Forget Yosemite: These 5 California Parks Are Just As Breathtaking Without The Crowds

Yosemite National Park is to California what the Colosseum is to Rome, the Parthenon to Athens, and Philly cheese steaks to Philadelphia. It's one of the most alluring and enticing bucket-list reasons to visit the Golden State — alongside the hike to the Hollywood Sign and iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

But don't go a-thinking that Yosemite is the only place where you can glimpse great granite mountains, marvel at roaring waterfalls, and trek intrepid trails through sequoia groves. It most certainly is not. What's more, with a whopping 4 million people choosing to head Yosemite's way each year, there's a good argument for looking elsewhere to get your fix of fantastic natural landscapes.

Cue this guide. Created by comparing in-the-know reviews and travel publications against personal experiences, this list proposes five California parks that can be just as breathtaking as Yosemite but without the crowds. They're varied spots, ranging from reserves that sprawl across the coastal peaks of Big Sur all the way to Southern Californian mountains haloed by pine woods and hiking paths.

You get two big-hitting Californian reserves for the price of one here. Despite their separate monikers, Sequoia and Kings Canyon have been managed by the National Park Service as one continuous site since way back in 1943. Together, they cover a mind-boggling 865,964 acres and encompass the peak of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States.

What's most striking — at least if you're on the lookout for suitable alternatives to Yosemite — is that these joint reserves sit southeast of the soaring Half Dome, in the very same mountain range as Yosemite Valley. Given that, they share many of the national park's jaw-dropping natural wonders. In fact, Sequoia and Kings Canyon's Grant Grove is a mighty wonder that includes the second-largest tree on the planet, surpassing any located in nearby Yosemite's Tuolumne or Mariposa groves.

Truth is, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are among the most mentioned backups to Yosemite. They're spotlighted by major publications and recommended over and over again on Reddit. As one Reddit user writes, the reserves are "fantastic and if you go away from the main roads it's usually not too crowded at least compared to Yosemite."

What better alternative to the home of El Cap and the Half Dome than a place called the mini-Yosemite? Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has ancient redwoods and scenic swimming spots, but it's not hidden deep in the Sierra Nevada like so many of the other options on this list. Nope, this one sits plum on the iconic Highway 1 as it wiggles south from Carmel-by-the-Sea — you know, along that stretch through Big Sur, where vertical cliffs lurch from a frothing ocean and wildflowers bloom amid old-growth forests.

True to its setting, the park is a real beauty. Upon entering, visitors are instantly greeted by a grove of colossal redwoods. Shrouding the main campground shop, these trees represent the southernmost bastion of redwoods in California. Explore further to find camping pitches set up in dense forests and others lining the glass-clear waters of the Big Sur River, which flows down from the highlands to offer a series of boulder-rimmed swimming holes to rival any that you'll find in old Yosemite.

What's so alluring about Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is the fact that its surrounded by both high mountains and wild shoreline. Highland routes like the Pine Ridge Trail can whisk you on intrepid backpacking adventures deep into the Ventana Wilderness. Or, you can simply make your way to McWay Falls and gaze out at an 80-foot waterfall gushing over a cliff into the Pacific. Yosemite certainly can't offer that, eh?

As one Reddit user aptly put it: "Calaveras Big Trees is a hidden gem." This Gold Country park is also California's underrated sequoia tree haven, with two huge groves that are among the easiest to reach in the whole state. Clinging to the uber-pretty Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway, these wooded areas are around three hours east of San Francisco Bay by car. So, if you had your sights set on Yosemite for the grand sequoias of Mariposa Grove, you might find that Calaveras has all the arboreal wonders you've been looking for but with easier access and smaller crowds.

There are two different hikes to take around the ancient redwood forests. North Grove is where most go. It's a short, 1.7-mile loop on a boardwalk that will bring you past the giant stump of the historic sequoia known as the Discovery Tree. For something more challenging, head to the South Grove for around 5 miles of forest walking that hits a zenith at the Aggassiz tree, the 29th largest tree on Earth.

Shh! The wildly underrated Pinnacles National Park remains one of the least-trodden reserves in California. The site counted just over 354,000 total visits throughout the entirety of 2024. That's roughly 11 times less than Yosemite! Perhaps folks simply don't know it exists yet; Pinnacles is the youngest of all the Golden State's national reserves, after all, having only been established in 2013.

But what it lacks in visitors, it definitely does not lack in sublime natural landscapes. The pinnacles referenced in the name are a series of hoodoo-like spires of twisted, carved, and sculptured volcanic rock. They're threaded with vegetation-fringed hiking routes, cut through by huge cave systems, and peppered with boulders that have been toppled from the tops of ancient gorges.

If that sounds like it might be a good stand in for the iconic, glacier-forged geology of Half Dome et al, that's because it is. Pinnacles National Park gets namedropped time and time again on Reddit as a great alternative to Yosemite. Plus, it's one of the leading suggestions from the LA Times, which champions the park's incredible endemic fauna, from cave bats to endangered condors.

Don't go thinking that you won't find any Yosemite copies down in the sun-scorched lands of SoCal. The Mount San Jacinto State Park ensures there's a whiff of that highland air and wild backcountry within striking distance of L.A. It'll take you about two hours to get there from the big city, whereas reaching Yosemite would take a whopping five-to-six hours.

The state park is a pick highlighted by numerous outlets, many of which agree that the 10,834-foot elevation of Mount San Jacinto is enough to channel a taste of Northern Cali. Dashed with thick pine forests, the reserve has wildflower meadows and has craggy summits made of granite — just like Yosemite!

On top of that, rugged Mount San Jacinto State Park has some of California's toughest trails. Move over Half Dome, for this destination hosts a 10-mile summit route that links the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the second-highest peak in Southern California. The trek crosses uneven mountain terrain on sun-blazed rocks, so don't underestimate it!

California has a total of 280 state parks and nine national parks. Whittling those options down to just five potential Yosemite alternatives presented quite the challenge. The good news is that I spent nearly two months traveling around Northern California in 2025. During this time, I sought out precisely what this guide covers: redwoods, giant sequoias, world-class hiking routes, epic campsites, and wild swimming holes. I did make a pitstop at Yosemite National Park, but I also discovered several places that were just as good and some that — dare I say — are perhaps even a smidgen better!

Of course, this roundup doesn't rely solely on personal recommendations. Thankfully, there are plenty of respected publications with curated lists of potential stand-ins for Yosemite. A few of the outlets consulted for information include Golden State nonprofit Visit California, long-time travel guide publisher Fodor's, and the LA Times. High-ranking community threads on Reddit and TripAdvisor also factored into the decision-making process.

With these sources at hand, I ruled out any places not mentioned at least twice by different outlets. In the event one of my personal recommendations was eliminated this way, it was replaced with another destination consistently mentioned across the board.