California Travel Guides

Welcome to California, the Golden State. This is where you will find all of our California Travel Guides!

California is located in the southwestern quadrant of the United States, bordered by Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico.

This is the 3rd largest state by area as well as the most populous state in America.

Capital: Sacramento

Population: About 40 million

Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)

California Highlights

California is one of the most coveted travel destinations in the United States. The Golden State is home to iconic cities, bucket list landmarks, diverse National Park landscapes, stunning sunsets and epic road trips.

National Parks In California:

• Yosemite National Park
• Death Valley National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Redwood National and State Parks
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
• Pinnacles National Park
• Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Channel Islands National Park

Want more National Park content? Visit our US National Park Guides.

Popular Places To Visit In California:

• San Diego
• Los Angeles
• Santa Barbara
• San Francisco
• Lake Tahoe
• Disneyland
• Palm Springs
• Point Reyes National Seashore
• Lava Beds National Monument
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is located in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain range. It is famous for its granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome as well as the ancient sequoia trees and numerous waterfalls.

This National Park is one of the most photogenic parks in all of the United States. Be sure to stop by the Ansel Adams Gallery where you can see famous early photographs of this stunning area.

Below you can find our popular guides for Yosemite National Park:

• Yosemite Itinerary – This is an ultimate first time visitor guide to Yosemite featuring a one, two and three day itinerary.

• Best places to stay near Yosemite – The best hotels and lodging options for all types of budgets.

• Guide to hiking the Yosemite Mist Trail – How to hike the John Muir Loop to Vernal and Nevada Falls.

• Photography in Yosemite National Park – The best locations, iconic landmarks and epic vistas.

• Yosemite in October – Ten important things to know before visiting in fall.

Heading to Yosemite? Shop our Yosemite Travel Guidebook to help plan to your trip.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is located in eastern California in the northern Mojave Desert and in summer, this park becomes one of the hottest places on earth. This National Park is home to the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin.

• One day in Death Valley National Park – The perfect day trip itinerary from Las Vegas.

• Death Valley in December – 10 key things you need to know before visiting.

• Best hotels in Death Valley – 13 top rated hotels inside and near Death Valley.

Joshua Tree National Park

This National Park can be found in southern California straddling both the Colorado and Mojave desert. The name comes from the picturesque twisted Joshua trees which are scattered throughout the area.

• Joshua Tree day trip – An amazing one day road trip itinerary.

• Best hotels near Joshua Tree – 12 best places to stay around JT national park.

When hiking in California’s National Parks, we always use Gaia GPS. You can use our special link to receive 20% off a Gaia GPS subscription.

Or want a different app? Be sure to check out the best trail apps for hiking to help you conquer those bucket list hikes in California.

California Pacific Coast Highway

State Route 1 runs almost the entirety of the pacific coastline in the United States from Washington all the way to California. But the longest and most popular section of this road is located in California.

The California Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is known as one of the best American road trips of all time. Most people drive just a section of the California PCH anywhere from San Francisco to San Diego.

• Pacific coast highway road trip – 23 stunning stops from San Francisco to San Diego you need to add to your bucket list itinerary.

San Francisco Travel Guides

• San Francisco Itinerary – 3 amazing days with restaurant and hotel recommendations.

• Things to do in San Francisco – 40 free, cheap and fun things to so in SF.

• Best hotels in San Francisco – 20 top rated hotels across the most popular neighborhoods.

• Alcatraz tour review – Is a tour to the mysterious Alcatraz Island worth your valuable time and money?

• Best viewpoints of the Golden Gate Bridge – Five amazing photography locations to capture this iconic landmark.

• How to visit the Exploratorium – Complete guide to visiting the San Francisco Exploratorium.

• Guide to visiting the Coit Tower – How to visit the Coit Tower observation deck on Telegraph Hill.

• SF Japanese tea garden – Everything you need to know about the amazing San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden.

• San Francisco CityPASS and C3 Pass review – How to visit select attractions in San Francisco at a competitive price point.

• San Francisco pass comparison – Detailed comparison between each of the 3 San Francisco Passes and which one you should buy for your visit.

Los Angeles Travel Guides

• Best things to do in Los Angeles – Ten unmissable things to do in LA for first time visitors.

• Best hotels in Los Angeles – 25 top rated hotels in the popular LA neighborhoods.

• Warner Bros studio tour Hollywood – Is this hyped up tour worth the money?

San Diego Travel Guides

• San Diego Itinerary – A list of nine epic things to do over three days in San Diego.

• Best hotels in San Diego – 20 top rated hotels across the most popular neighborhoods.

Northern California Travel Guides

California is home to many stunning hot springs surrounded by epic vistas which makes for a great addition to a road trip. Be sure to check out all of our hot spring travel guides below.

• Northern California hot springs – The 20 best northern California hot springs and where to find them.

Many of these popular hot springs are located near Yosemite National Park and make for a relaxing soak after a long day of hiking.

• Hill Top hot spring – Our favorite hot spring in the Mammoth Lakes area.

• Crab Cooker hot spring – The hottest spring in the area so only enter if you dare.

• Travertine hot springs – The most popular natural hot spring found along scenic US highway 395.

Lake Tahoe Travel Guides

Cave Rock Lake Tahoe – How to hike to Cave Rock for a stunning sunset over the lake.

Want more USA content? Head over to our USA Travel Guides to explore more from the United States of America.

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More California Travel Guides