California’s State Park System is unparalleled in size and diversity. For over 160 years, it has protected and preserved the state’s iconic ecosystems and cultural history. Across 283 state parks covering more than 1.5 million acres, visitors can experience verdant redwood forests, golden beaches and coastal cliffs, the otherworldly beauty of arid deserts, and a vast variety of other remarkable landscapes.
These incredible parks draw nearly 70 million visitors every year, but their significance is about more than recreation—public lands are a gateway to learning about California’s rich history, biodiversity, and natural resources. Whether you live near a California state park, have never visited one, or are traveling from another state or country to experience one for yourself, all are welcomed to explore nature’s majesty and make new memories.
California State Parks Week was created to celebrate California’s public lands and bring more attention to the wonder and sense of community that these outdoor spaces can provide. Every June, state parks across California host hundreds of events designed to bring people closer to nature and each other.
What is California State Parks Week?
Mural painting kicks-off California State Parks Week 2025 at Sam P. Taylor State Park. Photo by Justin Lewis/The Coldwater Collective.
California State Parks Week is an annual celebration established in 2022 by California State Parks in partnership with Save the Redwoods League, Parks California, and California State Parks Foundation. It celebrates the tremendous diversity of California’s State Parks System and brings the people who protect these public lands together with the people who visit them for a week of events.
Through special community events, educational activities, and in-person and virtual programming, California State Parks Week connects communities to their public lands, introduces them to new places and adventures, and encourages them to deepen their relationship with these natural spaces.
California State Parks, Save the Redwoods League, the National Park Service, and community partners hosted a day-long celebration of inclusion and representation in parks. Activities included multi-lingual interpretive programs, land acknowledgement of Indigenous people, a resource fair, food, music, and more! Photo by Max Forster.
Themes of California State Parks Week include:
- Exploring new experiences
- Nourishing health and well-being
- Supporting climate resilience
- Celebrating community and culture
- Caring for our shared lands
Community is the foundation of learning from and supporting each other, and public lands play a critical role in maintaining our communities’ happiness and health. California State Parks Week is designed to bring these core pillars together through a variety of inclusive, interactive, and fun opportunities to explore California’s State Park System.
A Partnership for Our Parks
From left: Steve Miet, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League; Kindley Walsh Lawlor, president and CEO of Parks California; Armando Quintero, director of California State Parks; and Rachel Norton, executive director of California State Parks Foundation. Photo by Justin Lewis/The Coldwater Collective.
California’s State Park System protects the state’s most significant natural and cultural treasures. Within its 283 state parks, you will find more than 340 miles of coastline and a wealth of deserts, lakes, rivers, and beaches, as well as strongholds for coast redwoods and giant sequoias—the world’s tallest, most massive trees and among the oldest. You will also find prehistoric and archeological sites, ghost towns, and historic monuments. For outdoor recreationists, state parks feature more than 5,200 miles of trails and approximately 15,000 campsites.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the outdoors was often the only safe space for people to come together. Parks across the nation saw large influxes of visitors during the pandemic, demonstrating how valuable these public spaces are to countless communities, and California’s state parks were no different. To address this increased interest in visiting local parks, California State Parks decided to create a new event highlighting the many parks available across the state.
Taking inspiration from National Park Week, California State Parks brought together Save the Redwoods League, Parks California, and California State Parks Foundation to launch California State Parks Week in June 2022. This annual event features a week-long schedule of themed programming and activities within state parks across California, with opportunities for attendees to take part in in-person or virtual events. In its inaugural year, California State Parks Week held over 140 events statewide.
Save the Redwoods League is proud to have been a presenting partner for California State Parks Week since the beginning. This event is a wonderful way to invite people from across California to visit the nearly 50 state parks with coast redwoods and giant sequoias, and further solidifies our strong, enduring partnership with California State Parks to protect and preserve the state’s public lands.
Visit Redwood State Parks
Save the Redwoods League helped establish the California State Park System back in 1927 and has worked in close partnership with California State Parks to protect coast redwood and giant sequoia forests within the Park System ever since. Across California, there are nearly 50 state parks with coast redwoods and giant sequoias.
Over the years, Save the Redwoods has helped California State Parks create and expand many of the state’s finest parks and preserves, including Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Montgomery Wood State Natural Reserve, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.
California State Parks Week is a celebration that Save the Redwoods looks forward to every year as a chance to strengthen our partnership with California State Parks and welcome visitors from all communities to experience prominent redwood and sequoia state parks. Here are few examples:
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Waddell Creek flows through Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Photo by Michael Carl.
Established in 1902, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is California’s oldest state park. Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Big Basin is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. Some of these giants are more than 1,000 years old—predating the Roman Empire—and reach taller than the Statue of Liberty. The park is located on the ancestral lands of the Quiroste and Achistaca People; colonial pressures forced them out of their homelands many years ago. Today, several local Indigenous groups continue to have close relationships with the lands and waters within and surrounding Big Basin State Park.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
An elevated boardwalk weaves through giant sequoias at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Photo by Max Forster.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park is the only California state park to contain giant sequoias. Two groves of these ancient titans can be found within the park, along with mixed conifer forest. In addition to giant sequoias, visitors can experience the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, ancient volcanic formations, and scenic natural meadows. The park is located on the ancestral lands of the Miwok People and the Washoe People.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Access points to the Eel River are along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Photo by Mike Shoys.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park is home to the largest remaining old-growth coast redwood forest on Earth. Of the park’s 53,000 acres, 17,000 acres—about one third—is old-growth redwoods, best experienced along the iconic 32-mile Avenue of the Giants that runs through the park parallel to Highway 101. The park is located on the ancestral lands of the Sinkyone People.
Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve
Ancient coast redwoods are found along the trails within Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve. Photo by Max Forster.
Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve is a majestic park filled with mature coast redwood trees. Located in Mendocino County, its most prominent feature is the Montgomery Trail, a 2-mile loop that leads you through a pristine canyon of lofty redwoods. The park is located on the ancestral lands of the Northern Pomo People.
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Majestic Roosevelt elk frequently visit the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Photo by Max Forster.
In the heart of the coast redwood range you will find Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, a sanctuary for old-growth coast redwoods. The park also features a variety of other picturesque sights, including coastal vistas, meadows where Roosevelt elk graze, and fern-covered canyon walls. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is one of four parks that compose Redwood National and State Parks, perhaps the most renowned coast redwood public land in all of California. The park is located on the ancestral lands of the Yurok People.
