California · best-of list
The 36 Best Outdoor Spots in California
All 36 outdoor spots our route editors picked in California, across 18 destinations, gathered in one list. 26 come with an insider tip, and 23 cost nothing to visit.
Our curated picks
36 outdoor spots in California, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
La Jolla 4 picks
Children's Pool
La Jolla · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
A 1931 seawall beach now used by harbor seals, which haul out on the sand in large numbers in winter.
Tip: The beach is closed to people during pupping season from mid-December; view from the seawall.
Photo: Matt Howard thematthoward · CC0La Jolla Cove
La Jolla · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
Small sheltered beach below the cliffs, part of an underwater reserve, where sea lions sprawl on the rocks.
Tip: Watch the sea lions from the Coast Walk railing; do not approach them on the rocks.
La Jolla Shores
La Jolla · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
A mile of flat, wide sand north of the village, the calmest beach in La Jolla for a walk or a swim.
Tip: Walk north toward Scripps Pier at low tide.
Photo: RightCowLeftCoast · CC BY-SA 4.0
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
La Jolla · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
Clifftop reserve protecting the rare Torrey pine, with short trails to ocean overlooks and the beach below.
Tip: The Guy Fleming Trail is an easy 1 km loop; the Beach Trail drops to the sand.
Photo: Stch2022 · CC0
San Simeon 4 picks
Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
San Simeon · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Bluff trail and Monterey pine forest on the edge of Cambria.
Photo: Fiscalini Ranch Preserve · Google
Moonstone Beach Boardwalk
San Simeon · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Mile-long boardwalk above a rocky shore with tidepools and otter sightings.
Photo: Jana Iverson Last · Google
Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery
San Simeon · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Free boardwalk viewpoints over thousands of elephant seals on the beach.
Tip: Pupping season Dec–Feb; docents on site most days.
Photo: Scott n Paige · Google
William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach
San Simeon · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Calm cove beach and pier below Hearst Castle, good for picnics and kayaking.
Photo: cjuneau · CC BY 2.0
Big Sur 3 picks
McWay Falls
Big Sur · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
80-foot waterfall dropping onto a cove beach, reached by a short flat path.
Tip: Park inside Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP rather than on the highway shoulder.
Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pfeiffer Beach
Big Sur · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Purple-streaked sand and Keyhole Arch at the end of narrow Sycamore Canyon Road.
Tip: Unmarked turn; small lot fills fast. Arch glows near winter solstice.
Photo: Bradley Weber · CC BY 2.0
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Big Sur · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Redwood groves along the Big Sur River with trails to Pfeiffer Falls and Valley View.
Photo: Bigsursectorstaff · CC0
Capitol Park & Midtown 3 picks
Capitol Park
Capitol Park & Midtown · On our Sacramento New Year's Eve route
Forty acres of old trees, memorials and a rose garden around the California State Capitol, with a holiday tree on the west steps.
Photo: Tszeiler1 · CC BY-SA 4.0McKinley Park
Capitol Park & Midtown · On our Sacramento New Year's Eve route
An East Sacramento park with a duck pond, a walking loop and a rose garden.
William Land Park
Capitol Park & Midtown · On our Sacramento New Year's Eve route
Sacramento's big city park, with ponds, a rock garden and the zoo, a short drive south of the Capitol.
Joshua Tree 3 picks
Barker Dam
Joshua Tree · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Short loop to a small reservoir and petroglyphs.
Tip: Look for bighorn sheep near water.
Photo: LCGS Russ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cholla Cactus Garden
Joshua Tree · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Dense stand of teddy-bear cholla on a short boardwalk.
Tip: Stay on the path; spines detach easily.
Photo: S J · Google
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Granite boulder piles and Joshua trees across two deserts.
Tip: Enter at the West Entrance early; no water inside.
Photo: Jarek Tuszyński · CC BY-SA 3.0
Healdsburg 2 picks
Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve
Healdsburg · On our California Wine Country route
Short trails through oak woodland to views over the Russian River valley.
Photo: phillip rhenz lagadon · Google
Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach
Healdsburg · On our California Wine Country route
Russian River swimming beach just south of downtown.
Tip: Swimming is summer only.
Photo: Buddy Morris · Google
Lands End & Ocean Beach 2 picks
Lands End Trail
Lands End & Ocean Beach · On our San Francisco New Year's Eve route
Cliff-edge path through cypress trees above the Golden Gate, with views of the bridge and the Marin Headlands.
Tip: The labyrinth at Eagle's Point is a short, signed detour off the trail.
Ocean Beach
Lands End & Ocean Beach · On our San Francisco New Year's Eve route
Three and a half miles of wide, windswept sand along the Pacific, edged by the Great Highway.
Tip: The surf is dangerous; walk the sand rather than swim.
Photo: Insightwm · CC BY-SA 4.0
Monterey & Carmel 2 picks
Carmel Beach
Monterey & Carmel · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
White-sand beach at the foot of Ocean Avenue with cypress-framed sunsets.
Tip: Dogs allowed off-leash; bonfires only in marked pits south of 10th Ave.
Photo: Greghenderson2006 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Monterey & Carmel · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Granite coves, cypress groves and sea otters along easy coastal trails.
Tip: Parking inside fills by 10am; Cypress Grove Trail is the highlight.
Photo: Tim · Google
Palm Springs 2 picks
Indian Canyons
Palm Springs · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Palm oases and streams on Agua Caliente tribal land.
Tip: Hike Palm Canyon; closed in summer heat on some days.
Photo: N H · Google
Moorten Botanical Garden
Palm Springs · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Family-run cactus garden with a glass Cactarium since 1938.
Tip: Small entry fee; under an hour.
Photo: YuriVict · Public domain
Santa Barbara 2 picks
East Beach
Santa Barbara · On our Pacific Coast Highway route + 1 more
Wide sandy beach with volleyball courts and a palm-lined bike path.
Photo: Niranjan Arminius · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ganna Walska Lotusland
Santa Barbara · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Eccentric Montecito garden of cycads, cacti and themed garden rooms.
Tip: Visits by advance reservation only, mid-Feb to mid-Nov.
Photo: Chuck Tipton · Google
South Lake Tahoe 2 picks
Emerald Bay State Park
South Lake Tahoe · On our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route
Granite-walled bay on Lake Tahoe's southwest shore around Fannette Island, the lake's only island.
Tip: Stop at Inspiration Point on CA-89 for the classic view; the highway here closes during storms.
Photo: Michael · CC BY 2.0
Lakeside Beach
South Lake Tahoe · On our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route
Small sandy beach near Stateline that faces west across the lake toward the Sierra crest.
Tip: On clear evenings the snowy peaks across the lake catch the last light.
Photo: Blake Everett · CC0
Hollywood 1 pick
Lake Hollywood Park
Hollywood · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Grassy park with one of the closest street-level views of the Hollywood Sign.
Photo: Martina B. · Google
Old Sacramento Waterfront 1 pick
River Walk Park
Old Sacramento Waterfront · On our Sacramento New Year's Eve route
A riverside path in West Sacramento with a straight-on view of Tower Bridge and the Old Sacramento waterfront.
Tip: Watch the 9 p.m. show from here if you want space away from the crowd.
Pasadena 1 pick
Colorado Street Bridge
Pasadena · On our Los Angeles New Year's Eve route
Curved 1913 concrete arch bridge over the Arroyo Seco, with a walking path along the stream bed below.
Tip: Walk the trail under the arches from Arroyo Boulevard for a first-day stroll.
Photo: Kleaphotographer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Solvang 1 pick
Nojoqui Falls
Solvang · On our Solvang & Santa Barbara route
Seasonal waterfall over a mossy limestone face, reached by a short shaded trail in a county park south of town.
Tip: It flows best after winter rain; check the county park for trail status first.
Photo: Ian Shadford · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sonoma 1 pick
Jack London State Historic Park
Sonoma · On our California Wine Country route
Ranch trails, vineyard views and the ruins of Jack London's Wolf House.
Tip: The 1.5-mile walk to the Wolf House ruins is easy.
Photo: Robert E. Nylund · Public domain
Tahoe City & Palisades 1 pick
Sugar Pine Point State Park
Tahoe City & Palisades · On our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route
West-shore park that hosted the 1960 Olympic cross-country races, with snowshoe and ski trails through pines to the lake.
Tip: Bring snowshoes or skis; after fresh snow the trails along General Creek are quiet and easy to follow.
Truckee 1 pick
Donner Lake
Truckee · On our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route
Mountain lake just west of town below Donner Pass, ringed by snowy granite peaks in winter.
Tip: Drive Donner Pass Road along the north shore for the best views.
Photo: Matthew Rhodes · Public domain
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in California?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 36 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of California has the most outdoor spots on this list?
La Jolla and San Simeon lead with 4 each; the other picks are spread across 16 more destinations.
Are any of these free?
23 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: East Beach, Children's Pool, Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, Barker Dam, Lands End Trail, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for California
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- La Jolla 4 on this list
- San Simeon 4 on this list
- Big Sur 3 on this list
- Capitol Park & Midtown 3 on this list
- Joshua Tree 3 on this list
- Healdsburg 2 on this list
- Lands End & Ocean Beach 2 on this list
- Monterey & Carmel 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.