Today I’m continuing my series of National Parks near major cities. My hope is that people that don’t live near a variety of National Parks like we do will be able to easily plan a trip to explore one of our beautiful National Parks! Today I’ll be sharing 5 National Parks near Sacramento–they’re all less than a five hour drive!
5 National Parks near Los Angeles
6 National Parks near Las Vegas
about Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of California and has easy access to an International Airport–SMF. The average temperatures in summer reach the low 90s, while in the winter it typically doesn’t drop below 40 degrees. Sacramento is a great homebase for the Bay Area, skiing in Tahoe, or exploring many of California’s National Parks!
5 National Parks near Sacramento
Lassen Volcanic NP (3 hours from Sacramento)
If you can’t make it to Yellowstone to see all the geothermal features, make the drive to Lassen National Park instead! Lassen is an impressive sight to see, even though it was once proclaimed the “most underutilized park in the National Park system”. There are stroller-friendly walks and hard hikes up Mount Lassen for every level of traveler.
Pinnacles NP (3 hours from Sacramento)
Pinnacles became a National Park in 2013 and is California’s “youngest” National Park. It is in the Salinas Valley in Central California roughly 80 miles south of the Bay Area. Pinnacles National Park is known for its Talus Caves and a visit is not complete without exploring one of them!
Yosemite NP (3 hours from Sacramento)
Yosemite became the nation’s third National Park in 1890. It is well-known for its impressive waterfalls–including Yosemite Falls, which is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world. Year after year, Yosemite continues to be one of the most popular National Parks to visit and it’s easy to see why. There is tons to do for hikers of all abilities and visitors of all ages.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon (4.5 hours from Sacramento)
Although two separate parks, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have been administered jointly since 1943. Located right next to each other they are home to caverns, waterfalls, and giant Sequoia trees. Both parks are definitely gems in California and located less than 5 hours from Sacramento.
Have you ever been to any of these National Parks?
