Updated October 2026
Best Time to Visit California State Parks & National Parks
California has 23 National Park Service units that report visitation. Below, each is ranked by annual visits, with the month our data recommends for the best balance of light crowds, comfortable weather and daylight. Crowds peak in summer almost everywhere — the recommended months show where the quieter shoulder seasons fall.
The 134 California state parks are listed in their own section below the national park table. Crowd levels are shown for national park units only; for state parks the best month reflects weather and daylight.
Reviewed by WhenToVisitParks Editorial Team · Updated
California parks on the map
Click a marker for the park page, or use Where to stay in the table.
Ways to pick a California park
Quietest months
- Tule Lake — January
- Lassen Volcanic — February
- Whiskeytown — December
- Lava Beds — January
Most-visited
- Golden Gate — 15,748,676 visits
- Yosemite — 4,278,413 visits
- San Francisco Maritime — 2,944,483 visits
- Joshua Tree — 2,932,644 visits
Most-visited parks in California
Best in AprilGolden Gate
National Recreation Area, California
Yosemite
National Park, California
San Francisco Maritime
National Historical Park, California
Best in OctoberJoshua Tree
National Park, California
Point Reyes
National Seashore, California
Best in JanuaryDeath Valley
National Park, California, Nevada
| Park | Annual visits | Best time | Busiest | Quietest | Stays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden GateNational Recreation Area | 15,748,676 | April | Aug | Jan | Where to stay → |
| YosemiteNational Park | 4,278,413 | May | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| San Francisco MaritimeNational Historical Park | 2,944,483 | November | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Joshua TreeNational Park | 2,932,644 | October | Mar | Jul | Where to stay → |
| Point ReyesNational Seashore | 2,429,601 | May | Jul | Mar | Where to stay → |
| Death ValleyNational Park | 1,320,134 | January | Mar | Jun | Where to stay → |
| RedwoodNational and State Parks | 1,202,480 | October | Jul | Feb | Where to stay → |
| Fort PointNational Historic Site | 1,010,870 | November | Aug | Jan | Where to stay → |
| CabrilloNational Monument | 845,912 | September | Jul | Sep | Where to stay → |
| WhiskeytownNational Recreation Area | 763,798 | October | Jul | Dec | Where to stay → |
| Muir WoodsNational Monument | 756,573 | October | Jul | Feb | Where to stay → |
| Santa Monica MountainsNational Recreation Area | 722,626 | December | May | Dec | Where to stay → |
| MojaveNational Preserve | 569,844 | September | Nov | Aug | Where to stay → |
| Lassen VolcanicNational Park | 504,777 | June | Jul | Feb | Where to stay → |
| PinnaclesNational Park | 343,208 | October | Mar | Sep | Where to stay → |
| Channel IslandsNational Park | 227,186 | November | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Lava BedsNational Monument | 143,659 | September | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| ManzanarNational Historic Site | 95,764 | March | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| John MuirNational Historic Site | 38,384 | September | Apr | Dec | Where to stay → |
| Rosie the Riveter WWII Home FrontNational Historical Park | 34,913 | October | Jul | Jan | Where to stay → |
| César E. ChávezNational Monument | 31,497 | October | Apr | Dec | Where to stay → |
| Eugene O'NeillNational Historic Site | 14,881 | October | May | Jan | Where to stay → |
| Tule LakeNational Monument | 4,868 | September | Aug | Jan | Where to stay → |
California State Parks
134 state parks, with the month that usually brings the most comfortable weather and the longest days, where a nearby weather record exists.
- Ahjumawi Lava Springs State ParkUsually best in July · about 6,500 acresOfficial park page
- Andrew Molera State ParkUsually best in August · about 4,700 acresOfficial park page
- Angel Island State ParkUsually best in September · about 750 acresOfficial park page
- Año Nuevo State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State ParkUsually best in May · about 570 acresOfficial park page
- Asilomar State BeachUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- Bean Hollow State BeachUsually best in August · about 55 acresOfficial park page
- Bidwell-Sacramento River State ParkUsually best in MayOfficial park page
- Big Basin Redwoods State ParkUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Bolsa Chica State BeachUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Border Field State ParkUsually best in July · about 790 acresOfficial park page
- Bothe-Napa Valley State ParkUsually best in June · about 1,900 acresOfficial park page
- Burton Creek State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Butano State ParkUsually best in August · about 4,500 acresOfficial park page
- Calaveras Big Trees State ParkUsually best in July · about 6,500 acresOfficial park page
- Cardiff State BeachUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Carlsbad State BeachUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Carmel River State BeachUsually best in September · about 300 acresOfficial park page
- Carpinteria State BeachUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Caspar Headlands State BeachUsually best in July · about 130 acresOfficial park page
- Castle Crags State ParkUsually best in June · about 3,700 acresOfficial park page
- Castle Rock State ParkUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- Caswell Memorial State ParkUsually best in May · about 290 acresOfficial park page
- Cayucos State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- China Camp State ParkUsually best in July · about 1,500 acresOfficial park page
- Chino Hills State ParkUsually best in MayOfficial park page
- Clear Lake State ParkUsually best in June · about 590 acresOfficial park page
- Crystal Cove State ParkUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Cuyamaca Rancho State ParkUsually best in July · about 25,000 acresOfficial park page
- D. L. Bliss State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Del Norte Coast Redwoods State ParkUsually best in July · about 31,000 acresOfficial park page
- Doheny State BeachUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Donner Memorial State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State ParkUsually best in July · about 2,200 acresOfficial park page
- El Capitán State BeachUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- Emerald Bay State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Emma Wood State BeachUsually best in July · about 120 acresOfficial park page
- Estero Bluffs State ParkUsually best in August · about 390 acresOfficial park page
- Fort Ord Dunes State ParkUsually best in September · about 1,000 acresOfficial park page
- Fremont Peak State ParkUsually best in August · about 160 acresOfficial park page
- Garrapata State ParkUsually best in August · about 2,800 acresOfficial park page
- Gaviota State ParkUsually best in September · about 2,700 acresOfficial park page
- Gray Whale Cove State BeachUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- Great Valley Grasslands State ParkUsually best in June · about 2,700 acresOfficial park page
- Greenwood State BeachUsually best in July · about 61 acresOfficial park page
- Grizzly Creek Redwoods State ParkUsually best in July · about 450 acresOfficial park page
- Grover Hot Springs State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Half Moon Bay State BeachUsually best in August · about 200 acresOfficial park page
- Harmony Headlands State ParkUsually best in August · about 750 acresOfficial park page
- Hearst San Simeon State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Hendy Woods State ParkUsually best in June · about 830 acresOfficial park page
- Henry Cowell Redwoods State ParkUsually best in June · about 4,700 acresOfficial park page
- Henry W. Coe State ParkUsually best in June · about 87,000 acresOfficial park page
- Humboldt Lagoons State ParkUsually best in August · about 2,200 acresOfficial park page
- Humboldt Redwoods State ParkUsually best in July · about 54,000 acresOfficial park page
- Huntington State BeachUsually best in July · about 120 acresOfficial park page
- Jedediah Smith Redwoods State ParkUsually best in July · about 11,000 acresOfficial park page
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Leo Carrillo State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Lighthouse Field State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Limekiln State ParkUsually best in August · about 740 acresOfficial park page
- Little River State BeachUsually best in July · about 210 acresOfficial park page
- MacKerricher State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Malibu Creek State ParkUsually best in MayOfficial park page
- Malibu Lagoon State BeachUsually best in August · about 71 acresOfficial park page
- Manchester State ParkUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Mandalay State BeachUsually best in August · about 100 acresOfficial park page
- Manresa State BeachUsually best in August · about 140 acresOfficial park page
- Marina State BeachUsually best in September · about 180 acresOfficial park page
- McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- McGrath State BeachUsually best in August · about 310 acresOfficial park page
- Mendocino Headlands State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Montaña de Oro State ParkUsually best in August · about 10,000 acresOfficial park page
- Montara State BeachUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- Monterey State BeachUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- Morro Bay State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Morro Strand State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Moss Landing State BeachUsually best in August · about 54 acresOfficial park page
- Mount Diablo State ParkUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Mount San Jacinto State ParkUsually best in July · about 14,000 acresOfficial park page
- Mount Tamalpais State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Natural Bridges State BeachUsually best in August · about 62 acresOfficial park page
- Navarro River Redwoods State ParkUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- New Brighton State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Pacheco State ParkUsually best in May · about 6,900 acresOfficial park page
- Palomar Mountain State ParkUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Pelican State BeachUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Pescadero State BeachUsually best in August · about 91 acresOfficial park page
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Pismo State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Plumas-Eureka State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Point Mugu State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Point Sal State BeachUsually best in July · about 130 acresOfficial park page
- Pomponio State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Portola Redwoods State ParkUsually best in September · about 2,700 acresOfficial park page
- Prairie Creek Redwoods State ParkUsually best in August · about 13,000 acresOfficial park page
- Red Rock Canyon State ParkUsually best in May · about 25,000 acresOfficial park page
- Refugio State BeachUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- Richardson Grove State ParkUsually best in July · about 1,800 acresOfficial park page
- Robert H. Meyer Memorial State BeachUsually best in August · about 37 acresOfficial park page
- Robert Louis Stevenson State ParkUsually best in June · about 5,100 acresOfficial park page
- Russian Gulch State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Saddleback Butte State ParkUsually best in MayOfficial park page
- Salinas River State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Salt Point State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Samuel P. Taylor State ParkUsually best in July · about 2,600 acresOfficial park page
- San Buenaventura State BeachUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- San Clemente State BeachUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- San Elijo State BeachUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- San Gregorio State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- San Onofre State BeachUsually best in June · about 2,000 acresOfficial park page
- Schooner Gulch State BeachUsually best in June · about 56 acresOfficial park page
- Seacliff State BeachUsually best in August · about 110 acresOfficial park page
- Silver Strand State BeachUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Sonoma Coast State ParkUsually best in SeptemberOfficial park page
- South Carlsbad State BeachUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- South Yuba River State ParkUsually best in June · about 3,700 acresOfficial park page
- Sugarloaf Ridge State ParkUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Sunset State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Sutter Buttes State ParkUsually best in May · about 1,800 acresOfficial park page
- The Forest of Nisene Marks State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Thornton State BeachUsually best in August · about 63 acresOfficial park page
- Tolowa Dunes State ParkUsually best in July · about 4,200 acresOfficial park page
- Tomales Bay State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Topanga State ParkUsually best in OctoberOfficial park page
- Torrey Pines State BeachUsually best in JuneOfficial park page
- Trinidad State BeachUsually best in July · about 200 acresOfficial park page
- Trione-Annadel State ParkUsually best in August · about 5,100 acresOfficial park page
- Twin Lakes State BeachUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Van Damme State ParkUsually best in JulyOfficial park page
- Washoe Meadows State ParkUsually best in July · about 860 acresOfficial park page
- Westport-Union Landing State BeachUsually best in July · about 100 acresOfficial park page
- Wilder Ranch State ParkUsually best in AugustOfficial park page
- Zmudowski State BeachUsually best in August · about 180 acresOfficial park page
State park listings come from the California state park agency. Boundaries and acreage come from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Best-month estimates use NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals and computed daylight.
CSV
California park crowd calendar (23 parks, all 12 months)
Download the full best-months table for all 23 of California's national parks — each park's month-by-month crowd index (1.0 = its average month), busiest and quietest months, and Best-Time-to-Visit score. Built from NPS visitation data. Enter your email to download. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Where to stay near California's national parks
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