National Parks Near Los Angeles

I think it's magical that, beyond the freeways and film sets, you can slip into national parks near Los Angeles and feel pure wonder. I love how you move from wild coastline to towering peaks and surreal desert scenes in a single weekend. You’ll treasure mornings spent hunting tide-pool gems and nights watching starry skies over desert sands.

I scramble over boulders and spot jackrabbits in Joshua Tree National Park, and you’ll feel the same thrill. I hike coastal cliffs and explore sea caves in Channel Islands National Park, and you can trade traffic noise for crashing waves. I pitch a tent under pines in the high country of Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, and you’ll breathe crisp mountain air. I never forget binoculars for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, where you mix city panoramas with shady canyon trails. I treat Cabrillo National Monument as a quick day trip south, and you’ll love its tide-pools, lighthouse views, and sweeping Pacific horizons. I reach for close-to-home hikes in Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, and you’ll find waterfalls and mountain air just outside the city. I promise these parks turn any free weekend into an epic escape, and you won’t have to go far to feel it.

Best National Parks Near Los Angeles