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the beaches and cliff trails of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area are the gate- ways 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 that are home to sea otters and seals. Behold the thousands of Monarch butterflies that winter at Natural Bridges State Beach. 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 end- less 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, a.k.a. 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. At Railtown 1897 Historic State Park, ride the vintage trains that often appear in films, television productions and com- mercials. At Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park, visit a reconstructed village with a ceremonial roundhouse and presen- tations by descendants of the Miwoks. The 21 missions founded by the Spanish along El Camino Real, or the King's Highway, pre- serve the arrival of non-natives to California. 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 Discovery State Historic Park where the mineral was first discovered. Visualize 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 testament to publisher William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Tour the 115-room castle and imagine the presidents, pub- lishing luminaries and Hollywood stars who gathered there. Also at mid state, climbers and birders will not be disappointed at Pin- nacles, California's newest national park. Whatever kind of experience you seek, from a city adventure to a high country trek, California's parks have a surprise in store for you. 2 0 1 7 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 71 ยป FIND YOUR PARK Individual State Parks www.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 www.parks.ca.gov. POINT REYES LIGHTHOUSE at Point Reyes National Seashore, opposite top; desert flowers in Anza-Borrego State Park, opposite boXom; taking a day hike in Yosemite National Park, above; El Capitan and the Merced River, Yosemite National Park, above leV.