If you wish to know the greatest Nationwide Parks close to San Francisco, you’ve come to the correct place.
San Francisco is among the most stunning cities on the planet, however do you know that it’s also inside driving distance of a few of the greatest Nationwide Parks within the nation? Whereas this superb metropolis is well-known for its sights and vacationer sights just like the Golden Gate Bridge, many individuals don’t notice 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 could be a nice place to begin 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 present you a listing of places and nearly limitless choices!
1. Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space
Distance: 10 miles, Driving time: 20 minutes
Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space is probably the most well-liked vacationer vacation spot in San Francisco and simply essentially the most recognizable and iconic. This park encompasses over 80,000 acres and contains scenic views, totally different biospheres, and even historic websites.
A number of the extra outstanding and fashionable of those websites embody 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 largest 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 anyplace on the planet.
With a number of mountaineering trails and surreal forest groves, this place could be very fashionable, relying on the time of yr. You’ll want to arrive early to make sure a parking spot, that is one park you’ll not wish to miss!
3. Level Reyes Nationwide Seashore
Distance: 40 miles, Driving time: 1 hour
Being in California means some stunning ocean sights, and the most effective ones is Level Reyes Nationwide Seashore. This place is dwelling to some superb 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 totally different animal and plant species with its distinctive and exquisite shorelines.
When visiting Level Reyes Nationwide Seashore, don’t overlook to go to Level Reyes Lighthouse.
Should you love animals, Level Reyes is the place to go to. Residence to the uncommon Tule elk, seal colonies, and migrating gray whales, you by no means know what sort of wildlife you would possibly 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 can be a terrific 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 historic volcano that erupted 23 million years in the past.
Whereas well-known for its mountaineering 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 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 the planet and is known as “the crown jewel of Califonia’s state parks.” Folks 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, ample wildlife, and coastal overlooks, there’s nearly no finish of gorgeous 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 superb 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 number of the extra fashionable sights at this park, other than the coastal drive, is Pfeiffer Seashore and McWay Falls. Each provide some superb 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 stunning 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 among the most well-known parks in the US, and plenty of are stunned to study that San Francisco is situated solely 3 quick hours away. It’s dwelling 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 inside the park, together with some superb rivers and waterfalls. Simply be ready, as this park could 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 fashionable 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 by means of it is among the most breathtaking and scenic drives in your entire nationwide park system.
This freeway passes two stunning alpine lakes, and each Emerald Lake and Lake Helen will blow you away. For hikers, Bumpass Hell Path is notorious for being a terrific hike with some steaming sulfur swimming pools as a reward to see!
Hikers will love this superb park, and the surroundings has a few of the greatest mountain and alpine views California gives.
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 gives views of the superb Kings Canyon, one of many deepest canyons within the nation, in addition to loads of totally 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 wish 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 known for its big timber.
Sequoia Nationwide Park is a land stuffed with big redwood timber, together with the world’s largest tree (by quantity) named Basic 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 known 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 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, all the salt and minerals have constructed up within the lake and it is extremely salty. These have contributed to all the superb 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 among the furthest drives from San Franciso, it could 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 at the least as soon as of their lifetime.
Whereas Sequoia Nationwide Park has the most important (per quantity) timber on the planet, Redwood has the tallest timber on the planet.
With a lot wilderness and trails to discover, you may spend an infinite period of time right here, and it nonetheless wouldn’t be sufficient. It could 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 typically be a problem to seek out the proper metropolis to fly or journey to so as to startyour adventurer. Fortunately, there are locations like San Francisco which can be in shut proximity to so many alternative and superb pure wonders!