Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, CA
The iconic suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait is California's most recognized landmark. Walk or cycle across for unobstructed views of the bay, Alcatraz, and the city skyline.
Across the Golden State
Attractions
Curated highlights from all four corners of California, organized by region.
Northern California
6 attractionsAlcatraz Island
San Francisco Bay, CA
The former federal penitentiary on a rocky island in San Francisco Bay draws visitors for its storied history and striking views. The award-winning audio tour narrated by former inmates is essential.
Muir Woods National Monument
Mill Valley, Marin County, CA
Old-growth coast redwoods — some over 1,000 years old and 250 feet tall — tower above Cathedral Grove. Just 12 miles north of San Francisco, it offers remarkable solitude if you arrive early.
Napa Valley
Napa County, CA
California's most celebrated wine region stretches 30 miles through rolling hills. World-class Cabernet Sauvignon, the charming town of Yountville, and farm-to-table dining define the experience.
Point Reyes National Seashore
Marin County, CA
A wild peninsula jutting into the Pacific, Point Reyes offers dramatic sea cliffs, pristine beaches, tule elk herds, and one of the best whale-watching vantage points in North America.
Redwood National and State Parks
Humboldt & Del Norte Counties, CA
Home to the tallest trees on Earth, this UNESCO World Heritage site protects ancient coastal redwood groves. The Tall Trees Grove and Lady Bird Johnson Grove trails are among the finest.
Central Coast
5 attractionsBig Sur
Monterey County, CA
Ninety miles of raw Pacific coastline where the Santa Lucia mountains plunge directly into the sea. McWay Falls, Bixby Creek Bridge, and Pfeiffer Beach are the visual anchors of this legendary stretch of Highway 1.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, CA
One of the finest aquariums in the world, built on the site of a former sardine cannery. The open sea exhibit — featuring bluefin tuna, sea turtles, and hammerhead sharks — is genuinely breathtaking.
17-Mile Drive
Pebble Beach, CA
A private scenic road through Pebble Beach's gated community, passing the weathered Lone Cypress, craggy coastlines, and world-famous golf courses. Best driven at low tide in early morning light.
Hearst Castle
San Simeon, CA
William Randolph Hearst's hilltop estate is a flamboyant monument to Gilded Age excess — 165 rooms, indoor and outdoor pools tiled in gold and lapis, and priceless European antiques throughout.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara County, CA
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, a palm-lined State Street, and a backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains give Santa Barbara a Mediterranean character unlike anywhere else in California.
Sierra Nevada
5 attractionsYosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park, CA
El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Bridalveil Fall converge in a seven-mile glacial valley. The Valley Loop Trail and Tunnel View overlook deliver scenes that defined American landscape photography.
Lake Tahoe
El Dorado & Placer Counties, CA
At 6,225 feet elevation, Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Emerald Bay State Park on the western shore, with its tiny island and Scandinavian-style tea house, is the visual highlight.
Sequoia National Park
Tulare County, CA
The General Sherman Tree — the largest living organism on Earth by volume — stands in the Giant Forest alongside thousands of its ancient kin. The Congress Trail loop takes in the densest grove.
Mono Lake
Mono County, CA
Ancient and otherworldly, Mono Lake is ringed by tufa towers — calcium carbonate spires formed underwater over millennia. The South Tufa area offers the most dramatic viewing, especially at sunset.
Death Valley National Park
Inyo County, CA
The hottest, driest, lowest national park in North America contains surprising multitudes: sand dunes, colorful badlands, salt flats, and the surreal Artist's Palette geological formation.
Southern California
6 attractionsJoshua Tree National Park
San Bernardino County, CA
The convergence of the Mojave and Colorado deserts produces an alien landscape of granite monoliths and twisted Joshua trees. Exceptional for bouldering, hiking, and some of the darkest skies in the state.
Griffith Observatory
Los Angeles, CA
Perched on the south slope of Mount Hollywood, Griffith Observatory offers free public telescopes, planetarium shows, and the finest panoramic view of the Los Angeles basin — free to enter.
Balboa Park
San Diego, CA
A 1,200-acre urban cultural park housing 17 museums, the San Diego Zoo, multiple theater companies, and gardens. The Spanish Colonial Revival buildings along El Prado are architectural treasures.
La Jolla Cove
La Jolla, San Diego, CA
A sheltered ocean cove ringed by sea caves and sandstone cliffs. Harbor seals sun themselves on the rocks below the park, snorkeling reveals kelp forests, and the nearby Coast Walk offers dramatic blufftop views.
Getty Center
Los Angeles, CA
Richard Meier's travertine-clad hilltop campus houses one of America's premier art collections — alongside sweeping views of Los Angeles and the Pacific. Admission is free; parking is the expense.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
San Diego County, CA
California's largest state park covers 600,000 acres of Sonoran Desert. Spring wildflower blooms can carpet the bajadas in color. The park also hosts a remarkable collection of large metal sculpture installations.