Redwood National & State Parks: Come see the world's largest and most majestic trees at this arboreal Eden. More than 300 bird species and 100 mammals can also be seen, many of them year-round. Howland Hill Road is a must-do.
Lake Tahoe: One of the world's most magnificent bodies of fresh water, sparkling Lake Tahoe is famous for its pure, azure water and incredible volume. In fact, it's so deep that the water it contains -- close to 40 trillion gallons -- could cover the entire state of California to a depth of 14 1/2 inches.
Yosemite National Park: You're in for the ultimate treat at Yosemite. Nothing in the state -- maybe even the world -- compares to this vast wilderness and its miles of rivers, lakes, peaks, and valleys. With 3 out of 10 of the world's tallest waterfalls, the largest granite monolith in the world, and some of the world's largest trees, Yosemite is one of the most fantastic natural places on the planet. You'll have a sweeping 180° view of it all from atop Glacier Point, where a majestic High Sierra panorama unfolds at 3,200 feet.
Big Sur: Rock-strewn beaches, towering cliffs, and redwood forests combine to form what may be the world's most dramatic coastal panorama. Our favorite vantage point for taking it all in is Garrapata State Park, a 2,879-acre preserve that lords over 4 spectacular miles of coastline.
Cachuma Lake: On mountainous and scenic Calif. 154, halfway between Solvang and Santa Barbara, is this winter home to dozens of American bald eagles. Loons, white pelicans, and Canada geese are some of the other migratory birds that call this glassy lake home part of the year.
Channel Islands National Park: Paddle a kayak into sea caves; camp among indigenous island fox and seabirds; and swim, snorkel, or scuba-dive tide pools and kelp forests teeming with wildlife. The channel waters are prime for whale-watching, and winter brings elephant-seal mating season, when you'll see them sunbathing on cove beaches.
Joshua Tree National Park: You'll find awesome rock formations, groves of flowering cacti and stately Joshua trees, ancient Native American petroglyphs, and shifting sand dunes in this desert wonderland -- and a brilliant night sky, if you choose to camp here.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: The largest state park in the lower 48 attracts the most visitors during the spring wildflower season, when a kaleidoscopic carpet blankets the desert. Others come year-round to hike more than 100 miles of trails.
