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2 0 1 5 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 43 Closer to San Francisco, the sweeping arc of Point Reyes National Seashore is home to a dozen beaches, with drive-up Drakes Beach and hike-in Limantour as favorites. Make your way to park headlands in early spring to view the gray whale migration. Edging the entrance to San Francisco Bay, the beaches and cliff trails of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area are the gateways to urban adventures and historic sights such as Alcatraz Island. Continuing down the coast to Santa Cruz and Monterey, surfing spots alternate with quiet coves home to sea otters and seals. At Año Nuevo State Reserve, witness elephant seals in breeding season. In Carmel, whose beauty has been long favored by plein air artists, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a must-visit for everyone. Big Sur's Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers stunning views of the rugged coast from its cliff-side trails. Access to Pfeiffer Beach, a day beach, is just south of the Big Sur Ranger Station. At mid-coast, rocky cliffs finally give way to warm water and California's famous endless flat beaches. Movie buffs can camp at Malibu Creek State Park where M*A*S*H and Planet of the Apes were filmed. And then there's Huntington Beach, aka Surf City USA. Huntington State Beach's soft sand, safe swimming and good surfing make it the California classic. Rocks to Castles California is more than its geography. Living history programs bring the past to life in many parks. Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park features a reconstructed village with a ceremonial roundhouse and presentations by descendants of the Miwoks. The 21 missions founded by the Spanish along El Camino Real, or the King's Highway, preserve the arrival of non-natives to California. Imagine mis- sion life at La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, one of the best along the His- toric Mission Trail. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, with its restored plaza and adobes, captures the period when San Diego grew from a Mexican pueblo into an American town. And then there's gold fever. Pan for gold at Marshall Gold Dis- covery State Historic Park where the mineral was first discovered. Imagine a miner's life at Bodie State Historic Park, an intact ghost town from the era. No place reflects California's big dreamers better than the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument, a tes- tament to publisher William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Tour the 115-room castle and imagine the presi- dents, publishing luminaries and Holly- wood stars who gathered there. Whatever kind of experience you seek, from a city adventure to a high country trek, California's parks have just what you're looking for. » FIND YOUR PARK Individual State Parks parks.ca.gov National Parks nps.gov/state/CA Campsites & Lodging Reservations reserveamerica.com recreation.gov Lighthouses (many open to the public, some offering accommodations) nps.gov/maritime/inventories/ lights/ca.htm Wildflower Updates at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflower Hotline 760-767-4684 Or check the park's website at parks.ca.gov. THE NEPTUNE POOL at Hearst Castle, designed by Julia Morgan, below; it's a long way down to the lighthouse at Point Reyes National Seashore, north of San Francisco, right.