National Parks

The National Park Service is responsible for over 30 parks, monuments, trails and landmarks in the state of California. It can be confusing trying to understand all of the different designations. At the bottom of this page is a breakdown of the different national designations.

The following is a list of these National Parks (click on link to see my visits to these parks):

• Alphabetical Order

  1. Alcatraz Island
  2. Cabrillo National Monument
  3. California National Historic Trail
  4. Cesar E. Chavez National Monument
  5. Channel Islands National Park
  6. Death Valley National Park
  7. Devils Postpile National Monument
  8. Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site
  9. Fort Point National Historic Site
  10. Golden Gate National Recreation Area
  11. John Muir National Historic Site
  12. Joshua Tree National Park
  13. Juan Batista de Ansza National Historic Trail
  14. Lassen Volcanic National Park
  15. Lava Beds National Monument
  16. Manzanar National Historic Site
  17. Mojave National Preserve
  18. Muir Woods National Monument
  19. Old Spanish National Historic Trail
  20. Pinnacles National Park
  21. Point Reyes National Seashore
  22. Pony Express National Historic Trail
  23. Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
  24. Presidio of San Francisco
  25. Redwood National Park
  26. Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front
  27. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
  28. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
  29. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
  30. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area
  31. Yosemite National Park

• Parks

  1. Channel Islands National Park
  2. Death Valley National Park
  3. Joshua Tree National Park
  4. Lassen Volcanic National Park
  5. Pinnacles National Park
  6. Redwood National Park
  7. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
  8. Yosemite National Park

• Trails

  1. California National Historic Trail
  2. Juan Batista de Ansza National Historic Trail
  3. Old Spanish National Historic Trail
  4. Pony Express National Historic Trail

• Historic

  1. Alcatraz Island
  2. Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site
  3. Fort Point National Historic Site
  4. John Muir National Historic Site
  5. Manzanar National Historic Site
  6. Presidio of San Francisco
  7. Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front
  8. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

• Rec Areas and Preserve

  1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area
  2. Mojave National Preserve
  3. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
  4. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

• Monuments and Memorials

  1. Cabrillo National Monument
  2. Cesar E. Chavez National Monument
  3. Devils Postpile National Monument
  4. Lava Beds National Monument
  5. Muir Woods National Monument
  6. Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial

• National Wildlife Refuges

  1. Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge
  2. Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge
  3. Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge
  4. Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
  5. Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
  6. Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
  7. Delevan National Wildlife Refuge
  8. Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge
  9. Farallon National Wildlife Refuge
  10. Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
  11. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
  12. Imperial National Wildlife Refuge
  13. Kern National Wildlife Refuge
  14. Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge
  15. Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
  16. Merced National Wildlife Refuge
  17. Modoc National Wildlife Refuge
  18. Pixley National Wildlife Refuge
  19. Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
  20. Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge
  21. Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
  22. San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
  23. San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge
  24. Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge
  25. Sutter National Wildlife Refuge
  26. Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
  27. Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge

• National Seashores

  1. Point Reyes National Seashore

The National Parks Service is also responsible for the National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmarks and the National Natural Landmarks. California is home to over 2,600 Nationally Registered Historic Places. Of these 2,600, only 144 are National Historic Landmarks. Additionally, there’s only 35 National Natural Landmarks located in California.

National Historic Places of California: Listed by County

This is an extensive list of National Historic Places found in California. I have divided them up by the counties they are located in. Read More

National Historic Landmarks of California

There are roughly 2500 National Historic Landmarks across the country. Of those 2500, an estimated 144 of them can be found in California. Read More

National Natural Landmarks of California

Of the roughly 586 National Natural Landmarks on the NNL Registry, 35 of them can be found in California. Read More

Glossary

With all the different abbreviations and designations, it’s easy to get confused. I have created a brief glossary to help clear up the differences and the definitions of each abbreviation and designation. The important thing is that all of these designated places have the same legal standing and protection.

• National Park (NP)

  Typically large natural places with a vast amount of environmental attributes and historical points of interest.

• National Monument (NM)

  In 1906, the Antiquities Act gave the President authority to declare publicly that landmarks, structures and other historical assets as national monuments.

• National Historic Site (NHS)

  A site that has a significant historical feature associated with it.

• National Historic Park (NHP)

  Historical parks that encompass more than one property or building.

• National Memorial (NMem)

  A memorial that commemorates a historical act or individual.

• National Battlefield (NB)

  Any battlefield, battlefield park, battlefield site and military park.

• National Historic Landmark (NHL)

  Historic places with an exceptionally high value in commemorating the history of the United States. There are roughly 2500 of these landmarks and they are all listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 144 of them can be found in California.

• National Natural Landmark (NNL)

  Is a location that contains spectacular biological and geological resources, immaculate beauty, diversity and possesses high value in both the scientific and educational fields.