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Best parks and wilderness areas in California
By Hugo Martín
Coming up with a list of California's ultimate parks and wild places is like being asked to choose your favorite family member. Each one is special in his own way, even that annoying brother who still owes you $100. How can you pick?
With so many criteria to choose from, I settled on an unscientific measure I call the "wow factor." On my assignments covering the outdoors, here are places that stopped me in my tracks, left me dumbfounded and had me fumbling for my camera. I have visited only a tiny fraction of the nation's third-largest state, so I'm sure I missed many other "wow" places. Send your nominees to tellus@latimes.com.
By Hugo Martín
Coming up with a list of California's ultimate parks and wild places is like being asked to choose your favorite family member. Each one is special in his own way, even that annoying brother who still owes you $100. How can you pick?
With so many criteria to choose from, I settled on an unscientific measure I call the "wow factor." On my assignments covering the outdoors, here are places that stopped me in my tracks, left me dumbfounded and had me fumbling for my camera. I have visited only a tiny fraction of the nation's third-largest state, so I'm sure I missed many other "wow" places. Send your nominees to tellus@latimes.com.
Find out about historic and scenic sites as well as programs, fees and directions to California's national parks, monuments and recreation areas:
Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, B201, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 561-4900 or (415) 981-7625 (tickets), , www.nps.gov/alcatraz or www.alcatrazcruises.com. .
Cabrillo National Monument, 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, San Diego, CA 92106; (619) 557-5450, fax (619) 226-6311, www.nps.gov/cabr.
California National Historic Trail, 324 S. State St., Suite 200, Box 30, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; (801) 741-1012, fax (801) 741-1102, www.nps.gov/cali.
Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001; (805) 658-5730, fax (805) 658-5799, www.nps.gov/chis.
Death Valley National Park, California 190, Visitors Center, P.O. Box 579, Death Valley, CA 92328; (760) 786-3200, fax (760) 786-3283, www.nps.gov/deva.
Devils Postpile National Monument, near Mammoth Lakes, P.O. Box 3999, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, www.nps.gov/depo.
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, P.O. Box 280, Danville, CA 94526; (925) 838-0249, fax (925) 838-9471, www.nps.gov/euon.
Fort Point National Historic Site, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, B201, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 556-1693, www.nps.gov/fopo.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (includes Crissy Field, Ocean Beach, Sweeney Ridge, Marin Headlands, Phleger Estate, Fort Funston, Alcatraz and the Presidio), Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez, CA 94553; (925) 228-8860, fax (925) 228-8192, www.nps.gov/jomu.
Joshua Tree National Park, 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277; (760) 367-5500, fax (760) 367-6392, www.nps.gov/jotr.
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, 1111 Jackson St., Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94607; (510) 817-1323, fax (510) 817-1505, www.nps.gov/juba.
Lassen Volcanic National Park, P.O. Box 100, Mineral, CA 96063; (530) 595-4480, fax (530) 595-3262, www.nps.gov/lavo.
Lava Beds National Monument, 1 Indian Well Headquarters, Tulelake, CA 96134; (530) 667-8100, fax (530) 667-2737, www.nps.gov/labe.Mammoth Lakes Visitors Center, (760) 924-5500 or (760) 934-2289 from early June to mid-Oct.
Manzanar National Historic Site, P.O. Box 426, 5001 U.S. Highway 395, Independence, CA 93526; (760) 878-2194, fax (760) 878-2949, www.nps.gov/manz.
Mojave National Preserve, 2701 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; (760) 252-6100, fax (760) 252-6174, www.nps.gov/moja.
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, CA 94941; (415) 388-2595, fax (415) 389-6957, www.nps.gov/muwo.
Pinnacles National Monument, 5000 California 146, Paicines, CA 95043; (831) 389-4485, fax (831) 389-4489 (numbers are for east district; west does not have a phone), www.nps.gov/pinn.
Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, B201, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 561-4900 or (415) 981-7625 (tickets), , www.nps.gov/alcatraz or www.alcatrazcruises.com. .
California National Historic Trail, 324 S. State St., Suite 200, Box 30, Salt Lake City, UT 84111; (801) 741-1012, fax (801) 741-1102, www.nps.gov/cali.
Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001; (805) 658-5730, fax (805) 658-5799, www.nps.gov/chis.
Death Valley National Park, California 190, Visitors Center, P.O. Box 579, Death Valley, CA 92328; (760) 786-3200, fax (760) 786-3283, www.nps.gov/deva.
Devils Postpile National Monument, near Mammoth Lakes, P.O. Box 3999, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, www.nps.gov/depo.
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, P.O. Box 280, Danville, CA 94526; (925) 838-0249, fax (925) 838-9471, www.nps.gov/euon.
Fort Point National Historic Site, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, B201, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 556-1693, www.nps.gov/fopo.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (includes Crissy Field, Ocean Beach, Sweeney Ridge, Marin Headlands, Phleger Estate, Fort Funston, Alcatraz and the Presidio), Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 561-4700, www.nps.gov/goga.
John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Ave., Martinez, CA 94553; (925) 228-8860, fax (925) 228-8192, www.nps.gov/jomu.
Joshua Tree National Park, 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277; (760) 367-5500, fax (760) 367-6392, www.nps.gov/jotr.
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, 1111 Jackson St., Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94607; (510) 817-1323, fax (510) 817-1505, www.nps.gov/juba.
Lassen Volcanic National Park, P.O. Box 100, Mineral, CA 96063; (530) 595-4480, fax (530) 595-3262, www.nps.gov/lavo.
Lava Beds National Monument, 1 Indian Well Headquarters, Tulelake, CA 96134; (530) 667-8100, fax (530) 667-2737, www.nps.gov/labe.Mammoth Lakes Visitors Center, (760) 924-5500 or (760) 934-2289 from early June to mid-Oct.
Manzanar National Historic Site, P.O. Box 426, 5001 U.S. Highway 395, Independence, CA 93526; (760) 878-2194, fax (760) 878-2949, www.nps.gov/manz.
Mojave National Preserve, 2701 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311; (760) 252-6100, fax (760) 252-6174, www.nps.gov/moja.
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, CA 94941; (415) 388-2595, fax (415) 389-6957, www.nps.gov/muwo.
Pinnacles National Monument, 5000 California 146, Paicines, CA 95043; (831) 389-4485, fax (831) 389-4489 (numbers are for east district; west does not have a phone), www.nps.gov/pinn.
