Family Fun, Family Travel, Travel, Travel Tuesday

7 Most Beautiful Places To Visit In California

November 2, 2022 11 Comments

From the cliff-lined beaches to the Mojave Desert, to the redwood forests to the central valley farmlands, there are so many beautiful places to visit in California. It’s so beautiful, that no matter how many epic hikes you take, you’ll still never scratch the surface of all the Instagrammable wonder that the Golden State has to offer.

San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Ghirardelli Square Pier 39

Here are 7 of the most beautiful places to visit in California you didn’t even think of when making your bucket list! 

Natural Bridges

7 Beautiful Places In Calforinia

The Natural Bridge hike takes you into a forest of Oak Trees where a small creek has dug a tunnel for itself through solid rock. Known to geology nerds as a “karst,” the Natural Bridges were formed when the rushing waters of Coyote Creek eroded through a layer of soluble bedrock and created this Aladdin-esque Cave of Wonders. Best part? You need a bathing suit to explore this thing!   

Glass Beach

Fort Bragg

7 Beautiful Places In Calforinia

Glass Beach is in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California. The beach is abundant in sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town. But don’t take any of the sea glass with you, because of souvenir hunters and the waves, it’s diminishing. 

Enchanted Forest

Shady Dell

7 Beautiful Places In California

This Northern California redwood forest on the Lost Coast is known as the Enchanted Forest. It is home to crazy candelabra trees and the three fairy godmothers who are trying to keep Princess Aurora safe. True story!  Seriously though, the Enchanted Forest is truly a magical experience. 

Poppy Reserve

Antelope Valley

7 Beautiful Places In California

Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland habitat where Poppy flowers are as far as the eye can see. The wildflower season typically lasts from mid-February through May, with a variety of wildflowers creating a mosaic of color that changes daily.

The Cypress “tree tunnel”

Point Reyes

Point Reyes Northern California Cypress Tree Tunnel

Point Reyes National Seashore is a natural area located in Marin County in northern California. Halfway between the lighthouse and visitor center, you’ll find the breathtaking Cypress “tree tunnel”. Catch it with the early morning fog and you will think you have stepped into a dream. 

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve  

Lee Vining

Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve 7 Beautiful Things To See In California

At first glance, the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve looks like you’ve left Earth entirely and have landed on a different planet. The shallow saline lake, located right in the middle of the desert, is surrounded by odd, towering formations known as “tufa” that give the whole area an “out of this world” feel. The lake doesn’t drain into an ocean, it’s highly saline and alkaline, so when you go for a swim in Mono Lake, you’ll feel extra buoyant in the water adding to the otherworldly experience. 

Kelso Dunes

Mojave Desert Kelso Dunes Mojave Desert 7 Beautiful things To See In California

Like something out of a fairytale, the largest dune field in the Mojave offers a chance of hearing the “singing sands”.  To encourage the sands to sing their song, climb to the top of the crests and slide slowly down the dunes which creates a low rumbling “song” that can not only be heard but can also be felt vibrating through the ever-shifting ground. This phenomenon is an epic experience.

7 Most Beautiful Places To Visit In California

I hope this list of the 7 most beautiful places to visit in California inspires you to get out there and explore the world around you!