If you wish to know the greatest Nationwide Parks close to San Francisco, you’ve come to the fitting place.
San Francisco is likely one of the most lovely cities on the earth, however do you know that it’s also inside driving distance of a few of the greatest Nationwide Parks within the nation? Whereas this wonderful metropolis is well-known for its sights and vacationer sights just like the Golden Gate Bridge, many individuals don’t understand that it’s the good place to see a number of nationwide parks close to San Francisco!
For these touring to California, town of San Francisco is usually a nice start line for exploring way more than simply huge cities. It’s strategically positioned very near many breathtaking places to see, all inside a straightforward day’s drive!
Nationwide Parks Close to San Francisco
Apart from the few nice nationwide parks discovered inside driving distance of San Francisco, there are additionally loads of Nationwide Leisure Areas, Nationwide Monuments, Nationwide Preserves, and State Parks to discover. I put collectively all these locations to provide you a listing of places and virtually limitless choices!
1. Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space
Distance: 10 miles, Driving time: 20 minutes
Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space is maybe the preferred vacationer vacation spot in San Francisco and simply probably the most recognizable and iconic. This park encompasses over 80,000 acres and contains scenic views, completely different biospheres, and even historic websites.
A few of the extra distinguished and widespread of those websites embrace a museum commemorating the constructing of the Golden Gate Bridge, Level Bonita Lighthouse, and the notorious Alcatraz Island.
Apart from these sights, this park has loads of scenic mountaineering trails the place you’ll be able to take pleasure in seeing the plentiful wildlife. That is one park you don’t want to overlook, as it’s way more than simply seeing this historic landmark!
2. Muir Woods Nationwide Monument
Distance: 20 miles, Driving time: 40 minutes
Discovered solely 40 minutes from San Francisco, Muir Woods Nationwide Monument has grown in recognition through the years and is now one of many Bay space’s greatest sights. It’s the good vacation spot for nature and forest lovers.
Established in 1908, this park permits guests to hike amongst coastal redwoods, a few of the tallest timber discovered wherever on the earth.
With a number of mountaineering trails and surreal forest groves, this place could be extremely popular, relying on the time of 12 months. Make sure to arrive early to make sure a parking spot, that is one park you’ll not need to miss!
3. Level Reyes Nationwide Seashore
Distance: 40 miles, Driving time: 1 hour
Being in California means some lovely ocean sights, and the most effective ones is Level Reyes Nationwide Seashore. This place is house to some wonderful cliffs and rocks with an ocean backdrop that gives a few of the most beautiful views in the entire state.
Level Reyes additionally acts as a large coastal wildlife protect, defending over 1,500 completely different animal and plant species with its distinctive and delightful shorelines.
When visiting Level Reyes Nationwide Seashore, don’t neglect to go to Level Reyes Lighthouse.
In the event you love animals, Level Reyes is the place to go to. House to the uncommon Tule elk, seal colonies, and migrating gray whales, you by no means know what sort of wildlife you may see!
4. Pinnacles Nationwide Park
Distance: 125 miles, Driving time: 2.10 hours
If exploring and climbing huge cliffs, caves, and rocks sound like your thought of enjoyable, then Pinnacles Nationwide Park could be an incredible nationwide park to go to. Situated within the coronary heart of the Salinas Valley, this park is stuffed with cliffs, caves, and constructions shaped by an historical volcano that erupted 23 million years in the past.
Whereas well-known for its mountain climbing and mountaineering, this park can also be well-known for being one of many 4 locations the place critically endangered California condors are bred and launched into the wild.
Guests to this park will simply get their fill of pure wonders, nice mountaineering trails, and considerable wildlife. And solely a bit over a two-hour drive from town, this park makes for a wonderful day journey!
5. Level Lobos State Reserve
Distance: 120 miles, Driving time: 2 hours
Level Lobos State Reserve has been referred to as one of many biggest shorelines on the earth and is known as “the crown jewel of Califonia’s state parks.” Individuals flock right here from all around the world to take pleasure in its diving, mountaineering trails, and scenic ocean vistas.
The wildlife discovered at Level Lobos is world-class, and right here you can see sea lions, sea otters, elephant seals, harbor seals, and even killer whales!
From migrating whales, considerable wildlife, and coastal overlooks, there’s virtually no finish of gorgeous issues to see at Level Lobos State Reserve, and it’s only a brief two-hour drive from San Fransisco!
Are you planning an epic journey to Level Lobos? Be sure to examine the articles under:
6. Pfeiffer Huge Sur State Park
Distance: 150 miles, Driving time: 2.30 hours
This wonderful state park is discovered proper the place California’s well-known redwoods meet their southernmost habitat, and the coastal surroundings is world famend due to the Huge Sur coastal drive that winds by means of it.
A few of the extra widespread sights at this park, except for the coastal drive, is Pfeiffer Seaside and McWay Falls. Each provide some wonderful surroundings and images alternatives!
Nonetheless solely a bit over 2 hours away, Pfeiffer Huge Sur State Park is a lot shut sufficient to San Francisco for a fast day and even half a day journey to go to. You’ll not remorse visiting this lovely state park!
7. Yosemite Nationwide Park
Distance: 170 miles, Driving time: 3 hours
Obtain the official Yosemite Nationwide Park Map (PDF)
Yosemite Nationwide Park is likely one of the most well-known parks in the USA, and lots of are shocked to be taught that San Francisco is situated solely 3 brief hours away. It’s house to very large numbers of wilderness, granite cliffs, and a few of the most rugged terrains in California.
Yosemite has many nice locations to go to throughout the park, together with some wonderful rivers and waterfalls. Simply be ready, as this park could be very busy from April to November.
It’s simple to see why hikers and photographers fall in love with a spot like Yosemite, and San Francisco could possibly be the right staging level to go to this widespread nationwide park.
Are you planning an epic journey to Yosemite? Be sure to examine the articles under:
8. Lassen Volcanic Nationwide Park
Distance: 240 miles, Driving time: 3.30 hours
Lassen Volcanic Nationwide Park is one other nationwide park near San Francisco, and the freeway that runs by means of it is likely one of the most breathtaking and scenic drives in your entire nationwide park system.
This freeway passes two lovely alpine lakes, and each Emerald Lake and Lake Helen will blow you away. For hikers, Bumpass Hell Path is notorious for being an incredible hike with some steaming sulfur swimming pools as a reward to see!
Hikers will love this wonderful park, and the surroundings has a few of the greatest mountain and alpine views California provides.
9. Kings Canyon Nationwide Park
Distance: 240 miles, Driving time: 3.30 hours
Kings Canyon Nationwide Park sits proper subsequent to Sequoia Nationwide Park, however as a result of they’re so shut collectively, most individuals will go to them on the identical journey.
Kings provides views of the wonderful Kings Canyon, one of many deepest canyons within the nation, in addition to loads of completely different mountains, waterfalls, lakes, and mountaineering trails to discover.
The terrain right here is similar to Yosemite Nationwide Park, with fewer individuals to cope with. It additionally has loads of tenting and horseback driving adventures for individuals who need to discover it even additional!
10. Sequoia Nationwide Park
Distance: 260 miles, Driving time: 4 hours
As we talked about with Kings Canyon Nationwide Park, these two parks sit so shut collectively that they’re usually visited on the identical journey. However whereas Kings Canyon has its trademark canyon, Sequoia is known for its big timber.
Sequoia Nationwide Park is a land filled with big redwood timber, together with the world’s largest tree (by quantity) named Common Sherman.
Guests to this park can wander across the groves of those big timber, discover mountaineering trails, and revel in scenic meadows and canyons. There are additionally some underground sights to discover referred to as Crystal Cave. Sequoia is properly well worth the drive from town, as each location right here is breathtaking.
11. Mono Lake Tufa State Pure Reserve
Distance: 250 miles, Driving time: 4.30 hours
This reserve was created to protect the favored “tufa towers,” naturally occurring spires and knobs shaped by the world’s freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It additionally protects all of the native wildlife, together with the tens of millions of birds touring to Mono Lake yearly.
Mono Lake itself covers over 65 sq. miles and is over 1,000,000 years previous. This makes it one of many oldest lakes in North America!
Due to how previous it’s, all the salt and minerals have constructed up within the lake and it is rather salty. These have contributed to all the wonderful towers and formations which can be seen right here.
12. Redwood Nationwide and State Parks
Distance: 320 miles, Driving time: 5.30 hours
Obtain the official Redwood Nationwide Park Map (PDF)
Whereas this is likely one of the furthest drives from San Franciso, it is likely to be the one that’s the most price it! These parks are in a league of their very own, and the enormous redwood timber are one thing that everybody ought to see not less than as soon as of their lifetime.
Whereas Sequoia Nationwide Park has the most important (per quantity) timber on the earth, Redwood has the tallest timber on the earth.
With a lot wilderness and trails to discover, you possibly can spend an infinite period of time right here, and it nonetheless wouldn’t be sufficient. It is likely to be a stretch for a day driving journey, however it’s properly price it!
Nationwide Parks Close to San Francisco| Conclusion
When visiting nationwide and state parks, it may possibly typically be a problem to seek out the right metropolis to fly or journey to as a way to startyour adventurer. Fortunately, there are locations like San Francisco which can be in shut proximity to so many various and wonderful pure wonders!