This is a list of military, trading forts, and camps established in what is now the U.S. State of California.
History
California's military installations began in 1769 with the Presidio of San Diego, establishing a network of four Spanish coastal forts built to secure natural harbors against imperial rivals and support the regional mission system. Following the Mexican-American War, these early outposts were progressively abandoned or absorbed into an expanding network of American coastal defense fortifications. Over the 20th century, the state evolved into a massive, strategic military hub, hosting major installations like the San Diego Naval Base and various aerospace facilities that still support modern global operations.
List of California forts & military installations pre WWI NameAllegianceLocationCountyFoundedAbandonedTypeNotes Camp Alert Union Army San Francisco San Francisco 1862 1865 Camp Fort Anderson Union Army near Blue LakeHumboldt 18621864 18621866 Fort Fort Baker Union Army near Bridgeville Humboldt 1862 1863 Fort Lime Point Military ReservationFort BakerFort BarryFort Cronkhite US Army Golden Gate National Recreation Area Marin 18501897 18972002 Complex Benicia ArsenalCalifornia State Military Museum, The Posts at BeniciaBenicia BarracksBenicia Quartermaster Depot US Army Benicia Solano 1849 1964 Complex Fort BraggThe California State Military Museum, Fort BraggHistory of Fort BraggCamp Bragg US Army Fort Bragg Mendocino 1857 1864 Fort Camp Cap Eele Camp Drum BarracksCamp Drum Union Army Wilmington Los Angeles 1861 1871 Barracks Cantonment Far WestCalifornia State Military Museum, Camp Far West Camp Far WestFort Far West US Army Marysville (Bear Creek) Yuba 28 September 1849 4 May 1852 Camp Fort Gaston US Army Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation Humboldt 4 December 1859 29 June 1892 Fort Camp GrantCalifornia State Military Museum, Camp Grant Union Army near Dyerville on the Eel River Humboldt 1863 1865 Camp Fort Humboldt US Army Eureka Humboldt 1853 1866 Fort Fort Iaqua Union Army Iaqua Humboldt 1863 1866 Fort Fort Jones US Army Fort Jones Siskiyou October 18, 1852 June 23, 1858 Fort Camp Lincoln Union Army just west of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park Del Norte 1862 1870 Camp Fort Moore US Army Los Angeles Los Angeles 1847 1853 Fort Had multiple iterationsFort Romualdo Pacheco Mexico 6 miles west of Imperial Imperial 1825 1826 Fort Fort San Bernardino Mormons Downtown San Bernardino San Bernardino 1851 1862 Fort Camp Low Union Army San Juan Bautista San Benito 1864 1865 Camp Fort MacArthurWhite Point Military Reservation US Army San Pedro Los Angeles 1888 Fort Fort McDowell US Army Angel Island San Francisco 1901 1962 Fort Fort Miley Military Reservation US Army Point Lobos, San Francisco San Francisco 1898 1949 Fort Fort Miller US Army Fort Miller Fresno 1851 1858 Fort Camp BarbourThe California State Military Museum, Fort MillerCamp Miller US Army Millerton Lake Fresno 26 May 1851 1 December 1866 Camp Presidio of Monterey New Spain Monterey Monterey 1771 Fort still in use by US New San Diego DepotSan Diego Barracks US Army New San Diego San Diego 1850 1879 Barracks Camp No. 27 Camp Fort Ord US Army Monterey Monterey 1917 1994 Fort Fort Ross Russian-American Company Jenner Sonoma 1812 1841 Fort Fort Sacramento Fort Presidio of San Diego New Spain San Diego San Diego 1769 1835 Fort Presidio of San Francisco New Spain San Francisco San Francisco 1776 1994 Fort Presidio of Santa Barbara New Spain Santa Barbara Santa Barbara 1782 1846 Fort Fort Point New Spain San Francisco San Francisco 1794 1970 Fort Fort Reading US Army Redding Shasta May 26, 1852 April 6, 1870 Fort Fort Rosecrans US Army San Diego San Diego 1852 Fort Fort Seward Union Army Fort Seward Humboldt September 25, 1861 April, 1862 Fort Fort Tejon US Army Grapevine Canyon Kern June 24, 1854 September 11, 1864 Fort Fort Ter-Waw US Army Klamath Glen Del Norte October 12, 1857 June 10, 1862 Fort Camp Wessels Camp Camp at Nome Cult Indian AgencyFort WrightCamp Wright US Army Round Valley Reservation Mendocino 1858 1875 Camp Fort Winfield Scott US Army San Francisco San Francisco 1852 1995 Fort Fort Yuma US Army across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona Imperial November 27, 1850 1885 Fort
List of California forts & military installations post WWI NameAllegianceLocationCountyFoundedAbandonedTypeNotes Bolsa Chica Military Reservation US Army Huntington Beach Orange 1942 1948 Complex Camp BurlingtonCivilian Conservation Corps Photos Camp Burlington-HumboldtCamp Stephens GroveCamp Dyerville Civilian Conservation Corps near Dyerville on the Eel River Humboldt 1933 1942 Camp Camp NacimientoCamp Roberts US Army foothills of Santa Lucia Range, between Lake Nacimiento, Bradley, Valleton, and San Miguel San Luis Obispo - Monterey 1940 Camp Fort Irwin US Army near Barstow San Bernardino 1940 Fort Fort Hunter Liggett US Army North of the San Luis Obispo County line, bounded by Pfeiffer Big State Park to the north Monterey 1940 Fort Fort Funston US Army Lake Merced Military Reservation San Francisco 1939 1963 Fort Camp MerriamCamp San Luis Obispo US Army halfway between the cities of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo 1928 Camp Fort Emory US Army Coronado San Diego 1942 1947 Fort
See also Geography of California List of forts
Notes
References Heizer, Robert F., The Destruction of California Indians, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, 1993. .
External links California State Military Museum List of Camps and Posts