From Sequoia National Park's colossal trees to Yosemite's towering waterfalls, we check out the natural attractions that make California the ultimate US destination for countryside and nature-lovers.
Why Nature Is One Of California's Biggest Attractions
Gaze up at the world's tallest trees in Redwood National Park(01 of10)
As any quiz buff will tell you, the tallest trees in the world are the redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). California is the only place on Earth where they grow, making a visit to Redwood National Park along California’s northern coast a unique natural experience.
Wander among these 350-ft giants, some 2,000 years old, through mossy, lush fern undergrowth dotted with orchids and feel humbled by the enormity and serenity of these ancient trees. (credit:Bartfett via Getty Images)
Wander among these 350-ft giants, some 2,000 years old, through mossy, lush fern undergrowth dotted with orchids and feel humbled by the enormity and serenity of these ancient trees. (credit:Bartfett via Getty Images)
Drive through the trunk of a giant ancient tree in Sequoia National Park(02 of10)
You’ll be able to see five of the ten largest trees in the world in Sequoia National Park. Giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) are a different species from Californian redwoods – they are more massive and even longer-lived. Hike along 40 miles of trails that weave in and out of these behemoths, and be sure to visit the General Sherman – the world’s largest tree by volume. (credit:© Allard Schager via Getty Images)
See sailing stones in the hottest place on Earth – Death Valley(03 of10)
Sailing stones are a natural phenomenon where rocks seem to move all by themselves, leaving a trail behind them. You can see the most famous ones at Racetrack Playa in Death Valley.
Death Valley still holds the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded – 56.7°C. As summer temperatures average 47°C, you might prefer to visit the sailing stones in the cooler winter months. (credit:Caleb Weston / EyeEm via Getty Images)
Death Valley still holds the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded – 56.7°C. As summer temperatures average 47°C, you might prefer to visit the sailing stones in the cooler winter months. (credit:Caleb Weston / EyeEm via Getty Images)
Visit the jewel in the crown of America’s spectacular national parks - Yosemite(04 of10)
You’ll never underestimate the power of ice again when you see the sheer scale of what glaciers sculpted three million years ago. Everything in glacier-gouged Yosemite is on a grand, world scale. Its waterfalls are some of the highest, its granite monolith, ‘El Capitan’, is the largest, its trees are some of the most massive, its valleys the most spectacular and its mammals – bighorn sheep, black bears, bobcats, and mountain lions - are large ones.
Yosemite is big on recreation too – rock-climbing, hiking, fishing, rafting and year-round cross-country, on foot or skis. (credit:Getty Images)
Yosemite is big on recreation too – rock-climbing, hiking, fishing, rafting and year-round cross-country, on foot or skis. (credit:Getty Images)
Get up close to some of the world’s most gigantic seals at the San Simeon rookery(05 of10)
Not quite as large as their colossal southern cousins, the northern elephant seals are still spectacularly substantial beasts. Pull off Highway 1, park up by the boardwalk and simply watch these fascinating animals – mothers, fathers and babies - in their natural habitat. You may be lucky enough to see two hot-tempered males slugging it out over the females. (credit:Ai Angel Gentel via Getty Images)
Ski the mighty Mount Shasta volcano(06 of10)
When you think of California’s landscape, a snow-capped volcano reminiscent of Japan’s Mount Fuji may not come immediately to mind. Yet Mount Shasta, revered by Native Americans as the hub of creation, towers scenically above northern California’s volcanic Cascade range and is a gem well worth visiting.
Mount Shasta is popular with mountaineers, rock and ice enthusiasts and skiers – the ski park on its slopes serves 1,400 feet of vertical descent, with three ski lifts for going back up and doing it all over again. And again. (credit:Mark Gibson via Getty Images)
Mount Shasta is popular with mountaineers, rock and ice enthusiasts and skiers – the ski park on its slopes serves 1,400 feet of vertical descent, with three ski lifts for going back up and doing it all over again. And again. (credit:Mark Gibson via Getty Images)
See huge humpback whales breaching in the remote Channel Islands National Park(07 of10)
Five islands, so remote, magical and teeming with wildlife that they are known as the ‘Galapagos of the North’ make up the Channel Islands National Park. With no shops, accommodation or eateries, this peaceful ocean sanctuary is the place to be at one with nature, whether you choose to kayak, hike, swim, snorkel or camp. You’ll see seabirds, marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and elephant seals, and maybe even the cheeky little indigenous island fox. (credit:Chase Dekker Wild-Life Images via Getty Images)
Drift off to sleep under skies big enough for the Milky Way in the Joshua Tree National Park(08 of10)
An eerie wonderland of pink granite rock formations, prehistoric-looking Joshua trees (actually a type of yucca) and night skies so clear you can make out every star, the Joshua Tree National Park is a magical place to hike and camp. Keep your eyes peeled for mystical Native American petroglyphs inscribed on the rocks and for rare wild bighorn sheep skittering about among the boulders. (credit:Tetra Images via Getty Images)
Breathe the scent of the largest wildflower carpet you will ever see in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park(09 of10)
Spring, after the winter rains, is the time to visit California’s largest state park, the Anza-Borrego. Wildflowers, previously lying dormant in the rocky desert, burst into a kaleidoscope of pink, purple, yellow, orange and white blooms, carpeting the ground as far as you can see. You can hike 100 miles of trails any time of the year, but the wildflower season is the most magnificent. (credit:Getty Images)
Drive one of the world’s legendary scenic coastal routes, Big Sur - the clue is in the name(10 of10)
The stretch of Highway 1 between Carmel and the Santa Lucia foothills, Big Sur twists and turns, seemingly clinging to the towering cliffs and mountains as it dips to sea level, and rises over 1,000 feet for spectacular views.
Pounded by Pacific rollers on one side and edged with
dramatically sloping forest of pine, redwood and cypress on the other, the route takes in intimate little sandy coves as well as some of the most exhilarating panoramic vistas you are ever likely to see. (credit:Getty Images)
Pounded by Pacific rollers on one side and edged with
dramatically sloping forest of pine, redwood and cypress on the other, the route takes in intimate little sandy coves as well as some of the most exhilarating panoramic vistas you are ever likely to see. (credit:Getty Images)