| Top California day trips and weekend getaways | | | | California, Death Valley is a geological wonder filled |
| Summertime is a busy travel time and it seems | | | | with exposed rock and sparse vegetation. With |
| everywhere you go it's crowded. Instead of | | | | 3.4 million acres, Death Valley is the largest |
| heading to the beach or Yosemite along with | | | | National Park in the contiguous U.S. The 18-mile |
| everyone else, try heading to one of the many | | | | drive from Furnace Creek to Badwater is a must, |
| beautiful and crowd-free California National Parks. | | | | along the drive you'll see fantastic salt formations, |
| Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon | | | | colorful views and the lowest place in the western |
| Less busy than Yellowstone, Sequoia National Park | | | | hemisphere. |
| and Kings Canyon are two separate National | | | | Mount Shasta |
| Parks managed as one, which means you only | | | | According to John Muir the beauty of Mount |
| have to pay one entrance fee for the both of | | | | Shasta turned his blood to wine. Located in |
| them. Sequoia National Park truly is an | | | | Northern California, Mount Shasta is the largest |
| undiscovered California treasure. In the park you'll | | | | volcanic peak in the contiguous U.S., a towering |
| find the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in | | | | mountain with one of the highest base-to-summit |
| the world; Mount Whitney, the highest point in the | | | | rises in the world. Snowcapped Mt. Shasta has |
| contiguous United States; the second-largest | | | | pristine mountain lakes and rivers, majestic |
| road-free wilderness area in the United States, | | | | forests, and miles of backcountry to explore plus |
| and Crescent Meadow, a Sequoia-rimmed | | | | plenty of skiing, snowboarding, fishing, golfing, |
| meadow called the "gem of the Sierra" by John | | | | mountain biking, rock climbing and hiking. |
| Muir. | | | | Joshua Tree National Park |
| Channel Islands National Park | | | | Located in south eastern California, Joshua Tree |
| Each island has its own endemic plants and | | | | National Park includes two deserts, each with an |
| animals, leading the Channel Islands to often be | | | | ecosystem whose characteristics are determined |
| called California's Galapagos. Over 2,000 species of | | | | primarily by elevation. This California National Park |
| plants and animals can be found within the park, | | | | gets its name from the unique looking Joshua tree |
| which consists of five of the eight Channel Islands | | | | which can be found in the higher, slightly cooler |
| along the southern California coast from Point | | | | Mojave Desert. The geologically unique landscape |
| Conception near Santa Barbara to just north of | | | | of the area features hills of bare rock, broken up |
| Los Angeles. The park is lightly visited, never | | | | into loose bolder, making the area huge for rock |
| crowded and beautiful year-round. Fall is the best | | | | climbing and scrambling enthusiasts. Barker Dam, |
| time to visit this California National Park though, | | | | Keys View, which offers views of the Coachella |
| because blue and humpback whales can be seen | | | | Valley and Salton Sea, bird watching, and Hidden |
| migrating. | | | | Valley (not the salad dressing) are all must-sees |
| Death Valley National Park | | | | of the Joshua Tree National Park. |
| Home to one of the starkest landscapes in | | | | |