Updated July 2026
Best Time to Visit California 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.
Most-visited parks in California
Golden Gate
California
View Golden Gate →Yosemite
California
View Yosemite →San Francisco Maritime
California
View San Francisco Maritime →
Joshua Tree
California
View Joshua Tree →Point Reyes
California
View Point Reyes →
Death Valley
California, Nevada
View Death Valley →| Park | Annual visits | Best time | Busiest | Quietest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden GateNational Recreation Area | 15,748,676 | February | Aug | Jan |
| YosemiteNational Park | 4,278,413 | May | Jul | Jan |
| San Francisco MaritimeNational Historical Park | 2,944,483 | November | Jul | Jan |
| Joshua TreeNational Park | 2,932,644 | September | Mar | Jul |
| Point ReyesNational Seashore | 2,429,601 | March | Jul | Mar |
| Death ValleyNational Park | 1,320,134 | January | Mar | Jun |
| RedwoodNational and State Parks | 1,202,480 | October | Jul | Feb |
| Fort PointNational Historic Site | 1,010,870 | November | Aug | Jan |
| CabrilloNational Monument | 845,912 | September | Jul | Sep |
| WhiskeytownNational Recreation Area | 763,798 | October | Jul | Dec |
| Muir WoodsNational Monument | 756,573 | October | Jul | Feb |
| Santa Monica MountainsNational Recreation Area | 722,626 | December | May | Dec |
| MojaveNational Preserve | 569,844 | August | Nov | Aug |
| Lassen VolcanicNational Park | 504,777 | May | Jul | Feb |
| PinnaclesNational Park | 343,208 | September | Mar | Sep |
| Channel IslandsNational Park | 227,186 | November | Jul | Jan |
| Lava BedsNational Monument | 143,659 | September | Jul | Jan |
| ManzanarNational Historic Site | 95,764 | March | Jul | Jan |
| John MuirNational Historic Site | 38,384 | September | Apr | Dec |
| Rosie the Riveter WWII Home FrontNational Historical Park | 34,913 | October | Jul | Jan |
| César E. ChávezNational Monument | 31,497 | August | Apr | Dec |
| Eugene O'NeillNational Historic Site | 14,881 | January | May | Jan |
| Tule LakeNational Monument | 4,868 | September | Aug | Jan |
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; you'll also get park crowd updates — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
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