#199 Charmlee Wilderness Park
Charmlee Wilderness Park is a beautiful coastal park in the Santa Monica Mountains. Beautiful trails wind through rolling hills with wildflower-filled meadows that offer stunning views of Malibu on sacred Chumash land. With the convergence of mountains and ocean, this is Southern California at its most iconic.
#198 Mission Rose Garden
The Mission Rose Garden is a must-see in Santa Barbara. Located directly in front of the Mission, the garden contains more than 1,500 varieties of roses and makes for a perfect stroll in this peaceful city.
#189 Grant Park
Grant Park is one of the best views in Ventura. Sweeping views of the ocean, Channel Islands, Santa Monica Mountains and the city itself go on for miles. A cross has marked the top of the park since 1782 named 'Serra Cross' after Father Serra, the father of the mission system. It lies directly above Mission San Buneaventura. A new 2 mile trail makes a great hike to the top from City Hall though can also be reached by a short, winding drive.
#188 Spooner's Cove
Spooner's Cove in Montaña de Oro State Park is a stunning cove on the Central Coast. Alden Spooner moved here the the late 1800's and established a farm of dairy and hog. At its peak, his ranch contained 9,000 acres and 6 miles of beautiful coastline. He built a ranch house as well as several barns and warehouse to load ships to deliver. The original house still stand as well as the 100-year-old-flooring purchased from a Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog. The inviting cove features beautiful sand as well as dramatic rock formations.
#185 Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Built in 1926, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival architectural wonder. Beautifully landscaped gardens with plants from 25 countries surrounded the buildings. The grand mural room depicts California history while the winding staircase is a perfect photography moment. 7,000 visitors from 60 countries visit its Clock Tower each year and enjoy its free 360 degree panoramic views of the city.
#179 El Pescador State Beach
Meaning 'the fisherman' in Spanish, El Pescador State Beach is a great pocket beach in the Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area. From tide pools to sandy beach, this beach has something for everyone and rarely attracts large crowds. It is a slice of Malibu heaven.
#174 Bixby Creek Bridge
Bixby Creek Bridge is an iconic landmark along the famous Highway 1 Big Sur Coast. Opening in 1932, it is one of the tallest concrete bridges in the world and the most photographed on the West Coast. The bridge was named after Charles Henry Bixby, a New Yorker who harvested lumber and constructed a sawmill on the creek here in the late 1800's.
#173 Stearns Wharf
Stearns Wharf is the most visited place in Santa Barbara named for local lumberman John P. Stearns. With the original pier debuting in 1872, it became a hub for passengers and freight arriving on the central coast and was the longest pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A restaurant was constructed in the 1940's, and the wharf transitioned from a working to pleasure pier.
#169 Santa Cruz Island
Off the Central Coast lies Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the Channel Islands owned by the National Park Service and Nature Conservancy. Inhabited by Chumash Native Americans for at least 10,000 years, they called the island 'Limuw' meaning 'in the sea'. Legend has it that the Chumash found a priest's staff left behind from the Spanish Portola expedition of 1769 and returned it. The island was then named 'La Isla de Santa Cruz' or 'Island of the Sacred Cross' from this friendly gesture.
Santa Cruz Island is the largest island in California and contains 77 miles of varied coastline from sandy shores to rocky coves. More than 600 plant species dot the island while eight grow nowhere else on Earth. A highlight to the island is spotting the curious Island Fox. Hikes for every skill level can be explored in this marvelous place for solitude.
#162 Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
Fiscalini Ranch Preserve protects 430 acres of the gorgeous central coast in Cambria. Chumash and Salinan Native Americans have used the land for thousands of years while the Fiscalini family opened a cattle ranch in 1850's. Local community and conservancy efforts came together to purchase the land for a preserve in 2001. Beautiful coastal bluff trails wind through overlooks, grasslands and forest while 25 rare and endangered plant and animal species reside here.
