How many national parks are in California?

9: Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia National Park, Death Valley National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, Kings Canyon National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Pinnacles National Park and Channel Islands National Park. California also has 26 other National Park Service sites, such as Alcatraz Island and Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail. Death Valley crosses into Nevada.

What is the most visited national park in California?

Yosemite National Park, with 4,278,413 recreation visits in 2025, #5 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in California was Channel Islands (227,186).

What is the newest national park in California?

Pinnacles National Park, established on January 10, 2013. The oldest is Sequoia National Park (1890).

Do national parks in California charge an entrance fee?

Headline entrance fees run free to $35 per vehicle. Channel Islands and Redwood have no entrance fee. From 2026, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite also charge nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.

What is the closest national park to Los Angeles?

Channel Islands National Park, about 86 miles from Los Angeles in a straight line (channel islands is not reachable by road). Los Angeles is California's largest city.

California · 9 national parks · 26 other NPS sites

National parks in California

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

California has 9 national parks: Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia, Death Valley, Redwood, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Pinnacles and Channel Islands. 26 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from Alcatraz Island to Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Los Angeles, California's largest city.

At a glance

California, by the numbers

National parks in California at a glance
National parks	9: Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia, Death Valley, Redwood, Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Pinnacles and Channel Islands
Other NPS sites	26 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	Yosemite 4,278,413 visits (#5 of 63)
Entrance fees	Free to $35 per vehicle
Newest national park	Pinnacles, January 10, 2013
Oldest national park	Sequoia, 1890
Nearest to Los Angeles	Channel Islands 86 mi straight-line

Death Valley (CA, NV) crosses state lines; visits are for the whole park.

9 national parks

California's 9 national parks

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1890
Yosemite National Park
2025 visits
4,278,413
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
August
Quiet month
May
“Best known for its waterfalls…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS / Emily Hassell
Est. 1994
Joshua Tree National Park
2025 visits
2,932,644
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
March
Quiet month
May
“Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS/Rick Cain
Est. 1890
Sequoia National Park
2025 visits
1,378,337
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
September
“The world’s largest trees…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS
Est. 1994 · CA · NV
Death Valley National Park
2025 visits
1,320,134
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
March
Quiet month
May
“Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo / Steve Olson
Est. 1968
Redwood National and State Parks
2025 visits
1,202,480
Entrance
Free entry
Busiest month
June
Quiet month
May
“Renowned for the world’s tallest trees…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS/Rick Cain
Est. 1940
Kings Canyon National Park
2025 visits
779,791
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
September
“The world’s largest trees…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo / Scott Arnaz
Est. 1916
Lassen Volcanic National Park
2025 visits
504,777
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
August
“Home to steaming fumaroles…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo/ Katherine Fielding
Est. 2013
Pinnacles National Park
2025 visits
343,208
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
April
Quiet month
February
“Around 23 million years ago…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS/Brett Seymour
Est. 1980
Channel Islands National Park
2025 visits
227,186
Entrance
Free entry
Busiest month
July
Quiet month
May
“Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals…” (NPS)

From Los Angeles

The closest national parks to Los Angeles

Measured from Los Angeles, California's largest city (3,869,089 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Los Angeles
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Channel Islands National ParkCA	86 mi	Channel Islands is not reachable by road
Joshua Tree National ParkCA	148 mi	≈ 3 h 30 min
Sequoia National ParkCA	167 mi	≈ 4 h
Death Valley National ParkCA · NV	185 mi	≈ 4 h 20 min

National parks near Los Angeles →National parks near San Francisco →National parks near San Diego →National parks near Sacramento →National parks near San Jose →

26 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

Monuments, historic sites, trails and more: every other place the National Park Service lists for California, grouped by type. Links go to nps.gov.

7 National Monument · 5 National Historic Trail · 4 National Historic Site · …Show all 26

National Monument · 7

National Historic Trail · 5

Butterfield Overland National Historic TrailMO · AR · OK · TX · NM · AZ · CA
California National Historic TrailCA · CO · ID · KS · MO · NE · NV · OR · UT · WY
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic TrailAZ · CA
Old Spanish National Historic TrailAZ · CA · CO · NV · NM · UT
Pony Express National Historic TrailCA · CO · KS · MO · NE · NV · UT · WY

National Historic Site · 4

National Recreation Area · 3

National Historical Park · 2

Other NPS site · 2

From the NPS Data API; the same list as California's page on nps.gov. Trails and other multi-state sites appear under each state they cross.

FAQ

California, answered

How many national parks are in California?: 9: Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia National Park, Death Valley National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, Kings Canyon National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Pinnacles National Park and Channel Islands National Park. California also has 26 other National Park Service sites, such as Alcatraz Island and Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail. Death Valley crosses into Nevada.
What is the most visited national park in California?: Yosemite National Park, with 4,278,413 recreation visits in 2025, #5 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in California was Channel Islands (227,186).
What is the newest national park in California?: Pinnacles National Park, established on January 10, 2013. The oldest is Sequoia National Park (1890).
Do national parks in California charge an entrance fee?: Headline entrance fees run free to $35 per vehicle. Channel Islands and Redwood have no entrance fee. From 2026, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite also charge nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
What is the closest national park to Los Angeles?: Channel Islands National Park, about 86 miles from Los Angeles in a straight line (channel islands is not reachable by road). Los Angeles is California's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.California: parks and places (nps.gov) · National Park Service
2.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
3.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
4.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
5.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau

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