The California State Parks Foundation has released the results of its second annual “Best of California’s State Parks” poll.
The foundation said it invited its members, supporters, and the public to nominate and vote on their favorite parks across 12 categories. More than 2,000 people participated in the poll, with many sending in photos and sharing personal stories and memories about the parks.
“The ‘Best of California’s State Parks’ poll highlights the deep connection that people have to our parks,” Rachel Norton, the foundation’s executive director, said in a news release. “These places represent the incredible diversity of experiences we can find in our state parks, from exploring the coast to learning about our history.”
The poll’s winners and honorable mentions consist of parks across 24 California counties, and include “urban, desert, coastal, woodland, and historic parks, highlighting the diversity of the system,” the foundation said.
Here is a list of this year’s winners, along with the honorable mentions for each of the 12 categories.
Best state park for camping
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park in Monterey County ranked as the best state park for camping.
“This popular Big Sur park allows visitors to experience the region’s coast redwoods and the Big Sur River meandering through the forest,” California State Parks says. “It is also home to Big Sur’s largest campground.”
Honorable mentions for this category include Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which spans Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego counties, and Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties.
Best state park for hiking
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, which spans San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, ranked as the best state park for hiking.
“Established in 1902, Big Basin Redwoods is California’s oldest state park. In the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains, its biggest attractions—literally—are its ancient coast redwoods,” state officials say.
Honorable mentions for this category went to Jack London State Historic Park in Sonoma County and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt and Del Norte counties.
Best state for spectacular views
Voters named Mount Tamalpais State Park in Marin County as the best state park for spectacular views.
“Its deep canyons and sweeping hillsides are cloaked with cool redwood forests, oak woodlands, open grasslands, and sturdy chaparral,” state park officials say. “The breathtaking vistas from Mount Tamalpais’s upper mountain include the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea, the Marin County hills, San Francisco Bay and City, the East Bay, and Mount Diablo.”
For this category, honorable mentions went to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Monterey County and Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County.
Best state park for birdwatching
San Luis Obispo County’s Morro Bay State Park ranked as the best state park for birdwatching.
“The park features lagoon and natural bay habitats,” state officials say. “On the lagoon’s northeastern and eastern edges, there are saltwater and brackish marshes that support thriving bird populations.”
Humboldt Lagoons State Park in Humboldt County and Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County were honorable mentions for this category.
Best state park for wildflowers
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve in Los Angeles County was voters’ pick for the best state park for wildflowers.
“Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat. The duration and intensity of colors and scents vary from year to year,” park officials say. “The wildflower season generally lasts from as early as mid-February through May, with a variety of wildflowers creating a mosaic of color that changes daily.”
Some honorable mentions for this category include Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego counties and Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Sonoma and Napa counties.
Best state park for family-friendly adventures
Voters picked Angel Island State Park in Marin County as the best state park for family-friendly adventures.
“This park is the largest natural island in the San Francisco Bay and offers spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin Headlands, and Mount Tamalpais,” park officials say. “The island is also alive with history spanning from the Coast Miwok stewardship of the land thousands of years ago to the 1950s when the island became a state park.”
Among the honorable mentions for this category are Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Tuolumne County and Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park in Amador County.
Best state park for day trips
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Monterey County ranked as the best state park for day trips.
“Point Lobos State Natural Reserve has often been called ‘The crown jewel of the California State Park System,'” state park officials say. “Landscape Painter Francis McComas called Point Lobos ‘the greatest meeting of land and water in the world.’”
Honorable mentions for this category went to Jack London State Historic Park in Sonoma County and Angel Island State Park in Marin County.
Best state park for beaches
Half Moon Bay State Beach in San Mateo County ranked in as the best state park for beaches.
“Four miles of long, sandy beaches on the San Mateo Coast with gentle dunes, consistently cool marine weather, peaceful ocean views, and shore fishing opportunities in a quiet, open setting,” officials say.
Asilomar State Beach in Monterey County and Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County were honorable mentions for this category.
Best state park for learning about history
For the best state park for learning about history, voters chose Bodie State Historic Park in Mono County.
“Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town,” according to state park officials. “Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had around 2,000 structures and a population of roughly 8,000 people.”
Honorable mentions for this category went to Jack London State Historic Park in Sonoma County and Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park in Amador County.
Best state park for dog-friendly adventures
Voters picked Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, which spans El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento counties, as the best state park for dog-friendly adventures.
“Located at the base of the Sierra foothills, the lake and recreation area offers opportunities for hiking, biking, running, camping, picnicking, horseback riding, water-skiing and boating,” officials say.
Leo Carrillo State Park in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in San Francisco County were honorable mentions for this category.
Best state park for water activities
The best state park for water activities went to Emerald Bay State Park in El Dorado County.
“With a rugged shoreline and blue-green water, this popular park on Lake Tahoe is also the site of Vikingsholm, a replica of a Scandinavian castle,” park officials say.
Honorable mentions for this category include Folsom Lake State Recreation Area in El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento counties and Clear Lake State Park in Lake County.
Best state park hidden gem
Finally, the best state park hidden gem goes to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Sonoma and Napa counties.
“Sugarloaf Ridge State Park contains the headwaters of Sonoma Creek,” according to park officials. “It runs through gorge and canyon, across the meadow floor, beneath scenic rock outcroppings, and is surrounded at times by redwoods and ferns.”
Bodie State Historic Park in Mono County and China Camp State Park in Marin County were honorable mentions for this category.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Best California state park poll results released. See the winners
Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
