California Parks and Recreation Areas with Backpacking

For a first-time visitor the desert may appear bleak and drab. Viewed from the road, the desert only hints at its vitality. Closer examination reveals a fascinating variety of plants and animals. A rich cultural history and surreal geologic features add to the attraction of this place.

Phone: 760-367-5500   Price Range: $5 - $10   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Twentynine Palms   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Rock Climbing, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Joshua Tree National Park

Cool temperatures are moderating the wildflower bloom. If you are going to be in the park this weekend, try looking along Kelbaker Road between Baker and Kelso. Below are wildflower lists from some recent visits. -Kelbaker Road, at the lava beds about 15 miles south of Baker, on March 19: wild-heliotrope, red-stemmed filaree, brittlebush, Wallace's wooly daisy, globe mallow, Fremont pincushion. -Kelbaker Road, 10.5 miles south of Baker, on March 19: desert chicory, chia, brittlebush, red-stemmed filaree, desert dandelion, dodder, bladderpod, beavertail cactus are just beginning to bloom. -West of the Black Canyon Road-Cedar Canyon Road intersection, on March 13: evening primrose, desert rock pea, red-stemmed filaree, rock gilia. -Foshay Pass and Vulcan Mine, on March 13: chia, desert canterbury bell, Arizona lupine, desert rue, desert dandelion, brittlebush, desert marigold, desert sage. -Cima Road and Ivanpah Road - Joshua trees are just beginning to bloom. The wildflower season is also when desert tortoises are most active. Please keep your vehicle speed down and watch for tortoises on the roadway, especially after rains. Road Conditions The Mojave Road across Soda Dry Lake is impassable due to mud. Rangers ask that you avoid crossing Soda Lake until it has dried completely, as vehicles frequently become stuck when crossing during muddy conditions; crossing in the mud also causes extensive road damage. Ivanpah Road - high clearence recommended. Wild Horse Canyon Road south of Mid-Hills - high clearance recommended. Macedonia Canyon Road - may be impassable even with 4-wheel drive. Coliseum Mine Road - may be impassable even with 4-wheel drive. Caruthers Canyon - Last section of road into the canyon may be impassable even with 4-wheel drive. Park rangers recommend avoiding all dirt roads during and immediately after rains. If you are not sure about a certain road, call the Baker Desert Information Center, 760-733-4040.

Phone: (760)252-6100   Price Range: N/A   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Barstow   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting and Shooting, Rock Climbing, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Mojave National Preserve

Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns create a multiple canopied understory that towers over all visitors. The parks' mosaic of habitats include prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and 37 miles of pristine Pacific coastline. Cultural landscapes reflect American Indian history. The more recent logging history has led to much restoration of these parks.

Phone: 707-464-6101   Price Range: $0 - $5   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Crescent City   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park, State Park   Activities: Backpacking, Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Boating and Watercraft, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Swimming, Whitewater Rafting, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs   Details Provided By: Redwood National and State Parks

Phone: 1-559-565-3341   Price Range: $0 - $5   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Three Rivers   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Birding, Cross Country Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Rock Climbing, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing, Tours   Details Provided By: Kings Canyon National Park

The Devils Postpile 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. Another wonder is in store just downstream from the Postpile at Rainbow Falls, once called “a gem unique and worthy of its name. When the sun is overhead, a bright rainbow highlights the spectacular Falls.

Phone: 760-934-2289   Price Range: $4 - $7   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Mammoth Lakes   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Monument   Activities: Backpacking, Birding, Cross Country Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Wildlife Watching, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Devils Postpile

Lake based recreational opportunities are Whiskeytowns primary focus during the hot and dry summer months. Whiskeytown Lake provides 36 miles of shoreline and 3,200 surface acres of water, and is excellent for most water-related activities including swimming, boating, water skiing, fishing and scuba diving. Personal Watercraft are prohibited on Whiskeytown lake, but are still allowed on Shasta and Trinity Lakes. Whiskeytown Lake has become a popular area for kayaking, long distance swimming and rowing. Ranger guided programs are offered during the summer months and include free kayak tours! Year round activities include picnicking, hiking, mountain bike riding, horseback riding, trail running, photography, bird watching and wildlife viewing on and near the lake, as well as in the mountainous back country. California 1849 Gold Rush history and remains are also found at Whiskeytown.

Phone: 530 242-3400   Price Range: $0 - $5   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Whiskeytown   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Boating and Watercraft, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting and Shooting, Kayaking, Swimming, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

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 created an incredibly rugged landscape punctuated by cinder cones, lava flows, spatter cones, lava tube caves and pit craters. These lava tube caves, of which there are more than 500 in the Monument, are a favorite underground destination for visitors to explore.

Phone: 530-667-8104   Price Range: $5 - $10   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Tulelake   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Monument   Activities: Backpacking, Biking / Bicycling, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Lava Beds National Monument

Yosemite National Park embraces a spectacular tract of mountain-and-valley scenery in the Sierra Nevada, which was set aside as a national park in 1890. The park harbors a grand collection of waterfalls, meadows, and forests that include groves of giant sequoias, the world's largest living things. Highlights of the park include Yosemite Valley, and its high cliffs and waterfalls; Wawona's history center and historic hotel; the Mariposa Grove, which contains hundreds of ancient giant sequoias; Glacier Point's (summer-fall) spectacular view of Yosemite Valley and the high country; Tuolumne Meadows (summer-fall), a large subalpine meadow surrounded by mountain peaks; and Hetch Hetchy, a reservoir in a valley considered a twin of Yosemite Valley.

Phone: 209-372-0200   Price Range: $0 - $10   Open Season: N/A   Camping: No
Nearest Popular City: Yosemite National Park   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Biking / Bicycling, Birding, Boating and Watercraft, Cross Country Skiing, Downhill Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Swimming, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Nature Walks, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Yosemite National Park

Beneath Lassen Volcanic's peaceful forests and gem-like lakes lies evidence of a turbulent and fiery past. 600,000 years ago, the collision and warping of continental plates led to violent eruptions and the formation of lofty Mt. Tehama (also called Brokeoff Volcano.) After 200,000 years of volcanic activity, vents and smaller volcanoes on Tehama's flanks-including Lassen Peak-drew magma away from the main cone. Hydrothermal areas ate away at the great mountain's bulk. Beneath the onslaught of Ice Age glaciers, Mt. Tehama crumbled and finally ceased to exist. But the volcanic landscape lived on: in 1914, Lassen Peak awoke. The Peak had its most significant activity in 1915 and minor activity through 1921. Lassen Volcanic became a national park in 1916 because of its significance as an active volcanic landscape.

Phone: (530) 595-4444   Price Range: $0 - $10   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Mineral   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Birding, Boating and Watercraft, Cross Country Skiing, Downhill Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Swimming, Wildlife Watching, Auto Touring, Interpretive Programs, Snowshoeing, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Lassen Volcanic National Park

Comprised of five in a chain of eight southern California islands near Los Angeles, Channel Islands National Park is home to a wide variety of nationally and internationally significant natural and cultural resources. Over 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found within the park. However only four mammals are endemic to the islands. One hundred and forty-five of these species are unique to the islands and found nowhere else in the world.

Phone: 805-658-5730   Price Range: $0 - $735   Open Season: N/A   Camping: Yes
Nearest Popular City: Ventura   Nearest Lake or River: N/A   Park Type: National Park   Activities: Backpacking, Birding, Boating and Watercraft, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking, Swimming, Wildlife Watching, Nature Walks, Star Gazing   Details Provided By: Channel Islands