10 Secret Historic State Parks Tourists Often Miss When Visiting California

California is a place of immense natural beauty. From the towering sequoias at Calaveras Big Trees State Park to the superblooms at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California's 280 state parks attract over 68 million visitors per year. While popular spots like Sonoma Coast State Park receive the lion's share of day-use and overnight guests, many of the state's designated historical parks remain undiscovered and firmly off the tourist trail. 

A total of 52 historic properties tell the story of California and its people, from the Spanish missionaries of the 1700s to Chinese prospectors and the indigenous communities who lived here first. These parks allow visitors to see California's history with their own eyes, and "help to preserve much of this diverse heritage, educate the public, and make the state's past accessible," per California State Parks. 

To discover hidden gems within the California State Parks system, we analyzed the most recent California State Park System Statistical Report, focusing on the least visited state parks. However, because even the most recent data is from the 2022-23 fiscal year, we also relied on firsthand accounts from visitors on Google Reviews, Reddit, and other travel forums.

Walk through heritage orchards laden with oranges, grapefruits, and lemons at California Citrus State Historic Park, a 250-acre testament to what state park historians refer to as California's "second gold rush." Only an hour from Los Angeles, the park earns 4.7 stars on Google Maps, with visitors calling it a "hidden gem" in Riverside's hills.

For the full experience, join the free grove tours, guided walks through the orchards where visitors can sample fruit and learn about the citrus industry from an expert. After your walk, stop by the packinghouse museum and pick up citrusy goods at the gift shop. 

Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park is home to California's oldest Chinese temple still in use, a tiny Taoist shrine built by Chinese miners during the Gold Rush. Featuring gilded wooden spirit houses and an altar holding oranges, candles, and incense, the interior looks much the same as it did in 1874. 

Welcoming just over 4,000 visitors per year, as of 2023, the temple hosts an annual Lunar New Year celebration in February, complete with firecracker displays and traditional lion dances. After the celebrations, take a moment to discover Weaverville's Gold Rush history at the nearby LaGrange Mine. 

Although Big Sur receives millions of visitors every year, Point Sur State Historic Park's tiny lighthouse welcomed only 3,734 people during the most recently tracked period. Perched atop a volcanic formation, Point Sur also includes Point Sur Naval Facility, a former listening outpost that tracked Russian submarines during the Cold War. 

Today, the park offers guided tours of the light station and naval facilities, which visitors on r/MontereyBay describe as "fascinating pieces of the obscure and wild history." The tours run on Saturday, but note that visitors report difficulty touring both facilities on the same day due to time constraints. 

For anyone visiting Sonoma County, Jack London State Historic Park, the estate of one of America's greatest writers, is a must-stop destination. While London's most famous work elicits images of the Alaskan wilderness, the author of "The Call of the Wild" wrote novels and short stories in a small cottage on the estate between vineyards and oaks. 

Welcoming approximately 80,000 visitors per year at last count, the park is less popular than nearby Sonoma Coast State Park. It also offers 26 miles of hiking trails that locals on Bay Area Hikers consider a quality day-trip destination from San Francisco. 

Tucked away in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Bodie State Historic Park is well-known among ghost town hunters. However, you can still take photos without a single other visitor, and the park has just over 3,600 Google Reviews – a far cry from nearby Yosemite's 55,600. 

Established in 1875 as a gold mining boomtown, Bodie has been left in what California State Parks calls "a state of arrested decay." Today, visitors can explore over 100 buildings, many of which look almost exactly as they did during the Gold Rush Era. 

Hidden deep in the dry mountains an hour outside Bakersfield, Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park was the winter home of the Kawaiisu people. Surrounded by impressive vistas, the exposed rocks still bear hundreds of grinding holes, and a few petroglyphs decorate large boulders.

Possibly California's most secret state park, Tomo-Kahni is accessible by guided tour only, available by reservation via Reserve California for $20. The tour lasts four hours and requires a mostly unshaded 3-mile hike with 800 feet of elevation gain. Just over 800 people visited the park in the 2022-23 period, and you'll only find 17 Google Reviews.

Situated in the golden hills of Napa Valley, Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park is a water-powered mill that ground wheat, barley, oats, and other grains during the 1800s. Most tourists skip Bale Grist Mill in favor of the best Napa Valley wineries, but the park provides a window into California's pioneer past for a lucky few.

For the chance to experience pioneer living, craft with local artisans, and watch the mill in action, plan your trip during the annual Old Mill Days celebration. Visitors can also see live milling demonstrations and join tours on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Although Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park didn't release visitor numbers in the most recent report, it's rarely busy, save for elementary school field trips. Established in 1791 by the Franciscan Order, the remaining white-washed adobe is all that's left of California's 12th mission.

Open exclusively on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., it's now a museum dedicated to the experiences of the indigenous Ohlone and Yokuts communities. From the redwood-shaded picnic area, visitors can take in views of Santa Cruz, the beach town where surfing first came to America. 

Identified as a lesser-known park by the California State Parks Foundation, Wassama Round House State Historic Park in Madera County is the past and present gathering space of the Southern Sierra Miwok people. Because it's an active ceremonial site, tourists are only allowed to visit on Gathering Day. 

During this one-day event held every October, the community opens its doors, showcasing traditional dance performances and crafts. The roundhouse itself is a recreation of the original building, featuring earthen floors and a partially buried design. 

Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park is an example of a beautifully restored adobe ranch house from the mid-1800s. Situated in the rural outskirts of Petaluma, the historic home lets visitors "discover the labor practices and rancho culture of Mexican-era California," per the park's website. 

Activities include self-guided tours through rooms fitted with period-appropriate furniture and artifacts, as well as docent-led tours on the weekends. The park received just under 7,000 visitors in the 2022-23 period, but guests consistently praise the annual Living History Day, a day of authentic costumery, blacksmithing, and games dedicated to the 1840s ranchero.