California Picnic Guide

Nicknamed the "Golden State," California is the third largest state in area after Alaska and Texas.  The discovery of gold and the immigration in 1849 of thousands of "forty-niners" in search of the precious metal helped California's admission into the Union in 1850.

Today, California, land of the giant redwoods, has the highest population of any state in the nation and is America's principal agricultural state.  It is also the home of Hollywood, the center of America's movie and television industry. 

Its capital is Sacramento and the state flower is the golden poppy.

• California State Park Sites (see list of 278 state parks)
  • 1. North Coast Region State Parks
  • 2. San Francisco Bay Area Region State Parks
  • 3. Central Coast Region State Parks
  • 4. Los Angeles County Region State Parks
  • 5. Orange County Region State Parks
  • 6. Inland Empire Region State Parks
  • 7. San Diego Region State Parks
  • 8. Shasta Cascade Region State Parks
  • 9. Gold Country Region State Parks
  • 10. Central Valley Region State Parks
  • 11. High Sierra Region State Parks
  • 12. Desert Region State Parks
• National Park Sites in California
  1. Channel Islands National Park
  2. Death Valley National Park
  3. Fort Point National Historic Site
  4. Golden Gate National Recreational Area
  5. John Muir National Historic Site
  6. Joshua Tree National Park
  7. Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Parks
  8. Lassen Volcanic National Park
  9. Mojave National Preserve
  10. Muir Woods National Monument
  11. Redwood National and State Parks
  12. Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park
  13. San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park
  14. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
  15. Yosemite National Park
• California City and Town Parks
  1. Los Angeles City Parks
  2. San Diego City Parks
• California County Parks
  1. Los Angeles County Parks
  2. San Diego County Parks