California: Top 5 hidden national parks

Did you see Avital Binshtock’s vivid article “Bumpass Hell, where volcanic California gets steamy”? Her description of that geothermal wonderland made me start thinking about California’s lesser-known national parks, and great reasons why you should visit before more people discover them.

1. Lassen Volcanic National Park—This park gets only about 10% of the crowds that Yosemite does. The main park road stays open through November, weather-permitting, for access not only to Bumpass Hell, but also pristine lakes and peaks of the Cascade Range.

2. Channel Islands National Park—It’s so close to Los Angeles, but “America’s Galapagos” is one of the least-visited parks in the U.S. Less than 250,000 visitors land on the islands each year, according to the National Park Service (NPS). Go for sea kayaking, snorkeling, and wildlife viewing.

3. Lava Beds National Monument—Secreted away in northeastern California, this rates among North America’s premier spelunking destinations. It offers guided caving tours for beginners, while many other caves remain open for independent explorations by experienced cavers. The park is virtually crowd-free year-round.

4. Pinnacles National Monument—Best visited during fall or spring, this park rising above a central California valley has narrow caves, steep canyons, and talus rock formations for hiking and climbing. It’s 1 of only 3 release sites for the rare California Condor. Call for schedules and reservations for guided night hikes.

5. Devils Postpile National Monument—Next time you’re in the eastern Sierras, hike to 101-foot-high Rainbow Falls or tackle the park’s namesake columnar basalt formation. The park usually closes in mid-October, so wait until it reopens in May or June, when the falls should be rushing again with spring snow melt.

Any advice avoiding the crowds in California’s national parks? Tip us off in the Comments section below.

Contact: Lassen Volcanic National Park, (530) 595-4444
Channel Islands National Park, (805) 658-5730
Lava Beds National Monument, (530) 667-8100
Pinnacles National Monument, (831) 389-4485
Devils Postpile National Monument, (760) 934-2289

Related links:
Bumpass Hell, where volcanic California gets steamy
Big Sur: See California Condors on the coast
A Channel Islands–hopping adventure

— Sara Benson

[Photo: Avital Binshtock / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 3:02 pm by Sara Benson and is filed under California, California's Central Coast, Eco-Travel, Family & Kids, Lake Tahoe & Eastern Sierra, Los Angeles, National Parks, Northern California, Outdoors & Adventure, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra Nevada, Ventura, Yosemite National Park. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.