California National Park Map

About California National Park Map

Explore map of California showing national parks with country boundary, state boundary, rivers, state capital, forests, and national parks.

List of National Parks of California

Park Name	Established (as National Park)	Area (acres)	Area (sq mi)	Area (km²)	2024 Visitors (approx.)	Primary Counties	Main Physiographic Province	Highest Point (ft / m)	Key Ecosystems / Features	UNESCO Status	Management Notes
Channel Islands National Park	March 5, 1980	249,561	390	1,010	327,000	Ventura, Santa Barbara	Pacific Ocean / Channel Islands	2,450 ft / 747 m (Santa Cruz Island)	Island fox, island scrub jay, kelp forests, sea caves, endemic plants	No	Five of eight Channel Islands; marine protected areas
Death Valley National Park	October 31, 1994 (park); Feb 11, 1933 (monument)	3,408,406	5,325	13,793	1,700,000	Inyo, San Bernardino (CA); Nye (NV)	Mojave Desert / Basin and Range	11,043 ft / 3,368 m (Telescope Peak)	Badwater Basin (−282 ft), sand dunes, salt flats, pupfish, extreme heat	No	Largest national park in contiguous US
Joshua Tree National Park	October 31, 1994 (park); Aug 4, 1936 (monument)	795,156	1,242	3,217	3,000,000	San Bernardino, Riverside	Mojave & Colorado Deserts transition	5,814 ft / 1,772 m (Quail Mountain)	Joshua trees, rock climbing, cholla cactus, desert tortoises, night skies	No	Popular for bouldering and stargazing
Kings Canyon National Park	September 25, 1890 (original); March 4, 1940 (current boundaries)	461,901	722	1,869	~1,200,000 (combined with Sequoia)	Fresno, Tulare, Inyo	Sierra Nevada	14,494 ft / 4,418 m (Mount Whitney – shared)	Deepest glacial canyon in US, giant sequoias, high Sierra lakes, backcountry	No	Jointly managed with Sequoia NP
Lassen Volcanic National Park	August 9, 1916	106,589	167	432	500,000	Shasta, Lassen, Tehama, Plumas	Cascade Range	10,457 ft / 3,187 m (Lassen Peak)	Hydrothermal areas, Bumpass Hell, volcanic domes, Cinder Cone, fumaroles	No	Only active volcano in Cascades south of Crater Lake
Pinnacles National Park	January 10, 2013 (park); Jan 16, 1908 (monument)	26,606	42	108	275,000	San Benito, Monterey	Coast Ranges	3,288 ft / 1,002 m (Hawkins Peak)	Talus caves, volcanic breccia, California condors, rock climbing, chaparral	No	Smallest national park in California
Redwood National and State Parks	October 2, 1968	131,983 (federal)	206 (federal)	534 (federal)	500,000	Del Norte, Humboldt	North Coast / Coast Ranges	~379 ft / 116 m (Hyperion tree – tallest known tree)	Coast redwoods (tallest trees on Earth), Roosevelt elk, Fern Canyon, old-growth forest	Yes (World Heritage Site 1980)	Combined federal & state park system; joint management
Sequoia National Park	September 25, 1890	404,064	631	1,635	~1,200,000 (combined with Kings Canyon)	Tulare, Fresno	Sierra Nevada	14,505 ft / 4,421 m (Mount Whitney)	Giant sequoias, General Sherman Tree (largest tree by volume), Crystal Cave, alpine meadows	No	Jointly managed with Kings Canyon NP
Yosemite National Park	October 1, 1890 (park); June 30, 1864 (Yosemite Grant)	761,266	1,189	3,081	4,400,000	Mariposa, Tuolumne, Mono	Sierra Nevada	13,114 ft / 3,997 m (Mount Lyell)	Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, sequoia groves, glaciers	Yes (World Heritage Site 1984)	Most visited national park in California

National Parks of California

Nine national parks mark California's landscape, standing apart across desert stone, towering peaks, old groves, lava-formations, and island edges. Last year saw just under twelve million people stepping inside them, up seven hundred thousand from the prior year. That rise helped push the country's total park visits beyond three hundred thirty-one million. People who travel here do so not just to marvel at views, but because walking trails, sharing meals, noticing small life, or quiet contemplation reshape how they feel and think.

Yosemite National Park: Granite Cathedrals and Iconic Valleys

Since 1890, people have come to Yosemite National Park, set deep in the central Sierra Nevada. Covering 761,266 acres, it draws more travelers than any other state park in California. By 2024, crowds reached 4,121,807 who stopped to explore and play within its boundaries. Towering rock faces like Half Dome and El Capitan pull climbers plus curious visitors from faraway places. Spring showers feed the rush of water cascading down Yosemite Falls - its misty voice rises to 2,425 feet. Climbers, hikers, and wildlife find home beneath ancient trees lining high meadows. Black bears roam, mule deer hide behind boulders, birds with rare feathers stay quiet here. Recognition by UNESCO marks this land as one that matters beyond borders. Watching dawn paint the valley, or walking the Mist Trail during early light - some find it quietly reshaping their view.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: Home of the Giants

One hundred years before modern parks existed, land was set aside in 1890 - now Sequoia covers over 400 thousand acres. Next door, Kings Canyon entered the system in 1940 with more than double that size, combining both into a single wilderness preserve. By 2024, people had come to see the General Sherman Tree over a million times, drawn by its massive size and rare beauty. Meanwhile, visitors also wandered into the canyon’s steep-sided gorges, shaped by ancient glaciers and few tourists. High altitudes hold secret alpine ponds and rocky summits, some reachable along ancient paths used today. At nearly fourteen thousand feet, Mount Whitney stands apart from surrounding peaks, yet remains part of both parks’ territory. What makes these places special is how they soak up carbon while giving shelter to living things shaped by shifting weather patterns.

Death Valley National Park: Extreme Beauty in the Desert

Down in Death Valley, crowds kept showing up through 2024 - exactly 1,440,484 people made their way in. This national park covers more space than most states, clocking in at 3,408,406 acres across California and Nevada. It holds the continent's lowest spot: Badwater Basin sits just below sea level, marked at −282 feet. Summer heat here sets a global extreme record - the highest air temperature ever documented reached 134 °F. People show up early to see shifting dunes, red rock formations, yet also catch a glimpse of Telescope Peak standing tall at 11,043 feet, its peak shrouded in snow by mid-morning. That shift from desert floor to towering peak happens faster than almost anywhere else on Earth. What sets the place apart is how little light reaches it, along with landforms that defy typical landscapes - this draws both star gazers and rock enthusiasts.

Joshua Tree National Park: Desert Icons and Rock Formations

More than seven hundred ninety-five million acres make up Joshua Tree National Park. In 2024, people came to see it - just under three million did. Where desert sands from Mojave and Colorado lap together, this place stands tall. You will find oddball trees called Joshua trees, huge rock piles, also climbing spots that draw visitors from far away. At dusk, the sky turns almost black because light gets lost here. Spring arrives, then suddenly flowers - reds, yellows, pinks - pop through dirt like sudden magic. A short drive outside cities like Los Angeles and San Diego, Joshua Tree pulls people into a world unlike their daily lives.

Redwood National and State Parks: Towering Ancient Forests

Tall trunks rise where people gather. At Redwood National and State Parks, federal land covers 131,983 acres near the coast. By 2024, guests had come 622,883 times. Standing tallest here are coast redwoods - up to 370 feet high - with lives stretching beyond 2,000 years. Within the broader UNESCO World Heritage area, you find Fern Canyon. Herds of Roosevelt elk move through the landscape. Rocky shores bend sharply along the shoreline. Out here, trees absorb carbon while shielding the land's water sources. People come to see ancient giants still standing since long before Europeans arrived.

Lassen Volcanic, Channel Islands, and Pinnacles: Diverse and Intimate Wonders

Up high near Lake Almanor, Lassen Volcanic National Park pulled in 357,651 people during 2024, drawing attention with hot springs, mountain peaks, and ancient volcanic shapes. Out in the ocean, things look different - Channel Islands National Park covers 249,561 acres total, both on land and below waves, drawing just under a quarter million guests that same year. Over on the coast, Pinnacles National Park takes less space than most backyards - only 26,606 acres - yet pulled in more than a third of a hundred thousand people, captivated by jagged rock faces, hidden cave entrances, and quiet wins in bringing back condors once on the edge. Out in the open, tiny national parks pack just as much wonder. Some far-off spots surprise with deep impact.

The Broader Impact on People and Communities

Beyond play areas, California's national parks brought in huge sums in 2024 by way of money spent by visitors in nearby towns, funding work in hotels, tours, and shops. These sites too operate as real-world test zones for studies on climate shifts, living species protection, and how fires behave under changing conditions - reaching across regions. People who live there and those passing through alike find space to connect with outdoors, gain psychological well-being, and learn through experience, shaping long-term care for nature down the line.

Out in California, the national parks keep alive a quiet treasure - spaces where crowds of people stumble upon wonder, doubt, peace, sometimes even themselves. Look down among the tallest forests on Earth, peer deep into North America's deepest spot, or watch daylight spill across granite peaks in Yosemite; something shifts inside those who come through. Folks depart these lands different, holding moments that stick, knowing again why untamed land matters beyond photos or stories.