California’s state parks exist because people came together to protect what they loved. From the start, everyday Californians recognized that our state’s landscapes, history, and culture deserved lasting protection — and they built something extraordinary: the largest state park system in the country. 

The story began in 1900, when photographer Andrew P. Hill and local allies formed the Sempervirens Club (today’s Sempervirens Fund). Alarmed by the rapid logging of redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, they successfully advocated for the creation of Big Basin Redwoods State Park — the first unit in a new system. 

Eighteen years later, conservationists founded the Save the Redwoods League, mobilizing philanthropy and voter-approved bonds to acquire irreplaceable redwood groves across the state. Their efforts helped expand the system and protect iconic landscapes that still define California today. By 1927, California voters approved the first state park bond and established the State Park Commission, laying the groundwork for a truly statewide system. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built trails, campgrounds, and visitor facilities that are still cherished by parkgoers, while later decades saw the addition of beaches, historic landmarks, and cultural sites. What began with a single park in the redwoods grew into a system of 280 units — the largest and most diverse state park system in the world, rivaling entire national park systems abroad. 

As the system grew, so did the need for strong, consistent advocacy. In 1969, the California State Parks Foundation was established to give parks an independent voice. California State Parks Foundation is the only statewide nonprofit dedicated solely to California’s state parks. Unlike any other partner, we focus on ensuring parks have the resources, funding, and legislative support to thrive — mobilizing grassroots advocates, building coalitions, securing critical state investments, and keeping the public engaged in the future of their parks. 

This role proved critical during the budget crises of 2008, 2009, and 2011, when hundreds of parks faced closure. As an advocacy organization, California State Parks Foundation led the fight to keep them open — rallying tens of thousands of supporters, pressing lawmakers, and working alongside partners like Sempervirens Fund, Save the Redwoods League, and local communities. California State Parks Foundation also sponsored Assembly Bill 42, signed into law in 2011, which expanded State Parks’ authority to partner with qualified nonprofits to operate parks and eliminated the need for legislative approval of each agreement — creating a vital pathway for partners to step in and keep parks open. (More than a decade later, California State Parks Foundation built on this victory by sponsoring Senate Bill 668, signed into law in 2023, which removed the sunset clause and ensured that these co-management partnerships could continue as stable, long-term solutions.) Together, Californians rose up to protect the park system, proving once again that parks survive because people demand it.  

In 2018, Parks California was created as a philanthropic partner to California State Parks, bringing new programmatic resources, innovation, and community partnerships directly into the parks themselves. Their work complements the advocacy of California State Parks Foundation and the land-protection focus of groups like Save the Redwoods League and Sempervirens Fund. 

The throughline is clear: people created California’s state parks, and people must continue to fight for them. California State Parks Foundation is proud to carry that mantle as the statewide advocacy voice, building a movement for parks and working hand-in-hand with our many partners to ensure that these places remain protected, accessible, and vibrant for generations to come.