California State Parks

The noble tree is no doubt, used to her influential role during the world's most pivotal moments. Be it Buddha's Bodhi Tree, Eve's Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, George Washington's Cherry Tree or Boston's Liberty Tree where pre-American Revo-lut...

Here it is folks! The answer to California's budget and state park woes! Just close down the one mile stretch of beach in Santa Cruz known as Twin Lakes State Beach and all of our problems will be solved!Okay, sarcasm exorcized. Frankly, I think I'v...

Mapquest gave me two sets of directions to Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, so I visted both. The two sites are one freeway exit apart in the heart of Chatsworth/Simi Valley. Both have what I call "pre-desert" terrain. No cactus or Joshua tree...

Up until a couple of weeks ago, it seemed the only snow California was going to get this winter was at Plumas Eureka State Park. Once there, in addition to the novelty of the snow itself, winter delights include hiking mountain trails, cross country s...

It was a challenge putting together the itinerary for my visits to all of the southern California Parks on the closure list. Many of them have limited hours, and a few of them are geographically isolated. Tule Elk State Natural Reserve in Button-will...

Although mid October, it was a beautiful, sunny mid 80s afternoon at Los Encinos State Historic Park , a welcome break from LA's unseasonable triple digit heat of the past two days. The good news: Los Encinos has been given a one year reprieve from...

Zmudowski State Beach is the second of two beaches slated for closure in the small, central coast town of Moss Landing. (The other is Moss Landing State Beach which I had the pleasure of visiting earlier in the day.)As the gull flies, the two beaches a...

The sand dunes at Moss Landing State Beach are immediately west of the small parking lot. On the east side, just inches away from your front bumper, are small cliffs leading down to Elkhorn Slough, the famous National Estuarine Research Reserve. Elkh...

In the 1960s and 70s I must have driven by Candlestick Point State Recreation Area a couple of hundred times on my way to a San Francisco Giants baseball game, never realizing there was a state park right across the street from the stadium. Any outfiel...

The winter months of January and February have long been known to be the most beautiful time of the year for California's Central Coast beaches. And so it was the day after Valentine's Day at Garrapata State Park, ten miles south of Carmel. Clear ski...