| Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Mendocino | 45 acres (18 ha) | 1944 | Boasts redwoods plus salmon and steelheadfishing on the Eel River.[2] |
| Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park | State park | Shasta | 5,930 acres (2,400 ha) | 1975 | Preserves a wilderness of freshwater springs and geologically recent lava flows.[3] |
| Albany State Marine Reserve | Park property | Alameda | | 1985 | In development, not open to public |
| Anderson Marsh State Historic Park | State historic park | Lake | 1,298 acres (525 ha) | 1982 | Preserves a tule marsh and ancient archaeological sites of the Pomo people.[4] |
| Andrew Molera State Park | State park | Monterey | 4,766 acres (1,929 ha) | 1968 | Offers a primitive walk-in campground on the Big Sur coast.[5] |
| Angel Island State Park | State park | Marin andSan Francisco | 756 acres (306 ha) | 1955 | Interprets an island in San Francisco Bay whose history encompasses Coast Miwok prehistory, ranching, the 1910–1940 Angel Island Immigration Station, and long military use.[6] |
| Annadel State Park | State park | Sonoma | 5,092 acres (2,061 ha) | 1971 | Supports a variety of day-use activities at the northern end of Sonoma Valley.[7] |
| Año Nuevo State Park | State park | San Mateo | 4,209 acres (1,703 ha) | 1985 | Encompasses Año Nuevo Island and Año Nuevo Point, which boasts the world's largest mainland rookery of northern elephant seals.[8] |
| Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve | State natural reserve | Los Angeles | 1,781 acres (721 ha) | 1976 | Showcases the state's most-consistent blooms ofCalifornia poppy, in the high Mojave Desert.[9] |
| Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park | State historic park | Los Angeles | 397 acres (161 ha) | 1979 | Interprets the Native American cultures of theGreat Basin and surrounding regions in a 1928folk art building on the NRHP.[10] |
| Anza-Borrego Desert State Park | State park | San Diego,Imperial, andRiverside | 585,930 acres (237,120 ha) | 1933 | Preserves a vast tract of the Colorado Desert in California's largest state park.[11] |
| Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Sonoma | 752 acres (304 ha) | 1934 | Preserves a grove of coast redwoods.[12] |
| Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park | State park | Los Angeles | 566 acres (229 ha) | 1993 | Preserves a remnant stand of Joshua trees andjunipers in the Antelope Valley.[13] |
| Asilomar State Beach | State beach | Monterey | 107 acres (43 ha) | 1951 | Balances protection of rocky coast and dune habitat with public access.[14] The 1913 Asilomar Conference Grounds are a National Historic Landmark.[15] |
| Auburn State Recreation Area | State recreation area | El Doradoand Placer | 42,377 acres (17,149 ha) | 1966 | Offers numerous recreational opportunities along the North and Middle Forks of the American River.[16] |
| Austin Creek State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Sonoma | 5,927 acres (2,399 ha) | 1964 | Features a rugged wilderness on Austin Creek, adjacent to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.[17] |
| Azalea State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Humboldt | 30 acres (12 ha) | 1943 | Harbors a profusion of spring-blooming western azaleas.[18] |
| Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park | State historic park | Napa | 0.75 acres (0.30 ha) | 1974 | Showcases a restored 1846 water-powered grist mill in Napa Valley.[19] The mill is on the NRHP.[20] |
| Bean Hollow State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 44 acres (18 ha) | 1958 | Offers fishing and beachcombing among tide pools.[21] |
| Benbow Lake State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Humboldt | 1,142 acres (462 ha) | 1958 | Centers on a reservoir on the South Fork Eel River.[22] |
| Benicia Capitol State Historic Park | State historic park | Solano | 0.86 acres (0.35 ha) | 1951 | Interprets the third and oldest-surviving California capitol, used 1853–54.[23] The building is on theNRHP.[20] |
| Benicia State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Solano | 447 acres (181 ha) | 1957 | Preserves a tidal wetland on the Carquinez Strait.[24] |
| Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Alameda | 609 acres (246 ha) | 1974 | Offers windsurfing and other water recreation on the Bethany Reservoir.[25] |
| Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park | State historic park | Butte | 5.2 acres (2.1 ha) | 1964 | Offers tours of the 1868 Victorian mansion of influential settlers John and Annie Bidwell.[26] The mansion is on the NRHP. |
| Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park | State park | Butte andGlenn | 349 acres (141 ha) | 1979 | Preserves riparian habitat on the Sacramento River and its tributary Big Chico Creek.[27] |
| Big Basin Redwoods State Park | State park | Santa Cruz | 18,050 acres (7,300 ha) | 1902 | Established as California's first state park, to preserve coast redwoods on Waddell Creek.[28] |
| Bodie State Historic Park | State historic park | Mono | 1,016 acres (411 ha) | 1962 | Preserves the ghost town of Bodie, whose gold-mining heyday ran from 1877–1881, and is now aNational Historic Landmark.[29] |
| Bolsa Chica State Beach | State beach | Orange | 169 acres (68 ha) | 1960 | Offers surf fishing and catching grunion by hand.[30] |
| Border Field State Park | State park | San Diego | 1,316 acres (533 ha) | 1972 | Occupies the southwesternmost point of the contiguous U.S., on the Mexico – United States border. Part of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.[31] |
| Bothe-Napa Valley State Park | State park | Napa andSonoma | 1,991 acres (806 ha) | 1960 | Contains the farthest inland coast redwoods in a California state park.[32] |
| Brannan Island State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Sacramento | 329 acres (133 ha) | 1952 | Offers water recreation amid a maze of channels in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.[33] |
| Burleigh H. Murray Ranch | Park property | San Mateo | 1,325 acres (536 ha) | 1979 | Encompasses a hidden valley with a historic ranch established in 1857.[34] |
| Burton Creek State Park | State park | Placer | 1,890 acres (760 ha) | 1976 | Offers 6 miles (9.7 km) of unpaved roadway for hiking and cross-country skiing.[35] |
| Butano State Park | State park | San Mateo | 4,728 acres (1,913 ha) | 1956 | Showcases a secluded redwood-filled valley.[36] |
| Butte City Project | Park property | Butte | 37 acres (15 ha) | 2007 | In development, not open to public |
| Calaveras Big Trees State Park | State park | CalaverasandTuolumne | 6,498 acres (2,630 ha) | 1931 | Protects two large groves of giant sequoias.[37] |
| California Citrus State Historic Park | State historic park | Riverside | 248 acres (100 ha) | 1984 | Interprets the influence of the state's citrus industry.[38] |
| California State Capitol Museum | Park property | Sacramento | 40 acres (16 ha)[39] | 1982 | Offers exhibits and tours of the California State Capitol and its grounds.[39] |
| California State Mining and Mineral Museum | Park property | Mariposa | | 1999 | Exhibits the official state mineral collection and displays on the region's influential mining heritage.[40] |
| California State Railroad Museum | Point of interest | Sacramento | | | Celebrates the history of rail transportation in California with museum displays, 21 restoredlocomotives, and a heritage railway along theSacramento River.[41] |
| Candlestick Point State Recreation Area | State recreation area | San Francisco | 204 acres (83 ha) | 1972 | Constitutes California's first urban state recreation area, on the west shore of San Francisco Bay.[42] |
| Cardiff State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 507 acres (205 ha) | 1949 | Provides a sandy, warm-water beach outside San Diego.[43] |
| Carlsbad State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 44 acres (18 ha) | 1933 | Features a small beach at the foot of coastal bluffs.[44] |
| Carmel River State Beach | State beach | Monterey | 297 acres (120 ha) | 1953 | Protects a 1-mile-long (1.6 km) beach and alagoon at the mouth of the Carmel River which attracts many migratory birds.[45] |
| Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | Alamedaand San Joaquin | 5,075 acres (2,054 ha) | 1979 | Provides off-roading opportunities in the Diablo Range around the former townsite of Carnegie.[46] |
| Carpinteria State Beach | State beach | Santa Barbara andVentura | 62 acres (25 ha) | 1932 | Offers a mile-long beach in the city ofCarpinteria.[47] |
| Caspar Headlands State Beach | State beach | Mendocino | 75 acres (30 ha) | 1972 | |
| Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Mendocino | 2.7 acres (1.1 ha) | 1972 | Preserves a small strip of rugged coastline.[48] |
| Castaic Lake State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Los Angeles | 4,224 acres (1,709 ha) | 1965 | Features 29 miles (47 km) of shoreline on Castaic Lake.[49] |
| Castle Crags State Park | State park | Shasta | 3,905 acres (1,580 ha) | 1934 | Provides access to the Castle Crags Wilderness, with its 6,000-foot-tall (1,800 m) rock crags.[50] |
| Castle Rock State Park | State park | Santa Clara,Santa Cruz, and San Mateo | 5,242 acres (2,121 ha) | 1968 | Encompasses a wild forest with rock climbingopportunities along the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains.[51] |
| Castro Adobe | Park property | Santa Cruz | 1 acre (0.40 ha) | 2002 | Comprises the grand 1849 hacienda of the prominent Castro family on their Rancho San Andrés.[52] In development, not open to public. The hacienda is on the NRHP. |
| Caswell Memorial State Park | State park | San Joaquin | 258 acres (104 ha) | 1952 | Preserves a riparian forest along the Stanislaus River.[53] |
| Cayucos State Beach | State beach | San Luis Obispo | 16 acres (6.5 ha) | 1940 | Provides a swimming and surfing beach in the beach town of Cayucos.[54] |
| China Camp State Park | State park | Marin | 1,514 acres (613 ha) | 1976 | Surrounds an 1880s Chinese American shrimp-fishing village and salt marshes on San Pablo Bay.[55] |
| Chino Hills State Park | State park | Orange,Riverside, and San Bernardino | 14,173 acres (5,736 ha) | 1981 | Preserves a large tract of the Chino Hills.[56] |
| Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park | State historic park | Santa Barbara | 7.5 acres (3.0 ha) | 1976 | Preserves a sandstone cave bearing rock art of the Chumash people.[57] |
| Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | Butte | 220 acres (89 ha) | 1981 | Provides off-roading opportunities in the shallowclay pit excavated for material to build the Oroville Dam.[58] |
| Clear Lake State Park | State park | Lake | 590 acres (240 ha) | 1949 | Provides recreation opportunities on the southwest shore of Clear Lake, the largest freshwater lake within California's borders.[59] |
| Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park | State historic park | Tulare | 3,715 acres (1,503 ha) | 1973 | Interprets the town of Allensworth, founded in 1908 as a haven for African Americans by Colonel Allen Allensworth and other community leaders.[60] The town is a district on the NRHP. |
| Columbia State Historic Park | State historic park | Tuolumne | 273 acres (110 ha) | 1946 | Interprets Columbia's preserved Gold Rush-era downtown,[61] a National Historic Landmark District. |
| Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Colusa | 301 acres (122 ha) | 1955 | Adjoins a stretch of the Sacramento River known for its fishing.[62] |
| Corona del Mar State Beach | State beach | Orange | 30 acres (12 ha) | 1947 | Provides a half-mile-long swimming beach adjacent to the Newport Beach harbor jetty.[63] |
| Cowell Ranch/John Marsh State Historic Park | State historic park | Contra Costa | 3,676 acres (1,488 ha) | 1981 | Includes Rancho Los Meganos and the 1856 ranchhouse of John Marsh. In development, not open to public.[64] |
| Crystal Cove State Park | State park | Orange | 3,936 acres (1,593 ha) | 1979 | Encompasses cliffbound coastline, inland chaparral canyons, and the NRHP-listed Crystal Cove Historic District of 1920s and 30s beach cottages.[65] |
| Cuyamaca Rancho State Park | State park | San Diego | 24,693 acres (9,993 ha) | 1933 | Preserves an expansive tract of forests and meadows above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in theLaguna Mountains, on the former Rancho Cuyamaca.[66] |
| D. L. Bliss State Park | State park | El Dorado | 2,149 acres (870 ha) | 1929 | Features a balancing rock and the Rubicon Point Light on the shore of Lake Tahoe.[67] |
| Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park | State park | Del Norte | 31,261 acres (12,651 ha) | 1925 | Preserves old-growth coast redwoods and is managed cooperatively with RNSP.[68] |
| Delta Meadows | Park property | Sacramento | 472 acres (191 ha) | 1985 | Preserves undeveloped wet meadows andsloughs in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Closed to the public.[69] |
| Dockweiler State Beach | State beach | Los Angeles | 91 acres (37 ha) | 1948 | Features 3 miles (4.8 km) of beach and a hang gliding training site, adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. |
| Doheny State Beach | State beach | Orange | 254 acres (103 ha) | 1931 | Offers surfing and beach-front camping in Dana Point.[70] |
| Donner Memorial State Park | State park | Nevada andPlacer | 3,293 acres (1,333 ha) | 1928 | Interprets the site where the Donner Party was trapped by weather in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846–1847,[71] now a National Historic Landmark. |
| Eastshore State Park | State seashore | Alamedaand Contra Costa | 442 acres (179 ha) | 1985 | Encompasses several remnant and restored parcels along the East Bay waterfront. |
| Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park | State park | El Dorado | 2,324 acres (940 ha) | 1965 | Comprises the Lake Tahoe estate and 1903 summer home of banker Isaias W. Hellman.[72] |
| El Capitán State Beach | State beach | Santa Barbara | 2,634 acres (1,066 ha) | 1953 | Features a narrow beach at the foot of coastal bluffs where monarch butterflies congregate in autumn.[73] |
| El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park | State historic park | Santa Barbara | 5.8 acres (2.3 ha) | 1966 | Preserves components of a Spanish presidiodating back to 1782,[74] now on the NRHP. |
| Emerald Bay State Park | State park | El Dorado | 1,533 acres (620 ha) | 1953 | Contains Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay andFannette Island plus the 1929 Vikingsholmmansion,[75] which is on the NRHP. |
| Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve | Park property | Alamedaand Contra Costa | | 1985 | Preserves a marsh on San Francisco Bay, managed as part of Eastshore State Park. Closed to the public. |
| Emma Wood State Beach | State beach | Ventura | 112 acres (45 ha) | 1957 | Contains a surfing beach and an estuary at the mouth of the Ventura River. |
| Empire Mine State Historic Park | State historic park | Nevada | 853 acres (345 ha) | 1975 | Offers tours of an underground gold mine which operated from 1850 to 1956, plus its surface surroundings.[76] The mine is on the NRHP. |
| Estero Bluffs State Park | State park | San Luis Obispo | 353 acres (143 ha) | 2000 | Preserves diverse coastal habitats on Estero Bay. |
| Folsom Lake State Recreation Area | State recreation area | El Dorado,Placer, andSacramento | 19,564 acres (7,917 ha) | 1956 | Surrounds Folsom and Natoma Lakes, reservoirs on the American River.[77] |
| Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park | State historic park | Sacramento | 35 acres (14 ha) | 1956 | Interprets an 1895 hydroelectricity plant, now aNational Historic and Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.[78] |
| The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park | State park | Santa Cruz | 10,223 acres (4,137 ha) | 1963 | Preserves a tract of secondary forest donated by the family of former owner Nisene Marks.[79] |
| Fort Humboldt State Historic Park | State historic park | Humboldt | 18 acres (7.3 ha) | 1955 | Situated on its commanding bluff adjacent toHumboldt Bay, park interprets relations between U.S. army (present at fort 1853–1870), Native American groups, and settlers. Site includes a logging museum and logging equipment displays.[80] |
| Fort Ord Dunes State Park | State park | Monterey | 980 acres (400 ha) | 2009 | Reclaims coastline overlooking Monterey Bay on former property of the decommissioned Fort Ord.[81] |
| Fort Ross State Historic Park | State historic park | Sonoma | 3,393 acres (1,373 ha) | 1909 | Interprets the partially reconstructed Fort Ross, an 1812–1841 Russian-American Companyoutpost that was the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the Americas.[82] The fort is a National Historic Landmark. |
| Fort Tejon State Historic Park | State historic park | Kern | 647 acres (262 ha) | 1940 | Interprets the U.S. Army fort staffed 1854–1864 to monitor the Sebastian Indian Reservation.[83] The fort is on the NRHP. |
| Franks Tract State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Contra Costa | 3,523 acres (1,426 ha) | 1959 | Encompasses a flooded area in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta accessible only by water.[84] |
| Fremont Peak State Park | State park | Montereyand San Benito | 162 acres (66 ha) | 1934 | Provides views of the surrounding landscape from atop Fremont Peak and of the night sky from theFremont Peak Observatory.[85] |
| Garrapata State Park | State park | Monterey | 2,939 acres (1,189 ha) | 1979 | Preserves a largely hidden stretch of wild coast.[86] |
| Gaviota State Park | State park | Santa Barbara | 2,787 acres (1,128 ha) | 1953 | Flanks the narrow gorge of Gaviota Creek, which funnels Sundowner winds onto the popular beach area.[87] |
| George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Merced | 46.5 acres (18.8 ha) | 1953 | Adjoins the Merced River.[88] |
| Governor's Mansion State Historic Park | State historic park | Sacramento | 0.78 acres (0.32 ha) | 1903 | Interprets the 1877 mansion that housed 13 ofCalifornia's governors and their families from 1903 to 1967.[89] |
| Gray Whale Cove State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 3.1 acres (1.3 ha) | 1966 | Embraces a steep-walled cove, near the Devil's Slide, where gray whales are often seen close to shore.[90] |
| Great Valley Grasslands State Park | State park | Merced | 2,826 acres (1,144 ha) | 1982 | Preserves a remnant of the native grasslands once extensive in the Central Valley.[91] |
| Greenwood State Beach | State beach | Mendocino | 47 acres (19 ha) | 1978 | Features a picturesque beach in Elk and a visitor center interpreting the town's lumbering history.[92] |
| Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park | State park | Humboldt | 430 acres (170 ha) | 1943 | Harbors groves of coast redwoods in three separate units along the Van Duzen River.[93] |
| Grover Hot Springs State Park | State park | Alpine | 553 acres (224 ha) | 1959 | Boasts hot springs that feed a swimming pool complex in an alpine meadow.[94] |
| Half Moon Bay State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 181 acres (73 ha) | 1956 | Encompasses four popular sandy beaches onHalf Moon Bay.[95] |
| Harmony Headlands State Park | State park | San Luis Obispo | 748 acres (303 ha) | 2003 | Preserves an undeveloped parcel of Pacific coast. |
| Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Humboldt | 955 acres (386 ha) | 1982 | Offers fishing on Big Lagoon adjacent toHumboldt Lagoons State Park |
| Hatton Canyon | Park property | Monterey | 130 acres (53 ha) | 2002 | Preserves a canyon in Carmel saved from a planned freeway route. In development, not open to public. |
| Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument | State historical monument | San Luis Obispo | 209 acres (85 ha) | 1958 | Offers tours of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst's opulent 115-room "Hearst Castle," designed by architect Julia Morganbetween 1919 and 1947.[96] |
| Hearst San Simeon State Park | State park | San Luis Obispo | 2,309 acres (934 ha) | 1932 | Preserves rocky coast and rare habitats like mima mounds and Monterey pine forest, as well as a 5,850-year-old Native American archaeological site.[97] |
| Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | Imperial | 342 acres (138 ha) | 1998 | Attracts ATV riders to sandy, tamarisk-dotted dunes along a former course of the Alamo River.[98] |
| Hendy Woods State Park | State park | Mendocino | 816 acres (330 ha) | 1958 | Preserves two groves of old-growth coast redwoods in the Anderson Valley.[99] |
| Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park | State park | Santa Cruz | 4,623 acres (1,871 ha) | 1953 | Boasts its Redwood Grove and other old-growth forest.[100] |
| Henry W. Coe State Park | State park | Santa ClaraandStanislaus | 89,164 acres (36,083 ha) | 1959 | Encompasses a sprawling wilderness of ridges and steep canyons in the Diablo Range.[101] |
| Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | San Benito | 6,624 acres (2,681 ha) | 1975 | Offers a variety of off-roading tracks and events in the hills outside Hollister.[102] |
| Humboldt Lagoons State Park | State park | Humboldt | 2,256 acres (913 ha) | 1931 | Protects part of the largest lagoon system in the United States, including Big Lagoon, Stone Lagoon, and Freshwater Lagoon.[103] |
| Humboldt Redwoods State Park | State park | Humboldt | 51,651 acres (20,902 ha) | 1921 | Preserves the world's largest remaining old-growth coast redwood forest,[104] includingStratosphere Giant, the fourth-tallest known tree. |
| Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | Los Angelesand Ventura | 18,533 acres (7,500 ha) | 1978 | Offers 130 miles (210 km) of off-highway tracks, connecting to more routes in Los Padres National Forest.[105] |
| Huntington State Beach | State beach | Orange | 121 acres (49 ha) | 1942 | Contains 2 miles (3.2 km) of wide, flat beach in the city of Huntington Beach.[106] |
| Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park | State historic park | Amador | 135 acres (55 ha) | 1962 | Interprets an outcrop with 1,185 mortar holes where Native Americans ground acorns into flour.[107] |
| Indio Hills Palms | Park property | Riverside | 5,630 acres (2,280 ha) | 1983 | Harbors a profusion of California fan palmsgrowing along the San Andreas Fault in the Indio Hills. Part of the multi-agency Coachella Valley Preserve.[108] |
| Jack London State Historic Park | State historic park | Sonoma | 1,611 acres (652 ha) | 1959 | Contains several structures from the ranch of author Jack London and his wife Charmian London, as well as their grave. The ranch is aNational Historic Landmark.[109] |
| Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park | State park | Del Norte | 10,430 acres (4,220 ha) | 1939 | Honors explorer Jedediah Smith with a tract ofcoast redwoods along the Smith River. Part ofRedwood National and State Parks.[110] |
| John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Humboldt | 1,164 acres (471 ha) | 1929 | Contains three undeveloped coast redwoodgroves split off from Humboldt Redwoods State Park in 2001.[111] In development, not open to the public. |
| John Little State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Monterey | 21 acres (8.5 ha) | 1953 | Protects rugged cliffs on the Big Sur coast flanking the mouth of a creek.[112] |
| Jug Handle State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Mendocino | 776 acres (314 ha) | 1976 | Interprets a series of marine terraces each exhibiting a different stage of ecological succession.[113] |
| Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park | State park | Monterey | 3,762 acres (1,522 ha) | 1962 | Stretches from the Big Sur coast up to 3,000-foot (910 m) ridges.[114] Includes the iconic seasideMcWay Falls. |
| Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Los Angeles | 401 acres (162 ha) | 1984 | Offers urban open space in the Baldwin Hills ofLos Angeles.[115] |
| Kings Beach State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Placer | 7.7 acres (3.1 ha) | 1974 | Encompasses 700 feet (210 m) of lakefront on the north shore of Lake Tahoe.[116] |
| Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Sonoma | 317 acres (128 ha) | 1934 | Harbors a secondary forest with spring-bloomingrhododendrons adjacent to Salt Point State Park.[117] |
| La Purísima Mission State Historic Park | State historic park | Santa Barbara | 1,934 acres (783 ha) | 1935 | Contains the 1813 La Purisima Mission, the most completely restored Spanish mission in California.[118] |
| Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Alameda | 3,732 acres (1,510 ha) | 1967 | Surrounds Lake Del Valle, a reservoir on theArroyo del Valle managed by the East Bay Regional Park District. |
| Lake Oroville State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Butte | 29,447 acres (11,917 ha) | 1967 | Surrounds Lake Oroville, a reservoir on theFeather River.[119] |
| Lake Perris State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Riverside | 6,675 acres (2,701 ha) | 1974 | Contains the southernmost reservoir in the 701-mile (1,128 km) California State Water Projectand the Ya'i Heki' Regional Indian Museum.[120] |
| Lake Valley State Recreation Area | State recreation area | El Dorado | 155 acres (63 ha) | 1985 | Offers an 18-hole golf course in the High Sierras.[121] |
| Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park | State historic park | Sacramento | 0.88 acres (0.36 ha) | 1978 | Offers tours of governor and tycoon Leland Stanford's restored 1856 mansion, now a National Historic Landmark.[122] |
| Leo Carrillo State Park | State park | Los Angelesand Ventura | 2,513 acres (1,017 ha) | 1953 | Honors actor and conservationist Leo Carrillo with a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) beach. Part of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.[123] |
| Leucadia State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 10.6 acres (4.3 ha) | 1949 | Comprises a small, rocky beach in Encinitas.[124] |
| Lighthouse Field State Beach | State beach | Santa Cruz | 38 acres (15 ha) | 1978 | Features the Steamer Lane surf break and a lighthouse containing the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum.[125] |
| Limekiln State Park | State park | Monterey | 711 acres (288 ha) | 1994 | Contains four lime kilns from an 1887 lime-smelting operation on the Big Sur coast.[126] |
| Little River State Beach | State beach | Humboldt | 152 acres (62 ha) | 1931 | Comprises a broad open beach with dunes.[127] |
| Los Angeles State Historic Park | State historic park | Los Angeles | 32 acres (13 ha) | 2001 | Provides urban open space on the site of an 1875 train station where many travelers first arrived in Los Angeles.[128] |
| Los Encinos State Historic Park | State historic park | Los Angeles | 4.7 acres (1.9 ha) | 1949 | |
| Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | San Luis Obispo | 85 acres (34 ha) | 1972 | |
| MacKerricher State Park | State park | Mendocino | 2,519 acres (1,019 ha) | 1949 | |
| Mailliard Woods State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Mendocino | 242 acres (98 ha) | 1945 | |
| Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park | State historic park | Nevada | 3,143 acres (1,272 ha) | 1965 | |
| Malibu Creek State Park | State park | Los Angeles | 8,215 acres (3,324 ha) | 1974 | |
| Malibu Lagoon State Beach | State beach | Los Angeles | 110 acres (45 ha) | 1951 | |
| Manchester State Park | State park | Mendocino | 5,272 acres (2,134 ha) | 1955 | |
| Mandalay State Beach | State beach | Ventura | 92 acres (37 ha) | 1985 | |
| Manresa State Beach | State beach | Santa Cruz | 138 acres (56 ha) | 1948 | |
| Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park | State historic park | Marin | 62 acres (25 ha) | 1976 | |
| Marina State Beach | State Beach | Monterey | 171 acres (69 ha) | 1977 | |
| Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park | State historic park | El Dorado | 575 acres (233 ha) | 1942[129] | |
| Martial Cottle Park State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Santa Clara | 137 acres (55 ha) | 2003 | In development, not open to public |
| McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park | State park | Shasta | 910 acres (370 ha) | 1920 | |
| McConnell State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Merced | 74 acres (30 ha) | 1949 | |
| McGrath State Beach | State beach | Ventura | 314 acres (127 ha) | 1948 | |
| Mendocino Headlands State Park | State park | Mendocino | 7,709 acres (3,120 ha) | 1972 | |
| Mendocino Woodlands State Park | State park | Mendocino | 720 acres (290 ha) | 1977 | |
| Millerton Lake State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Fresno andMadera | 6,857 acres (2,775 ha) | 1957 | Includes 40 miles (64 km) of shoreline on Millerton Lake and the 1867 Millerton County Courthouse.[130] |
| Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Mono | 55,300 acres (22,400 ha) | 1982 | |
| Montaña de Oro State Park | State park | San Luis Obispo | 10,366 acres (4,195 ha) | 1934 | |
| Montara State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 780 acres (320 ha) | 1959 | |
| Monterey State Historic Park | State historic park | Monterey | 9.6 acres (3.9 ha) | 1916 | |
| Monterey State Beach | State beach | Monterey | 114 acres (46 ha) | 1960 | |
| Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Mendocino | 2,743 acres (1,110 ha) | 1947 | |
| Moonlight State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 15 acres (6.1 ha) | 1949 | |
| Morro Bay State Park | State park | San Luis Obispo | 2,783 acres (1,126 ha) | 1934 | |
| Morro Strand State Beach | State beach | San Luis Obispo | 183 acres (74 ha) | 1932 | |
| Moss Landing State Beach | State beach | Monterey County | 60 acres (24 ha) | 1972 | |
| Mount Diablo State Park | State park | Contra Costa | 20,124 acres (8,144 ha) | 1931 | |
| Mount San Jacinto State Park | State park | Riverside | 13,718 acres (5,551 ha) | 1930 | |
| Mount Tamalpais State Park | State park | Marin | 6,243 acres (2,526 ha) | 1928 | |
| Natural Bridges State Beach | State beach | Santa Cruz | 62 acres (25 ha) | 1933 | |
| Navarro River Redwoods State Park | State park | Mendocino | 727 acres (294 ha) | 1928 | |
| New Brighton State Beach | State beach | Santa Cruz | 157 acres (64 ha) | 1933 | |
| Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | San Luis Obispo | 2,675 acres (1,083 ha) | 1974 | |
| Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | Imperial andSan Diego | 50,553 acres (20,458 ha) | 1976 | Offers off-roading opportunities adjacent to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.[131] |
| Old Sacramento State Historic Park | State historic park | Sacramento | 293 acres (119 ha) | 1967 | |
| Old Town San Diego State Historic Park | State historic park | San Diego | 29 acres (12 ha) | 1967 | |
| Olompali State Historic Park | State historic park | Marin | 700 acres (280 ha) | 1977 | |
| Pacheco State Park | State park | Merced andSanta Clara | 6,894 acres (2,790 ha) | 1995 | |
| Pacifica State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 21 acres (8.5 ha) | 1979 | |
| Palomar Mountain State Park | State park | San Diego | 1,909 acres (773 ha) | 1932 | |
| Patrick's Point State Park | State park | Humboldt | 652 acres (264 ha) | 1930 | |
| Pelican State Beach | State beach | Del Norte | 5.2 acres (2.1 ha) | 1947 | |
| Pescadero State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 700 acres (280 ha) | 1958 | |
| Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park | State historic park | Sonoma | 41 acres (17 ha) | 1951 | |
| Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park | State park | Monterey | 1,391 acres (563 ha) | 1933 | |
| Picacho State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Imperial | 6,759 acres (2,735 ha) | 1960 | |
| Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park | State historic park | San Mateo | 76 acres (31 ha) | 1981 | |
| Pío Pico State Historic Park | State historic park | Los Angeles | 5.5 acres (2.2 ha) | 1917 | |
| Pismo State Beach | State beach | San Luis Obispo | 1,412 acres (571 ha) | 1935 | |
| Placerita Canyon State Park | State park | Los Angeles | 342 acres (138 ha) | 1949 | |
| Plumas-Eureka State Park | State park | Plumas | 4,424 acres (1,790 ha) | 1959 | |
| Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park | State historic park | Mendocino | 383 acres (155 ha) | 2002 | |
| Point Dume State Beach | State beach | Ventura | 37 acres (15 ha) | 1958 | |
| Point Lobos Ranch | Park property | Monterey | 1,329 acres (538 ha) | 1998 | In development, not open to public |
| Point Lobos State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Monterey | 1,325 acres (536 ha) | 1933 | |
| Point Montara Light Station | Park property | San Mateo | 6 acres (2.4 ha) | 1982 | |
| Point Mugu State Park | State park | Ventura | 13,947 acres (5,644 ha) | 1966 | |
| Point Sal State Beach | State beach | Santa Barbara | 84 acres (34 ha) | 1948 | |
| Point Sur State Historic Park | State historic park | Monterey | 92 acres (37 ha) | 1986 | Contains the still-operational 1889 Point Sur Lighthouse and a former U.S. Navy SOSUS base. The lighthouse is on the NRHP.[132] |
| Pomponio State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 421 acres (170 ha) | 1960 | |
| Portola Redwoods State Park | State park | San Mateo | 2,608 acres (1,055 ha) | 1945 | |
| Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area | State vehicular recreation area | Sacramento | 2,786 acres (1,127 ha) | 1990 | Offers open off-roading at the foot of the Sierra Nevada as well as a go-kart track and 4WD obstacle course.[133] |
| Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park | State park | Humboldt | 14,187 acres (5,741 ha) | 1923 | |
| Providence Mountains State Recreation Area | State recreation area | San Bernardino | 5,890 acres (2,380 ha) | 1956 | Closed to the public |
| Railtown 1897 State Historic Park | State historic park | Tuolumne | 24 acres (9.7 ha) | 1982 | |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State park | Kern | 25,325 acres (10,249 ha) | 1970 | |
| Refugio State Beach | State beach | Santa Barbara | 905 acres (366 ha) | 1950 | |
| Reynolds Wayside Campground | Wayside campground | Mendocino | 66 acres (27 ha) | 1966 | Preserves a parcel of old-growth redwoods andDouglas fir beside U.S. Route 101. The campground was removed in 1976.[134] |
| Richardson Grove State Park | State park | Humboldt | 1,772 acres (717 ha) | 1922 | |
| Rio de Los Angeles State Park | State recreation area | Los Angeles | 58 acres (23 ha) | 2001 | |
| Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach | State beach | Los Angeles | 37 acres (15 ha) | 1978 | |
| Robert Louis Stevenson State Park | State park | Napa,Sonoma, and Lake | 5,990 acres (2,420 ha) | 1949 | |
| Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach | State beach | Alameda | 132 acres (53 ha) | 1961 | |
| Russian Gulch State Park | State park | Mendocino | 1,305 acres (528 ha) | 1933 | |
| Saddleback Butte State Park | State park | Los Angeles | 2,954 acres (1,195 ha) | 1957 | |
| Salinas River State Beach | State beach | Montereyand Santa Cruz | 281.84 acres (114.06 ha) | 1960 | |
| Salt Point State Park | State park | Sonoma | 5,684 acres (2,300 ha) | 1968 | |
| Salton Sea State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Imperial andRiverside | 16,901 acres (6,840 ha) | 1951 | |
| Samuel P. Taylor State Park | State park | Marin | 2,707 acres (1,095 ha) | 1946 | |
| San Bruno Mountain State Park | State park | San Mateo | 298 acres (121 ha) | 1980 | |
| San Buenaventura State Beach | State beach | Ventura | 110 acres (45 ha) | 1961 | |
| San Clemente State Beach | State beach | Orange | 117 acres (47 ha) | 1931 | |
| San Elijo State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 588 acres (238 ha) | 1952 | |
| San Gregorio State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 414 acres (168 ha) | 1958 | |
| San Juan Bautista State Historic Park | State historic park | San Benito | 6.1 acres (2.5 ha) | 1933 | |
| San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Merced | 26,036 acres (10,536 ha) | 1969 | |
| San Onofre State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 2,107 acres (853 ha) | 1971 | |
| San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park | State historic park | San Diego | 69 acres (28 ha) | 1918 | |
| San Timoteo Canyon | Park property | Riverside | 1,148 acres (465 ha) | 2002 | |
| Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park | State historic park | Santa Cruz | 1.9 acres (0.77 ha) | 1959 | |
| Santa Monica State Beach | State beach | Los Angeles | 48 acres (19 ha) | 1948 | |
| Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park | State historic park | Los Angeles | 671 acres (272 ha) | 1979 | |
| Schooner Gulch State Beach | State beach | Mendocino | 54 acres (22 ha) | 1983 | |
| Seacliff State Beach | State beach | Santa Cruz | 89 acres (36 ha) | 1931 | |
| Shasta State Historic Park | State historic park | Shasta | 25 acres (10 ha) | 1937 | |
| Silver Strand State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 3,749 acres (1,517 ha) | 1932 | |
| Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area | State recreation area | San Bernardino | 2,201 acres (891 ha) | 1978 | |
| Sinkyone Wilderness State Park | State park | MendocinoandHumboldt | 7,937 acres (3,212 ha) | 1975 | |
| Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Mendocino | 689 acres (279 ha) | 1963 | |
| Sonoma State Historic Park | State historic park | Sonoma | 64 acres (26 ha) | 1909 | |
| Sonoma Coast State Park | State park | Sonoma | 10,018 acres (4,054 ha) | 1934 | |
| South Carlsbad State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 118 acres (48 ha) | 1949 | |
| South Yuba River State Park | State park | Nevada | 8,720 acres (3,530 ha) | 1979 | |
| Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Mendocino | 1,021 acres (413 ha) | 1921 | |
| State Indian Museum | State historic park | Sacramento | | 1914 | Interprets the diverse cultures of the indigenous peoples of California.[135] |
| Stone Lake | Park property | Sacramento | 1,090 acres (440 ha) | 1978 | |
| Sugarloaf Ridge State Park | State park | Sonoma andNapa | 4,416 acres (1,787 ha) | 1920 | |
| Sunset State Beach | State beach | Santa Cruz | 302 acres (122 ha) | 1931 | |
| Sutter Buttes State Park | State park | Sutter | 1,785 acres (722 ha) | 2003 | In development on the north side of the Sutter Buttes. Currently no public access.[136] |
| Sutter's Fort State Historic Park | State historic park | Sacramento | 5.8 acres (2.3 ha) | 1914 | |
| Tahoe State Recreation Area | State Recreation Area | Placer | 62 acres (25 ha) | | Campground on Lake Tahoe[137] |
| Thornton State Beach | State beach | San Mateo | 58 acres (23 ha) | 1955 | |
| Tijuana Estuary | Point of interest | San Diego | | | |
| Tolowa Dunes State Park | State park | Del Norte | 4,399 acres (1,780 ha) | 1983 | |
| Tomales Bay State Park | State park | Marin | 2,443 acres (989 ha) | 1950 | Open under National Park Service management |
| Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park | State historic park | Kern | 560 acres (230 ha) | 1993 | |
| Topanga State Park | State park | Los Angeles | 12,666 acres (5,126 ha) | 1967 | |
| Torrey Pines State Beach | State beach | San Diego | 61 acres (25 ha) | 1952 | |
| Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | San Diego | 1,461 acres (591 ha) | 1952 | |
| Trinidad State Beach | State beach | Humboldt | 159 acres (64 ha) | 1937 | |
| Tule Elk State Natural Reserve | State natural reserve | Kern | 984 acres (398 ha) | 1932 | |
| Turlock Lake State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Stanislaus | 3,559 acres (1,440 ha) | 1950 | |
| Twin Lakes State Beach | State beach | Santa Cruz | 95 acres (38 ha) | 1955 | |
| Van Damme State Park | State park | Mendocino | 2,336 acres (945 ha) | 1932 | Preserves beach, bog, and a pygmy forest on the site of a former redwood lumbering settlement.[138] The pygmy forest is a National Natural Landmark.[139] |
| Verdugo Mountains | Park property | Los Angeles | 251 acres (102 ha) | 1984 | |
| Ward Creek Project | Park property | Placer | 173 acres (70 ha) | 1978 | |
| Washoe Meadows State Park | State park | El Dorado | 628 acres (254 ha) | 1985 | |
| Wassama Round House State Historic Park | State historic park | Madera | 27 acres (11 ha) | 1978 | |
| Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park | State historic park | Los Angeles | 0.11 acres (0.045 ha) | 1978 | |
| Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park | State historic park | Trinity | 2.8 acres (1.1 ha) | 1956 | |
| Westport-Union Landing State Beach | State beach | Mendocino | 58 acres (23 ha) | 1952 | |
| Wilder Ranch State Park | State park | Santa Cruz | 8,342 acres (3,376 ha) | 1974 | |
| Wildwood Canyon | Park property | Riverside | 856 acres (346 ha) | 2002 | In development |
| Will Rogers State Beach | State beach | Los Angeles | 82 acres (33 ha) | 1931 | |
| Will Rogers State Historic Park | State historic park | Los Angeles | 189 acres (76 ha) | 1944 | |
| William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park | State historic park | Tehama | 3.9 acres (1.6 ha) | 1951 | |
| Woodland Opera House State Historic Park | State historic park | Yolo | 0.26 acres (0.11 ha) | 1980 | |
| Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area | State recreation area | Tehama | 323 acres (131 ha) | 1959 | |
| Zmudowski State Beach | State beach | Montereyand Santa Cruz | 194 acres (79 ha) | 1950 | |
