National Park Service
A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States 		NPS Logo

CALIFORNIA

MOST OF THE PEOPLE live in the vicinity of the two major cities and in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Vast stretches of desert and mountain country have little or no permanent population. Californians are great travelers, and the network of fine highways permits them to travel long distances for their recreation. They take full advantage of the State's 913-mile coastline, the scenic mountains, vast deserts, and virgin forests.

Federal agencies have contributed greatly toward the provision of recreation areas and preservation of the natural recreation resources, and the State has long recognized its responsibility in conserving its scenic beauties.

Private enterprise catering particularly to the great tourist trade plays an important part in the development of recreation. Its resorts, beach clubs, spas, and dude ranches are used by large numbers.

The recreation plan for the State involves the coordination of the programs of Federal and State agencies; the acquisition of groves of Redwoods and Big Trees, stretches of ocean beach, particularly near the metropolitan centers; historical lands and buildings,lands around newly developed reservoirs, a parkway along the Sacramento River; and the acquisition and development of ample acreage to serve the local needs of people.

map
(click on image for an enlargement in a new window)



FEDERAL

National parks: Existing
acreage		 Proposed
additions
113. Lassen Volcanic104,526.8
132. Yosemite761,111.1
137. Sequoia386,560
147. Kings Canyon454,600
     Total
1,706,797.9


National monuments:
2. Cabrillo.5
20. Channel Islands1,119.9
37. Pinnacles9,908.4
60. Muir Woods424.5
107. Lava Beds45,967
133. Devil Post Pile800
138. Death Valley1,792,520
142. Joshua Tree837,480
     Total
2,688,220.3


Proposed national monument:
148. Palm Canyon
28,504

Recreational demonstration areas:
76. Mendocino5,419

National forests:
9. Cleveland379,988
17. Angeles643,768
24. Los Padres1,773,872
74. Southern Redwood Purchase Unit

80. Mendocino829,492
96. Northern Redwood Purchase Unit

100. Siskiyou339,051
101. Rogue River47,401
102. Klamath1,500,810
106. Modoc1,500,749
109. Shasta1,093,368
112. Lassen917,773
114. Trinity1,430,093
115. Plumas1,140,472
119. Tahoe658,934
123. El Dorado585,982
129. Stanislaus820,008
130. Mono796,758
134. Sierra1,517,261
135. Inyo1,521,570
139. Sequoia1,362,269
141. San Bernardino592,910
     Total
119,452,529


National wildlife areas:
54. Farallon Bird Reservation91
103. Klamath Waterfowl Refuge20,480
104. Tule Lake Wildlife Refuge36,563
105. Clear Lake Bird Refuge25,300
116. Sacramento Migratory Waterfowl Refuge10,775.6
146. Salton Sea Wildlife Refuge45,559.7
     Total
138,769.3



INTERSTATE

Trailway:
149. Pacific Crest Trail



STATE

State parks:
1. Silver Strand215
3. Mission Bay3,066.7
5. Cuyamaca Rancho20,819
7. Carlsbad Beach10
8. Palomar Mountain1,684
10. San Clemente Beach100
11. Doheny Beach17
12. Alamitos Beach10.5
14. Manhattan Beach22
15. Santa Monica Beach13.7
21. Carpinteria Beach16.9
28. Tule Elk Refuge930.4
29. Pismo Beach139.3
30. Morro Bay1,529.9
31. Morro Strand Beach15
34. San Simeon Creek Beach42.2
35. Pfeiffer Redwoods707.3
36. Point Lobos Reserve336.3
42. Fremont Peak287.4
44. Sunset Beach167.3
46. Seacliff Beach21
47. New Brighton Beach47.8
48. Natural Bridges Beach27
51. California Redwood (Big Basin)9,997.4
55. James D. Phelan Beach6
57. Mount Diablo1,957.2
61. Mount Tamalpais960.7
68. Sonoma Coast698.5
70. Armstrong Redwoods395.4
71. Kruse Rhododendron Reserve317
73. Paul M. Dimmick Memorial Grove11.8
75. Van Damme Beach1,729
77. Russian Gulch1,102
79. Mill Creek6,953.1
81. E. R. Hickey Memorial Grove40
82. Richardson-Toumey Grove415.5
83. Holbrook Grove276.8
84. Whittemore Grove180
85. Franklin K. Lane Grove193
86. Alexander Grove94
88. Humboldt Redwoods19,183.6
90. Little River Beach111.6
91. Trinidad Beach20
92. Patrick's Point420
94. Dry Lagoon Beach926.7
95. Prairie Creek Redwoods6,467.9
98. Del Norte Coast Redwoods2,816.7
108. Castle Crags3,476.6
110. McArthur-Burney Falls335.3
118. Bidwell18
121. Tahoe Hatchery Campground13.4
122. D. L. Bliss957.1
127. Calaveras Big Trees1,951
144. Mount San Jacinto12,708
145. Anza Desert207,689.2
     Total
312,648.2


Proposed State parks:
19. Ocean Beaches

50. California Redwood Park Extension

89. Montgomery Redwood Grove

97. Avenue of the Giants Redwood Grove

128. South Calaveras Grove of Big Trees


State monuments:
6. San Pasqual Battlefield2
16. Pin Pico Mansion.3
26. La Purisima Mission516.7
39. Old Custom House1.4
40. Monterey California First Theatre and House of Gold.8
41. Junipero Serra1
43. San Juan Bautista3.1
64. Chief Solano3
65. Vallejo Home20.1
66. Sonoma Mission.5
69. Fort Ross3
111. Old Shasta3.5
120. Donner16.1
125. Marshall23
     Total
594.5


Proposed State monuments:
23. Fort Tejon Historic Site

33. San Joaquin Valley Wildflower

67. Petrified Forest

117. Ido Adobe

131. Moaning Cave


Proposed State parkway:
63. Sacramento River Parkway



LOCAL

County parks:
4. San Diego County (21 areas)512.8
13. Orange County (4 areas)328.9
18. Los Angeles County (14 areas)5,235
22. Ventura County (13 areas)724
25. Santa Barbara County (18 areas)525
27. Kern County (16 areas)1,757.3
32. San Luis Obispo County (3 areas)272
38. Monterey County (1 area) 39
45. Merced County (4 areas)589
49. Santa Cruz County (1 area)120
52. Santa Clara County (2 areas)378
53. San Mateo County (8 areas)507
56. San Francisco County (3 areas) (nonurban)1,593
58. Contra Costa County (3 areas)234.8
72. Lake County (1 area)4.4
78. Mendocino County (1 area)40
93. Humboldt County (3 areas)110
124. El Dorado County (1 area)8
126. Sacramento County (1 area)35
140. Tulare County (5 areas)421
143. Riverside County (4 areas)475
     Total
13,909.2


Municipal parks:
99. Pasadena (1 area)1,100
150. Los Angeles (4 areas)80.5
151. Palo Alto (1 area)1,000
152. San Luis Obispo (2 areas)550
153. Modesto (3 areas)164
154. Richmond (1 area)42
155. Lodi (1 area)50
156. Sacramento (1 area)832
157. Roseville (1 area)10
158. Santa Rosa (1 area)21
159. Oroville (1 area)16
160. Chico (1 area)2,400
161. Lindsay (1 area)20
     Total
6,285.5

1 Area under Federal administration June 1938.


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park-recreation-problem/california.htm
Last Updated: 18-May-2016