You could spend a lifetime exploring California and not see it all—especially when you take into account hours spent sitting in traffic or wading through crowds. So we rounded up 11 of the stateʼs most underrated parks and natural places, spots that will take your breath away while giving you the space to breathe.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Sacramento Valley
Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the state’s least-visited national parks—a surprise, considering how much it resembles one of the nation’s most popular. In Shasta County, the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Mountains, and the Great Basin collide to form hydrothermal spectacles that make the park California’s personal Yellowstone.
Mercer Caverns
Murphys
Deep in Calaveras County hides an otherworldly network of limestone cave formations. Discovered during the Gold Rush, Mercer Caverns became a popular tourist attraction in the late 19th century. Like generations of visitors before you, you can book a tour to explore winding paths lined with stalactites and stalagmites and descend flowstone staircases.
Hot Creek Geologic Site
Mammoth Lakes
Split by its namesake waterway, Hot Creek Geologic Site lies in a valley within the Inyo National Forest. Underground magma chambers heated up the area over the course of around 1,000 years. Arising from the site’s scalding puddles, geysers have occasionally erupted, mostly during earthquakes.
Fern Canyon
Humboldt County
Humboldt County’s Fern Canyon was a setting in the second Jurassic Park film, The Lost World, for good reason: At 325 million years old, the lush paradise’s ferns inevitably witnessed some real dinos in their day. A Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park secret, the canyon features hanging moss gardens, miniature waterfalls, and chances to splash around. The area’s lollipop-shaped loop trail is a sunrise favorite, with glistening canyon walls and cinematic views.
Fonts Point
Anza-Borrego
Tucked in California’s southeastern corner amongst distinct ridgelines and desert flora lies Fonts Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Nicknamed “California’s Grand Canyon,” it’s one of the best spots to view the Badlands’ rugged ridges, casting dramatic shadows over sandy arroyos.
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Cantil
Right where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada collides with the El Paso Range, Red Rock Canyon State Park unveils its landscape of dramatic rock formations and unique canyons. This secluded valley offers a serene escape with opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, and even spotting ancient petroglyphs.
Monarch Grove Sanctuary
Pacific Grove
Every October, thousands of monarch butterflies migrate to Monterey County’s Pacific Grove, gathering on its pine and eucalyptus trees in bizarre yet beautiful clusters and giving the city the nickname “Butterfly Town, USA.” The Monarch Grove Sanctuary is typically open from October to February, welcoming visitors to observe the flame-colored insects.
Mono Lake
Mono County
Mono Lake’s ultra-salty, alkaline waters rest in the heart of a vast desert in the lake’s namesake county. Peculiar towers emerge from the million-year-old lake’s surface, while a trillion brine shrimp swim below. Birdwatchers, hikers, kayakers, and photographers come for stunning views of mountains and desert, while locals swear a dip in the ancient waters cures almost anything.
Sentinel Dome
Yosemite Valley
Looking for an Ansel Adams view of Yosemite without Capitan-sized crowds? Sentinel Dome, on the south wall of the Yosemite Valley, has remained a criminally underrated spot in one of the nation’s most beloved parks. The two-mile hike is more than worth it for the breathtaking panoramas at the top.
Artists Palette
Death Valley
Never underestimate a modest dusty terrain—behind it might lie rolling hills of rainbow pastels. Part of the Artists Drive Scenic Loop in Death Valley, the Artists Palette is a must-see at sunrise or sunset, when the shifting light and shadows bring out its rich reds, oranges, yellows, blues, pinks, and greens. With no maintained trails but plenty of pullouts for safe parking, it just might inspire you to try your hand at a little landscape painting yourself.
Bodie State Historic Park
Bridgeport
Cue an Ennio Morricone song when you step into Bodie State Historic Park, a former gold mining hot spot turned spaghetti Western–worthy ghost town. Rather than repairing Bodie’s 150-year-old structures or simply letting them crumble into dust, the state park service maintains the buildings in a state of “arrested decay.”
