7 EPIC National Parks Near Los Angeles You'll Love (Photos + Guide)

National Parks Near Los Angeles

National Parks near Los Angeles. There’s so much more to the great state of California than Hollywood and Dodger Stadium.

In this article, we’ll familiarize you with the incredible national parks that are within a day’s drive of downtown Los Angeles.

First the bad news: America only boasts only 63 national parks.

Now the good news: We’ve got 7 of these incredible places within driving distance of Los Angeles. That makes LA #1 when it comes to giving people access to more national parks than any other U.S. city. If you’re curious, Salt Lake City comes in second with access to five incredible national parks.

Now let’s go ahead and share those 7 reasons why you’ll want to make that day’s drive from Los Angeles to one of these amazing places.

Why Trust Us About National Parks Near Los Angeles?

You should probably know that we don’t just make this stuff up out of thin air. My sons have spent their entire adult lives exploring and filming America’s national parks and public lands.

As for me, I’m a retired lifelong educator and a proud dad of these two wonderful guys who are hopelessly obsessed with the national parks. I taught history for over a quarter of a century. Now I enjoy researching and writing articles for More Than Just Parks. I’m always on the hunt for topics where nature and history intersect so please feel free to share any ideas that you might have with me.

We’ve worked with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service for years creating films on important places and issues. Our work has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks.

will jim tony pattiz — Me (Tony) in the middle with my two sons Jim (left) & Will (right)

Meet The Parks Brothers

We’re Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, collectively known as the Pattiz Brothers (and sometimes the Parks Brothers) and we absolutely LOVE the national parks.

Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.

We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!

Best National Parks Near Los Angeles

1. Channel Islands National Park

Distance from Los Angeles: 1 hour

I attended college in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California. I have fond memories of some of the amazing road trips that I took with my friends. In this article, I’m going to outline 7 amazing road trips which you can take to see some of America’s most spectacular national parks.

You can embark on a journey to experience five incredible islands off of the coast of Southern California. They’re known as the Channel Islands. [Please note: While you can drive there in a little over an hour’s time, the islands themselves are only accessible by park concessionaire boats (Island Packers) or private boats.]

Located in Ventura County, Channel Islands National Park offers it visitors five remarkable islands and their ocean environment. There you will experience a wealth of natural and cultural resources.

These islands unique geography over thousands of years has created animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth. The Channel Islands have helped to preserve a very special place where visitors can experience coastal California as it once was a very long time ago.

Camping is available year round on all five islands. There are many trails and roads which traverse these islands and provide you with spectacular hiking opportunities.

channel islands national park california — Channel Islands | National Parks Near Los Angeles

2. Death Valley National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles

Distance from Los Angeles: 4 hours 30 minutes

Take US-10 towards San Bernardino. Then turn on US-15 and before you know it, you’re there.

Death Valley is situated on California’s southeastern border with Nevada, Death Valley National Park spans over 5,000 square miles of otherworldly vistas. The largest national park in the continental United States, Death Valley is a park for superlatives.

It’s the hottest place on earth, the lowest place in North America, and the driest place in the United States. It is also the largest national park outside of Alaska.

While you’re there, check out the massive slanted valleys that go on forever and seem to lack only the crashed spaceship in the distance, snow-capped mountains, a year round waterfall (insane, right?), expansive forests abandoned mines, conifer groves, and some of the most stunning dune fields in North America comprise the park with the most morbid name.

RELATED: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles

If you’re visiting the park be sure to check out our full Death Valley National Park Guide!

The Death Valley Video

This is More Than Just Parks visually stunning Death Valley Video | Check it out!

“Let us get the overall picture of this extraordinary sink and its forbidding mountain barriers.
The valley is boxed, east and west, by precipitous slopes–the Amargosa Range on the Nevada side, and the Panamints on the other. From Dante’s View or Zabriskie Point, on a day when the haze permits, the High Sierra can be seen.”
-Freeman Tilden, The National Parks

3. Joshua Tree National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles

Distance from Los Angeles: 2 hours

It’s a 127 miles distance between Los Angeles and Joshua Tree National Park taking Hwy 10 East to Hwy 62 to Joshua Tree.

Why go? Because Joshua Tree National Park is a world famous American destination known for it’s wacky namesake, the Joshua Tree. It’s the iconic southwestern desert park that you’ve heard so much about and probably seen featured in countless movies, television shows, and yes, of course music videos.

Named for the one-of-a-kind trees that call the area home, Joshua Tree National Park is a true desert wonderland.

Watercolor sunsets and night skies teeming with stars, fairy tale trees and giant boulder piles, warm desert air and endless vistas, these are the hallmarks of this iconic southwestern destination.

Cottonwood Springs Oasis at Joshua Tree National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles

If you’re visiting the park be sure to check out our full Joshua Tree National Park Guide.

The Joshua Tree Video

This is More Than Just Parks visually stunning Joshua Tree Video | Check it out!

“In the desert you become a discoverer. You discover your soul, which had been submerged in vain pursuits, which had been lost in the coils and toils of modern life.”
― Ameen Rihani

4. Pinnacles National Park

Distance from Los Angeles: 5 hours

It’s a 275 mile drive via I-5 North from Los Angeles to Pinnacles National Park.

As one of the newest national parks, the list of things to do at Pinnacles National Park is still growing but already has some great additions.

The most recent addition of the California National Parks is a beauty featuring some lovely dry mountain scenery, caves exploration, condor viewing, and lots of great rock climbing opportunities.

With that being said, hiking is the main activity in the park and there’s plenty of it. A great time to check out the park is in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming.

Pinnacles National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles — Pinnacles National Park | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

5. & 6. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Distance from Los Angeles: 3 hours 30 minutes

It’s just over two hundred miles to go from Los Angeles to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. You will likely want to take the I-5 & CA-65 North.

These parks had 1.2 million visitors in 2020.

Sequoia National Park was established on September 25, 1890, making it our country’s second oldest national park.

Kings Canyon was established fifty years later on March 4, 1940. Together, these two parks offer a truly unique experience for travelers looking to experience some of America’s most amazing natural wonders.

big trees trail sequoia national park california, national parks near los angeles — A couple of hikers on the big trees trail in Sequoia National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles

The Tallest Trees In The World

general sherman tree sequoia national park california — The General Sherman Tree is at the north end of Giant Forest | National Parks Near Los Angeles

Of course, you’re going to want to be sure to visit the two stars of these two parks. The General Sherman Tree is the world’s largest tree, measured by volume. It stands 275 feet (83 m) tall, and is over 36 feet (11 m) in diameter at the base. It’s located in Sequoia National Park.

The General Grant Tree is located in Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. The General Grant Tree is the second-largest tree in the world, standing 267 feet tall, and nearly 29 feet wide at the base.

Of course, these two iconic two trees are named after the two victorious Civil War Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman.

7. Yosemite National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles

Distance from Los Angeles: 5 hours

We’ve saved the best for last. Yosemite National Park, America’s third oldest national park, is approximately 280 miles from Los Angeles.

In 2020, Yosemite had 2.27 million visitors. Yosemite is not America’s oldest national park though it was first protected eight years before the creation of Yellowstone-America’s oldest national park.

national parks near los angeles, yosemite national park — Yosemite National Park | National Parks Near Los Angeles

It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter.
-John Muir

Yosemite is best known for its waterfalls, but within its 1200 square miles you’ll also find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.

The magnificent valley is a 7 mile wide canyon with incredible rock formations, including El Capitan, the world’s tallest granite monolith and one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations.

Another place to visit it Yosemite Falls. It’s the largest waterfall in North America with breathtaking views. Peak visitation at the falls is in the spring as it is comprised entirely of melting snow. The park is also known for its Giant Sequoia trees, which are estimated to be over 3,000 years old. (Source: NPS)

If you want to learn more about this amazing park then check out 10+ (AMAZING) Yosemite National Park Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

List Of National Parks Near Los Angeles

Channel Islands National Park
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Pinnacles National Park
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Yosemite National Park

Map Of National Park Sites Near Los Angeles

We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!

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National Parks Near Los Angeles