{"id":529827,"date":"2010-04-16T11:59:18","date_gmt":"2010-04-16T15:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenrightnow.com\/?p=10800"},"modified":"2010-04-16T11:59:18","modified_gmt":"2010-04-16T15:59:18","slug":"nature-conservancy-names-best-state-parks-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/529827","title":{"rendered":"Nature Conservancy names best state parks in California"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>From Green Right Now Reports<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Nature Conservancy, which has worked over the years to preserve California&#8217;s 278 state parks, wants residents to visit and enjoy these resources, especially as waters warm and flowers bloom this spring and summer.<\/p>\n<p>So this week, the Nature Conservancy presented its picks for the &#8220;Ocean Oscars,&#8221; highlighting some of the best beach-side state parks. Here, by category, with descriptions written by the Nature Conservancy, are the winners:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Best Urban Retreat &#8211; <\/strong><a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.ebparks.org\/parks\/eastshore\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ebparks.org\/parks\/eastshore\">Eastshore State Park<\/a> \u2013 <em>San Francisco Bay Area<\/em>.\u00a0 This seashore is amidst one of the most developed areas in California.\u00a0 Nestled right outside San Francisco, Eastshore State Park is an urban retreat with miles of walking and biking trails and panoramic views of the bay.\u00a0 Tidal wetlands, marshes and sandy beaches are home to thousands of birds, delighting any naturalist or photographer.\n<div id=\"attachment_10810\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 342px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10810\" title=\"Point Lobos Natural Reserve\" src=\"http:\/\/www.greenrightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Point-Lobos-Natural-Reserve.jpg\" alt=\"Point Lobos Natural Reserve\" width=\"332\" height=\"221\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Point Lobos Natural Reserve<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Best Diving &#8211; <\/strong><a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=571\" href=\"http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=571\">Point Lobos State Reserve<\/a> \u2013 <em>Carmel<\/em>. Often referred to as the \u201ccrown jewel\u201d of California\u2019s state park system, Point Lobos State Reserve (Point of the Sea Wolves) is truly a gem.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the premiere protected <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/Scuba.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/Scuba.html\">dive<\/a> sites on the famous Central Coast, with access at Whalers and Bluefish <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/DiveSpots.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/DiveSpots.html\">coves<\/a> that are teeming with underwater life.\u00a0 You\u2019ll only see half of this majestic reserve unless you visit this underwater realm. But, the rest of the park is not half bad either \u2026Whether it\u2019s viewing endangered archeological sites, spotting migrating <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/MarineMammals.html#whales\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/MarineMammals.html#whales\">whales<\/a>, seals, sea lions and <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/Birds.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/Birds.html\">birds<\/a>, cataloguing unique plants and <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/Geology.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pointlobos.org\/Geology.html\">rock<\/a> formations, exploring hidden coves, or talking a guided walk, this park has something spectacular for everyone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Best Adventure &#8211; <\/strong><a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=592\" href=\"http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=592\">Montana de Oro State Park<\/a> \u2013 <em>San Luis Obispo<\/em>. <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.nature.org\/wherewework\/northamerica\/states\/california\/press\/yost080806.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nature.org\/wherewework\/northamerica\/states\/california\/press\/yost080806.html\">The Conservancy<\/a> worked with California State Parks to expand the magnificent Montana de Oro (Mountain of Gold), named for the <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/members.cox.net\/gcropser\/Montana de Oro State Park.htm\" href=\"http:\/\/members.cox.net\/gcropser\/Montana%20de%20Oro%20State%20Park.htm\">golden wildflowers<\/a> that carpet it every spring.\u00a0 People looking for solitude and freedom come to this rugged and secluded spot to get away from it all. The <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.slostateparks.com\/montana_de_oro\/mdo_coastline.asp\" href=\"http:\/\/www.slostateparks.com\/montana_de_oro\/mdo_coastline.asp\">beaches<\/a>, especially Spooner\u2019s Cove, coastal plains, canyons and streams are the perfect backdrop to have a weekend adventure. Some of California\u2019s best <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.slostateparks.com\/montana_de_oro\/mdo_camping.asp\" href=\"http:\/\/www.slostateparks.com\/montana_de_oro\/mdo_camping.asp\">camping<\/a>, horseback riding, <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.pickatrail.com\/sun\/m\/america\/montana_de_oro.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pickatrail.com\/sun\/m\/america\/montana_de_oro.html\">hiking<\/a> and fishing can be experienced here, as well as guided tours, tidal pool exploring and charming historical sites.\n<p><div id=\"attachment_10811\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 371px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10811\" title=\"Huntington Beach State Park (Calif. State Parks\" src=\"http:\/\/www.greenrightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Huntington-Beach-State-Park-Calif.-State-Parks.jpg\" alt=\"Huntington Beach State Park (Photo: California State Parks)\" width=\"361\" height=\"240\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Huntington Beach State Park (Photo: California State Parks)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Best Surfing<\/strong> \u2013 <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=643\" href=\"http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=643\">Huntington State Beach<\/a> \u2013 <em>Orange County<\/em>. Southern California is one of the most famous places on Earth to hang ten, and Huntington State Beach is right at the epicenter offering world-class surfing and <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.huntingtonbeachevents.com\/Event\/surfing-huntington-beach.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.huntingtonbeachevents.com\/Event\/surfing-huntington-beach.html\">competitions<\/a>.  After catching some waves, you can hang out by a bonfire and watch the sun sink into the Pacific. This popular beach is also a nesting sanctuary for the California <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Least_Tern\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Least_Tern\">least tern<\/a>, a rare and endangered species. The beach is also home to the threatened snowy plover. The park offers other activities, including a bicycle trail, volleyball, basketball, skating, and surf fishing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Best Walk on the Beach<\/strong> \u2013 <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=437\" href=\"http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=437\">Manchester State Park<\/a> \u2013 <em>Manchester.<\/em> With five miles of gentle, sandy beach stretching out towards the <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.pointarenalighthouse.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pointarenalighthouse.com\/\">Point Arena Lighthouse<\/a>, Manchester State Park is the perfect place to take a long stroll with someone special.\u00a0 The <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/San_Andreas_Fault\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/San_Andreas_Fault\">San Andreas Fault<\/a> meets the sea, creating a dramatic backdrop. This park has over 18,000 feet of ocean frontage which includes flat grassland, sand dunes, and two outstanding steelhead streams, Brush Creek and Alder Creek.\u00a0 Every spring coastal wildflowers dot the park, including sea pinks, poppies, lupines, baby blue eyes and blue irises.\u00a0 Visitors can come for the day to hike and view wildlife, or stay overnight in the <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.reserveamerica.com\/camping\/Manchester_Sp\/r\/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=CA&amp;parkId=120052&amp;topTabIndex=CampingSpot\" href=\"http:\/\/www.reserveamerica.com\/camping\/Manchester_Sp\/r\/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=CA&amp;parkId=120052&amp;topTabIndex=CampingSpot\">campground<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_10809\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 391px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10809   \" title=\"TomalesBayTree3 by Oscar Vasquez Calif. State Parks\" src=\"http:\/\/www.greenrightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/TomalesBayTree3-by-Oscar-Vasquez-Calif.-State-Parks.jpg\" alt=\"Tree at Tomales Bay (Photo: Oscar Vasquez, Calif. State Parks)\" width=\"381\" height=\"251\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tree at Tomales Bay State Park (Photo: Oscar Vasquez, California State Parks)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<li><strong>Best Windsurfing &#8211; <\/strong>Tomales Bay State Park \u2013 <em>Inverness<\/em>. Just a short day trip from San Francisco, Tomales Bay State Park is a windsurfers\u2019 mecca.\u00a0 It is ideal for <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.windfinder.com\/windstats\/windstatistic_tomales_bay_state_park.htm\" href=\"http:\/\/www.windfinder.com\/windstats\/windstatistic_tomales_bay_state_park.htm\">riding the wind<\/a>, with four gently sloping, surf-free beaches protected from unmanageable winds by Inverness Ridge. Tomales is the backbone of the Point Reyes Peninsula.\u00a0 And, the park boasts one of the finest remaining virgin groves of <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bishop_Pine\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bishop_Pine\">Bishop pine<\/a> and an abundance of wildlife like foxes, bobcats, monarch butterflies, puffins and great blue heron.\u00a0 It is a popular place for <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.bahiker.com\/northbayhikes\/tomales.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bahiker.com\/northbayhikes\/tomales.html\">hiking<\/a>, picnicking, swimming, clamming and boating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Best Swimming<\/strong> \u2013 <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=625\" href=\"http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/default.asp?page_id=625\">Will Rogers State Beach<\/a> \u2013 <em>Los Angeles County<\/em>. Not far from the bustle of Los Angeles and just off Pacific Coast Highway, <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/beaches.co.la.ca.us\/BandH\/Beaches\/WillRogers.htm\" href=\"http:\/\/beaches.co.la.ca.us\/BandH\/Beaches\/WillRogers.htm\">Will Rogers State Beach<\/a> is recognized all over the world as an iconic California beach.\u00a0 It\u2019s named after film legend <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.cmgww.com\/historic\/rogers\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cmgww.com\/historic\/rogers\/\">Will Rogers<\/a> and is where <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.baywatch.com\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.baywatch.com\/\">Baywatch<\/a> was filmed.\u00a0 It is also one of the nicest beaches in California to take a dip in the ocean and bask in the sunshine on a beach towel. Other activities include skin diving, horseback riding, surfing, volleyball, hiking and guided tours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em> <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Best Beachcombing<\/strong> \u2013 <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/?Page_id=582\" href=\"http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/?Page_id=582\">Andrew Molera State Park<\/a> \u2013 <em>Big Sur<\/em>. In the heart of magical Big Sur, <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.nature.org\/wherewework\/northamerica\/states\/california\/preserves\/molera.html\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nature.org\/wherewework\/northamerica\/states\/california\/preserves\/molera.html\">Andrew Molera State Park<\/a> is still relatively undeveloped and offers some of the best <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beachcombing\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beachcombing\">beachcombing<\/a> in California. Natural treasures are cast up from the sea and waiting along the tide line for the adventurous to claim. The park, a 7 1\/2\u2013mile jewel that was first protected by the Conservancy in 1965, offers some of the state\u2019s best of surfing, <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.camping-usa.com\/campdetails\/24746\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.camping-usa.com\/campdetails\/24746\/\">camping<\/a>, fishing, <a title=\"blocked::http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=25208\" href=\"http:\/\/www.parks.ca.gov\/?page_id=25208\">hiking<\/a>, and biking. Miles of trails wind along Molera Ridge through chaparral and then drop into oak woodlands, redwood groves and stands of sycamores and madrones. Keep walking and you\u2019ll find yourself at the beach, where the Big Sur River empties into the Pacific Ocean and the sun sets slowly into the horizon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Green Right Now Reports The Nature Conservancy, which has worked over the years to preserve California&#8217;s 278 state parks, wants residents to visit and enjoy these resources, especially as waters warm and flowers bloom this spring and summer. So this week, the Nature Conservancy presented its picks for the &#8220;Ocean Oscars,&#8221; highlighting some of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-529827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=529827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=529827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=529827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=529827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}