Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best Places to Hike
North Coast
Redwood National & State Parks and Humboldt Redwoods State Park offer
misty walks through groves of old-growth coast redwoods, or you can discover remote
beaches along the challenging Lost Coast Trail.
San Francisco Bay Area
The Marin Headlands, Muir Woods, Mt Tamalpais and Point
Reyes National Seashore, all within a 90-minute drive of San Francisco, are crisscrossed
by dozens of superb trails.
Central Coast & Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz and Big Sur's state parks abound with
redwood-forest trails, while Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and Channel Islands Nation-
al Park offer ocean-view trails with wildlife-watching. The Santa Ynez Mountains and Los
Padres National Forest beckon in Santa Barbara County.
Los Angeles
Ditch your car in urban Griffith Park and wild Santa Monica Mountains Na-
tional Recreation Area, or head out to the cooler climes of Big Bear Lake. Offshore, day
hikers and backpackers trek Catalina Island.
Fees & Wilderness Permits
Many of coastal California's national parks, including Redwood National Park, Point Reyes
National Seashore and Channel Islands National Park, are free for entry.
Most California state parks charge a daily parking fee of $4 to $15. There's often no charge
for pedestrians or cyclists. Don't park your car just outside the gate and then walk in - Cali-
fornia's state parks are chronically underfunded and need your support.
For unlimited admission to national parks, national forests and other federal recreation
lands, buy an
'America the Beautiful' annual pass
from national park visitor centers and
entry stations or at most USFS ranger stations.
Otherwise, you'll need a
National Forest Adventure Pass
( 909-382-2623, 909-382-2622;
www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap/
; per day $5, annual pass $30)
to park in some recreational areas
of the San Bernardino, Cleveland, Angeles and Los Padres National Forests. Buy these
passes on the spot from USFS ranger stations and authorized local vendors (eg sporting-
goods stores), or order them online in advance.
Often required for overnight backpacking trips, wilderness permits (up to $20 or more,
sometimes free) are issued at ranger stations and park visitor centers. Daily quotas may be
