California State Parks

Call Directions Website

California State Parks Protects & preserves the 280 state parks’ natural & cultural resources. Learn more at www.parks.ca.gov.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as California State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Large surf and elevated tides have caused significant damages to several state parks and beaches in Orange County. State...
10/15/2026

Large surf and elevated tides have caused significant damages to several state parks and beaches in Orange County. State Parks staff are working nonstop to restore public access and essential services while coordinating with local, state and federal agencies on immediate repairs and longer-term coastal resilience measures.

A huge THANK YOU to our staff in our California State Parks - Orange Coast District for working around the clock to keep public safe, protecting our historic and cultural resources and for restoring public access and services as quickly and safely as possible!

Thank you to our visitors as well for following posted closures – we appreciate your patience as staff work to reopen the impacted parks.

10/15/2026

🦴🪨 Happy National Fossil Day!

Did you know that among our state parks are two world-class fossil hotspots?

Anza-Borrego Desert and Red Rock Canyon state parks draw scientists and history buffs from around the globe to study the prehistoric treasures hiding beneath their sands.

🎥 Watch this video for a behind-the-scenes look at the work going on at Anza-Borrego's Stout Research Center.

And dig into the prehistoric treasures of both parks in our latest blog post 👉 https://buff.ly/5lm5bDd

10/14/2026

🙌🏼 State Parks to the rescue! 🦨 This skunk got its head stuck inside a plastic bottle at Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park this past weekend. Luckily, staff were able to safely remove it and they didn’t get sprayed!

🚮 It’s an important reminder to properly dispose of your trash in designated bins and to .

🌟Park of the Month: Pío Pico State Historic Park🌟 This Southern California gem preserves the beautifully restored adobe ...
10/14/2026

🌟Park of the Month: Pío Pico State Historic Park🌟

This Southern California gem preserves the beautifully restored adobe home and gardens of Pío Pico, one of early California’s most remarkable figures and the last governor of Mexican-era Alta California. As we continue to celebrate Latino Heritage Month through Oct. 15, it’s a fitting place to explore a remarkable chapter of California’s Latino history. Amid the bustle of Los Angeles County, this five-acre escape offers a fascinating window into 1880s California and a time of extraordinary change for the state.

Visit for the:

🏠 Journey through Pío Pico’s restored 15-room adobe home, filled with details and exhibits that bring 19th-century California to life.
🍊 Historic gardens and reconstructed orchard full of orange and pomegranate trees that evoke the landscape of a bygone era.
🎭 Guided tours, Rancho Days, Junior Ranger activity book, and interpretive programs and interpretive programs held throughout the year to bring the stories of early California to life.
🐦 Peaceful grounds for picnicking and birdwatching, plus easy access to the nearby Greenway Bike Trail.

Have a Historian Passport? Put it to use! Pío Pico State Historic Park is one 30+ participating state historic parks you can explore for FREE with the special-edition 2026 Historian Passport.

Learn more 👉 parks.ca.gov/piopico

Today and every day, we honor the deep roots, vibrant cultures, and resilience of Indigenous peoples across the globe. S...
10/12/2026

Today and every day, we honor the deep roots, vibrant cultures, and resilience of Indigenous peoples across the globe. State Parks is honored to partner with California Native American tribes and Tirbal communities whose knowledge and insight continue to preserve and protect natural and cultural resources within California's state parks. We are grateful for the history and knowledge that our Indigenous partners share which allows everyone who visits California State Parks to learn about history, peoples, and ecology to better understand and care for California.
Happy Indigenous People’s Day!

10/11/2026

⚾️ October means MLB postseason! And baseball players have their own walk-up songs. 🎶 But... what if our K-9 teams had walk-up songs, too? 🤩 🐾 These all-stars deserve their own songs!

🎵 Check out some of our K-9 teams. What walk-up song would you choose?


In this Weekly Digest issue, you can learn about…⛰️ Parks and their importance for connection and belonging. 🌊 Tropical ...
10/10/2026

In this Weekly Digest issue, you can learn about…
⛰️ Parks and their importance for connection and belonging.
🌊 Tropical Storm Rachel impacts Crystal Cove State Park and San Onofre State Beach. Learn what closures are in place.
⛰️ Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park will soon reopen after being closed from the Timber Fire. Learn when you can visit!
⛰️ Our Adventure of the Month takes you to high elevation to a once industrial boomtown. Find out which historic park this is.
🏜️ Desert lifeguard training? Find out what this is all about.
📷 Plus, a bobcat resting on a picnic bench and more photos from your state parks!

10/09/2026

🚨Hot off the press: Take a behind-the-scenes look at the first printing of our new brochures 👀

California State Parks is excited to bring visitors fresh, informative content with a new modern style and design.

Learn more at parks.ca.gov/publications

Jellyfish stings, potential great white sharks in the ocean – these were just a few of the grueling challenges that our ...
10/08/2026

Jellyfish stings, potential great white sharks in the ocean – these were just a few of the grueling challenges that our Seasonal Lifeguard II Siena Cherry from our Channel Coast District endured as she completed a 12.2-mile swim from Anacapa Island to Silver Strand Beach in Oxnard on Sept. 19! Siena completed the swim in eight-hours, enduring frequent jellyfish stings and the challenges of swimming the distance without a wetsuit. 🌊

“Finishing the swim, I was tired, but more so grateful to be surrounded by the amazing community and friends and family that it took to complete it,” Siena said.

Siena had wanted to complete a swim like this since she was a child and had family and friends supporting her throughout the journey, including fellow lifeguards and her father, who paddled next to her in a kayak and regularly provided food, tips and encouragement. 🙌

This was a swim by the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association and represents an extraordinary achievement accomplished by only a small number of individuals.

Congratulations on your monumental accomplishment, Siena!

10/07/2026

📹 Skunks doing handstands? Check out this trail cam video from Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, "Home of Mitchell Caverns" of a local acrobatic skunk!

🦨 🤸🏻‍♀️No, it’s not trying out for the Olympics, but it turns out, skunks do that to intimidate predators and signal that they are ready to spray!

🦨 Not only does it make them look bigger, it also allows them to peer over its shoulder, aim and spray!

👀 So, next time you see a skunk do this, watch out and walk away!

Address

715 P Street
Sacramento, CA
95814

Telephone

+18007770369

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when California State Parks posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category