Home / States National parks in California California has 9 national parks and 12 other busy National Park System sites in this guide. The best months below balance mild weather and crowds.
Park Best months Busiest July high / January low °F Visitors a year Yosemite National Park May and Oct Jul 89° / 29° 4,099,000 Joshua Tree National Park Nov Mar 104° / 42° 3,065,000 Death Valley National Park Nov Apr 117° / 43° 1,287,000 Sequoia National Park May, Jun and Oct Jul 76° / 17° 1,223,000 Redwood National Park May, Sep and Oct Jun 66° / 39° 745,000 Kings Canyon National Park May, Sep and Oct Jul 76° / 17° 707,000 Lassen Volcanic National Park May, Sep and Oct Jul 79° / 22° 427,000 Pinnacles National Park May Apr 96° / 34° 346,000 Channel Islands National Park May, Sep and Oct Jul 76° / 47° 273,000 Golden Gate National Recreation Area May, Jun and Oct Aug 83° / 42° 15,963,000 San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park May, Sep and Oct Jul 66° / 47° 2,416,000 Point Reyes National Seashore May, Jun and Oct Jul 62° / 45° 2,356,000 Fort Point National Historic Site May, Jun and Jul Aug 66° / 47° 1,035,000 Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area May and Oct Jul 99° / 39° 832,000 Cabrillo National Monument May, Sep and Oct Jul 74° / 49° 808,000 Muir Woods National Monument May, Jun and Oct Jul 83° / 42° 786,000 Mojave National Preserve May, Oct and Nov Apr 92° / 40° 725,000 Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Aug, Sep and Oct May 69° / 50° 707,000 Lava Beds National Monument Apr, Sep and Oct Aug 86° / 23° 136,000 Manzanar National Historic Site Apr Jul 102° / 30° 98,000 Devils Postpile National Monument Jun, Sep and Oct Aug 78° / 17° 93,000
California parks by month
Month Visitors, all 21 sites Sites with mild weather January 2,323,000 none February 2,283,000 none March 2,774,000 none April 3,152,000 Mojave National Preserve , Lava Beds National Monument , Manzanar National Historic Site May 3,513,000 Yosemite , Sequoia , Redwood , Kings Canyon , Lassen Volcanic , Pinnacles , Channel Islands , Golden Gate National Recreation Area , San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park , Point Reyes National Seashore , Fort Point National Historic Site , Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area , Cabrillo National Monument , Muir Woods National Monument , Mojave National Preserve , Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area , Devils Postpile National Monument June 3,846,000 Sequoia , Redwood , Kings Canyon , Lassen Volcanic , Channel Islands , Golden Gate National Recreation Area , San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park , Point Reyes National Seashore , Fort Point National Historic Site , Cabrillo National Monument , Muir Woods National Monument , Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area , Lava Beds National Monument , Devils Postpile National Monument July 4,313,000 Sequoia , Redwood , Kings Canyon , Lassen Volcanic , Channel Islands , San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park , Point Reyes National Seashore , Fort Point National Historic Site , Cabrillo National Monument , Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area , Devils Postpile National Monument August 4,097,000 Sequoia , Redwood , Kings Canyon , Lassen Volcanic , Channel Islands , San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park , Point Reyes National Seashore , Fort Point National Historic Site , Cabrillo National Monument , Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area , Devils Postpile National Monument September 3,543,000 Sequoia , Redwood , Kings Canyon , Lassen Volcanic , Channel Islands , San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park , Point Reyes National Seashore , Fort Point National Historic Site , Cabrillo National Monument , Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area , Lava Beds National Monument , Devils Postpile National Monument October 3,154,000 Yosemite , Sequoia , Redwood , Kings Canyon , Lassen Volcanic , Channel Islands , Golden Gate National Recreation Area , San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park , Point Reyes National Seashore , Fort Point National Historic Site , Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area , Cabrillo National Monument , Muir Woods National Monument , Mojave National Preserve , Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area , Lava Beds National Monument , Devils Postpile National Monument November 2,635,000 Joshua Tree , Death Valley , Mojave National Preserve December 2,496,000 none
Weather 1991–2020 NOAA normals at each park's nearest station. Visitors National Park Service recreation visits, 2023–2025 average. Mild means an average high of 55–80°F without above-normal rain.