1328 Best Sights in California, USA

Many areas that fall under the auspices of the National Park Service are on what was Native American land and encompass spots of sacred, archaeological, historical, and cultural importance to indigenous tribes. This beautiful new 4,100-square-foot visitor center—which opened in 2022 in Freedom Plaza right in downtown Twentynine Palms—is indicative of a commitment by the park service in recent years to tell this side of park history. Displays and programs focus on the Maara’yam (Serrano), Nüwüwü (Chemehuevi), Kawiya (Cahuilla), and Aha Macave (Mojave) peoples whose traditional homelands or use areas fall within today's park borders.

The four original cultures who lived, farmed, worshipped, or hunted in this region have descendants in 15 modern-day bands, tribes, and nations, which worked in partnership with the park service, City of Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree National Park Association, and Bureau of Land Management to create the permanent exhibition. The center also has an information desk, a bookstore, a gift shop, and restrooms with flush toilets.

This steep 4.3-mile loop climbs into the heart of the dramatic High Peaks with a 1,215-foot elevation gain. Summer temps can soar, so bring plenty of water. From the trailhead follow the switchbacks up for 1.2 miles, where the trail veers right; stop at Scout Peak, where you'll find restrooms and fantastic views in all directions—keep an eye out for the occasional California condor in flight. Follow the High Peaks Trail north through a steep and narrow section, where you hug the side of rock faces until reaching a short, nearly vertical staircase that has a railing to help you up. Then pick up the Tunnel Trail to complete your loop back to the trailhead via the Juniper Canyon Trail. Difficult.

This flat, well-maintained, 3½-mile loop starting and ending at the Prairie Creek Visitor Center passes beneath awe-inspiring redwoods. The 1-mile section along the Karl Knapp Trail (formerly the Prairie Creek Trail) fringes a babbling brook. You then cross Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, turn south onto the Cathedral Trees Trail, and detour along the 0.3-mile Big Tree Loop before meandering south and west through yet more gorgeous old-growth forest. Options for extending your hike include walking 1½ miles up Cal-Barrel Road (an old, unpaved logging route) and then looping back 2 miles on the Rhododendron Trail to rejoin Cathedral Trees. Easy–Moderate.

As you enter the Mojave National Preserve, you'll pass miles of open scrub brush, Joshua trees, and beautiful red-black cinder cones before encountering the Kelso Dunes. These golden, fine-sand slopes cover 45 square miles, reaching heights of 500 feet. You can reach them via a 1.5-mile walk from the main parking area, but be prepared for a serious workout. When you reach the top of a dune, kick a little bit of sand down the lee side and listen to the sand "sing" (or vibrate). North of the dunes, in the town of Kelso, is the Mission revival–style Kelso Depot Visitor Center, a striking building that dates from 1923. It's normally open everyday but Tuesday and Wednesday, but it's closed for renovation until 2025; check ahead for updates.

This 16-acre site is one of the Central Valley's top museum complexes. The indoor-outdoor Kern County Museum is an open-air, walk-through historic village with more than 55 restored or re-created buildings dating from the 1860s to the 1940s. "Black Gold: The Oil Experience," a permanent exhibit, shows how oil is created, discovered, extracted, and transformed for various uses. The Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center, for ages eight and younger, has hands-on displays and an indoor playground.

A cadre of sweet, well-informed volunteers runs this jam-packed throwback of a museum that's bigger than it looks from the outside. With exhibits about Lake Isabella, minerals and gems, old tools and farming implements, pioneer and native life, and Hollywood Westerns shot in the area, you’ll likely find something to intrigue you.

This 150-acre 1910 ranch, which once belonged to William and Frances Keys and is now on the National Historic Register, illustrates one of the area's most successful attempts at homesteading. The couple raised five children under extreme desert conditions. Most of the original buildings, including the house, school, store, and workshop, have been restored to the way they were when William died in 1969. It's only open via ranger-guided, 90-minute, half-mile walking tours offered from October to May. Reservations are required.

At 5,185 feet, this point affords a sweeping view of the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault, the peak of 11,500-foot Mt. San Gorgonio, the shimmering surface of the Salton Sea, and—on a very clear day—Signal Mountain in Mexico. Sunrise and sunset are magical times to head to the wheelchair-accessible crest lookout as the light throws rocks and trees into high relief before bathing the hills in fiery shades of red, orange, and gold.

The 30-mile stretch of Route 180 between Grant Grove Village and Zumwalt Meadow delivers eye-popping scenery—granite cliffs, a roaring river, waterfalls, and Kings River canyon itself—much of which you can experience at vista points or on easy walks. The canyon comes into view about 10 miles east of the village at Junction View. Five miles beyond, at Yucca Point, the canyon is thousands of feet deeper than the more famous Grand Canyon. Canyon View, a special spot 1 mile east of the Cedar Grove Village turnoff, showcases evidence of the area's glacial history. Here, perhaps more than anywhere else, you'll understand why John Muir compared Kings Canyon vistas with those in Yosemite.  Without any stops, this out-and-back drive takes about two hours, but check ahead to see if there are any roadwork delays.

This grassy, windswept bluff rises 650 feet above the confluence of the Klamath River and the Pacific. Among RNSP's best spots for spying migratory whales in early winter and late spring (other wildlife year-round), it accesses a section of the Coastal Trail. Warm days are ideal for picnicking at one of the tables.

A handsome, contemporary LEED-certified structure at the southwest entrance, this helpful year-round resource is a good place to pick up maps, inquire about kids' activities and ranger programs, view an engaging park film, and check out the well-conceived interactive exhibits. There's also an excellent bookstore and a casual café.

Since decamping for California, Hoosier winemaker Erik Miller, who named his winery after his Indiana hometown, has raked in awards for his single-vineyard wines, most notably Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel. A few years back, one of the Pinots scored 100 points at a prestigious local competition, capturing top honors for its varietal and among all the reds entered. Fans of the Pauline's Vineyard Grenache Rosé snag most of the supply within weeks of release. Some guests sit amid the potted plants fronting the industrial-parklike production facility, though the banter in the main tasting area, high rows of oak aging barrels its focal point, lures many inside. (The adjacent room for club members is a veritable party even midweek on some summer days.) Appointments are highly recommended; same-day visits are possible, but call first.

This shimmering blue-green inlet surrounded by cliffs is what first attracted everyone to La Jolla, from Native Americans to the glitterati. "The Cove," as locals refer to it, beyond where Girard Avenue dead-ends into Coast Boulevard, is marked by towering palms that line a promenade where people strolling in designer clothes are as common as Frisbee throwers. Ellen Browning Scripps Park sits atop cliffs formed by the incessant pounding of the waves and offers a great spot for picnics with a view. The Cove has beautiful white sand that is a bit coarse near the water's edge, but the beach is still a great place for sunbathing and lounging. At low tide, the pools and cliff caves are a destination for explorers. With visibility at 30-plus feet, this is the best place in San Diego for snorkeling, where bright-orange garibaldi fish and other marine life populate the waters of the San Diego–La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve. From above water, it's not uncommon to spot sea lions and birds basking on the rocks, or dolphin fins just offshore. The cove is also a favorite of rough-water swimmers, while the area just north is best for kayakers wanting to explore the Seven La Jolla Sea Caves. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Among the most accessible spots to view big trees, this impressive grove a short drive northeast of Orick was dedicated by, and named for, the former first lady. A level, 1.4-mile nature loop crosses a neat old wooden footbridge and follows an old logging road through this often mist-shrouded forest of redwoods. Easy.

Stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone deposits, and crystals entice visitors to the Lake Shasta Caverns. To see this impressive spectacle, you must take the two-hour tour, which includes a catamaran ride across the McCloud arm of Lake Shasta and a bus ride up North Grey Rocks Mountain to the cavern entrance. The temperature in the caverns is 58°F year-round, making them a cool retreat on a hot summer day. The most awe-inspiring of the limestone rock formations is the glistening Cathedral Room, which appears to be gilded.  In summer, it's wise to purchase tickets online a day or more ahead of your visit.

Playful labels by artist Jeanne Greco, whose past clients include Aerosmith, Mattel (for Barbie), and the post office, are the first indication that something offbeat is afoot at Lang & Reed. The second: the wines themselves. In the land of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, husband-wife owners John and Tracey Skupny focus on Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. In making the Cab Francs, John strives to create wines that are "delicious and fruity but not simple." He succeeds. Son Reed Skupny's worldwide quest for wine knowledge found him in the Loire Valley, eventually becoming obsessed with crafting noteworthy Chenin Blanc. His Chenins, clean on the palate with pleasing acidity, achieve his objective. Lang & Reed pours its wines in a restored Victorian, sometimes on its front porch. A block from Main Street, the casual setting evokes the slower-paced Napa of yore.

Founded in 1895 but planted with grapes even before that by San Francisco's free-spirited Lillie Hitchcock Coit, Larkmead was named by her for the meadowlarks that once flitted through the northern Napa Valley. Intuitive artistry informs everything that unfolds on the 150-acre estate, from the vineyards and colorful gardens to the barn-chic interior design, five-star hospitality, and artworks by Kate Solari Baker, whose parents purchased Larkmead in 1948. A former winemaker describes the diverse soils here as "a 'snapshot' of the entire Napa Valley" and the reason why the winery's three top-of-the-line Cabernets taste so different despite their grapes growing in some cases mere yards from each other. Most tastings include a brief tour that passes by a 3-acre vineyard planted to research alternative varietals and viticultural techniques to cope with climate change.

This 30-mile scenic route, the main thoroughfare through the park, passes by such prominent sites as Lassen Peak, Bumpass Hell, Sulphur Works, Kings Creek, Devastated Area, and Chaos Crags, connecting the southwest entrance with Manzanita Lake and the northwest entrance. It's often referred to simply as Lassen Park Highway.

When this plug dome volcano erupted in 1915, it spewed a huge mushroom cloud of debris almost 6 miles into the air. You can admire the peak from a number of points along the park road, and a fabulous panoramic view rewards those who make the strenuous 2½-mile hike to the 10,457-foot summit.

Immaculately groomed grapevines dazzle the eye at John and Nancy Lasseter's secluded winery, and it's no accident: Phil Coturri, Sonoma Valley's premier organic vineyard manager, tends them. Even the landscaping, which includes an insectary to attract beneficial bugs, is meticulously maintained. Come harvest time, the wine-making team oversees gentle processes that transform the fruit into wines of purity and grace, among them a Sémillon–Sauvignon Blanc blend, the Enjoué rosé, and Bordeaux and Rhône reds. Evocative labels illustrate the tale behind each wine. In good weather, guests hear these well-told stories at tastings on the winery's outdoor patio, whose views include the vineyard and the Mayacamas Mountains, where the Lasseters purchased a second vineyard. All visits to the Glen Ellen property are by appointment.

As a longtime wine-industry marketing director, Bettina Sichel knew the potential pitfalls of winery ownership, but when she discovered a uniquely situated volcanic-soiled Sonoma Mountain vineyard for sale, she plunged in enthusiastically. Because her 14 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines face east, the mountain shelters the grapes from the hot late-afternoon sun and excessively cool Pacific influences. Sichel's wine-making team includes organic-farming legend Phil Coturri and winemaker Randall Watkins. By appointment at Sichel's tasting room in downtown Glen Ellen, you can taste the impressive estate Cabernet, along with another Cabernet, a rosé from the vineyard's oldest vines, and a Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

Nineteenth-century miners knew that gold was nearby if they found the type of volcanic rocks visible everywhere on this winery's property. The rocky soils and vineyard elevations as high as 2,800 feet play pivotal roles in creating Lava Cap's fruit-forward yet elegant wines. Zinfandel, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah star among the reds, Chardonnay and Viognier among the whites. After a tasting you can picnic on the patio and enjoy Sierra foothills vistas.

Laid-back and wholly nostalgic, this 11-acre celebrates the Carson and Colorado Railroad Company, which set up a narrow-gauge railyard here in 1883. Among the village's 50 rescued buildings—many containing the "modern amenities" of days gone by—are a post office, the original 1883 train depot, and a restored 1900 ranch house. On summer weekends and other select dates, you can also take a ride aboard Brill Car No. 5 from the Death Valley Railroad.

The centerpiece of a development that includes resort hotels, a designer discount shopping mall, an aquarium, and a water park, LEGOLAND has rides and attractions geared to kids ages 2 to 12. THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD, which opened in 2021, has fans riding on Emmet’s triple-decker flying couch on Emmet's Flying Adventure Ride, spinning on Unikitty’s Disco Drop, and exploring Bricksburg. There's also Miniland U.S.A., which features a miniature, animated, interactive collection of iconic U.S. cities built from more than 24 million LEGO bricks, including the newest addition, MINILAND San Diego. You can test your ninja skills in LEGO NINJAGO WORLD.

If you're looking for rides, NINJAGO The Ride uses hand-gesture technology to throw fireballs, shock waves, ice, and lightning to defeat villains in this interactive 4-D experience. Be submerged underwater in a real submarine and partake in an interactive treasure hunt at LEGO City: Deep Sea Adventure. Journey through ancient Egyptian ruins in a desert roadster, scoring points as you hit targets with a laser blaster at Lost Kingdom Adventure. Or, jump on the Dragon Coaster, an indoor-outdoor steel roller coaster that goes through a castle. Don't let the name frighten you—the motif is more humorous than scary. Kids ages 6 to 13 can stop by the Driving School to drive speed-controlled cars (not on rails) on a miniature road; driver's licenses are awarded after the course. Junior Driving School is the pint-size version for kids three to five.

You'll need your swimsuit for LEGO Chima Water Park, where an additional $30 gives you access to slides, rides, rafts, Soak-N-Sail, which has 60 interactive features, including a pirate shipwreck–theme area, and the CHIMA Water Park, as well as Surfer’s Bay with competitive water raceways and a “spray ground” with water jets.

Be sure to try Granny's Apple Fries, Castle Burgers, and Pizza Mania for pizzas and salads. The Market near the entrance has excellent coffee, fresh fruit, and yogurt. The LEGOLAND Hotel is worth a visit even if you're not staying overnight. There are activities and a LEGO pit in the lobby that will entertain kids while parents recover with a cocktail.

The best value is one of the Hopper Tickets that give you one admission to LEGOLAND plus Sea Life Aquarium and/or the LEGOLAND Water Park from $104. These can be used on the same day or on different days. Purchase tickets online for discounted pricing. Go midweek to avoid the crowds. All guests are required to make advanced reservations to LEGOLAND California Theme Park.

Leland Stanford, a railroad baron, California governor, and U.S. senator, expanded the original 1856 two-story row house on this site into a 19,186-square-foot mansion. The opulent space is open for touring except on days when California's governor hosts official events. After the death of Stanford's wife, Jane, Roman Catholic nuns transformed the mansion into an orphanage and later a home for teenage girls. Luckily for the restoration efforts, which began in 1986 following the state acquiring the property, the sisters had stashed many original furnishings and fixtures on the fourth floor, and the renowned photographer Eadweard Muybridge had shot images in 1872 that made clear what rooms looked like and where things belonged. Guided tours (first come, first served) depart hourly from 10 to 4.

Vintner Douglas Stewart takes pride in his contrarian views about farming and winemaking. Bucking accepted California wisdom, he planted his vines tightly together, mimicking French practices, and with his sparkling wine—of Pinot Gris rather than Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir—he selects only the high-quality middle portion of the initial press. Stewart earned raves from influential critics and a loyal following for his initial Pinot Gris and later for two sparklers, a rosé, and several Pinot Noirs.

The rocky, clay soils of this winery's northeastern sliver of the Russian River Valley combine with foggy mornings and evenings and hot, sunny afternoons to create the swoon-worthy Zinfandels (critics love 'em) produced here. The estate 1910 Block Zinfandel comes from old-style head-trained vines planted more than a century ago. Fruit from this block adds richness and depth to the flagship Russian River Zinfandel, whose grapes also come from nearby sources. You can taste Limerick Lane's Zins and a few other wines at a restored stone farm building with views of the vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains. Tastings are by appointment; call ahead for same-day visits, which are easier on weekdays than weekends.

In this handsome building constructed of volcanic rock in 1927, you can view artifacts from the park's 1914 and 1915 eruptions, including dramatic original photographs taken by Benjamin Loomis, who was instrumental in the park's establishment. The museum also has a bookstore, excellent exhibits about the area's Native American heritage, and a helpful staff who can recommend hikes and points of interest on this side of the park.

Take a walk back in time on the oldest residential street in Southern California, where houses date to the 1790s. The Silvas Adobe is a typical example of the dozen or more one-room adobes in the area. It's located near Mission San Juan Capistrano, the first Californian mission to allow workers to live outside the mission grounds. On the street you'll also find the Historical Society Museum and the ZOOMARS petting zoo for families. Shopping and dining options line this lovely community on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 37-acre estate—with gardens that are often ranked among the world's 10 best—once belonged to the Polish opera singer Ganna Walska, who purchased it in 1941 and lived here until her death in 1984. Many of the exotic trees and other subtropical flora were planted in 1882 by horticulturist R. Kinton Stevens. On the docent-led or self-guided tour—the only options for visiting unless you're a member (reserve well ahead as spots fill fast)—you'll see an outdoor theater, a topiary garden, a lotus pond, and a huge collection of rare cycads, an unusual plant genus that has been around since the time of the dinosaurs.