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5 places to visit for State Parks Week 2023 | Bartell's Backroads

In celebration of California State Parks Week 2023, ABC10's John Bartell hits the backroads and takes a look at some of his favorite state parks.

CALIFORNIA, USA — June 14-18 is California State Parks Week, and it's time to celebrate the more than 280 State Parks across the Golden State. Special events will be happening at different parks. 

California State Parks preserves and protects the state's natural and cultural history. Public lands also play a big part in making Californians stronger, happier and healthier. Parks are places where everyone can connect with nature and find inspiration and joy. 

California State Parks Week is a fun way to celebrate the wonder and sense of community that the outdoors provides to Californians and visitors from all over the world.

To celebrate State Parks Week John Bartell has put together a list of his 5 favorite California state parks.

Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument 

Come see the extravagant home of media mogul William Randolph Hearst. 

The main house has 115 rooms, a highly decorated Greek pool and acres of gardens. You won’t experience architecture like this anywhere else. After your tour make sure you pay a visit to the barking elephant seals at San Simeon State beach.

Henry Cowell Redwood State Park 

These majestic redwoods along the Santa Cruz coast are home to the banana slug, one of the largest slug species on the pacific coast. 

If you walk through the forest, you may see their slimy trails on the trees. 

Bowling Ball Beach at Schooner Gulch State Beach

At the southwest edge of Mendocino County, there is a geological phenomenon. Dozens of boulders have been shaped into round spheres that emerge from the shore during low tide. 

There is only a hand full of places where you can see formations like this. The rocks were formed by erosion over a million years.

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Sinkyone Wilderness 

This remote park is located along Northern California’s Lost Coast, a region so rugged Highway 1 had to be built around it. 

The coastal cliffs and rain-beaten redwood forest is home to Roosevelt elk. The landscape looks nearly the same when the Sinkyone Tribe lived here.

Bale Grist Mill at Bothe State Park

See how flower and grain were processed during the Gold Rush era at one of the state's only working, all-wood grist mills. 

Inside, you will see how the water mill grinds the grain, and you can even grind some flour yourself.

Here is a full list of all the State Park Week events. If you want to get into State Parks free this summer you can check out a State Park Pass at your local public library.

Like your lists a bit more hefty? Here are of all California State Parks that I've visited while out on the backroads:

Bowling Ball Beach https://youtu.be/HiJJyB2ygCs

Shasta State Historic Park https://youtu.be/aWA3sMzkXLk

Jack London State Park https://youtu.be/S5Mnm3Xsz_M

Big Sur State Park https://youtu.be/MuAeTvCLq78

San Simeon State Beach https://youtu.be/qmJi0Evx3dc

Hearst-San Simeon State Historic Monument https://youtu.be/l7paTKyhSoE

Folsom Lake State Rec Srea https://youtu.be/Kwi8OtVr0wQ

Bale Grist Mill Bothe State Park https://youtu.be/NCwLt15rzwM

Sinkyone Wilderness https://youtu.be/_YMVI1iWi1c

Bridgeport Bridge South Yuba River State Park https://youtu.be/2bVFR89EoZA

Citrus State Historic Park https://youtu.be/XNewyOpnwEA

Big Basin Redwood State park https://youtu.be/RRuqxhpaYeg

Coloma State Park https://youtu.be/uMrFdC_mWR8

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park https://youtu.be/yulDBhQzDgY

Columbia State Park https://youtu.be/j4HzdN01nfE

Fort Ord Dunes State Park https://youtu.be/gQOaVFX4r8Y

Ano Nuevo State Park https://youtu.be/MMoyA0J_zcg

Henry Cowell Redwood State Park https://youtu.be/cIO7S2jVtjQ

Donner Memorial State Park https://youtu.be/GuTy5_htF58

Allensworth State Historic Site https://youtu.be/G1taC7pI5Cg

Grover Hot Spring State Park https://youtu.be/Zzf0qBpd4Bc

San Juan Bautista State Historic Park https://youtu.be/2Ni9Hl_8gGA

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park https://youtu.be/C9-mjVaLbh4

Redwood State Park https://youtu.be/2rd-l1j2iqM

Tufa State Natural Reserve https://youtu.be/2rd-l1j2iqM

Bodie State Historic Park https://youtu.be/1NhSFc5Rxus

Plumas Eureka State Park https://youtu.be/Dp4_Hckk3t4 & https://youtu.be/YGmhkjBX4BY

Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park https://youtu.be/Uwn6-MbfLPw

Adobe Ide State Historic Park https://youtu.be/83YvpTatH0s

Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park https://youtu.be/JgoFprVM3JY

Angel Island State Park https://youtu.be/az6cEaILdws

Emerald Bay State Park https://youtu.be/OFX7UWJg0CE

Lake Oroville State Recreation Area https://youtu.be/sLtnPXuuAIU

Diablo State Park https://youtu.be/NF2xeniByB4

Calaveras Big Tree State park https://youtu.be/afGwTKcD4dA

California State capitol Park www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/how-the-moon-tree-ended-up-at-the-capitol/103-371986266

ANOTHER STATE PARK ON THE BACKROADS:  The search for peace and quiet led one family of homesteaders to settle a remote stretch of California coastline, and then they put Big Sur on the map.

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