  National Historic Trail Address: 1111 Jackson St., Suite 700 Oakland, CA  94607 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/juba/ "Everyone mount up!" This became a familiar call from Spanish Captain Juan Bautista de Anza. In 1776, as Americans fought for their independence in the East, Anza led almost 300 people over 1200 miles to settle Alta California. It was the first overland route established to connect New Spain with San Francisco. Walk in their footsteps from Nogales, Arizona to San Francisco, California. KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK Kings Canyon Category:  National Park Address: Sequoia & Kings Canyon 47050 Generals Highway Three Rivers, CA  93271 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/seki/ This landscape testifies to nature's size, beauty, and diversity - huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world's largest trees!These two parks lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley. Activity varies by season and elevation, which ranges from 1300' to 14,494'. LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK View of Lassen Peak from Brokeoff Mountain Category:  National Park Address: Lassen Volcanic National Park P.O. Box 100 Mineral, CA  96063 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/lavo/ Come witness a brief moment in the ancient battle between the earth shaping forces of creation and destruction. Nestled within Lassen's peaceful mountain forests you will find that hissing fumaroles and boiling mud pots still shape and change the land.Español | Français | Deutsch | Italiano???? | ???? | ???????????Please read our translation disclaimer. LAVA BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT Blue Grotto cave, Lava Beds National Monument Category:  National Monument Address: 1 Indian Well Headquarters Tulelake, CA  96134 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/labe/ Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 700 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience await you! MANZANAR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE Wooden Sign at Entrance to Manzanar War Relocation Center. Photo by Ansel Adams. Category:  National Historic Site Address: Manzanar National Historic Site P.O. Box 426 Independence, CA  93526 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/manz/ In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II. MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE photo of joshua trees Category:  National Preserve Address: Mojave National Preserve 2701 Barstow Road Barstow, CA  92311 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/moja/ Singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and carpets of wildflowers are all found at this 1.6 million acre park. A visit to its canyons, mountains and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and rock-walled military outposts. Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Mojave provides serenity and solitude from the crowds of major metropolitan areas. MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT Muir Woods has many accessible trails with views of the redwood forest. Category:  National Monument Address: Muir Woods National Monument Mill Valley, CA  94941 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/muwo/ "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods. PINNACLES NATIONAL MONUMENT A California condor soars above Machete Ridge Category:  National Monument Address: Pinnacles National Monument 5000 Highway 146 Paicines, CA  95043 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/pinn/ Rising out of the chaparral-covered Gabilan Mountains, east of central California's Salinas Valley, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and talus passages define millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement. POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE Point Reyes Headlands Category:  National Seashore Address: Point Reyes National Seashore 1 Bear Valley Rd. Point Reyes Station, CA  94956 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/pore/ From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover over 1000 species of plants and animals. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, Point Reyes preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Point Reyes awaits your exploration. PORT CHICAGO NAVAL MAGAZINE NATIONAL MEMORIAL Port Chicago explosion site the next day on July 18, 1944 with remains of ship in upper right corner - Navy Photo Category:  National Memorial Address: P.O. Box 280 Danville, CA  94526 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/poch/ On the evening of July 17, 1944, residents in the San Francisco east bay area were jolted awake by a massive explosion that cracked windows and lit up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were instantly killed when the munitions ships they were loading with ammunition for the Pacific theatre troops mysteriously blew up.Reservations are required to visit this site. PRESIDIO OF SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco National Cemetery Address: Presidio Interpretation Building 201, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA  94123 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/prsf/ For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to the rise of aviation, from World Fairs to earthquakes, left their mark. Come enjoy the history and beauty of the Presidio. Explore centuries of architecture. Reflect in a national cemetery. Walk through an historic airfield, forests, or to beaches, and admire spectacular vistas. REDWOOD NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS foggy coast redwood forest Category:  National and State Parks Address: Redwood National and State Parks 1111 Second Street Crescent City, CA  95531 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/redw/ Stand at the base of a coast redwood and the huckleberry bushes tower over you. Watch statuesque Roosevelt elk grazing in the prairies. Observe the tail of a female Chinook salmon heave skyward as she makes a nest for her eggs. Whether a morning or night person, you can hear the endangered marbled murrelets' keer across the treetops as they fly from sea to mossy nest. ROSIE THE RIVETER WWII HOME FRONT NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK World War II Kaiser Shipyard Workers, Richmond California Category:  National Historical Park Address: PO Box 336 Station A Richmond, CA  94804 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/rori/ Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, located in the wartime boomtown of Richmond, California, preserves and interprets the stories and places of our nation's home front response to World War II. SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK BALCLUTHA at Hyde Street Pier. Category:  National Historical Park Address: San Francisco Maritime NHP Lower Fort Mason, Bldg. E San Francisco, CA  94123 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/safr/ Stand on the stern of Balclutha, face west to feel the fresh wind blowing in from the Pacific Ocean. Located in the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park offers the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Pacific Coast maritime history. SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA Quiet canyon creeks weave through the mountains along the Backbone Trail. Category:  National Recreation Area Address: 401 West Hillcrest Drive Thousand Oaks, CA  91360 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/samo/ As summer comes to a close, sycamore shaded canyons, willow edged streams, and cool beaches become favorite spots in the Santa Monica Mountains.In his new documentary, filmmaker Ken Burns reveals how National Parks are America's Best Idea. Take a moment to explore and share what makes these unique places so important to the fabric of America.Click here for more information on Ken Burns' film. SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS Kings Canyon Category:  National Parks Address: Sequoia & Kings Canyon 47050 Generals Highway Three Rivers, CA  93271 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/seki/ This landscape testifies to nature's size, beauty, and diversity - huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world's largest trees!These two parks lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley. Activity varies by season and elevation, which ranges from 1300' to 14,494'. TULE LAKE UNIT Address: Tule Lake Unit P.O. Box 1240 Tulelake, CA  96134 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/tule/ The lives of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast were permanently altered after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Their Constitutional rights were violated as they were imprisoned in ten war relocation centers. One of these was located at Tule Lake, California. WHISKEYTOWN NATIONAL RECREATION AREA Whiskeytown Lake with clouds reflecting in the lake Category:  National Recreation Area Address: P.O. Box 188 14412 Kennedy Memorial Drive Whiskeytown, CA  96095 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/whis/ Come and discover your own treasures at Whiskeytown.Shasta Bally Summit ManagementShasta Bally Environmental Assessment (EA) is open for review. At present, there are five alternatives being considered in the planning process for the future management of the telecommunications site located on the summit of Shasta Bally.More InformationView the EA and post comments online YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Half Dome as seen from North Dome Category:  National Park Address: PO Box 577 Yosemite National Park, CA  95389 Web Site:  http://www.nps.gov/yose/ but a shrine to human foresight, strength of granite, power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra.Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.