In this post, I’ll be introducing parks in California, specifically in Southern California that are within reach.
Publicly managed parks in the US can be roughly categorized into 3 to 4 managements. The largest network is national parks, then the state parks, and the county or city parks. These networks are mainly divided by sources of budget and resources. Besides the national parks, other federally managed areas are national monuments, national historic sites, national memorial, national historic trails, and national recreation area.
Due to popularity, weather, and seasonal conditions, many of the national parks require earlier planning (some as advance as months earlier) and reservation. Many state and city parks also have amenities, such as camp grounds, that might require reservation, but normally, they do not require a very far advanced planning and reservation. State and city parks around Irvine are much more suitable for a day visit due to their proximity. All the parks have great hiking trails with grand scenery, but safety comes first and it is highly recommended to prepare ahead for food, hydration, familiarity of terrains, orientations, and time management, etc.
Do note that littering and outdoor-relief are strictly forbidden in all parks and could be heavily fined, also beware not to become a fire hazard in nature. Feeding wild animals in the parks are also prohibited. For rules for the individual parks, refer to their web page.
National parks are managed by National Parks and Services, so you have to request information from them when visiting, booking camp ground, or getting permits/passes to visit certain regulated parts of the parks. There are currently 7 national parks identified in California.
https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm
National Parks in California:
Channel Islands (Ventura County, a county just about an hour drive north of Central Los Angeles), are a group of 5 islands just a short boat ride away. There is no transportation on the islands, so visitors must travel on foot or by kayaks in the Channel Islands National Park. The islands are known to have rich natural habitat and vast wilderness. A few notable sites and activities are a famous arch rock, a historical light house, sea lions, seals, specialized unique island animals, dunes, hiking trails, caves, camping, diving, and kayaking. One must be prepare well before visiting, as the islands are isolated. Please refer to the Channel Islands National Park web page for more detailed information.
Death Valley (about 3 to 4-hour drive away from Central Los Angeles) is an area of desert in the Central East of California. During spring time after the rain, it is known to have spectacular wildflower blooms. It also has amazing geographic displays. But when visiting, one must prepare as it is a very hot desert area and to stay on the known paths. There has been several unfortunate tragedies where visitors drove off and could not return. The area is vast, so do refer to the Death Valley National Park web page for the most updated information.
Joshua Tree National Park (about 3-hour drive east of Irvine) is the home to the iconic Joshua trees, which are very vital to the ecosystem in the area. Camping and hiking are very popular in the park within the designated areas. Camping is a first-come, first-serve basis with some fees associated with it. Refer to the Joshua Tree National Park web page for detailed information.
Lassen Volcanic National Park (about 10-hour drive away northeast of Irvine) has beautiful hiking trails that pass through hills, streams, and lakes. Lodging and camping are available. Camping is available starting summer time till about October and it requires reservation ahead of time. Visitors should plan and prepare according to the Lassen Volcanic National Park web page resources and updates.
Pinnacles National Park (about 8-hour drive north of Irvine or about 2.5-hour drive south of San Francisco) is popular for climbing, hiking, camping, and the extraordinary geographical features from volcanic activities millions of years ago. Camping is available most of the year and requires reservation. Popular locations may require lottery, so do plan ahead prior to visiting by referring to the Pinnacles National Park web page.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park (about 6-hour drive northeast of Irvine) is a forestry mountainous area, where (you guessed it) hiking, lodging, and camping are available, but camping is limited to summer to early fall period. Giant sequoia is a very special tree in California, but the infamous ancient tunnel sequoia tree has sadly been brought down by a storm in early 2017. Due to weather and seasonal changes in the mountains, refer to the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park web pages for the most updated information.
Yosemite National Park (about 8-hour drive northeast of Irvine) is one of the most popular national parks. One can hike high up to the Half Dome, hike by the waterfalls in Yosemite Valley, or marvel at people climbing on El Capitan. Lodges are available, tented camp grounds and camping grounds are also available, but it is very popular, so plan at least a month earlier to submit reservations. Some hiking trails (i.e. Half Dome) require passes, which are very popular and lottery system is usually in place, so plan months ahead for those special activities. For updated information, refer to the Yosemite National Park web page.
State parks in California are managed by California Department of Parks and Recreation. Different states have their own departments to manage. If you want to visit states parks in another state, information and permits should be requested from the respective state department. (CA Department of Parks and Recreation)
State parks are too numerous to mention each by name. For those who are interested, the link given above provides complete information about each park. The ones in Orange County are all on the coast and there are 6 of them, all within a short drive away from UC Irvine campus:
Crystal Cove State Park, Huntington State Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach, Corona del Mar State Beach, Doheny State Beach, and San Clemente State Beach.
County parks in Orange County can be found collectively under the Orange County Parks umbrella. Each county and city might have different management organizations.
Orange County parks can range from small family parks to larger parks. One can refer to the link listed above to explore. Many parks in Irvine offer free open-air summer concerts and movie viewing, so keep an eye out for those events. The notable parks around the UC Irvine campus are:
William R. Mason Regional Park (Mason Park) is the closest one to the UC Irvine campus. There is a large man-made lake with ducks and geese, and sometimes migratory birds and cranes. The park is great for gathering or exercising. There are also play grounds for those of us who want to channel our inner child.
Irvine Regional Park (just north of Tustin, about a 40-minute drive by local roads) is an area of land donated by the son, James Irvine Jr., whose father is the namesake of City of Irvine. It is a relatively large area that offers many activity opportunities, such as bikes, trails, botanical preserves, softball fields, water activities (no swimming allowed), and etc.
The OC Great Park (http://www.cityofirvine.org/orange-county-great-park), just on the edge of Irvine in the north, offers a variety of events, such as farmers’ markets on Sundays, carousel, organic garden, helium balloon, soccer field, football field, play grounds and many things to come.
One place worth mentioning that is a little farther (1.5-hour drive north east of Irvine, www.pstramway.com) is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palms Springs, which provides access to hiking trails on the top of San Jacinto Peak and aerial view of Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Even though the location is in the desert area and can get very hot on the ground, it gets really cold and windy once reaching the top due to elevation. It also gets snow in the winter on the top.
Point Loma in San Diego (www.sandiego.org/explore/things-to-do/beaches-bays/point-loma.aspx) has an old light house, scenic coastal view, and a large statue of the regrettably brutal and savage Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo who was notorious in having enslaved and breaking up families of large population of Native Americans for self-economical gain.
San Diego’s Balboa Park (1.5-hour drive south of Irvine, www.balboapark.org) is a vast area that has botanical garden, several museums, various gardens (cactus, rose, Japanese garden…), lily pond, fountains, and a large outdoor theater space among others. For a day jaunt, it is a great destination for a variety of activities.
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Yu Hua Nicole TsengHome Country: U.S.A.The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
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