California

Travelers to California visit its wine regions, cities, beaches, mountains, lakes, amusement parks, and historic sites. Snowy ski areas and warm deserts bring winter visitors, surfing and water sports attract summer vacationers, and national parks including Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Redwood are year-round attractions. From the cliffs of Big Sur to the farms of the Central Coast and the shores of San Diego, California is a vacation destination for all.

Deck at Rosewood Miramar Beach
The Best Hotels in Santa Barbara
Guest room in hotel zephyr
The Best Hotels in San Francisco
Pool area
The 10 Best Hotels in Palm Springs of 2024
A woman stands on a deck in the desert
This New Wellness Escape Has Sound Therapy, Facials, and Tea Meditation — With Stunning Views of the California Desert
Best Hotels in San Diego
The 12 Best Hotels in San Diego
The golf course at Pelican Hill Resort
This Small U.S. Coastal City Has Stunning Beaches, Pristine Nature Reserves, and Some of the Best Resorts in California
Aerial view of the property at Pelican Hill Resort
This Exclusive California Resort Feels Like a Seaside Italian Village — With Stunning Villas and a Record-breaking Pool
Landscape stock photograph of coastline with boardwalk at Moonstone Beach in Cambria, California, USA
I've Lived in California All My Life — and These Are the Most Underrated Destinations in the Golden State
Waves crashing along the Mendocino Coastline
How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Fort Bragg, California
M100 at Northspur through the Redwoods with the The Glenn Blair Bar Train
There's a Secret Bar in California's Redwood Forest — and the Only Way to Get There Is by Vintage Train
Carlsbad waterfront beach houses with dock, California
This Coastal California Town You've Never Heard of Has Luxe Resorts, Colorful Flower Fields, and Lots of Live Music
Black family enjoys the beautiful beach in St. Augustine, Florida
Florida Has 10 Beaches With Some of the Best Air Quality in the U.S. — and California Has 10 Too
People on a beach with mountains in the distance in Santa Barbara
9 Best Places to Live in California, According to Real Estate Experts
Santa Barbara beach surrounded by palm trees and mountains, California, USA
The Best Towns to Visit on a Road Trip Down California's Central Coast for Incredible Food, Wineries, and Hotels
Landscape with Pacific Ocean beach, Cambria, California, USA
This Small California Town Is One of the Most Beautiful Coastal Destinations in the State
Santa Monica Pier
23 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in California
Bald Hills Road in Redwood National Park winds through a spring bloom of fragrant Mountain Lupine.
This California National Park With Towering Redwoods Also Has Some of the Most Beautiful Wildflowers in the U.S.
Desert wildflowers of Anza-Borrego.
California's Largest State Park Has the Best Wildflower Super Blooms in the State
View of flowers and mountains in the Trinity Alps
These 10 Hidden Gems Are California's Best-kept Secrets
Exterior of Airstream camper with some snow on the ground on top of a mountain
You Can Spend the Night in a Vintage Airstream on a Mountaintop Just Outside of Los Angeles
An archway at Meditation Mount
This Magical City in California Is the Perfect Long Weekend Destination — and Home to One of the Best Hotels in the State
Downtown Solvang at Night During Christmas Time
This Small California Town Offers a European-style Holiday Getaway
Fall foliage at Conway Summit in Mammoth Lakes
The First Fall Colors Were Just Spotted in This Gorgeous California Lake Town — How to Plan a Last-minute Trip
Lone Cypress near Carmel-by-the-Sea
How to Plan the Perfect Escape to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California's Enchanting Small Town on the Monterey Peninsula
View of Main Street in mountain town with glowing line on the mountain, indicating trail lines
This 600-mile Trail Will Connect 15 Mountain Towns Across the American West
Aerial view of Lake Tahoe
11 Best Lake Tahoe Beaches — With Sandy Shores and Mountain Views
Teens hike John Muir Trail
How a 70-mile Backpacking Trip Taught My 3 Kids They Can Do Difficult Things
View of rollercoaster on the beach boardwalk
This Gorgeous Coastal California City Is a Perfect Road Trip Destination — With Steam Train Rides, Hiking Trails, and Small Towns
Inside the Lava Tube Cave, Lava Beds National Monument
This California Monument Has the Highest Concentration of Lava Tubes in North America — With More Than 800 Caves
Esalen hot springs in Big Sur, California
7 Best Natural Hot Springs in California for a Relaxing Soak
A steam engine train lead amongst the redwood trees
These Steam Trains Bring You From the Towering California Redwoods to the Pacific Ocean
High angle view of the coastline of California from Chimney Rock trail. Point Reyes National Seashore, California
This Northern California Town Has a Great Food Scene — and Some of the Most Gorgeous Waterfront Hiking Trails in the Country
Hiking trail in Big Sur, California with ocean views
This Coastal Waterfall Is One of California's Hidden Treasures — and It Runs Right Into the Pacific Ocean
Rocky sweeping landscape of island, eastern Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park
How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Channel Islands National Park
Aerial view of large swimming pool surrounded by palm trees with mountains in the distance at Sensei Porcupine Creek in California
I Stayed at This $1,475-per-night Wellness Resort in the California Desert — and Learned Why It's One of the Best New Hotels in the World
Two people walking at Sunset at Avila Beach
This Coastal California Town Has Unreal Whale Watching and Outdoor Hot Spring Tubs You Can Rent by the Hour
Scenic views of Lassen Volcanic National Park in California
This Lesser-known California National Park Is a Perfect Alternative to Yellowstone — With Fewer Crowds, Stunning Lakes, and Volcanoes
Glamping Accommodations at Ventana Campground in Big Sur, California
23 Best Places to Go Glamping in California — Including Vintage Airstreams and Tiny Cabins
Mountain Ridges Rise High Over The Pacific Ocean
9 Best National Parks in California — From Undeveloped Islands to Towering Sand Dunes
the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Groundbreaking Celebration
California Is Building the World's Largest Wildlife Crossing to Help Protect Mountain Lions
Arerial view of a luxury hotel on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of California
This Laid-back California Beach Town Has a Stunning Luxury Hotel With Ocean Views
Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California
13 Most Romantic Getaways in California — From Malibu to Big Sur
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The Perfect Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
Monarch butterflies begin to gather to stay warm for the winter. Monarch Butterfly Grove, Pismo State Beach, California
This Little California Beach Town Is the Best Place to See the Great Monarch Butterfly Migration — but They Need Your Help
Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA.
California's Hearst Castle Will Reopen on May 11 Being Closed for Two Years
A car ready for a roadtrip in the forest
You Can Win a Free California Road Trip This Summer — Rental Car and Stylish Boutique Hotels Included
Fern Canyon in Redwood National Park in Northern California
This California Canyon Is Hidden Among the Tallest Trees on Earth — With 50-foot Walls Covered in Ferns
Fortynine Palms Oasis
This Popular California National Park Trail Is Temporarily Closed Due to Extreme Heat — What to Know
Houses along the canal in Venice, Los Angeles, California
20 'Secret' Spots Along California's Pacific Coast Highway
Ocean alongside Pebble Beach Golf Links
The Best Golf Courses in California
Southern California beach with Santa Monica pier in background
17 Best Beaches in Southern California
Skier at Heavenly Ski Resort with view of Lake Tahoe
7 Best Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts for a Winter Getaway
Holbrooke Hotel in California, Western style decor and a real saloon
This Hotel in a Charming California Gold Rush Town Has an 1852 Saloon and a Moody Speakeasy
Where to Watch Whales in California
Where and When to Go Whale Watching in California
Rock formationas and joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park
Everything You Need to Know About Camping in Joshua Tree National Park
Black Rock Homestead in Joshua Tree, a modern black home with minimal warm interiors
Stargaze From Your Private Pool, Hot Tub, or Hammock at This Stunning Midcentury Modern Home in Joshua Tree
A photo collage showing Mrs Minerva Sherman Hoyt and her exhibit of cacti and other succulent plants, Pasadena, California, early to mid 20th century with Joshua Tree in the background
This Female Conservationist Fought to Save Joshua Tree As a National Park — and Won
Cachuma Lake Below The Santa Ynez and San Rafael Mountains
This Must-Visit California Region Has World-Class Wine, Glamping, Horseback Riding, and Stunning Hikes
Pier at Pismo Beach, in California
This Long-overlooked California Region Has Offbeat Hotels, Stunning Beaches and Hiking Trails, and Some of the Best Wines in the West
Aerial view of California's Highway 1
How I Found Solitude and Freedom on a Weeklong Solo Road Trip Along California's Famed Highway 1
Yosemite Falls Trail at Yosemite National Park
13 Best Hikes in California
Two women on Can-Am motorcycles through Yosemite National Park
I Rode a Can-Am Through Yosemite — Here's Why It's the Best Way to See a National Park
RVs camp at Jumbo Rocks campground in Joshua Tree National Park at dusk
7 Amazing RV Campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park