Redwood National Park
Made up of three parks covering 37 miles of pristine northern coastline this mega-park sits between Eureka, Crescent City, and the Oregon border on Highway 101. The parks--Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast, and Jedediah Smith--are home to some of the world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. Some are over 300 feet tall (taller than the Statue of Liberty), and 2,000 years old, making them true "ambassadors from another time," as writer John Steinbeck once called them.

In addition to the giant redwood trees the parks' mosaic of habitats includes prairie/oak woodlands, mighty rivers and streams, and a canopied understory made of spruce, hemlock, Douglas fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns. Backpackers and hikers will delight in the bountiful trails passing crystal-clear streams, rock sea stacks, pristine beaches, and even prairie.

Day-trippers should take the Fern Canyon Trail (1.5 miles round-trip, accessible from the Davison Road) following a canyon carved by erosion. This dramatic chasm is defined by 60-foot walls covered with sword, maidenhair, and five-finger ferns. At the end of the trail is the stunning and serene Gold's Bluff Beach. Longer hikes traverse ridges between towering redwoods on parts of the popular Coastal Trail (running 50 miles along the length of the park) en route to driftwood-strewn beaches where elk have been known to spend a sunny afternoon. The Tall Tree Grove trail (2.6 miles round-trip, somewhat steep, from Redwood Creek Overlook) is where one of the world's tallest trees soars 367.8 feet from the alluvial flats in a bend of the creek. Bird-watching, fishing, kayaking, and winter whale-watching are also popular here.

Point Reyes National Seashore
Located about one hour's drive north of San Francisco, this national seashore comprises 71,046 acres and offers visitors 140 miles of trails. Sitting atop the San Andreas Fault, the hammerhead-shaped peninsula that extends 10 miles from the coastline was formed by the meeting of two tectonic plates. The entire park moves north two inches every year, and during the great earthquake of 1906, which had its epicenter here, land thrust 20 feet northwestward in seconds. Characterized by its thunderous ocean breakers, bushy hillsides, forested ridges, and picturesque Historic Lighthouse, Point Reyes is home to 37 species of land mammal and another dozen species of marine mammal.

In one day you can sample four distinct ecosystems: forest (Douglas firs, ferns, huckleberries), coastline, grassland, and coastal wetland. Nearly 20 percent of the state's flowering plant species are represented on the peninsula and over 45 percent of the bird species in North America have been seen here. Day-trippers should begin at the Bear Valley Visitor Center and pick up free maps. From there you can trace the fault line on the half-hour interpretive Earthquake Trail, and visit the Native American Kule Loklo Village.

Much of Point Reyes is designated wilderness area and can only be seen by foot from one of the four major trailheads. Ambitious day hikers and can explore the back country's pristine beaches, accessible only by foot or paddle. For the overnighters there are four backcountry campgrounds with 38 individual and a few group-use sites. For the rest, there is the knock-your-socks-off scenic 21-mile drive to Chimney Rock teeming with wildflowers and incredible ocean views.

Drakes Beach offers dramatic white cliffs meeting the shore and one of the park's best swimming beaches. Kayakers and sailors will delight in the calm waters of Tomales Bay, also known for its world-famous and delightfully delicious mollusks. Winter whale-watching (December through March) is done best from the lighthouse. If you find yourself at the lighthouse during the summer, you will enjoy a monthly evening lighthouse tour. A highlight of the tour is the illumination of the giant lens as it was traditionally done until 1975 (reservations required, free). Hikers and cyclists should check out the ever-popular Bear Valley Trail. This four-mile trail (somewhat steep) descends to the ocean from the Bear Valley trailhead, runs along streams and under tall tress, and passes through meadows before reaching Arch Rock, a natural rock formation curving over the beach.

Yosemite National Park
Conservationist John Muir spent the greater part of his life exploring and advocating the preservation of Yosemite's 1,170 square miles of mountain and valley scenery. Formed by glaciers and tectonic activity, Yosemite's signature waterfalls, meadows, and forests that include groves of giant sequoias make a visit an experience you'll remember for a lifetime. If you have limited time, stay in the valley where most major sights can be seen via the loop road and some short hikes. Explorers with more time should backpack in the pristine and peaceful high country, dramatic and colorful Tuolumne Meadows, or around the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which provides water to the San Francisco Bay Area (five hours to the north by car).

The valley's major highlights include Glacier Point's spectacular view of the high Sierra peaks with El Capitan, Half Dome, and the entire valley 3,200 feet below. From the valley loop drive around and see the graceful Brideveil Falls (dropping an impressive 620 feet from the hanging valley), climbers scaling the walls of 3,5953-foot El Capitan, Half Dome's thunderous granite face soaring 4,748 feet above the valley floor, and the highest waterfall in America, Yosemite Falls. Mirror Lake and Meadows' still water and colorful wildflowers are a favorite stop for photographers. Get out of the car and walk the moderately steep trail to the footbridge crossing the 317-foot Vernal Falls (1.5 miles round-trip; allow 1.5 hours) taking in the sights smells and sounds of this marvelous place. In addition, a jaunt to the Mariposa Grove, near the south entrance, offers views of hundreds of ancient giant sequoias.

For history and details on the flora, fauna, and species living in the park, stop at the Valley Visitor's Center for maps, guided tours, films, and a list of current activities such as art workshops and bird-watching excursions. After a day outdoors, stop at the 1927 Ahwahnee Hotel built with over 5,000 tons of granite. Make like a guest and enjoy the exquisite parlors stocked with hearths, rugs, and priceless antique furnishings.

Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks
These side-by-side parks in the Sierra Nevadas offer equally awe-inspiring terrain and natural wonders. To the east, the grand Mt. Whitney stretches toward the sky, as do the giant sequoia trees that lie to the west. Among this belt of trees the largest organism on Earth proudly stands. Year after year, visitors come to witness the astounding scale of the General Sherman Tree and often find it impossible to grasp--the height of its largest limb is higher than any tree east of the Mississippi River!

Long ago, glaciers carved the steep canyon walls surrounding the cascading Kings River. Following the river's path, Kings Canyon Highway leads drivers past woodlands and chaparral. From the impressive Junction Overlook, there is a view of one of North America's deepest gorges. Another steep precipice is at Moro Rock, where hearty hikers can climb the steps for a peek into the park's western wilderness.

With 800 miles of trails, these parks are all about the backcountry. While the area's stunning quietude is hinted at from park roads, the backcountry hiker is rewarded with hidden lakes, cathedral-like groves of pines, and abundant wildlife. Both Sequoia and Kings Canyon are host to a wide array of forest creatures, ranging from scrub jays and chickadees, to chipmunks and marmots, to mule deer and black bears. Most hikes lead out of fragrant Cedar Grove, majestic Mineral King, and pristine Road's End. Camping in these areas is fantastic, although you might have to fight off a marmot or two. Spelunkers can gaze upon underground palaces of stalagmites and stalactites at Crystal Caves and Boyden Cavern. Bird-watching and fishing are other popular pastimes. Many roads are closed during the winter season, but visitors still make the four- and five-hour treks from Los Angeles and San Francisco to experience the park in its wintry whites. At Wolverton and Grant Grove, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, and horseback riding thrill visitors of all ages.

Death Valley National Park
Death Valley, the largest national park in the U.S. outside of Alaska, is actually full of its own quiet life. Here, among the Mojave Desert's sweltering heat, salt flats, and sand dunes, over 900 plant species eke out a defiant existence amidst harsh conditions. Bighorn sheep scamper across colored rocks, coyotes cry to the stars, and birds soar beneath a sunny sky. Average annual rainfall is less than two inches a year, and summer temperatures are often well over 100°F. The park's slow unfolding by tectonic forces and faults is evidenced by the area's diverse natural features and other-worldly beauty. Within a matter of miles, landscapes can shift dramatically. Not only does Death Valley contain the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, it also contains the 11,049-foot Telescope Peak.

Visitors to the park tend to come between October and April, when the temperatures are usually a bit more manageable. Much of the park's grandeur can easily be taken in from the car, with four-wheeling on park-designated roads being an especially popular activity. Minerals and ores have turned the mountains and rock formations surrounding Artist's Drive a stunning palette of color, from shimmery greens to sparkling purples and mellow golds. In some areas of the park, there are pullouts from which visitors can explore a subtly shifting expanse of sand dunes, carved and recarved over the ages by wind and time. At Devil's Golf Course, thousands of large crystal balls of salt lend a lunar look to the landscape. Miles away--and seemingly in another world--the park's only marine life can be spotted during a nature walk along Salt Creek, where the inch-long pupfish dwells.

At Furnace Creek, an oasis of palms and natural springs provides a pleasant point for picnicking, camping, swimming, and even golf. Some visitors may also want to make the drive to historic Scotty's Castle for a ranger-led tour. Miles and miles of hiking and biking trails lead to views of the badlands at Zabriskie Point, and vistas of the intersection of the salt flats and Telescope Peak at Dante's View. All of the park's unique natural features make it well worth the 2.5-hour drive from Las Vegas, the six-hour drive from Los Angeles, or even the 10-hour drive from San Francisco.

Joshua Tree National Park
This breathtaking refuge is a playground of boulders set against a desert landscape colored in soft hues of beige, tan, red, orange, and even green. The park sits at the junction of the low Colorado and high Mojave Deserts and differences between the two ecosystems are apparent in the park's varied plant life. The Mojave area of the park is home to the rare Joshua Tree, a giant yucca that exists nowhere else on Earth. The fault lines that crisscross the terrain have repeatedly caused the land to buckle and rise in turn, forming some of the park's most striking geologic formations.

In the park's Jumbo Rocks area, large mountain ranges frame piles of boulders that rise out of the desert floor in endless combinations of shape and size. These formations practically dare skilled rock-climbers to attempt to conquer the sheer, dizzying rock faces. Hikers often find they must scamper over and around whatever boulders may lie in their path. Just off the park's main road is the Cholla Cactus Garden. Also known as "teddy bear" cactus, these spiky plants are anything but cuddly. However as the afternoon sun lights up thousands of needles, they are a sight to behold. Rising out of the desert like a mirage, the 49 Palms Oasis is a garden of water and palms well worth the hike. The extra drive on a clear day to Keys View will afford the visitor a dazzling panorama that extends past the Salton Sea into Mexico.

Whether you come to the park for bouldering, rock climbing, four-wheeling, hiking, mountain biking, or even a leisurely drive, it's important to note that there is no water available in the park--you will need to bring in your own. If your visit is timed after the spring rains, you might be lucky enough to see the desert wildflowers bloom in an eruption of color. Spring and fall tend to be when the park is most crowded, as the summers can get unpleasantly hot. No matter what time of year you go, be on the lookout for bighorn sheep, coyotes, owls, jackrabbits, lizards, and even the rare desert tortoise. Without traffic, the park is less than three hours from Los Angeles and is about an hour from Palm Springs.•