Although sometimes thought of as the land of sand, surf, and sun, California is much more than that. In addition to the beauty of Coastal California, the mountains and alpine lakes of the Sierra Nevadas and the desert region provide wonderful and varied scenery. The state also has many outstanding wine country destinations and urban parks.
A significant part of California history was the Gold Rush. One of the best places in the state to learn about that history is the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma, CA. Spanish colonial roots also run deep in California, and can be seen today at the 21 historic Spanish missions across the state.
California has nine national parks, the most of any state in the US. Redwood National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park are located in Northern California. In the central part of the state are Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Pinnacles, and Death Valley. Southern California is home to Joshua Tree National Park and Channel Islands National Park, which is off the Pacific coast.
Facts & Stats
The highest and lowest points in the continental US are both in California - Mt. Whitney at 14,495 feet above sea level and Death Valley which is 282 feet below sea level.
The largest known living tree in the world is in California’s Sequoia National Park. It’s 275 feet tall, and has a circumference of 100 feet.
There are approximately 480,000 acres of vineyards in California and the state produces about 90% of all American wine.
California is the only US state to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
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