California State Parks

Description

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, is honored to provide access to parks and open spaces and contribute to a healthier and richer quality of life for Californians and for people all over the world who visit the golden state’s natural wonders.

Equitable access to the outdoors ensures more Californians from all walks of life can reap the benefits for their hearts, minds and bodies for generations to come. California’s state parks and the recreational programs supported by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and its divisions of Boating and Waterways, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation, and Office of Historic Preservation are gateways to these benefits and to opportunities to connect with families, friends and communities.

With 280 state park units, over 340 miles of coastline, 970 miles of lake and river frontage, 15,000 campsites, 5,200 miles of trails, 3,195 historic buildings and more than 11,000 known prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, the department contains the largest and most diverse recreational, natural and cultural heritage holdings of any state agency in the nation.

State Park System lands protect and preserve an unparalleled collection of culturally and environmentally sensitive structures and habitats, threatened plant and animal species, ancient Native American sites, historic structures and artifacts ... the best of California's natural and cultural history.