If you wish to know the finest Nationwide Parks close to San Francisco, you’ve come to the best place.
San Francisco is likely one of the most lovely cities on this planet, however do you know that it’s also inside driving distance of a few of the finest Nationwide Parks within the nation? Whereas this wonderful metropolis is well-known for its sights and vacationer points of interest just like the Golden Gate Bridge, many individuals don’t understand that it’s the excellent place to see a number of nationwide parks close to San Francisco!
For these touring to California, town of San Francisco could be a nice place to begin for exploring rather more than simply massive cities. It’s strategically positioned very near many breathtaking areas to see, all inside a simple 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 areas and virtually limitless choices!
1. Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space
Distance: 10 miles, Driving time: 20 minutes
Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space is probably the preferred vacationer vacation spot in San Francisco and simply probably the most recognizable and iconic. This park encompasses over 80,000 acres and consists of scenic views, completely different biospheres, and even historic websites.
A few of the extra outstanding and well-liked 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 points of interest, this park has loads of scenic mountaineering trails the place you possibly can get pleasure from seeing the plentiful wildlife. That is one park you don’t want to overlook, as it’s rather 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 reputation over time and is now one of many Bay space’s largest points of interest. It’s the excellent vacation spot for nature and forest lovers.
Established in 1908, this park permits guests to hike amongst coastal redwoods, a few of the tallest bushes discovered anyplace on this planet.
With a number of mountaineering trails and surreal forest groves, this place may be highly regarded, relying on the time of 12 months. Remember 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 among the best ones is Level Reyes Nationwide Seashore. This place is residence to some wonderful cliffs and rocks with an ocean backdrop that gives a few of the most gorgeous views in the entire state.
Level Reyes additionally acts as an enormous 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 overlook to go to Level Reyes Lighthouse.
For those who 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 massive cliffs, caves, and rocks sound like your thought of enjoyable, then Pinnacles Nationwide Park could be an amazing nationwide park to go to. Situated within the coronary heart of the Salinas Valley, this park is filled with cliffs, caves, and constructions fashioned by an historical volcano that erupted 23 million years in the past.
Whereas well-known for its mountain climbing and mountaineering, this park can 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 ample wildlife. And solely slightly 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 known as one of many best shorelines on this planet and is known as “the crown jewel of Califonia’s state parks.” Folks flock right here from all around the world to get pleasure from 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, ample wildlife, and coastal overlooks, there may be virtually no finish of lovely issues to see at Level Lobos State Reserve, and it is just a brief two-hour drive from San Fransisco!
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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 via it.
A few of the extra well-liked points of interest at this park, except for the coastal drive, is Pfeiffer Seaside and McWay Falls. Each supply some wonderful surroundings and images alternatives!
Nonetheless solely slightly over 2 hours away, Pfeiffer Huge Sur State Park is lots 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 america, and plenty of are stunned to be taught that San Francisco is situated solely 3 quick hours away. It’s residence to 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 may be very busy from April to November.
It’s straightforward to see why hikers and photographers fall in love with a spot like Yosemite, and San Francisco might be the proper staging level to go to this well-liked nationwide park.
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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 via it is likely one of the most breathtaking and scenic drives in all the 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 amazing 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 finest mountain and alpine views California affords.
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 affords 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 folks to deal with. It additionally has loads of tenting and horseback using 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 typically visited on the identical journey. However whereas Kings Canyon has its trademark canyon, Sequoia is legendary for its large bushes.
Sequoia Nationwide Park is a land stuffed with large redwood bushes, together with the world’s largest tree (by quantity) named Common Sherman.
Guests to this park can wander across the groves of those large bushes, discover mountaineering trails, and luxuriate in scenic meadows and canyons. There are additionally some underground sights to discover known as Crystal Cave. Sequoia is properly definitely 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 fashioned by the world’s freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. It additionally protects all of the native wildlife, together with the thousands and thousands 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, the entire salt and minerals have constructed up within the lake and it is extremely salty. These have contributed to the entire 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 may be the one that’s the most value it! These parks are in a league of their very own, and the large redwood bushes are one thing that everybody ought to see at the least as soon as of their lifetime.
Whereas Sequoia Nationwide Park has the largest (per quantity) bushes on this planet, Redwood has the tallest bushes on this planet.
With a lot wilderness and trails to discover, you might spend an infinite period of time right here, and it nonetheless wouldn’t be sufficient. It may be a stretch for a day driving journey, however it’s properly value it!
Nationwide Parks Close to San Francisco| Conclusion
When visiting nationwide and state parks, it could possibly typically be a problem to search out the proper metropolis to fly or journey to in an effort to startyour adventurer. Fortunately, there are locations like San Francisco which can be in shut proximity to so many alternative and wonderful pure wonders!
