#120 Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument

Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument preserves 280,000 acres in the peninsular mountain ranges. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians own and manage a large portion of the monument of which house many sacred sites. It is a land of extremes rising from the heat of the desert floor to the snow dusted peaks 10,000 feet high.

Palms to Pines National Scenic Byway winds through the encompassing mountains and is a great driving overview of the monument. The National Landscape Conservation System maintains the monument as a 'healthy, wild and open' space. Unlike many other parks and monuments, not many mapped trails or sites exist. It is a place for deep reflection and solitude. The beauty of nature awaits!

 

#5 General Sherman Tree - The World's Largest Tree

The General Sherman Tree, inside of the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, is the World's Largest Tree. Estimated to be an age of 2,300-2,700 years old, it is also one of the longest lived trees on Earth. This Gigantic Sequoia Tree is 274.9 feet tall with a ground circumference of 102.6 feet. The diameter of its largest branch measures 6.8 feet. It is certainly one of the great wonders of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

 

#2 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a gem on the Central Coast of California. Nestled in the foothills of Los Padres National Forest, the 78-acre garden showcases over 1000 native California flora and vegetation. Beautiful Mission Creek flows through and provides the perfect landscape along its many trails. Wildflowers also cover the ground in the springtime.