There are nine national parks in the state of California. I am here to give you a synopsis of all of them and how accessible they are for a college student at San Jose State.
For this I will be using distance, the cost to stay in them or the area surrounding and amount of things you can do without extra equipment.
- Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is the newest national park as it was established in 2013. This unique landscape was created by volcanoes erupting and sliding together 23 million years ago.
This park features 30 miles worth of hiking trails and a wide variety of species of plants and animals, most notably the California Condor. The California Condor is the largest bird in North America and an endangered species that the park works to revive.
I placed this park at the top of the list because it is a quick one and a half to two hour drive from San Jose State, making this park a great option for a day trip. There is the standard $30 vehicle entrance fee for this park as is required for the majority of the national parks.
There are many hikes the hiker with very minimal experience could do such as Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop or the Balconies Cliffs-Cave Loop or if you are looking to challenge yourself there are trails like High Peaks to Balconies Cave Loop.
This is the perfect park for the person who is just beginning to explore national parks and the person who has already acquired much experience.
- Yosemite National Park
Next on the list is Yosemite National Park. This park is one of the most popular national parks. It is known for its iconic granite cliffs which were formed by a glacier.
This park is most notable for its iconic views that can be seen from Yosemite Valley, with towering cliffs, cascading waterfalls and beautiful Sequoias, but 95% of this park is congressionally designated wilderness.
Yosemite is about a three to four hour drive from SJSU. There are many options for places to stay in this park, but the most cost-effective and most popular is camping.
You can bring a tent or sleep in your car year round for about $36 a night. It is important to note that it is crucial you make reservations in advance.
Yosemite is full of activities year round. Some of the most popular are hiking, rock climbing and backpacking. Some of the most breathtaking places to visit include Mirror Lake, Yosemite Falls and the iconic Half Dome.
It should be noted that Yosemite will start requiring reservations to enter the park in May 2022.
- Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are technically two different parks, but they share a border and you only have to pay one entrance fee to enter both parks.
These parks are home to the world’s largest trees, the Sequoias. Sequoia National park is the second oldest national park in the U.S. and the first one created to protect a living organism.
These parks are located three to four hours away from SJSU. The campgrounds in these parks cost about $22 a night and offer car and tent camping.
These parks offer a multitude of activities from being able to visit groves of Sequoias like General Sherman, seeing the largest living tree in the world and General Grant, the second largest tree in the world. There is also backpacking, day hiking, cave spelunking and rock climbing.
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is located in the northeastern part of California at the end of the Cascade Mountain Range. This park is unique because every rock originated from volcanoes with every type of volcano able to be found here.
This park has a little bit of everything from beautiful meadows, clear mountains to boiling mud and steaming cracks in the earth. Lassen has a long cold winter but deep underneath the surface, there is tons of volcanic activity.
Lassen is a four to five hour drive from SJSU’s campus. There is camping offered in the winter and the summer months for $10- 26 per night. You can sleep in a tent or sleep in your car.
There are tons of things to do in both the winter and summer. If you only have a short amount of time Lassen provides a guide to activities you can do in four hours consisting of Sulfur Works and a walk around Manzanita Lake.
If you are someone who likes the snow, the winter activities do include snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding.
In the summer, there are over 150 miles of hiking trails, hydrothermal areas to visit, fishing and boating.
- Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park is where the Mojave and the Colorado deserts meet. Consisting of the oddly shaped Joshua Tree, that gave the park its name, and out of this world landscapes.
Located seven to eight hours away from SJSU. There are tons of great options for places to stay here, with very affordable AirBnbs and campsites.
This park has become very popular in the past couple of years, so it is highly recommended to make reservations far in advance.
This park is very easy to visit in one day, and you are able to see a lot of the most popular spots while driving along the main road.
Outside of the park, the town of Joshua Tree offers amazing restaurants and shops to pick up food and necessities before entering the park, as there are stores inside the park.
- Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is the hottest, driest and lowest place in America. This park has all of the extremes with record breaking heat, chilly winter, and the occasional rainstorm, and even despite the name, there is tons of life teaming in Death Valley.
Death Valley is located eight to nine hours away from SJSU. Death Valley offers first come first serve free tent camping year round as well as other options for camping if you want a bit more “luxurious” experience.
There are tons of things to see and do here, including some locations where Star Wars was filmed. Death Valley also features hiking, back-country driving, and amazing stargazing.
- Redwoods National Park
Redwoods National Park is home to the world’s tallest trees. There is so much this park has to offer with miles of coastline, and tons of wildlife including whales and elk.
Redwoods National Park is located eight-nine hours away from SJSU at the top of California. The campground fee for this park is $35 per night.
The Redwoods offers hiking, scenic drives, and the opportunity to observe gray whale migration. One of the most popular places to stop is Fern Canyon (which is exactly what it sounds like) and Gold Bluffs Beach, both of which require permits.
- Channel Islands National Park
Last but not least, is Channel Islands National Park. This national park is made up of five islands and the ocean surrounding them. These islands have been home to many plants, animals and humans for thousands of years.
Much of the wildlife is endemic to the islands, which means these organisms cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
This national park is ranked last because even though it is only three to four hours away from SJSU, it would not be the easiest for a college student to visit.
This park, unlike all the others, does not have an entrance fee, but a ferry fee. There are also no restaurants, or lodging on the islands and all food, water and necessities have to be brought in by yourself.
These parks offer a variety of activities such as hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving. While hiking is the cheapest of these options, if you do not have your own gear for the other activities, you must rent the equipment.
There are so many amazing places to visit just within our state of California. Share your experiences with us by tagging @HerCampusSJSU!