This is a list of parks, historic resources, reserves and recreation areas in the California State Parks system.
List of parks
Park nameClassificationCounty orcountiesSizeYear establishedRemarksacresha Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area Mendocino 1944 Boasts redwoods plus salmon and steelhead fishing on the Eel River. Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park State park Shasta 1975 Preserves a wilderness of freshwater springs and geologically recent lava flows. Albany State Marine Reserve Park property Alameda 1985 Anderson Marsh State Historic Park State historic park Lake 1982 Preserves a tule marsh and ancient archaeological sites of the Pomo people. Andrew Molera State Park State park Monterey 1968 Offers a primitive walk-in campground on the Big Sur coast. Angel Island State Park State park Marin and San Francisco 1955 Interprets an island in San Francisco Bay whose history encompasses Coast Miwok prehistory, ranching, the 1910–1940 Angel Island Immigration Station, and long military use. State park San Mateo 1985 Encompasses Año Nuevo Island and Año Nuevo Point, which boasts the world's largest mainland rookery of northern elephant seals. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State natural reserve Los Angeles 1976 Showcases the state's most-consistent blooms of California poppy, in the high Mojave Desert. Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park State historic park Los Angeles 1979 Interprets the Native American cultures of the Great Basin and surrounding regions in a 1928 folk art building on the NRHP. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park State park San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside 1933 Preserves a vast tract of the Colorado Desert in California's largest state park. Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve State natural reserve Sonoma 1934 Preserves a grove of coast redwoods. Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park State park Los Angeles 1993 Preserves a remnant stand of Joshua trees and junipers in the Antelope Valley. Asilomar State Beach State beach Monterey 1951 Balances protection of rocky coast and dune habitat with public access. The 1913 Asilomar Conference Grounds are a National Historic Landmark. Auburn State Recreation Area State recreation area El Dorado and Placer 1966 Offers numerous recreational opportunities along the North and Middle Forks of the American River. State recreation area Sonoma 1964 Features a rugged wilderness on Austin Creek, adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Azalea State Natural Reserve State natural reserve Humboldt 1943 Harbors a profusion of spring-blooming western azaleas. Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park State historic park Napa 1974 Showcases a restored 1846 water-powered grist mill in Napa Valley. The mill is on the NRHP. Bean Hollow State Beach State beach San Mateo 1958 Offers fishing and beachcombing among tide pools.Benbow State Recreation Area State recreation area Humboldt 1958 Centers on a reservoir on the South Fork Eel River. Benicia Capitol State Historic Park State historic park Solano 1951 Interprets the third and oldest-surviving California capitol, used 1853–54. The building is on the NRHP. Benicia State Recreation Area State recreation area Solano 1957 Preserves a tidal wetland on the Carquinez Strait. Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area State recreation area Alameda 1974 Offers windsurfing and other water recreation on the Bethany Reservoir. Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park State historic park Butte 1964 Offers tours of the 1868 Victorian mansion of influential settlers John and Annie Bidwell. The mansion is on the NRHP. Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park State park Butte and Glenn 1979 Preserves riparian habitat on the Sacramento River and its tributary Big Chico Creek. Big Basin Redwoods State Park State park Santa Cruz 1902 Established as California's first state park, to preserve coast redwoods on Waddell Creek. Bodie State Historic Park State historic park Mono 1962 Preserves the ghost town of Bodie, whose gold-mining heyday ran from 1877 to 1881, and is now a National Historic Landmark. Bolsa Chica State Beach State beach Orange 1960 Offers surf fishing and catching grunion by hand. Border Field State Park State park San Diego 1972 Occupies the southwesternmost point of the contiguous U.S., on the Mexico – United States border. Part of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Bothe-Napa Valley State Park State park Napa and Sonoma 1960 Contains the farthest inland coast redwoods in a California state park. Brannan Island State Recreation Area State recreation area Sacramento 1952 Offers water recreation amid a maze of channels in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Burleigh H. Murray Ranch Park property San Mateo 1979 Encompasses a hidden valley with a historic ranch established in 1857. Burton Creek State Park State park Placer 1976 Offers of unpaved roadway for hiking and cross-country skiing. Butano State Park State park San Mateo 1956 Showcases a secluded redwood-filled valley. Butte City Project Park property Butte 2007 In development, not open to public Calaveras Big Trees State Park State park Calaveras and Tuolumne 1931 Protects two large groves of giant sequoias. California Citrus State Historic Park State historic park Riverside 1984 Interprets the influence of the state's citrus industry. California Indian Heritage Center State Park State park Yolo 2011 Undeveloped property located in West Sacramento. Plan is for this unit to eventually replace the State Indian Museum (State Historic Park). California State Capitol Museum Park property Sacramento 1982 Offers exhibits and tours of the California State Capitol and its grounds. California State Mining and Mineral Museum Park property Mariposa 1999 Exhibits the official state mineral collection and displays on the region's influential mining heritage. Cambria State Marine Conservation Area State marine park San Luis Obispo 2007 California State Parks' first state marine park. Candlestick Point State Recreation Area State recreation area San Francisco 1972 Constitutes California's first urban state recreation area, on the west shore of San Francisco Bay. Cardiff State Beach State beach San Diego 1949 Provides a sandy, warm-water beach outside San Diego. Carlsbad State Beach State beach San Diego 1933 Features a small beach at the foot of coastal bluffs. Carmel River State Beach State beach Monterey 1953 Protects a beach and a lagoon at the mouth of the Carmel River which attracts many migratory birds. Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area State vehicular recreation area Alameda and San Joaquin 1979 Provides off-roading opportunities in the Diablo Range around the former townsite of Carnegie. Carpinteria State Beach State beach Santa Barbara and Ventura 1932 Offers a mile-long beach in the city of Carpinteria. Caspar Headlands State Beach State beach Mendocino 1972 Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve State natural reserve Mendocino 1972 Preserves a small strip of rugged coastline. Castaic Lake State Recreation Area State recreation area Los Angeles 1965 Features of shoreline on Castaic Lake. Castle Crags State Park State park Shasta 1934 Provides access to the Castle Crags Wilderness, with its rock crags. Castle Rock State Park State park Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo 1968 Encompasses a wild forest with rock climbing opportunities along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Caswell Memorial State Park State park San Joaquin 1952 Preserves a riparian forest along the Stanislaus River. Cayucos State Beach State beach San Luis Obispo 1940 Provides a swimming and surfing beach in the beach town of Cayucos. China Camp State Park State park Marin 1976 Surrounds an 1880s Chinese American shrimp-fishing village and salt marshes on San Pablo Bay. Chino Hills State Park State park Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino 1981 Preserves a large tract of the Chino Hills. Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park State historic park Santa Barbara 1976 Preserves a sandstone cave bearing rock art of the Chumash people. Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area State vehicular recreation area Butte 1981 Provides off-roading opportunities in the shallow clay pit excavated for material to build the Oroville Dam. Clear Lake State Park State park Lake 1949 Provides recreation opportunities on the southwest shore of Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake within California's borders. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park State historic park Tulare 1973 Interprets the town of Allensworth, founded in 1908 as a haven for African Americans by Colonel Allen Allensworth and other community leaders. The town is a district on the NRHP. Columbia State Historic Park State historic park Tuolumne 1946 Interprets Columbia's preserved gold rush-era downtown, a National Historic Landmark District. Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area State recreation area Colusa 1955 Adjoins a stretch of the Sacramento River known for its fishing. Corona del Mar State Beach State beach Orange 1947 Provides a half-mile-long swimming beach adjacent to the Newport Beach harbor jetty. Crystal Cove State Park State park Orange 1979 Encompasses cliffbound coastline, inland chaparral canyons, and the NRHP-listed Crystal Cove Historic District of 1920s and 30s beach cottages. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park State park San Diego 1933 Preserves an expansive tract of forests and meadows above in the Laguna Mountains, on the former Rancho Cuyamaca. D. L. Bliss State Park State park El Dorado 1929 Features a balancing rock and the Rubicon Point Light on the shore of Lake Tahoe. Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park State park Del Norte 1925 Preserves old-growth coast redwoods and is managed cooperatively with RNSP. Delta Meadows Park property Sacramento 1985 Preserves undeveloped wet meadows and sloughs in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Closed to the public. Dockweiler State Beach State beach Los Angeles 1948 Features of beach and a hang gliding training site, adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. Doheny State Beach State beach Orange 1931 Offers surfing and beach-front camping in Dana Point. Donner Memorial State Park State park Nevada and Placer 1928 Interprets the site where the Donner Party was trapped by weather in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846–1847, now a National Historic Landmark. Dos Rios State Park State park Stanislaus 2024 Opened in June 2024, it became the newest park in the state park system. "Nestled between the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers, around eight miles from Modesto, [it] is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in the state [and] the first state park to open in California since Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area in 2014." Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area State vehicular recreation area Kern 2014 As of April 2024, it is the newest and second largest state vehicular recreation area in the state park system. It is surrounded by Bureau of Land Management lands. Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park State park El Dorado 1965 Comprises the Lake Tahoe estate and 1903 summer home of banker Isaias W. Hellman. El Capitán State Beach State beach Santa Barbara 1953 Features a narrow beach at the foot of coastal bluffs where monarch butterflies congregate in autumn. El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park State historic park Santa Barbara 1966 Preserves components of a Spanish presidio dating back to 1782, now on the NRHP. Emerald Bay State Park State park El Dorado 1953 Contains Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay and Fannette Island plus the 1929 Vikingsholm mansion, which is on the NRHP. Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve Park property Alameda and Contra Costa 1985 Preserves a marsh on San Francisco Bay, managed as part of McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Closed to the public. Unit will not become officially classified until action is also taken by the California Fish and Game Commission (ongoing since 2004). Emma Wood Stat