8 Best State Parks in Northern California

There are countless treasures hidden in California’s state parks. With 280 parks in total, narrowing down what to see, do, and experience can be tough. We’ve gathered some favorites that capture California’s unique history, culture, landscapes, and activities to get you started. From snorkeling in marine-rich kelp forests to exploring what’s left of one of the West Coast’s most prosperous mines, these eight Northern California state parks are must-visits.

Angel Island State Park, San Francisco Bay

Step into history at the “Ellis Island of the West.” 

It may be the largest natural island in San Francisco Bay, but Angel Island remains very much a hidden treasure. The former immigration station processed hundreds of thousands of immigrants between 1910 and 1940, and it also has a long military history, including serving as a U.S. army post during the Civil War. Today, the state park welcomes visitors interested in both its history and the land’s many natural assets, such as native oak and madrone woodlands. It also provides the rare opportunity to camp within view of the San Francisco skyline.

Visit the Angel Island Immigration Museum, which shares many personal stories of immigrants who were detained here in the early 20th century. The Detention Barracks Museum & WWII Mess Hall highlight the lesser-known history of Japanese Americans incarcerated on the island during World War II. One-hour, open-air tram tours loop around the park’s five-mile Perimeter Road and provide an audio narrative en route in addition to plenty of photo ops, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin Headlands. Cost is approximately $20 per adult, and booking a couple days in advance is best (though there are often same-day tickets available on-site).

The car-free island is accessible by ferry from both San Francisco and Marin County. Bikes are allowed onboard, or you can rent them by the ferry landing at Ayala Cove.

Portola Redwoods State Park, San Mateo County 

Stand among coastal giants.

Bask in the quiet beauty of deep shaded creeks, seasonal waterfalls, and lush old-growth coast redwoods in this 2,800-acre natural oasis in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Over 18 miles of hiking trails wind through canyons and alongside creeks in Portola Redwoods State Park. Try the easy Iverson Trail to Tiptoe Falls or the nearly 12-mile Peters Creek Loop, a strenuous trek that leads to a stunning grove of old-growth forest that loggers largely spared due to its remoteness. On cooler days, cozy up by the massive stone fireplace in the park’s visitor center. Banana slugs, ferns, and Dudley’s lousewort—a rare species of flowering plant that grows along stream banks—are among the park’s native residents. 

Jack London State Historic Park, Glen Ellen 

Walk in the footsteps of a literary giant.

Author, adventurer, and agriculturalist Jack London spent the latter part of his short life in Sonoma County. The novelist’s 1,400-acre “Beauty Ranch,” where he wrote many of his major literary works and engaged in innovative farming techniques, is now a state park that preserves his legacy and that of his wife, Charmian, an author in her own right who also helped shape many of her husband’s masterpieces. The park offers plenty of ways to experience the Londons’ lasting impact on both the Bay Area and the world. Peruse the exhibits in the property’s arts and crafts–style museum, which include many letters and Jack’s traveling typewriter, before visiting the wood-framed cottage where the Londons lived and wrote. Stroll among remnants of the Londons’ experimental farm—including historic orchards replete with rare pre-World War II varieties of fruit-bearing pear and apple trees.

Clear Lake State Park, Kelseyville 

Delve into the waters of California’s largest natural freshwater lake.

Swim, fish, camp, or paddle at this popular state park, which sits on the shores of California’s largest natural freshwater lake. Nearby operators rent out canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards for use on the water, or you can bring your own. The 43,000-acre natural waterbody is often dubbed the Bass Capital of the West for its abundance of largemouth bass, but bluegill, carp, and catfish dwell here as well.

While water sports are the park’s main calling card, there are also several hiking trails. Take the 1.8-mile Kelsey Creek Trail, an accessible out-and-back stretch through shaded woodlands and along shallow wetlands, for a chance to see ducks, geese, swans, and other waterfowl.

MacKerricher State Park, Mendocino 

Spot whales and trek up towering sand dunes.

Gray whales migrate past MacKerricher State Park’s Laguna Point in winter and spring, while harbor seals can be spotted year-round. Peer into tide pools teeming with starfish, anemones, and sea urchins during low tide, or set out along the park’s mostly paved MacKerricher Coastal Trail. This five-mile former logging road stretches from glittering Glass Beach to the south up to the Ten Mile Dunes, a windswept ecosystem that also serves as critical nesting grounds for the endangered snowy plover. Horseback riding and hiking are ideal ways to explore the park’s otherworldly sand dunes, while its 30-acre Cleone Lake—once a brackish tidal lagoon—is a great place to spot herons, egrets, and coastal raptors.

Castle Crags State Park, Shasta County 

Wind through dramatic granite spires.

Hidden away in the mountains between Redding and Mount Shasta, Castle Crags State Park is best known for its remarkable rock formations. These dramatic granite spires range in elevation from 2,000 to over 6,500 feet and were formed more than 170 million years ago during the Jurassic period. Climbers and hikers flock to the park for its striking vertical faces and incredible trail network, including a strenuous, 5.6-mile out-and-back section of the Pacific Crest Trail, which connects Mexico to Canada. Castle Crags also houses two main nature springs: the freshwater Indian Springs along the park’s mountain trails and Castle Rock Mineral Spring, a historic, bubbling soda spring located on the edge of the Sacramento River. Head out to Vista Point Overlook for panoramic views of Castle Crags and Mount Shasta. Afterward, enjoy a refreshing swim in one of the natural, deep pools by the riverbank.

Salt Point State Park, Sonoma County 

Snorkel among expansive kelp forests at one of California's first underwater preserves.

Along with 6 miles of rugged Sonoma coastline, more than 20 miles of hiking trails, and a unique pine and cypress pygmy forest, Salt Point (so named for the many salt crystal deposits in the pockets of its rocky coastline) is also home to one of the state’s first underwater preserves. Free dive, snorkel, or cold-water scuba among the thriving marine life of Gerstle Cove State Marine Reserve, a shallow and rocky-bottomed protective area brimming with dense kelp forests, harbor seals, and sea urchins. Keep an eye out for tafoni (honeycomb-like rock formations) in the park’s coastal bluffs and slug– and anemone-filled tide pools. Salt Point is also the only California state park that allows public foraging for mushrooms, including winter chanterelles, boletes, and black trumpets. 

Empire Mine State Historic Park, Grass Valley 

Learn the story behind one of California’s oldest and richest gold mines.

Tucked in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Empire Mine State Historic Park houses the remains of one of California’s oldest, deepest, and most prosperous gold mines. Empire Mine operated for over a century, extracting 5.8 million ounces of gold before it closed in 1956. You can still gaze down into the entrance that leads to more than 367 miles of abandoned and flooded mine shafts. Tour the early-20th-century stone estate and restored English-style gardens of the Bourn family, who owned and operated the enterprise from 1869 until 1929. There’s even a scale model (secretly used throughout operations to track the overall mine system and prevent possible claim jumpers from illegally stealing land or mine ores) of the underground network at the park’s visitor center. Live blacksmithing demos often take place on weekends.