California Touism Guide

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Alcatraz Island - San Francisco, CA

Alcatraz Island offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US fort on the West Coast, the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, and the 18 month occupation by Indians of All Tribes which saved the tribes. Rich in history, there is also a natural side to the Rock - gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Cabrillo National Monument - San Diego, CA

Climbing out of his boat and onto shore in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo stepped into history as the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. In addition to telling the story of 16th century exploration, the park is home to a wealth of cultural and natural resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Discovery.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Channel Islands National Park - Ventura, CA

Close to the California mainland, yet worlds apart, Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara) and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere ...

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Death Valley National Park - Death Valley, CA,NV

Hottest, Driest, Lowest: A superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers, water-fluted canyons and three million acres of stone wilderness. Home to the Timbisha Shoshone and to plants and animals unique to the harshest deserts. A place of legend and a place of trial. Keane Wonder Mine & Mill CLOSURE

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Devils Postpile National Monument - the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes, CA

Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot high Rainbow Falls, and pristine mountain scenery.  The formation is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. Its columns tower 60 feet high and display an unusual symmetry.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Eugene O'Neill National Historic Si te - Danville, CA

America's only Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill, chose to live in Northern California at the climax of his writing career. Isolated from the world and within the walls of his home, O'Neill wrote his final and most memorable plays; The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten. Reservations are required to visit this site.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Fort Point National Historic Site - Presidio of San Francisco, CA

From its vantage point overlooking the spectacular Golden Gate, Fort Point protected San Francisco harbor from Confederate & foreign attack during & after the U.S. Civil War. Its beautifully arched casemates display the art of the master brick mason from the Civil War period. Starting October 1 the fort will be open Friday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5PM.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Golden Gate National Recreation Area - San Francisco, CA

Golden Gate National Parks chronicle two hundred years of history, from the Native American culture, the Spanish Empire frontier and the Mexican Republic, to maritime history, the California Gold Rush, the evolution of American coastal fortifications, and the growth of urban San Francisco.

JCalifornia Motorcycle Touring Destination - J ohn Muir National Historic Si te - Martinez, CA

John Muir was many things, inventor, immigrant, botanist, glaciologist, writer, co-founder of the Sierra Club, fruit rancher. But it was John Muir's love of nature, and the preservation of it, that we can thank him for today. Muir convinced President Teddy Roosevelt to protect Yosemite (including Yosemite Valley), Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Grand Canyon and MT. Rainier as National Parks.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Joshua Tree National Park - Southern California between I-10 and Hwy 62; headquarters in Twentynine Palms, CA

Viewed from the road, this desert park only hints at its vitality. Closer examination reveals a fascinating variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the attraction of this place. Come see for yourself!

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Kings Canyon National Park - In the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare and Fresno counties, CA

These two parks testify to nature's size, beauty, and diversity: Immense mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world's largest trees! The parks lie in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley. Activities vary greatly by season and elevation - which ranges from 1300' to 14,494' (see Climate  below).

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Lassen Volcanic National Park - Mineral, CA

To visit Lassen Volcanic National Park is to witness a brief moment in the ancient battle between the earth shaping forces of creation and destruction in Northern California. Nestled within Lassen's peaceful forests and untouched wilderness, hissing fumaroles and boiling mud pots still shape and change the land, evidence of Lassen's long fiery and active past.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Lava Beds National Monument - Tulelake, CA

Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 700 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience await you!

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Manzanar National Historic Site - Independence, CA

In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Mojave National Preserve - Southern California between I-15 and I-40; headquarters in Barstow, CA

Singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and carpets of wildflowers are all found at this 1.6 million acre park. A visit to its canyons, mountains and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and rock-walled military outposts. Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Mojave provides serenity and solitude from the crowds of major metropolitan areas.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Muir Woods National Monument - Mill Valley, CA

"This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir when describing the majestic coast redwoods of Muir Woods.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Pinnacles National Monument - Paicines, CA

Rising out of the chaparral-covered Gabilan Mountains, east of central California's Salinas Valley, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and talus passages define millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Point Reyes National Seashore - Point Reyes, CA

From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover over 1000 species of plants and animals. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, Point Reyes preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Point Reyes awaits your exploration.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial - Concord Naval Weapons Station, CA

On the evening of July 17, 1944, residents in the San Francisco east bay area were jolted awake by a massive explosion that cracked windows and lit up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were instantly killed when the munitions ships they were loading with ammunition for the Pacific theatre troops mysteriously blew up. Reservations are required to visit this site.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Presidio of San Francisco - San Francisco, CA

For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to the rise of aviation, from World Fairs to earthquakes, left their mark. Come enjoy the history and beauty of the Presidio. Explore centuries of architecture. Reflect in a national cemetery. Walk through an historic airfield, forests, or to beaches, and admire spectacular vistas.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Redwood National and State Parks - Del Norte & Humboldt counties , CA

Stand at the base of a coast redwood and the huckleberry bushes tower over you. Watch statuesque Roosevelt elk grazing in the prairies. Observe the tail of a female Chinook salmon heave skyward as she makes a nest for her eggs. Whether a morning or night person, you can hear the endangered marbled murrelets' keer across the treetops as they fly from sea to mossy nest.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park - Richmond , CA

Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, located in the wartime boomtown of Richmond, California, preserves and interprets the stories and places of our nation's home front response to World War II.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park - San Francisco, CA

Stand on the stern of Balclutha, face west to feel the fresh wind blowing in from the Pacific Ocean. Located in the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park offers the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Pacific Coast maritime history.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - Thousand Oaks, CA

Portraying Africa, the Amazon, and the old west? That's talent! Combining the scenic and the imagination play a big role in the movies and at this national park! Close to Hollywood, with beaches, grasslands, canyons, and oak woodlands, this coastal mountain range has star quality! Explore a rare, diverse landscape inspiring preservation and creativity. Meet the Santa Monica Mountains in person.

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks - In the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare and Fresno counties, CA

These two parks testify to nature's size, beauty, and diversity: Immense mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world's largest trees! The parks lie in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley. Activities vary greatly by season and elevation - which ranges from 1300' to 14,494' (see Climate  below).

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Whiskeytown National Recreation Area - Whiskeytown, CA

More Information Shasta Bally Summit Management A full range of alternatives is being considered for management of the summit of Shasta Bally including the telecommunication site and access road. The comment period has been extended to Feb. 15, 2009. More Information Post comments online

California Motorcycle Touring Destination - Yosemite National Park - the Sierra Nevada, CA

but a shrine to human foresight, strength of granite, power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra. Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.