Welcome to CALIFORNIA!
Capital City: Sacramento
If You Were a Kid During the California Gold Rush
by Josh Gregory; Illustrated by Caroline Attia
(ages 7-9)
World Classroom: California
Did you know California is the state with the most National Parks and Sites managed by the National Parks Services? There are 28 to date. Below are links to help you explore and choose where you want to go next. Visit in person for a stamp in your national parks passport book, or click any link to enjoy a virtual tour where available, with the pictures and videos on the site.
National Parks & Preserves
Channel Islands National Park – Ventura, CA
Death Valley National Park – (CA & NV) Death Valley
Joshua Tree National Park – Twentynine Palms, CA
Kings Canyon National Park – Three Rivers, CA
Visit Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPS.gov
Lassen Volcanic National Park – Mineral, CA
Mojave National Preserve – Barstow, CA
Visit Mojave Ntnl Preserve NPS.gov
Pinnacles National Park – Paicines, CA
Redwood National & State Park – Crescent City, CA
Sequoia National Park – Three Rivers, CA
Visit Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPS.gov
Yosemite National Park – Yosemite National Park
National Historical Parks & Sites
Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site – Danville, CA
Visit Eugene O’Neill Historic Site NPS.gov
Fort Point National Historic Site – San Francisco, CA
Visit Fort Point Ntnl Hist Site NPS.gov
John Muir National Historic Site – Martinez, CA
Visit John Muir Ntnl Hist Site NPS.gov
Manzanar National Historic Site – Lone Pine, CA
Visit Manzanar Historic Site NPS.gov
Manzanar is one of ten “War Relocation Centers” used by the US government to incarcerate Japanese immigrants and citizens during WWII. “One Camp, Ten Thousand Lives; One Camp, Ten Thousand Stories”
Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park – Richmond, CA
Visit Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front Historical Park NPS.gov
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park – San Francisco, CA
Visit San Francisco Maritime Historical Park NPS.gov
National Monuments and Memorials
Cabrillo National Monument – San Diego, CA
Visit Cabrillo Ntnl Monument NPS.gov
Castle Mountains National Monument – Barstow, CA
Visit Castle Mountains Ntnl Monument NPS.gov
Cesar E Chavez National Monument – Keene, CA
Visit Cesar E Chavez Monument NPS.gov
Devils Postpile National Monument – Three Rivers, CA
Visit Devils Postpile Ntnl Monument NPS.gov
Lava Beds National Monument – Tulelake, CA
Visit Lava Beds Ntnl Monument NPS.gov
Muir Woods National Monument – Mill Valley, CA
Visit Muir Woods Ntnl Monument NPS.gov
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial – Concord, CA (limited access)
Visit Port Chicago Naval Mag Ntnl Memorial NPS.gov
Pay homage to the 320 Americans killed in an unfortunate accident on July 17, 1944, marking WWII’s worst home front disaster.
Tule Lake National Monument – Tulelake, CA
Visit Tule Lake Ntnl Monument NPS.gov
Imagine being relocated from your home, community and friends because your country does not trust you because of your nationality. That’s exactly what happened to Japanese Americans at the outbreak of WWII.
The National Parks Service website is a treasure trove of photos, stories, articles and information about this historical period. Some reads that may interest you on the site include: Words Can Lie or Clarify by Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, “Concentration Camp” or “Relocation Camp” What’s in a Name? by James Hirabayashi and The American Concentration Camps, a Cover Up through Euphemistic Terminology by Raymond Okamura.
Witness very personal accounts through photos and writings by many of those that lived through it and their second generation children. There are so many units of study that can piggy back on an experience to this memorial ranging from literature and propaganda to history and civil rights and more.
National Recreation Areas
Golden Gate National Recreation Area – San Francisco, CA
Visit Golden Gate Ntnl Recreation Area NPS.gov
There are so many amazing places to visit all over the world that it would take several lifetimes to see them all. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area national parks website offers “Virtual Passport Cancellations!” So if you want to learn oodles of cool things, but aren’t able to visit them in person, the next best thing is a virtual visit! Click the link about and search for the Virtual Passport Cancellations, then learn about each cool place, answer a few questions and print off your cancellation stamps and affix them to your book.
Crosstown Trail – San Francisco, CA
This nearly 17 mile mostly urban trail meanders diagonally through the city from the southeastern corner at Candlestick Point to its northwestern tip at Lands End. You’ll be crossing through gardens and up hills and have some great picture spots and shops along the way.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area – Thousand Oaks, CA
Visit Santa Monica Mtns Ntnl Recreation Area NPS.gov
This place is just cool! There are so many plants and animals to see and learn about. There are trails in mountains and beaches on the sunny California coastline! Check it out!
This park has more events than any other park I’ve seen to date. The Junior Ranger program is top of its class, and there is even a SAMO program for teens and college students interested in pursuing environmental careers! There are so many pictures on the site you can start planning and enjoying park right away! Just click our easy link provided above.
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area – Whiskeytown, CA
Visit Whiskeytown Ntnl Recreation Area NPS.gov
National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore – Point Reyes, CA
Visit Point Reyes Ntnl Seashore NPS.gov
