California 50 Top Destinations Arranged by Geographic Region #

🏖️ 1. San Diego & North County (4) #

• Balboa Park
• Kayak in La Jolla Cove Sea Caves
• Potato Chip Rock (Mt. Woodson, Poway)
• Carlsbad Flower Fields

🌵 2. Southern California Desert (4) #

• Anza Borrego State Park
• Salvation Mountain (Niland, Imperial Valley)
• Cabazon Dinosaurs (I-10 near Palm Springs)
• Route 66 (California stretch — Needles to Barstow to San Bernardino)

🎬 3. Los Angeles, Malibu & Orange County (9) #

• Hollywood Sign
• In-N-Out by LAX
• Randy's Donuts (Inglewood)
• Griffith Observatory
• Venice Canals
• El Matador State Beach (Malibu)
• M*A*S*H Site Hike — Malibu Creek State Park
• Disney's California Adventure (Anaheim)
• Santa Ana River Trail (bike trail — OC/Riverside)

⛴️ 4. Offshore Islands — Ferry Required (2) #

• Channel Islands NP — ferry from Ventura via Island Packers
• Catalina Island — ferry from Long Beach or San Pedro via Catalina Express

🌊 5. Central Coast — SLO to Monterey (7) #

• Drive on the Beach in Pismo Beach
• Madonna Inn (San Luis Obispo)
• Elephant Seal Overlook (San Simeon)
• Pfeiffer Beach (Big Sur)
• McWay Falls (Big Sur)
• Pinnacles National Park (east of Soledad)
• Monterey Bay Aquarium

🌉 6. San Francisco Bay Area (4, Includes 2 Ferry destinations) #

• Sunrise at Golden Gate Bridge from Battery Spencer
• Lands End Trail
• Alcatraz ⛴️ — ferry from Pier 33, book weeks ahead
• Angel Island State Park ⛴️ — ferry from Tiburon

⛏️ 7. Sacramento, Gold Country & Fairfield (3) #

• Jelly Belly Factory (Fairfield)
• California Railroad Museum (Sacramento)
• Empire Mine State Historic Park (Grass Valley)

🌲 8. Northern California — Redwoods & Volcanics (6) #

• Fern Canyon (Redwood NP / Prairie Creek)
• Avenue of the Giants (Humboldt Redwoods SP)
• Chandelier Drive-Through Tree (Leggett)
• Burney Falls (McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial SP)
• Bumpass Hell Hike (Lassen Volcanic NP)
• Lava Beds National Monument (Tulelake)

🏔️ 9. Eastern Sierra & Death Valley — Highway 395 Corridor (6) #

• Badwater Basin (Death Valley NP)
• Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (White Mountains)
• Alabama Hills (Lone Pine)
• Little Lakes Valley (Rock Creek, near Bishop)
• Mono Lake (Lee Vining)
• Bodie State Historic Park (ghost town, east of Bridgeport)

🐻 10. Yosemite National Park (3) #

• Taft Point
• Yosemite Falls
• Tioga Pass Road (seasonal — typically June through November)

🌲 11. Sequoia National Park (2) #

• Moro Rock
• General Sherman Tree