The Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park is a strikingly beautiful natural garden that wraps a quarter mile. Nicknamed the 'teddy-bear' cholla, these cacti look soft and fuzzy but are extremely sharp and pointy. Cholla grow between 1 and 5 feet tall and bloom in the late spring.
#153 Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area
Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area is a grand assortment of sandstone boulders and cliffs at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. At 4,750 feet, the San Andreas Fault travels directly beneath the park helping to create its striking formations. A one mile trail takes you down into the heart of the punchbowl for an up-close look at this geological wonderland.
#151 Fremont Canyon Nature Preserve
Fremont Canyon is a beautiful Nature Preserve in the Santa Ana Mountains of Orange County. Stunning granite formations tower along coastal sage scrub, chaparral and oak woodlands. Many endangered plant and animal species reside here making it a biological hot spot. *Access is limited to programs by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.
#24 Elfin Forest
The Elfin Forest is a peaceful nature preserve in Los Osos on the Central Coast. Located along beautiful Morro Bay, the forest protects 90 acres and more than 200 plants, 22 mammals, 13 reptiles & amphibians and over 100 species of birds. The pygmy oak woodland, chaparral, marsh and manzanita plant communities all come together to reveal what the Coast of California is actually supposed to look like.
