Some of the most stunning National Parks can be found along the West Coast of the United States. This area of the US has 14 different national parks. Nine of them are in the state of California alone. To be fair, we are only considering the West Coast the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and California.
There are so many amazing sights to see within all of these amazing national parks. See the world’s largest trees. Or a lake with the most vibrant blue you will ever see. How about the most out of this world sky you may ever see with some of these more remote National Parks.
All 14 West Coast have something to offer. I am willing to bet you will want to spend more than a day at each one. I know I do.
Channel Islands
Channel Islands National Park is located in California. Five of the eight channel islands on the Pacific coast are part of the national park. Even though there are five islands that make up this national park, most of the park is underwater. Boats are the only way to get to the five islands that are protected.While out here do a lille scuba diving or kayaking through the sea caves in the area.
FOUND: 03/05/1980
LOCATION: California
AREA: 249,561 acres
THINGS TO DO: Kayaking, camping, scuba diving, backpacking
TIME TO VISIT: Year Round
Crater Lake
Crater Lake National Park in Oregon is home to the deepest lake in the US. The lake was once an ancient volcano that collapsed thousands of years ago. Many guests are amazed at the vivid color and clarity of the lake’s water.
Crater Lake National Park receives on average 463 inches of snowfall a year and is covered in snow for eight months a year. The lake hardly ever freezes over with the last recorded time back in 1949.
While the lake is the big draw, there are several other interesting features to see. Union and Crater Peak have some interesting volcanic features. Rim Drive is a popular scenic route to take around the park in a car. Or you can hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail which runs from the Canadian border down to the Mexican border.
FOUND: 05/22/1902
LOCATION: Oregon
AREA: 183,224 acres
THINGS TO DO: Scenic Drive, hiking, camping, fishing
TIME TO VISIT: May thru November
Death Valley
Death Valley National Park is located on the border of California and Nevada. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest place in the US. Temps have been recorded above 130 F here.
Death Valley National Park is located around two hours west of Las Vegas making it the perfect National Park to visit when trying to escape the slots in Vegas.
Due to the remote location of the park, stargazing is a popular activity here. In the right conditions in the northwestern part of the park you can see the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies with the unaided eye. No need for special equipment. All you have to do is know where to look.
FOUND: 10/31/1994
LOCATION: California
AREA: 3,408,395 acres
THINGS TO DO: Stargazing, visit Scotty’s Castle, scenic drives
TIME TO VISIT: October to May
Great Basin
Great Basin National Park can be found in Nevada. This national park is very remote and offers some of the darkest skies anywhere. Of course, you will find hiking trails.
Great Basin National Park has a total of 12 trails ranging all the way up to 13.1 miles. Be sure to also check out the Forgotten Winchester rifle on display inside the visitor center. This just goes to show you never know what you might come across. The rifle wasn’t found until 2014.
FOUND: 10/27/1986
LOCATION: Nevada
AREA: 77,180 acres
THINGS TO DO: Stargazing, Hiking
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park is located in California and covers a large part of the Mojave Desert. The landscape is made up of dry lakes, mountains, sand dunes, and of course, Joshua trees.
Since 2017, Joshua Tree has been a Dark Sky Park offering breathtaking views of the night sky. The dry desert air makes for excellent conditions for stargazing and astronomy.
Rock climbing is another popular activity at Joshua Tree NP. The different climbing routes are all different difficulty levels. They are also short with most only coming in under 230 feet in height. It is possible to do a few climbs in a single day.
FOUND: 10/31/1994
LOCATION: California
AREA: 795,155 acres
THINGS TO DO: Rock Climbing, Hiking, Stargazing, Camping, bird watching
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon National Park is another Californian national park. Here you can find giant Sequoia trees and the second largest measured tree, the General Grant Tree.
While the big draw might be the giant trees. The park has some pretty amazing scenery too! Although, most of the park is backcountry and can only be accessed by hiking out too. You can also spend the night or more at one of the over 300 campsites.
FOUND: 03/04/1940
LOCATION: California
AREA: 461,901 acres
THINGS TO DO: Camping, backpacking, hiking, fly fishing
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Lassen Volcanic
Lassen Volcanic National Park can be found in California. Funny enough this national park was established in 1916, a year after the last eruption of the Lassen volcano. This park is also home to the largest lava dome volcano in the world. Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the only areas in the world where you can find all four types of volcanoes.
FOUND: 09/09/1916
LOCATION: California
AREA: 106,589 acres
THINGS TO DO: Volcano viewing
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier National Park is located in Washington state. Mount Rainier is the highest point in the Cascade mountain range. It rises to over 14,000 feet.
Mount Rainier National Park is very popular with mountain climbers. Nearly 10,000 attempts are made each year to climb Mount Rainier. Nearly 50% of those attempts make it to the top.
You can also find 26 named glaciers here. Plus many waterfalls, trials, and scenic views.
FOUND: 03/02/1899
LOCATION: Washington
AREA: 236,381 acres
THINGS TO DO: Mountaineering, hiking
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
North Cascades
North Cascades National Park located in Washington state and is the largest of the three national parks that cover the cascades range. The national park also has over 500 ponds and lakes. 312 glaciers are also found within North Cascades National Park. It is the most in any US park not located in Alaska.
A section of the Pacific Crest Trail makes its way through the park. But that’s not the only hiking trail you will find. There are many in the national park. Backcountry camping is also very popular. Mainly because no campgrounds in North Cascades National Park can be driven too.
FOUND: 10/02/1968
LOCATION: Washington
AREA: 504,780 acres
THINGS TO DO: Hiking, Mountaineering, backcountry camping
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Olympic
Olympic National Park is another park located in Washington state. It covers a wide range of landscapes from Pacific Coast shoreline to rainforest and high peaks. Olympic National Park is a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
Most of the park is remote with almost no roads penetrating far into the park. However, there are plenty of hiking trails. You can even take a multiday hike along the coast. Just be mindful that some areas are very narrow and the tide does block the passage.
FOUND: 06/29/1938
LOCATION: Washington
AREA: 922,649 acres
THINGS TO DO: Beach Hike, Hiking, fishing, skiing
TIME TO VISIT: Year Round
Pinnacles
Pinnacles National Park can be found in California. The national park is named after a portion of an extinct volcano that has been eroded over the years. Pinnacles National Park has also been a big part of re-establishing the California condor back into the wild. Currently there are 25 around the park.
You cannot get from the east part of the park to the west part by road. The only way you can do this is to hike. Many of the hikes in Pinnacles NP are strenuous. However, you are rewarded with some stunning views. Rock Climbing is also very popular here. However, that is mainly with more advanced climbers.
FOUND: 01/10/2013
LOCATION: California
AREA: 26,685 acres
THINGS TO DO: Caving, Hiking, rock climbing, Spring Wildflower viewing
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Redwood
Redwood National Park is located in northwestern California. This national park is home to the tallest trees on earth. It is estimated that the old-growth redwood forest once covered more than 2,000,000 acres of the California coast.
There are close to 200 miles worth of hiking trails in Redwood National Park. Some are temporarily unavailable during the rainy season. Most of the trails are wet and you need to be prepared for rainy weather.
FOUND: 10/02/1968
LOCATION: California
AREA: 138,999 acres
THINGS TO DO: Hiking, scenic drives
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Sequoia
Sequoia National Park is found in California. This national park protects a giant forest that is home to five of the ten largest trees in the world. The largest tree being the General Sherman. The tree is also estimated to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.
Driving or hiking around looking at huge trees isn’t the only thing to see in Sequoia National Park. The park is also home to more than 250 caves. Although, only one is commercial open to visitors. The longest cave known in California is also found within Sequoia NP.
Make sure you check out Tunnel Log which is a giant sequoia tree that fell in 1937 and a tunnel was cut through the trunk so cars could continue to pass along the road. Moro Rock is another popular location to visit and has a 351 step stairway built into it so visitors can get to the top of the rock.
FOUND: 09/25/1890
LOCATION: California
AREA: 404,062 acres
THINGS TO DO: Scenic Drives, hiking
TIME TO VISIT: Year round
Yosemite
Yosemite National Park is located in California about three and a half hours east of San Francisco. Most of Yosemite NP is wilderness but that doesn’t stop guests from visiting. Most visitors spend most of their time in Yosemite Valley.
Yosemite National Park is home to some interesting features including the largest waterfalls in North America. Another interesting waterfall to check out is Horsetail Fall. It usually only flows in the winter and if you are lucky and the conditions are right at sunset it looks like the water isn’t water but fire from the glowing orange color from the setting sun.
FOUND: 10/01/1890
LOCATION: California
AREA: 761,747 acres
THINGS TO DO: Camping, skiing, hiking, scenic drive, photography
TIME TO VISIT: Year Round
Have you visited any of these amazing locations? If so, how many have you seen? Which one was your favorite National Park that you visited? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to also check out our list of all 63 national parks.
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If you are planning on checking out all or any of these amazing places be sure to pick up a National Parks Passport. You can get your passport stamped at all the different locations within the National park system. Places like Gettysburg, Washington, DC, Independence Hall, Everglades NP, and so much more.
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