There’s no better time to travel than right now—in college. And there’s no better state to travel in than good old California. California has one of the most, if not the most, diverse landscapes in the entire nation. We’ve got it all here—mountains, beaches, forests, deserts. The Golden State is so large that you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone here who’s seen it all. So, whether you’re a California local or living here for school, there will always be something new to see, because luckily, the only thing that gets old here are the soap operas. Here are some of the most beautiful triumphs of nature and man to visit while in college.
1. Yosemite National Park
Nestled deep within the Sierra Nevada Mountains is the paragon of wilderness—Yosemite National Park. Famed for its waterfalls, this beautiful valley is a very popular destination for people all over the country. The famous Half Dome watches over the valley like the lost half of Mount Olympus, and Vernal Falls dampens our clothing like an ancient blessing. Within the park, you can hike, camp, fish or just stand in awe. As renowned outdoorsman John Muir has said, “[Yosemite] is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter.”
2. Sequoia National Forest
Within the Sequoia National Forest, outside of Tulare County, is the General Sherman Tree, and the picture above does not do it justice. The General Sherman is considered to be the largest single-stem tree and one of the largest living organisms on earth. The massive Sequoia towers at 275 feet from the ground and stands on a base with a circumference of 103 feet. At those numbers, the tree is almost three times the length of a blue whale and is only a few feet shy of the Statue of Liberty from base to torch. This tree makes you feel insignificant in the best possible way. The earth is alive and it is ancient and this tree shrugs off time like water off a duck’s back. It has been here for thousands of years before us and will remain here for thousands of years after.
3. Golden Gate Bridge
Although this bridge is rather commonplace to a lot of our Nor-Cal Mustangs, it may be less familiar to those of us who hail from out of state or even from Southern California. Nonetheless, this link from San Francisco to the Redwood National Forest has become a California icon; however, this bridge has also become hauntingly associated with death, as it is the second-most used suicide site in the world (Thankfully, a net and suicide help phones have been added to keep people safe and get them help). So, when you visit this California icon, please respect its beauty and its past.
4. Solvang
Solvang, a little Danish village in Santa Barbara County, may seem out of place with the rest of this list; however, it has become quite famous throughout the state for its culture. The entire town looks like it’s straight out of a Denmark travel brochure. The town is famous for its bakery and has become quite a popular destination during the holidays, when the entire town is decorated with twinkling Christmas lights. Solvang is completely one-of-a-kind and is one of those places you just have to visit.
5. Hearst Castle
Here’s one right around the corner from San Luis Obispo. Off Highway 1 toward Cambria is Hearst Castle, a symbol of California life with respectful homage to the palaces of Ancient Rome, the European Gothic Era and the old cathedrals of Spain. It’s an immensely popular tourist location and is a great place to revel in the beauty that man can create.
6. Mt. Shasta
This Nor-Cal monster of a mountain is the fifth highest in California at about 10,000 feet. Mt. Shasta is technically a volcano and is labeled dormant; however, many geologists predict that Shasta has a lot of potential to erupt in the future in the same way that it has in the past. This element of danger makes Mt. Shasta all the more mesmerizing and remains a popular destination for experienced climbers.
7. Big Sur
If all the variety of California could exist within one area, the area would be Big Sur. It has everything—beaches, cliffs, forests and mountains. Big Sur’s Cone Peak is the highest beachside mountain in America’s mainland and boasts the infamous Bixby Creek Bridge. Big Sur’s beauty has attracted countless nature-goers as well as famous authors such as Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson, and Henry Miller. Visit Big Sur and get inspired.
8. Lake Tahoe
On the border of California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and the sixth largest in the United States, behind all five of the Great Lakes. The lake itself dates back about 2 million years, as it is said to have formed during the Ice Age. Tahoe is legendary for its ski resorts and is one of the few remaining lake and river systems in which Sockeye Salmon reproduce. Sadly, Lake Tahoe is suffering from the effects of the current drought, so before and after your visit to the natural wonder, remember to conserve so Tahoe can regain its health.
9. California Caverns
Under the Sierra Nevada Mountains and within Cave City, California are the California Caverns—a series of interconnected cave systems that includes Black Chasm Cavern, Gold Cliff Mine, Mammoth Cave and Moaning Cavern, among others. The caves are famous for their stalactite and stalagmite formations and are open to a wide variety of tours, such as a trail of lights walkthrough, rappelling, spelunking and even rafting through small internal streams in the wet season. Not all beauty is found on the surface, so take a trip underground and pray you don’t find a Balroc.
10. Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park is located between the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino and is made up of parts of the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. The Park, which is named for the Yucca trees that have made the park famous, is actually larger than the state of Rhode Island. This desert is not as desolate as it may seem and is surprisingly diverse in its plant species, animal species, terrain type and climate. The landscape’s awesome diversity brings in hikers and climbers throughout the year, while its beautiful color palate makes the site surprisingly popular for weddings.
11. Mt. Whitney
Mt. Whitney is the tallest peak in the contiguous United States and is located right outside of both Death Valley National Park (coincidentally near the lowest point in North America—Badwater) and Tulare County. Mt. Whitney is more rigid looking than Mt. Shasta and is easily recognizable by its jagged and rocky surface. Mt. Whitney is also host to very few plants, as it is far past the tree line, and its only animal life, a small butterfly and a Rosy Finch, are not permanent residents. Sunset and sunrise give this mountain new life, as its many crevasses and sharp angles form beautiful shadows against the sun.
12. Bodie
Bodie is a ghost town east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Bodie was established in 1859 as a gold mining camp and took off in 1878 after gold ore was discovered. Over the years, Bodie produced over $33 million dollars worth of gold; however, the town was plagued over time with disease, brutal winters and fires. The town became an official ghost town in 1961. Everything in Bodie is frozen in time and is dominated by a sense of unfinished business. The air feels heavy from the eerie weight of death, especially when you look into the windows of the saloon or the mortuary, coffins off all sizes laying half-finished on the floor. If you’re up for a cool and creepy setting, Bodie should top your list.
13. Mission San Juan Capistrano
Located in the city for which it is named (or vice versa), Mission San Juan Capistrano, founded in 1775, is one of the oldest buildings in California. However, the site was quickly abandoned due to unrest of the local Native American populations, many of whom were killed and buried in unmarked graves in the Mission’s cemetery, lending the Mission the nickname “The Mission of Tragedy.” On a positive note, the Mission has another nickname, “The Mission of the Swallow,” because the ruins have become a temporary residence to migratory swallows. The return of the swallows in the spring has its own holiday of sorts, called “Saint Joseph’s Day,” and is observed annually among the beautiful floral life that the ruins host. This juxtaposition of life and tragedy is what makes the Mission such a valuable part of California history.
How many of these places have you visited, and which are still on your list?