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National Parks
California offers a diverse range of national parks and a vast range of ecosystems, from panoramic desert landscapes in Death Valley, the dramatic Lassen Volcanic National Parks, Joshua Tree National Parks, to the marine life and kelp forests of the island chain lying off the south coast that make up the Channel Islands National Park. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks feature impressive deep canyons and geological formations, while the glacial valley at Yosemite contains mighty granite monoliths, cliffs and waterfalls.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is on the best national parks in the country, with over four million people just visiting Yosemite Valley each year. It is home to the biggest piece of exposed granite in the world, some of the highest waterfalls, and giant redwoods that are among the tallest and oldest trees on earth. The Yosemite Valley was formed by glacial action that carved away the softer rock creating the almost-vertical 3,000ft (914m) granite cliffs that line the seven-mile (11km) long valley floor. The towering cliffs are streaked with waterfalls and the valley floor is covered in meadows, rivers and forests that are the habitat of black bears, deer and coyotes. It is one of the world's most dramatic geological sights with granite monoliths like the 3,600ft (1,097m) piece known as El Capitan, and the sheerest cliff in North America, the Half Dome. Climbers on the granite faces are almost invisible to the naked eye and at night pinpricks of light halfway up indicate where they have tied themselves in for the night, ready for the next day's climbing. The most spectacular views of the valley are from Glacier Point, the top of a sheer cliff perched high above the valley, with magnificent vistas of Half Dome and the mountains of the High Sierra in the distance. There are numerous trails in the valley and many lead to several of the incredible waterfalls that are at their most dramatic after the spring snowmelt, including the 2,425ft (739m) Yosemite Falls and the Vernal Falls that drenches hikers in rainbow-coloured spray. A loop trail takes walkers to the hundreds of towering redwoods in Mariposa Grove, one over 2,700 years old. Although the park is big enough to absorb the crowds, 95 percent of the tourist activity is concentrated within the valley, and outdoor enthusiasts need only walk a little further along the trails to find all the solitude and wilderness they desire. Above the valley are the large open fields of Tuolumne Meadows that offer fantastic scenery, un-crowded camping and a haven for hikers with hundreds of miles of trails. Yosemite Village is the largest developed region in the Yosemite Valley and holds the main visitor's centre, restaurants and shops as well as nearby hotel accommodation.
Death Valley National Park
The Death Valley National Park is home to attractions like the Funeral Mountains, the Devil's Golf Course, Coffin Peak, Furnace Creek and Dante's View, which suggest an inhospitable, hellish desert landscape. These are the topographical features of a waterless desert landscape that is as hot as Hades. Average summer temperatures are 112°F (44°C); eggs can be fried on the baking ground and the second hottest temperature in the world was recorded here at 134°F (57°C) - in the shade. Yet despite this hostile wilderness, it is a heavily visited tourist destination with spectacular desert scenery, interesting desert wildlife, remarkable geological formations and sites of historical interest. There are miles of rippled sand dunes, the sheer black walls with ancient petroglyphs of Marble Canyon and incredible views
