Alpine Lake near Tioga Pass, Yosemite
Got a free weekend coming up and a yearning to hug a protected tree? The National Park Service has announced three weekends of free admission to all the National Parks in the United States this summer. Though the first one has passed, you’ve got two more chances to get your park on for free. The weekends are July 18-19 and August 15-16.
California is crammed with National Parks, National Monuments, National Preserves, National Forests, National Historic Trails, and National Recreation Areas. Some are easy to get to and explore. Others, erhm, provide a wonderful isolated experience for back-country backpackers. Choose your destination from the menu:
Cabrillo National Monument
Death Valley National Park
John Muir National Historic Site
Joshua Tree National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lava Beds National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Pinnacles National Monument
San Francisco Maratime National Historical Park
Sequoia National Park
Whiskeytown Unit National Recreation Area
Yosemite National Park
Honestly, I wouldn’t go within 50 miles of Yosemite on either of the freebee weekends. Don’t get me wrong–I love me some soaring scenery and waterfall hikes. But Yosemite Valley’s one-way loop road resembles a horizontal parking lot on any average summer Saturday. I can’t even begin to imagine what it will be on the free weekends.
If you feel up to braving the crowds, check out the High Country along Tioga Pass. And look at the towns a few miles outside the park for lodgings or campgrounds with space still available.
Be aware that a major portion of the indoor museum at the San Francisco Maritime NHP is closed for renovations right now.
My favorite National Park in CA is Lassen Volcanic National Park. I also adore Death Valley, but midsummer isn’t the best time to explore its low-altitude wonders. Pinnacles is pretty easy to access from the Bay Area. The more remote NorCal locations–Whiskeytown, Lava Beds, and Lassen, will feature smaller crowds and some great summer hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and freshwater lake swimming.
Death Valley, California
Mmmm…parks!
