How many state parks does California have?

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California leads the nation in the number of state parks with 278 spread across nearly 1.5 million acres. According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, California parks have more than 280 miles of coastline, 625 miles of lake and river frontage, nearly 15,000 campsites and 3,000 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. The state parks represent the diversity of California, ranging from the last stands of primeval redwood forests to vast expanses of fragile desert; from the lofty Sierra Nevada to the broad sandy beaches of our southern coast, and from the opulence of Hearst Castle to the vestiges of colonial Russia.

The department also says the state parks contain “the largest and most diverse natural and cultural heritage holdings of any state agency in the nation. State park units include underwater preserves, reserves and parks; redwood, rhododendron and wildlife reserves; state beaches, recreation areas, wilderness areas and reservoirs; state historic parks, historic homes, Spanish era adobe buildings, including museums, visitor centers, cultural reserves and preserves; as well as lighthouses, ghost towns, waterslides, conference centers and off-highway vehicle parks. These parks protect and preserve an unparalleled collection of culturally and environmentally sensitive structures and habitats, threatened plant and animal species, ancient Native American sites, historic structures and artifacts . . . the best of California's natural and cultural history.”