I have ventured to five of California’s nine National Parks. The ones I have traveled to include Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Death Valley National Parks. The four other California National Parks include Channel Islands, Pinnacles, Lassen Volcanic, and Redwood National Parks.
It’s possible to visit the five I have visited on a continuous road trip, starting at Joshua Tree and ending at Yosemite. And you want to travel further, you can even go further north to Lassen Volcanic, head west for Redwood, come back down and visit Pinnacles, and then take the ferry to Channel Islands.
But for the sake of this article, I will provide my guidance and expertise on each visited park as individual trips. Feel free to combine such visits as your time and travels allow.
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park features spikey tree-like plants named Joshua Trees because of their resemblance to trees and Mormon settlers’ desire to name them after the biblical figure Joshua. Joshua Trees are actually not trees, they are succulents, known for storing water. These plants put their water retention to good use in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, which cover the area of the park.
Some also say that the Joshua Tree resembles the Truffula trees that Dr. Seuss imagined in The Lorax, though they only come in one color, unlike the fictional Truffulas.
There are three main entrances to the National Park. The West entrance starts a few miles south of the Joshua Tree Village off California Highway 62. The North entrance is in Twentynine Palms. The South entrance is off US Interstate 10.
Note: Cell phone service in and around Joshua Tree National Park is very limited or non-existent. The National Park Service recommends that you use their app to save a map of the park offline prior to traveling to the area.
The park is quite expansive, so you probably won’t be able to see everything in one day, but each entrance will bring you closer to certain sites in the park.
West Entrance: Joshua Tree Visitor Center, Maze Loop Trailhead, Hemingway, Oyster Bar, Lost Horse Trailhead and Mine, Keys View
North Entrance: Joshua Tree Visitor Center, Skull Rock, Split Rock Trailhead, Arch Rock, Heart Rock, Whale Rock
South Entrance: Cottonwood Visitor Center, Lost Palms Oasis, Cottonwood Spring, Pinto Basis, Porcupine Wash, Wilderness
Keys View: Quickest Access Through West Entrance
Heart Rock: Quickest Access through North Entrance
There are Joshua Trees all over the park and several trails throughout, so check out the National Park Service’s Joshua Tree site to find the path and sites you wish to seek out.
Summers can be very hot, so plan accordingly to visit when the weather works for you. Bring plenty of liquids, some snacks, and save those maps for offline use.
Yosemite National Park
One of the most popular national parks, Yosemite features several notable landscapes from El Capitan to Tunnel View to Half Dome, and several more. Some come to the park when sunlight shines on the waterfalls to make it look like waterfalls of fire.
The park is very busy during the summer, and often there are traffic jams entering the park upon arrival and leaving the park at the end of the day, so be prepared to wait or time your entry/exit accordingly.
Once again, there’s a lot to see in the park, so you need multiple days to see all of the major sites.
If you only have one day, be sure to stop by Tunnel View, get down to the valley level and see some of the major landscapes. It was a clear day when I took pictures, and the results were gorgeous!
Tunnel View, located on California State Route 41, features a shot that encapsulates many of the major landforms in Yosemite National Park. It includes El Capitan, Half Dome, the Yosemite Valley, Cathedral Rocks, Bridalveil Falls, and Sentinel Rock. If you have only one day to go to Yosemite, stop by Tunnel View and take pictures. And if you have more than one day, go to Tunnel View and let it guide you to venture out to some of these landforms on your trip.
El Capitan, a steep sloped mountainside, is featured in the documentary Free Solo. In the film, climber Alex Honnold becomes the first person to free solo climb, or use zero ropes, aides or protection, El Capitan. It is an incredible sight and is part of the Tunnel View landscape.
Mirror Lake is a distant walk from the main part of Yosemite Valley. It was evening when I reached Mirror Lake, and as its name states, reflected the surrounding landscapes clearly. Make sure you prepare enough time hiking there and back.
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park features the Giant Sequoia trees, some of the largest and tallest trees in the world. It was warm upon entrance to the park, but as I ascended the park, the temperature dropped, snow covered the ground, and later, snowflakes fell. It was beautiful, magical, and majestic. I met some of the notable trees, including General Sherman, the largest tree by volume known in the world.
Even Old Bay got to see the Sequoias!
Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon is adjacent to Sequoia National Park, so it is quite easy to visit both parks on the same trip if you are visiting during the warmer months. The main thoroughfare through Kings Canyon, Highway 180, is closed during the winter.
It’s quite the drive on Highway 180. There’s also the Kings River that flows through Kings Canyon.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is notable as the location of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, and features the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level). It is also the largest national park in the contiguous United States of America. Several in Alaska are larger. Make sure to bring enough water, food, and gas before coming to this park. Better yet, avoid this national park in the summer as temperatures can easily reach highs of 120 degrees or higher.
Badwater Basis, lowest point in North America, 282 feet below sea level
I almost ran out of gas in Death Valley National Park, and I found myself several miles to the nearest gas station with the low gas light on. I managed to save enough gas to get to a Chevron, and filled up the tank. My car has about 16 gallons to a tank and this is how close I got to a completely empty tank.
I made it, barely. But I am thankful I made the trip.
So on one trip I saw Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Sequoia, a tiny bit of Kings Canyon, and Yosemite. But I had previously been to Joshua Tree and I had to go back to Kings Canyon during warmer temperatures to see more of that park.
Each park was worth the visit, though some parks have so much I can go back to see them multiple times.
Ask me anything about the parks in the comments, and I can provide some additional information.
Thanks for reading!