Login
Login

Protected areas of California

{{Short description|Protected environmental areas of California, US}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

File:Redwood light.jpg]]

{{Culture of California}}

According to the [http://www.calands.org/ California Protected Areas Database] (CPAD), in the state of California, United States, there are over 14,000 inventoried protected areas administered by public agencies and non-profits. In addition, there are private conservation areas and other easements.{{cite web|url=http://www.calands.org/|title=California Protected Areas Data Portal|website=www.calands.org|access-date=8 April 2018}} They include almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and dune systems. The California State Parks system alone has 270 units and covers 1.3 million acres (5,300 km2), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline, 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage, nearly 18,000 campsites, and 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.

Obtaining an accurate total of all protected land in California and elsewhere is a complex task. Many parcels have inholdings, private lands within the protected areas, which may or may not be accounted for when calculating total area. Also, occasionally one parcel of land is included in two or more inventories. Over 90% of Yosemite National Park for example, is listed both as wilderness by the National Wilderness Preservation System, and as national park land by the National Park Service. The Cosumnes River Preserve is an extreme example, owned and managed by a handful of public agencies and private landowners, including the Bureau of Land Management, the County of Sacramento and The Nature Conservancy. Despite the difficulties, the CPAD gives the total area of protected land at {{convert|49294000|acre|km2}}, or 47.05% of the state (not including easements); a considerable amount for the most populous state in the country.

National Park System

{{main|List of areas in the National Park System of the United States|List of National Parks of the United States|List of National Monuments of the United States}}

The U.S. National Park System controls a large and diverse group of California parks, monuments, recreation areas and other units which in total exceed {{convert|6240000|acre|km2}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/acreagemenu.cfm |title=NPS Public Use Statistics Office: Acreage Reports |work=National Park Service |access-date=2010-04-22}} The best known is Yosemite National Park, noted for several iconic natural features including Yosemite Falls, El Capitan and Half Dome, which is displayed on the reverse side of the California state quarter. Other prominent parks are the Kings Canyon-Sequoia National Park complex, Redwood National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Joshua Tree National Park and the largest, Death Valley National Park. The NPS also administers the Manzanar National Historic Site in Inyo County.

{| width=100% border=0

|- valign="top"

| width=30% |

=National parks=

{{Main|National parks in California}}

| File:YosemitePark2 amk.jpg]]

|- valign="top"

|

=National monuments=

(administered by the NPS)

| File:Trees and sunshine.JPG]]

|- valign="top"

|

=National recreation areas=

| File:Santa monica nra.jpg]]

|- valign="top"

|

=National seashores=

| File:Palomarin at point reyes.jpg]]

|- valign="top"

|

=National preserves=

| File:Castlepeaksatmojave.jpg]]

|}

National Landscape Conservation System

{{main|National Landscape Conservation System}}

The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) includes over 850 federally recognized areas and in California, manages {{convert|15500000|acre|km2}} of public lands, nearly 15% of the state's land area.http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en.html BLM-California website.

The National Landscape Conservation System is composed of several types of units: national monuments (distinct from the same-named units within the National Park System), national conservation areas, forest reserves, outstanding natural areas, national scenic and historic trails, wilderness, wilderness study areas, and others.

{| width=100% border=0

|- valign="top"

|

=National monuments=

(administered by the BLM)

| width=20% |File:Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains 283.jpg]]

|

=National conservation areas=

| width=20% | File:Hikingkingrange.jpg]]

|- valign="top"

|

=Forest reserves=

| width=20% | File:Headwatersforest.jpg]]

|

=Outstanding natural areas=

| width=20% | File:USCGpiedrasblancasWithout.JPG]]

|- valign="top"

|

=National scenic and historic trails=

| width=20% | File:Farewell Gap.jpg along the Pacific Crest Trail]]

|

=Wilderness and wilderness study areas=

Total BLM-managed wilderness land in California is {{convert|3725230|acre|km2}}.[http://www.blm.gov/ca/pa/wilderness/wa/wa_lister.html BLM California data page.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111021704/http://www.blm.gov/ca/pa/wilderness/wa/wa_lister.html |date=2009-01-11 }}

| width=20% | File:Bigcholla.jpg]]

|}

National Marine Sanctuaries

{{main|United States National Marine Sanctuary}}

File:Sanderlings at Monterey Bay.jpg]]

The National Marine Sanctuary System is managed by the Office of Marine Sanctuaries, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

California has four of the thirteen U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries:

{{colbegin}}

{{colend}}

National Wildlife Refuges

{{main|National Wildlife Refuge}}

National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is an extensive system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants. Many of the state's refuges are important stops and destinations for millions of migrating birds along the Pacific Flyway corridor. One, the Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area, has the highest density of waterfowl in the world.{{cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/sacramentovalleyrefuges/r_butte.html |title=Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area |work=U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |access-date=2010-04-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522123026/http://www.fws.gov/sacramentovalleyrefuges/r_butte.html |archive-date=2010-05-22 }} There are 38 units in the refuge system in California, including both wildlife refuges and wildlife management areas, divided into 9 different regional areas. Combined the areas equal about {{convert|440000|acre|km2}}.

{| width=100% border=0

|- valign="top"

|

=Hopper Mountain NWR Complex=

| width=20% |File:Blueridgebobcat.jpg]]

|

=San Diego NWR Complex=

| width=20% | File:Arroyotoadsandiegonwr.jpg]]

|- valign="top"

|

=Humboldt Bay NWR Complex=

| width=20% |

|

=San Francisco Bay NWR Complex=

| width=20% | File:San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.jpg]]

|- valign="top"

|

=Kern NWR Complex=

| width=20% | File:Blackneckstilt kernrivernwr.jpg]]

|

=San Luis NWR Complex=

| width=20% | File:San Luis National Wildlife Refuge.JPG]]

|- valign="top"

|

=Klamath Basin NWR Complex=

| width=20% | File:RossGeese Oregon.jpg at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge]]

|

=Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Complex=

| width=20% | File:Coachellanwr.jpg]]

|- valign="top"

|

=Sacramento NWR Complex=

| width=20% | File:Snow geeze and ducks at Sacramento.jpg at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge]]

|

=Other refuges=

| width=20% | File:Badger modocnwr.jpg at the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge]]

|}

Wild and Scenic rivers

{{main|National Wild and Scenic Rivers System|l1=List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers}}

Rivers designated as Wild and Scenic are administered by one of four federal land management agencies: The Bureau of Land Management, The National Park Service, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or The U.S. Forest Service.{{cite web|url=http://www.rivers.gov/council.html |title=Interagency Wild & Scenic Rivers Council |work=Wild & Scenic Rivers Council |access-date=2010-04-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610024725/http://www.rivers.gov/council.html |archive-date=2010-06-10 }} There are 22 rivers in California with portions designated as Wild and Scenic, with 23 designations in all (the American River has two separate designations, one for the North Fork, and one for the Lower section).{{cite web|url=https://www.rivers.gov/california.php|title=California |work=National Wild and Scenic River System |access-date=2017-05-07}} Listed in miles.

class="wikitable sortable"
align=left

! River

! Designated Wild

! Designated Scenic

! Designated Recreational

! Total Protected

Amargosa River

| align=right | 7.9

| align=right | 12.1

| align=right | 6.3

| align=right | 26.3

American River (Lower)

| align=right |

| align=right |

| align=right | 23

| align=right | 23

American River (North Fork)

| align=right | 38.3

| align=right |

| align=right |

| align=right | 38.3

Bautista Creek

| align=right |

| align=right |

| align=right | 9.8

| align=right | 9.8

Big Sur

| align=right | 19.5

| align=right |

| align=right |

| align=right | 19.5

Black Butte River

| align=right | 17.5

| align=right | 3.5

| align=right |

| align=right | 21

Cottonwood Creek

| align=right | 17.4

| align=right |

| align=right | 4.1

| align=right | 21.5

Eel River

| align=right | 97

| align=right | 28

| align=right | 273

| align=right | 398

Feather River

| align=right | 32.9

| align=right | 9.7

| align=right | 35

| align=right | 77.6

Fuller Mill Creek

| align=right |

| align=right | 2.6

| align=right | 0.9

| align=right | 3.5

Kern River

| align=right | 123.1

| align=right | 7

| align=right | 20.9

| align=right | 151

Kings River

| align=right | 65.5

| align=right |

| align=right | 15.5

| align=right | 81

Klamath River

| align=right | 11.7

| align=right | 23.5

| align=right | 250.8

| align=right | 286

Merced River

| align=right | 71

| align=right | 16

| align=right | 35.5

| align=right | 122.5

Owens River

| align=right | 6.3

| align=right | 6.6

| align=right | 6.2

| align=right | 19.1

Palm Canyon Creek

| align=right | 8.1

| align=right |

| align=right |

| align=right | 8.1

Piru Creek

| align=right | 4.3

| align=right |

| align=right | 3

| align=right | 7.3

San Jacinto River (North Fork)

| align=right | 7.2

| align=right | 2.3

| align=right | 0.7

| align=right | 10.2

Sisquoc River

| align=right | 33

| align=right |

| align=right |

| align=right | 33

Smith River

| align=right | 78

| align=right | 31

| align=right | 216.4

| align=right | 325.4

Trinity River

| align=right | 44

| align=right | 39

| align=right | 120

| align=right | 203

Tuolumne River

| align=right | 47

| align=right | 23

| align=right | 13

| align=right | 83

National Wilderness Preservation System

{{main|National Wilderness Preservation System|List of U.S. Wilderness Areas#California}}

width=100% border=0
valign="top"

|There are 149 wilderness areas in California totaling just over {{convert|15000000|acre|km2}}.{{cite web |url=http://wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=stateView&state=CA |title=Wilderness areas in California |access-date=2009-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612070751/http://wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=stateView&state=CA |archive-date=2010-06-12 |url-status=dead }} The largest is Death Valley Wilderness at {{convert |3,055,413|acre|km2}}, the largest federally designated wilderness in the continental United States, and the smallest is the Rocks and Islands Wilderness at {{convert|19|acre|m2}}. The wilderness areas are managed by the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. Rarely, if ever, are designated wilderness areas stand alone protected areas, and thus their areas are, in all likelihood, already accounted for in the various agencies' inventories.

| rowspan=2 | File:Emerald lake trinity alps.jpg]]











National Forests

{{main|List of U.S. National Forests#California|l1=List of U.S. National Forests}}

California has 17 U.S. National Forests, one special management unit (Lake Tahoe) and parts of 3 other National Forests. Total combined area of the forests is {{convert|20061888|acre|km2}} and covers over 19% of the state. The largest forest entirely within the state is Shasta-Trinity National Forest, at {{convert|2209832|acre|km2}}, the smallest is Cleveland National Forest at {{convert|460000|acre|km2}}. The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is not precisely a national forest in the conventional sense. Instead the Forest Service manages the land with particular attention paid to Lake Tahoe and its relationship with the forests surrounding it, with emphasis on erosion control management and watershed restoration, among other more conventional forest management activities. It is the smallest of the Forest Service units in California, with {{convert|191000|acre|km2}} in its jurisdiction split between California and Nevada.

File:Mount Whitney September 2009.JPG contains Mount Whitney, the highest point in California.]]

class="wikitable sortable"
align=left

! State Forest

! Land area (in acres)

Angeles National Forest

| align=right | 655,387

Cleveland National Forest

| align=right | 460,000

Eldorado National Forest

| align=right | 596,724

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

| align=right | 6,289,821

Inyo National Forest

| align=right | 1,903,381

Klamath National Forest

| align=right | 1,737,774

Lassen National Forest

| align=right | 1,070,344

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

| align=right | 150,000

Los Padres National Forest

| align=right | 1,950,000

Mendocino National Forest

| align=right | 913,306

Modoc National Forest

| align=right | 1,654,392

Plumas National Forest

| align=right | 1,146,000

San Bernardino National Forest

| align=right | 823,816

Sequoia National Forest

| align=right | 1,193,315

Shasta–Trinity National Forest

| align=right | 2,209,832

Sierra National Forest

| align=right | 1,300,000

Six Rivers National Forest

| align=right | 957,590

Stanislaus National Forest

| align=right | 898,099

State Forests

{{main|List of California state forests|l1=List of California state forests}}

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) operates eight Demonstration State Forests totaling 71,000 acres. The forests represent the most common forest types in the state. The State Forests grow approximately 75 million board feet of timber annually and harvest an average of 30 million board feet each year, enough to build 3,000 single-family homes. Revenue from these harvests fund the management of the State Forests. In addition, the forests provide research and demonstration opportunities for natural resource management, while providing public recreation opportunities, fish and wildlife habitat, and watershed protection. Activities include: experimental timber harvesting techniques, watershed restoration, mushroom collecting, hunting, firewood gathering, cone collecting for seed, a variety of university research projects, horseback riding, camping, mountain biking, and hiking.{{cite web |url=http://www.fire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/resource_mgt_stateforests |title=Cal Fire Demonstration State Forests}}

File:Entrance_to_Boggs_Mountain_Demonstration_State_Forest_on_Forestry_Rd.%2C_Cobb%2C_CA.jpg.]]

class="wikitable sortable"
align=left

! State Forest

! Land area (in acres)

! County

! City

Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest

| align=right | 3,493

| Lake

| Cobb

Ellen Pickett State Forest

| align=right | 160

| Trinity

|

Jackson Demonstration State Forest

| align=right | 50,195

| Mendocino

| Fort Bragg

Las Posadas State Forest

| align=right | 796

| Napa

| Angwin

LaTour Demonstration State Forest

| align=right | 9,003

| Shasta

| Redding

Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest

| align=right | 4,807

| Tulare

| Springville

Mount Zion Demonstration State Forest

| align=right | 164

| Amador

|

Soquel Demonstration State Forest

| align=right | 2,681

| Santa Cruz

| Soquel

State parks

{{main|List of California state parks|l1=List of California state parks}}

width=100% border=0
valign="top"

| The California Department of Parks and Recreation maintains over 270 protected areas, which include almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and dune systems. The state parks system covers 1.3 million acres (5,300 km2), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline, 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage, nearly 18,000 campsites; and 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.{{cite web|url=http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=940 |title=A State Park System is Born |access-date=2007-10-07 |publisher=California State Parks }} The largest is Anza-Borrego State Park at {{convert |600,000|acre|km2}}, making it one of the largest state parks in the country. The smallest, Watts Towers, owned by the State Park system but managed by the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department,{{cite web|url=http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=613 |title=Watts Towers of Simon Rodia SHP |access-date=2010-05-17 |publisher=California State Parks }} is a mere {{convert|0.1|acre|m2|adj=on}}.

| rowspan=2 | File:BolsaChicaJUL2009.JPG]]

State wilderness areas

{{main|List of U.S. state and tribal wilderness areas}}

width=100% border=0
valign="top"

|

{{colbegin}}

{{colend}}

Additionally, {{convert |386,000|acre|km2}} of Anza-Borrego State Park have been designated as wilderness.{{cite web|url=http://www.wilderness.net/library/documents/Dawson1.pdf|title=State Designated Wilderness Programs in the United States|work=International Journal of Wilderness|access-date=2010-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710130733/http://www.wilderness.net/library/documents/Dawson1.pdf|archive-date=2010-07-10|url-status=dead}}

| rowspan=2 |File:HenryCoe11.jpg]]

Department of Fish and Wildlife Protected Areas

{{main|List of California Department of Fish and Wildlife protected areas}}

width=100% border=0
valign="top"

|

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), through its seven regional divisions,{{cite web | url=https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regions | title= DFW Regions | work = California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFG) website | access-date=2008-02-19 }} manages more than 700 protected areas statewide, totaling {{convert |1177180|acre|km2}}.{{cite web | url=https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=160405&inline | title= Lands Inventory Fact Sheet | work = California DFG website | access-date=2008-02-19 }} They are broadly categorized as:

  • 110 wildlife areas,{{cite web | url=http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/index.html | title=Wildlife Areas | work = California DFW website | access-date=2008-02-19 }} designed to give the public easier access to wildlife while preserving habitats.
  • 135 ecological reserves,{{cite web | url=http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/er/index.html | title= Ecological Reserves | work = California DFW website | access-date=2008-02-19 }} which protect rare terrestrial and ocean species and habitats.
  • 319 undesignated lands.
  • 108 public access lands.
  • 21 fish hatcheries.
  • 37 miscellaneous lands.

| rowspan=2 |File:Yolo Bypass Refuge.jpg]]

Municipal parks

{{main|Urban park}}

width=100% border=0
valign="top"

| Most cities and counties in California, as in elsewhere, own and operate open spaces of various types, the most recognizable being the city and county park. By far the largest inventory of protected land held by a municipal agency belongs to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, with just over {{convert |400,000|acre|km2}} in its jurisdiction.{{cite web|url=http://projects.atlas.ca.gov/frs/?group_id=115&release_id=383 |title=CPAD Release notes |access-date=2010-05-17 |publisher=GreenInfo Network |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514203054/http://projects.atlas.ca.gov/frs/?group_id=115 |archive-date=2010-05-14 }} The largest city park in the state is Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego at {{convert |5800|acre|km2}}, although there are several county and regional parks that are larger. Total land owned by municipal agencies is roughly {{convert |1,500,000|acre|km2}} acres.

| rowspan=2 |File:Downtown LA from Griffith Park.jpg in the city of Los Angeles]]

{{see also|List of parks in Los Angeles County, California|List of parks in Los Angeles|List of parks in San Francisco|List of parks in San Diego|List of parks in Oakland, California}}

Privately owned preserves

width=100% border=0
valign="top"

|

In addition to the many public lands are about {{convert |550,000|acre|km2}} of privately owned preserves. The Wildlands Conservancy is the largest owner of protected lands with {{convert |180,686|acre|km2}}. The Nature Conservancy has been involved in over 100 projects in the state since 1958.{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/preserves/ |title=The Nature Conservancy in California |work=The Nature Conservancy |access-date=2010-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301195852/http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/preserves/ |archive-date=2011-03-01 |url-status=dead }} Many are eventually transferred to public agencies, but the Conservancy still owns and maintains several substantial preserves, including the Gray Davis/Dye Creek Preserve, Vina Plains Preserve, McCloud River Preserve, Cosumnes River Preserve, Santa Cruz Island, Irvine Ranch Wildlands and the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. The largest private preserve is the {{convert |93,000|acre|km2}} Wind Wolves Preserve owned by the aforementioned Wildlands Conservancy.{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/preserve_windwolves.html |title=Wind Wolves Preserve |publisher=Wildlands Conservancy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302004836/http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/preserve_windwolves.html |archive-date=2016-03-02 |access-date=2016-09-07 }} In total, there are many dozens of land trust and conservation organizations active in California, with thousands of acres preserved on public and private lands through their efforts.{{cite web |url=http://www.calandtrusts.com/land-trusts/ |title=California Member Land Trusts |work=The California Council of Land Trusts |access-date=2016-09-07}} A few that operate entirely or substantially in the state are the Peninsula Open Space Trust, the Northern Sierra Partnership, the Sempervirens Fund, the Sacramento Valley Conservancy and the Wilderness Land Trust.

| rowspan=2 |File:Santacruz 300.jpg]]

Largest land owners of protected lands

The 20 largest landholders, according to the [http://www.calands.org/uploads/docs/CPADStatisticsReport_2018a.pdf CPAD 2018a Statistics Report]:

class="wikitable"
valign="top"

| Agency

| Total lands owned
(in acres)*

valign="top"

|

U.S. Forest Service

U.S. Bureau of Land Management

U.S. National Park Service

California Department of Parks and Recreation

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

California State Lands Commission

City of Los Angeles - Dept. of Water and Power

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

The Wildlands Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy

Imperial Irrigation District

East Bay Regional Park District

California Department of Water Resources

The Conservation Fund - California

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

City of San Diego

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

City and County of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

County of Orange

| align="right" |

20,758,417

14,991,556

7,600,268

1,391,104

676,763

575,354

400,019

323,487

243,675

145,936

136,553

103,369

102,186

88,953

74,372

72,645

68,986

68,725

62,520

59,197

colspan=2 |*These numbers may not correspond exactly with those reported directly from the agencies.

References

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Protected areas of California}}

{{United States topic

|title = Protected areas of the United States by political division

|prefix = Protected areas of

}}

Protected areas

California