13 Day California National Parks Road Trip Itinerary

California national parks itinerary outlines detailing every step of the road trip to explore California's 9 National Parks in 13 days.

It includes 41-pages of expert advice to help you navigate your California national parks road trip and maximize your experience. The guide includes the best things to do in each park, recommended hikes, things to see, where to stay near the national parks, and recommendations for where to eat for each stop on the California National Park road trip. It also includes the driving route, mileage and time it takes to drive between them, packing lists, and tips on where to fly into and what kind of car to rent.

Last Updated: January 2025

Before you take your trip to your road trip to all of California's national parks, listen to our podcast episodes we have on Death Valley, Yosemite, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon!

Where the California National Park Itinerary Goes

9 of the country’s most incredible national parks, all located in the Western U.S. state of California. The itinerary goes to each of the California's 9 National Parks in this order:

1. Joshua Tree National Park
2. Death Valley National Park
3. Sequoia National Park
4. Kings Canyon National Park
5. Yosemite National Park
6. Lassen Volcanic National Park
7. Redwoods National Park
8. Pinnacles National Park
9. Channel Islands National Park

Get ready to explore the diverse natural landscapes and structures within California's 9 national parks including forests with the largest and tallest trees in the world, granite rock formations, beautiful canyons, and valleys, desserts, and islands.

How this Itinerary will help you

California's 9 National Park Road Trip Map

The exact route to take to visit each park including mileage between parks, how much time to allot for driving, and what time to leave to stay on schedule. The itinerary includes routes for these legs of the trip so you can visit all 9 in one trip, or break it up and take different legs across multiple trips.

• Joshua Tree to Death Valley
• Death Valley to Sequoia
• Sequoia to Kings Canyon
• Kings Canyon to Yosemite
• Yosemite to Lassen Volcanic
• Lassen Volcanic to Redwood
• Redwood to Pinnacles
• Pinnacles to Channel Islands

Where to Stay

Hotel recommendations for each night on the 13 day California National Park Road Trip
including hotels we actually stayed in and a couple other recommendations.

• Where to stay in Yosemite
• Where to stay in Sequoia & Kings Canyon
• Where to stay near Lassen Volcanic
• Where to stay near Redwood National Park
• Where to stay near Channel Islands National Park
• Where to stay near Death Valley
• Where to stay near Joshua Tree

Hiking Recommendations in Each National Park

Hikes we did in each park including mileage, difficulty level, how much time to allow for each hike, what you can expect to see along the hikes, and tips for what to pack to make this hike more special. That could mean an extra warm jacket, bear spray, or a lunch - either way we have you covered! We also
include park hours, park entrance fees and a general schedule of when to start the hike to make time to do everything in the itinerary.

• Best hikes in Joshua Tree National Park
• Best hikes in Death Valley National Park
• Best hikes in Sequoia National Park
• Best hikes in Kings Canyon National Park
• Best hikes in Yosemite National Park
• Best hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Best hikes in Redwood National Park
• Best things to do in Channel Islands National Park

Activities & Extras

We include everything you need to just show up and have fun! The itinerary lists unique overlooks, things to do, and other things to do on the trip that aren’t hiking. We also share packing lists, helpful squad tips, and tips for navigating the airport and rental car to begin and end your trip.

• Drive between each national park 
• Packing list for the California National Park road trip itinerary
• Airports to fly into
• Where to get a rental car