Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps at which Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II.
Hottest, Driest, Lowest: Death Valley is a land of extremes. It is one of the hottest places on the surface of the Earth with summer temperatures averaging well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is one of the largest urban national parks in the world. The total park area is 75, 398 acres of land and water. Approximately 28 miles of coastline lie within its boundaries.
For a first-time visitor the desert may appear bleak and drab. Viewed from the road, the desert only hints at its vitality. Closer examination reveals a fascinating variety of plants and animals.
The national trail commemorates the route followed by a Spanish commander, Juan Bautista de Anza, in 1775-76 when he led a contingent of 30 soldiers and their families to found a presidio and mission near the San Francisco Bay.
Volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created an incredibly rugged landscape punctuated by cinder cones, lava flows, spatter cones, lava tube caves and pit craters.
Beneath Lassen Volcanic's peaceful forests and gem-like lakes lies evidence of a turbulent and fiery past. 600, 000 years ago, the collision and warping of continental plates led to violent eruptions and the formation of lofty Mt.
Rose-colored sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and mile-high mountains are all part of the scene at Mojave National Preserve.
The Presidio preserves an astonishingly complex cultural and natural heritage within its 1480 acres. For details, select the "In Depth" link to the right.
Redwood National and State Parks are home to some of the world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. They can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall.
The World War II Home Front is a significant chapter in America?s history. Fully engaged in winning World War II, American women, minorities, and men worked toward a common goal in a manner that has been unequaled since.
LAND OF GIANTS These parks are home to giants: immense mountains, deep canyons, and huge trees. Thanks to their huge elevational range, 1, 500' to 14, 491', these parks protect stunningly diverse habitats.
Of the three parts of the Whiskeytown - Shasta - Trinity National Recreation Area, the Whiskeytown Unit (authorized Nov. 8, 1965 and established October 21, 1972), is the only unit administered by the National Park Service.
Yosemite National Park embraces a spectacular tract of mountain-and-valley scenery in the Sierra Nevada, which was set aside as a national park in 1890.
Kern National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southern portion of California's San Joaquin Valley, 20 miles west of the city of Delano.
Merced Refuge, located in California's northern San Joaquin Valley, is critically important to wintering waterfowl, and attracts large concentrations of ducks, geese, and lesser sandhill cranes.
The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is the headquarters for the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is one of six refuges located in the Sacramento Valley of north-central California.
Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is located in southern coastal California and is 30 miles south of Los Angeles.
Modoc National Wildlife Refuge is home to more than 250 species of birds and a variety of other wildlife.
The San Luis Refuge in the San Joaquin Valley of central California is one of the last remnants of the historically bountiful wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl of the Pacific Flyway.
Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the fertile and intensively farmed Tule Lake Basin of northeast California.
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Refuge is located along the central coast of California, in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
Nestled between Blue Ridge and Cedar Roughs, east of the Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa offers year-round recreation opportunities. Berryessa's water reaches temperatures of up to 75 degrees in the summer, making it an ideal place for water sports.
The Caliente Range forms the western border of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, and Caliente Mountain is the highest point in San Luis Obispo County.
The 2, 240 acre North Fork of the Kaweah River BLM area is located adjacent to Sequoia National Park, just north of the town of Three Rivers.
The BLM, Bishop Field Office manages the Bishop Resource Areacomprising approximately 750, 000 acres of Public Lands in Inyo andMono counties, ranging from desert to mountains.
The Folsom Field Office is directly responsible for more than 230, 000 acres of public land scattered throughout fourteen Central California counties. Most of the acreage is in the Mother Lode region of the Sierra Nevada Range.
Beginning in the high country of Yosemite National Park, the Merced River makes a headlong rush through glacially-carved canyons, rugged mountains and foothills to the San Joaquin Valley. Ample access points allow you to float rapids at your own pace.
The Red Hills is a region of 7, 100 acres of public land located just south of the historic town of Chinese Camp in Tuolumne County. The Red Hills are noticeably different from the surrounding countryside.
The Bureau of Land Management's Hollister Field Office administers public land in nine counties in Central California. Most of these lands are located in San Benito, Fresno, and Monterey Counties.
The Bureau's public lands in the Ridgecrest Resource Area form an important link to the region's diverse natural and cultural landscape.
The Spangler Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area (OHV) offers over 57, 000 acres of open public land where you can ride anywhere your skill and machine will take you.
Following the old Fernley and Lassen Branch Line of the Southern Pacific railroad, the trail winds 25.4 miles from Susanville to Mason Station. For the first dozen miles, the trail follows the Susan River.
From beautiful Surprise Valley at the base of the towering Warner Mountains, east into the high dessert valleys and mountains of northwestern Nevada, the Surprise Area Office administers almost 1.5 million acres of Public Land.
The Trona Pinnacles are some of the most unique geological features in the California Desert Conservation Area. The unusual landscape consists of more than 500 tufa spires, some as high as 140 feet, rising from the bed of the Searles Dry Lake basin.
The Volcanic Tablelands is a vast volcanic landscape that was formed over 700, 000 years ago by materials spewing from the Long Valley caldera, located to the northwest.
The Alturas resource area encompasses a panorama of diversity, from evergreen forests to rocky lava flows to high desert plains. The recreational opportunities are as varied as the landscape.
The 36, 000-acre Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) is a place where geographic isolation, geology, climate, and hydrology have created a rare and irreplaceable ecosystem.
The Barstow field region provides for a wide variety of recreational activities.
Juniper Flats is an area of public and private lands in the northern foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. The public route network in this area connects San Bernardino National Forest with Victor Valley to the northwest.
This campground is shadowed by some of the most impressive peaks in the Sierra Nevada Range. Mt. Whitney, Lone Fine Peak, and Mt. Williamson rise to the west of the campground. Camping is in an open desert setting on an alluvial fan.
The famous Giant Gap 14-mile run of the even more famous North Fork American River is one of California's top whitewater challenges, for experts only. Cliffs tower 2, 000 feet above the river.
This twelve (12) mile trail carries hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders through pine-choked canyons to gentler slopes and open meadows. Expect to see historic flumes and waterworks - you're in Gold Country now!
Once in Madera County, the visitor has a choice of two trails to travel.
With less than 5 inches of precipitation annually, including some snowfall, the dryness of the climate causes rapid evaporation at this site. Some water seeps underground to feed area springs that provide water, which is essential to wildlife.
The first road through Riverside County was blazed by William Bradshaw in 1862, as an overland stage route beginning at San Bernardino and ending at La Paz, Arizona (now Ehrenberg, Arizona).
The Indian trail through High Rock Canyon was first recorded by Captain John Fremont in 1844. The Applegate brothers guided emigrant wagon trains through the canyon on their way to Oregon's Willamette Valley.
This 10-mile trail for the hardy four-wheel-drive enthusiast traverses the BLM Clear Creek Management Area.
This 7, 200-acre portion of the former Army base at Fort Ord is now public land managed by BLM. The elaborate system of trails left behind by the military is well-suited to hiking, biking and equestrian use.
The Needles office jurisdiction covers California's east coast adjacent to the mighty Colorado River, southward to the Turtle Mountain Wilderness Area, west past the Amboy Crater and on north to the Nevada state line.
This 60, 000-acre area offers a variety of recreational opportunities. The northern area is set aside for non-motorized recreation, and the southern area is for off-highway vehicles.
The 189, 000-acre Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Area offers outstanding trails for competitive off-highway motorcycle racing, enduro and trial events, and day play-riding.
This State Scenic Highway crosses the sculptured landscape of Death Valley National Monument, a stark setting which contrasts the lowest elevation in North America with mountain ridges along the valley.
Travel the route that provides access to the austere, windswept cypress trees, fog-shrouded cliffs, and crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean as it traverses the California coast.
Observe a great diversity of flora and fauna as well as craggy mountains and ruffling meadows crossing the Yosemite National Park valley and ridges for 64 miles from east to west.
Majestic scenery and diverse recreation opportunities draw millions of visitors to the Lake Tahoe Basin annually. Changing colors throughout the year afford a brilliant backdrop to the many available activities.
Located in southern California, lies the Angeles National Forest, encompassing 694, 187 acres including almost the entire San Gabriel Mountain range.
Located soutwest of Lake Tahoe, the Eldorado National Forest extends from the foothills into the rugged Sierra Nevada high country of California. Elevations range from 1, 620 to 10, 380 feet.
Located in northern California, lies the Lassen National Forest. This is where the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Modoc Plateau and the Great Basin meet.
The only one of California's 18 national forests not crossed by a paved road or highway, the Mendocino National Forest is especially attractive to people seeking an outdoor experience of tranquility and solitude.
Located in Northern California between the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Ranges, the Plumas National Forest covers over a million acres filled with hundreds of high alpine lakes and thousands of miles of clear-running streams.
Welcome to the Shasta-Trinity National Forests, located along Interstate 5, in central northern California. The Shasta-Trinity is home to Mt.
The Sierra National Forest lies east of Fresno in central California, and west of the Sierra Nevada Crest between Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park.
Located straddling the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountains in northern California, lies the Tahoe National Forest encompassing a vast territory, from the golden foothills on the western slope to the high peaks of the Sierra crest.
The Cleveland National Forest is comprised of 3 segments administered as ranger districts. The Forest extends from within 5 miles of the border with Mexico northward approximately 130 miles to Orange and Riverside counties.
Located along the eastern edge of California and the Sierra Nevada, lies the Inyo National Forest. Extending 165 miles along the California/Nevada border between Los Angeles and Reno, the Inyo National Forest includes 1.
Located in northern California, lies the Klamath National Forest. You can fish in over 200 miles of rivers and streams, enjoy a stay in a campground, or hike into the backcountry seeking pristine solitude in five different wilderness areas.
Located in the beautiful coastal mountains of central California, lies the Los Padres National Forest encompassing nearly two million acres.
Located in the northeastern corner of California, lies the Modoc Naitonal Forest. It's about a three hour drive from Reno, Nevada, and about the same distance from Redding, California.
Located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, California, lies the San Bernadino National Forest in the San Gabriel, San Bernadino, San Jacinto, and Santa Rosa mountains. The Rim of the World Scenic Byway is the major access route through the forest.
Located at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada in central California, is the Sequoia National Forest. The Forest comprises about 1.1 million acres.
The Six Rivers National Forest lies east of Eureka in northwestern California, and stretches southward from the Oregon border for about 140 miles. U.S.
Located in central California, lies the Stanislaus National Forest. You can fish in over 800 miles of rivers and streams, enjoy a comfortable cabin, stay in a campground, or hike into the backcountry seeking pristine solitude.
Shasta Lake, with it*s 370 miles of shoreline offers a variety of outdoor activities including: houseboating, water-skiing, swimming, fishing, camping, picnicking, hiking, hunting, spelunking, wildlife viewing, and mountain biking.