Blogs California

23 Bucket List Places in California (That Surprisingly Aren’t National Parks)

As many of you many know, it is my goal to one day visit all 63 U.S. National Parks. I spend a good amount of my travels and blogging sharing my favorite hikes and adventures regarding visiting these parks. But, there are honestly so many other hidden gems to discover throughout just the United States alone that actually aren’t National Parks! We tend to go on quite a few quick weekend getaways in California destinations and have found so many cool spots along the way. From cute coastal towns to vineyards and wild nature spots, here is a simple round-up of some of the bucket list places we’ve visited throughout California so far!

1. McWay Falls – Big Sur
2. Bixby Bridge – Big Sur
3. Garrapata State Park – Carmel-By-The-Sea
4. China Cove – Carmel-By-The-Sea
5. Lover’s Point – Monterey Bay
6. Big Pine Lakes
7. Wild Willy’s Hot Springs – Mammoth Lakes
8. Ladder Canyon/Painted Canyon – Mecca
9. Abandoned Pier Swing – Davenport
10. Slot Canyons – Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
11. Aztec Falls – Lake Arrowhead
12. The Flower Fields – Carlsbad
13. Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco
14. The Painted Ladies – San Francisco
14. Healdsburg
15. Elephant Seal Beach – San Simeon
16. Idyllwild-Pine Cove
17. Big Bear
18. Potato Chip Rock
19. Palm Springs
20. San Clemente
21. Panther Beach
22. La Jolla Cove
23. Huntington Beach