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California is famous for its natural beauty, from towering redwoods and rocky canyons to crashing waves and moonlike deserts. And the good news is that you don’t need to wander far to see it. In San Francisco, it’s all nearby—sometimes even inside city limits. Here are the best national and state parks near the Golden City.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Where: San Francisco County, California
What to Expect: Boasting the largest collection of historic buildings in any national park, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is home to one of the most famous sites in the United States: the Golden Gate Bridge. But that’s just the beginning for this incredible destination, which also happens to be one of the largest urban parks in the world. Composed of 37 distinct sites, including Fort Point National Historic Site and Alcatraz Island, it’s ideal for history lovers as well as hikers, with 130 miles of trails to discover.
Size: 128 square miles
Amenities: Guided tours, campgrounds, picnic areas, wildlife viewing areas, historic structures, museums, stables, visitor centers, hiking, biking, and equestrian trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are allowed on a leash, and off-leash in specific areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible parking and beach wheelchairs.
Point Reyes National Seashore
Where: Marin County, California
What to Expect: Just 30 miles north of San Francisco, this park is perennially popular with hikers and wildlife enthusiasts who come here to watch whales, elk, and elephant seals. Admire the peninsula’s wild coastal beauty as you stroll along the foggy, picturesque beach and cliffs.
Size: 111 square miles
Amenities: Guided tours and classes, visitor center, wildlife viewing areas, campgrounds, kayak rentals and launch sites, boat launch, hiking, cycling, and equestrian trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are allowed on a leash in specific areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible lookouts and braille maps.
Pinnacles National Park
Where: San Benito and Monterey Counties, California
What to Expect: Formed by an ancient volcanic eruption, this relatively new national park is a favorite of rock climbers and bird watchers. (Be sure to keep an eye out for the endangered California Condor). Hikers also love to explore the talus caves—steep canyons filled with massive boulders.
Size: 40 square miles
Amenities: Campground, hiking trails, and ranger programs
Pets Permitted: Dogs are allowed in limited areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: Because this park’s terrain is steep and rocky, access for people with mobility impairments may be limited.
Muir Woods National Monument
Where: Marin County, California
What to Expect: Dedicated to naturalist John Muir, this primeval forest of old growth redwoods takes visitors back in time. At more than 250 feet high and 400 to 800 years old, the ancient trees are the real stars here.
Size: 0.87 square miles
Amenities: Educational programs, concession, gift shop, and hiking trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are not allowed.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible trail segments and braille maps.
Presidio
Where: San Francisco County, California
What to Expect: Located at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, Presidio marks where San Francisco began as a Spanish military reservation in 1776, making it the oldest installation in the West. Along with hiking, biking, going to the beach and taking in stellar views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the park also offers several cultural points of interest, including the Walt Disney Family Museum and the Society of California Pioneers.
Size: 2.3 square miles
Amenities: Visitor center, restaurants, picnic areas, cycling and hiking trails, scenic overlooks, historic sites and memorials, museum, hotel, shuttle and playground
Pets Permitted: Dogs are allowed on a leash.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible shuttles and trails.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Where: Santa Cruz County, California
What to Expect: With the celebrated Big Basin Redwoods State Park closed indefinitely due to fires, head to this nearby state park to see 40 acres of towering old-growth redwood trees. Thanks to admirers including President Theodore Roosevelt, the grove inspired some of the state’s earliest conservation efforts. In addition to hiking, enjoy horseback riding, fishing, camping, and swimming underneath the open sky.
Size: 7.3 square miles
Amenities: Campgrounds, visitor center, picnic areas, exhibits, guided tours, museums, and hiking, cycling, and equestrian trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are allowed on a leash in specific areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible exhibits and trails.
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Where: San Mateo County, California
What to Expect: Made up of several beaches—including Mavericks, one of the best surf spots in the Bay Area—this sunny destination is ideal for swimming, fishing and relaxing. For a more active visit, take the Coastside Trail along the shoreline, and pause for a picnic on the sand or a dip in the brisk Pacific waters.
Size: 4 miles
Amenities: Campground, picnic areas, visitor center, interpretive exhibits, and hiking, cycling, and equestrian trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are not allowed on the beach.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including a trail and beach wheelchairs.
Mount Diablo State Park
Where: Contra Costa County, California
What to Expect: Hiking enthusiasts can ascend Mount Diablo, which looms over the East Bay at 3,848 feet, for a sprawling lookout over the Sierra Nevadas, the Farallon Islands and even Yosemite. The massive parks’ 78 scenic trails are also a favorite with cyclists and equestrians for its wildlife and picturesque landscape.
Size: 31 square miles
Amenities: Visitor center, observation deck, campgrounds, guided tours, and cycling, equestrian, and hiking trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are only allowed on a leash in developed areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including a trail and campgrounds.
Angel Island State Park
Where: Marin County, California
What to Expect: The largest natural island in San Francisco Bay, you must take a ferry ride out to Ayala Cove to visit this scenic park. It’s especially popular with hikers—and for good reason. For some of the best views of the city, follow the gentle switchbacks up Mount Livermore and pick out San Francisco’s famous landmarks, including Alcatraz, Telegraph Hill and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Size: 1.2 square miles
Amenities: Campgrounds, visitor center, tram tour, restaurant, picnic areas, hiking trails, museum, mooring buoys, and boat docks
Pets Permitted: Dogs not allowed.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including the tram and visitor center.
Castle Rock State Park
Where: Juneau County, California
What to Expect: A hot spot for rock climbing, the sandstone formations and steep canyons of the Santa Cruz Mountains in this park provide a thrilling challenge. Its rugged trails, waterfalls, lush vegetation and caves also make it a favorite of hikers and backpackers.
Size: 8 square miles
Amenities: Campgrounds, picnic areas, museums, visitor center, amphitheater, and hiking and equestrian trails
Pets Permitted: No dogs allowed.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park’s natural terrain may be inaccessible for visitors with mobility issues, however there is a whole access trail that leads to an accessible vista and picnic area.
Butano State Park
Where: San Mateo County, California
What to Expect: One of the most remote parks in the Santa Cruz mountains, Butano is a haven for second- and third growth-redwood trees. Wander through the shaded canyon on 40 miles of hiking trails—Little Butano Creek Trail is one favorite—to admire flowering calypso orchids, flowing streams and oak woodlands.
Size: 6 square miles
Amenities: Campground, picnic areas, historical sites, visitor center, guided tours, hiking, cycling, and equestrian trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs allowed in campgrounds and paved areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: This park has limited accessibility.
Año Nuevo State Reserve
Where: San Mateo County, California
What to Expect: One of the elephant seal’s largest mainland breeding colonies in the world, this is the place to go to see the marine mammal year-round. The reserve is home to an estimated 10,000 seals that mate, molt and give birth here. Take a guided tour of the colony, or hike through the reserve’s distinctive coastal terrace prairie, wetland marshes, dune fields, and coastal scrub in search of other species like otters, cormorants, terns, endangered San Francisco garter snakes and California red-legged frogs.
Size: 6.6 square miles
Amenities: Wildlife viewing area, hiking trails, visitor center, guided tours, exhibits, and picnic area
Pets Permitted: No dogs allowed.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible trails and picnic areas.
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
Where: Napa County, California
What to Expect: Located in the heart of wine country, this Napa Valley park was practically made for a day of relaxation (and wine and cheese picnics). Hike among the wildflowers or in a redwood forest, and find the perfect place down by the creek to crack open the bottle you snagged at that fancy vineyard.
Size: 3 square miles
Amenities: Campground, picnic areas, cycling and hiking trails, exhibits, museums, swimming pool, and family programming
Pets Permitted: Dogs are only allowed in developed areas.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including accessible trails and picnic areas.
Fremont Peak State Park
Where: San Benito County, California
What to Expect: Hike to the top of Fremont Peak and on a clear day, it will feel like you can see the entire state. Better yet: Head to the park’s Fremont Peak Observatory from April to October for education viewings and see the night sky in all its glory with minimal light pollution.
Size: 0.25 square miles
Amenities: Observatory, campgrounds, picnic areas, and cycling and hiking trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are not allowed on trails.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including the observatory and campgrounds.
Sonoma Coast State Park
Where: Sonoma County, California
What to Expect: With a total of 13 beaches, there’s a whole world of shoreline to explore at this coastal park. Hike along the bluffs and watch the winter migration of whales, go fishing on Shell Beach, or try your hand at surfing on North Salmon Creek Beach.
Size: 16 square miles
Amenities: Campgrounds, boat ramps, picnic areas, visitor center, family programs, exhibits, and cycling, equestrian and biking trails
Pets Permitted: Dogs are allowed on specific beaches.
Wheelchair Accessible: The park offers a variety of accessible amenities, including trails and picnic areas.
