California's Top 7 Natural Wonders

With a population of 38 million people (similar to Argentina), you'd be forgiven for thinking California might be overcrowded, but with a territory of 163,000 square miles this Pacific southwest state is blessed with some of the most beautiful wilderness in North America. Check out the ETG list of 7 stunning natural regions of California waiting for you to explore...

California's Top 7 Natural Wonders


1. Northern Mountains - California (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet

This is California’s wild frontier, where vast expanses of wilderness are divided by rivers and streams, and dotted with cobalt lakes, horse ranches and alpine peaks. Come to get lost in vast remoteness.


2. Lake Tahoe - California (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet

This is the Lake Tahoe chapter from Lonely Planet’s California guidebook.


3. Yosemite & Sierra Navada - California (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet

This is the Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada chapter from Lonely Planet’s California guidebook.


4. Gold Country & Central Valley - California (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet

Gold Country is where it all began – the drowsy hill towns and oak-lined byways of today’s quiet road trip belie the wild chaos of California’s founding. Today, this 400-mile-long green strip of the Central Valley is America’s most agriculturally productive region.


5. Marin County & the Bay Area - California (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet

Cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin and visit wizened ancient redwoods, herds of elegant tule elk, Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley. South of San Francisco, Hwy 1 traces miles of undeveloped coastline and sandy beaches.


6. North Coast & Redwoods - California (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet

The craggy cliffs, towering redwoods and windswept bluffs of the north have little in common with California’s other coastline. The jagged edge of the continent is wild and scenic, with the world’s tallest trees and a string of idiosyncratic two-stoplight towns.


7. Napa & Sonoma Country - California (Chapter) Lonely Planet

America’s premier viticulture region has earned its reputation among the world’s best. There are over 600 wineries in Napa and Sonoma Counties, but it’s quality, not quantity, that sets the region apart.