National Parks Near Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the most iconic cities in California and the USA. And whilst there is an endless amount of things to do in the city itself (and the surrounding beaches, mountains and forests), we love to take one or two day trips from LA occasionally and end up in places that look completely different! All of these national parks near Los Angeles are perfect for a weekend getaway (or longer) and just happen to be a few of the best national parks in California! Read on to find your next national park adventure near Los Angeles.

4 Best National Parks To Visit Near Los Angeles

Sequoias near Los Angeles — Road to Sequoia National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree is one of the coolest places to visit on a day trip from LA. It is one of the most unique places to visit in California, known for its one of a kind Joshua Trees, which are tree-like yucca plants that grows here in the desert. Visiting this national park can feel like you’re in another world. And it’s only about 2hr30min from LA! There are lots of things to do in and around Joshua Tree National Park and it’s great for people who like hiking, climbing and adventure as well as those that just want to drive through the entire park, and taking in the stunning California desert views.

Best things to do:

Visit Key’s View for views of Coachella Valley
Go to Skull Rock & the Jumbo Rocks
Do a hike amongst the Joshua Trees (Hidden Valley is a short hike close to the West Entrance)
Camping & stargazing in the desert

How to get there:

The best way to get to Joshua Tree National Park from LA, is to simply take the I-10 E for about 100miles until 29 Palms Hwy. From there, turn right onto Quail Springs Rd to the West Entrance Station then continue onto Park Blvd. This is the most popular entrance and there can be a long line on busy weekends.

Another nearby option is to continue driving to 29 Palms and enter through the North Entrance.

If you are visiting from Palm Springs or plan to go there in addition to visiting Joshua Tree, then you can enter or exit from the South Entrance of the park.

Joshua Tree National Park Near LA — Entrance to Joshua Tree National Park

Channel Islands National Park

The Channel Islands are another national park near Los Angeles that will feel like you’ve travelled much further than just a few hours! Channel Islands National Park is located off the coast of Ventura and you have to take a ferry to get there. You can take an amazing day trip here from Los Angeles or you can camp on one of the islands for a longer trip. We camped on Santa Cruz Island and it was an incredible experience! Channel Islands National Park is made up of 5 of the Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara Island).

Best things to do:

Hiking around the island to different viewpoints
Snorkeling or diving
Kayaking into sea caves
Whale & dolphins watching on the boat to the island

We have an entire blog post about visiting Channel Islands National Park, and camping on Santa Cruz Island which you can find here.

How to get there:

Getting to Channel Islands National Park involves taking a boat trip from the mainland with Island Packers. The two departure locations are Ventura & Oxnard. We drove 70 miles north of Los Angeles to Ventura Harbor (about 1hour on Hwy 101 or Hwy 1) and then took the hour long boat ride to Scorpion Cove on Santa Cruz Island (you can read about our trip here).

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is a bit further away but well worth the trip! It is one of the best national parks in California (in our opinion) and you can get there from Los Angeles in about 3-4hours. Sequoia National Park is known for its giant Sequoias which are the world’s largest trees, as well as the amazing mountains of the southern Sierra Nevada region, and the clear blue lakes in and around the park.

Best things to do:

Visit General Sherman tree (the largest tree in the world by volume!)
Hike Moro Rock
Walk amongst the Giant Sequoia groves
Visit nearby Kings Canyon National Park via Kings Canyon scenic byway

You can see our full blog post on things to do in Sequoia National Park here.

How to get there:

Starting on the I-5 N, you will take this to CA-99 N towards Bakersfield. From here, you will take CA-65 N until turning off towards the small town of Three Rivers. This is a longer drive to get to Sequoia National Park than the first two on the list. Snow tires are needed during the winter snow!

Lakes Trail Sequoia National Park — From the Lakes Trail, you can read more about here

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is one of the most unique places in California (and the world!) and is best known for its record-breaking heat and being the lowest point in North America. There is so much to see and do here and is a great place for camping, photography, and off-roading adventures.

Best things to do:

Visit Badwater Basin
Drive through Artist’s Palette
Hike the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Stop by Zabriskie Point for sunset

You can see our full blog post on things to do in Death Valley National Park here.

How to get there:

Starting on Hwy 101 N, you will take CA-14 N through Lancaster and then briefly taking Hwy 395 until you reach Trona Rd. There are a few other routes that you can take to get to Death Valley National Park from Los Angeles and it’s an easier drive than Sequoia National Park (in my opinion).