Coming Soon: Celebrate California State Parks Week with Events in the San Francisco Bay Area
Published:
June 4, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO — California State Parks and partners will be celebrating the fifth annual California State Parks Week with special events at state parks throughout the San Francisco Bay Area beginning Wednesday, June 10. Presented by California State Parks, California State Parks Foundation, Parks California and Save the Redwoods League, this exciting celebration will feature special programs and activities highlighting the incredible diversity of the nation’s largest state park system.
WHAT: Fifth Annual California State Parks Week
WHEN: Wednesday, June 10 to Sunday, June 14
SPOTLIGHT EVENT IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Resilient Redwoods Rendezvous at Big Basin Redwoods State Park
The fifth annual celebration includes five spotlight events over five days that highlight the unmatched diversity of California’s state parks. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the spotlight event will be Friday, June 12, at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Join a one-hour guided walk at 1 or 2 p.m. focused on the extraordinary resilience of redwoods, 95% of which survived the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire in the park. Plus, enjoy a partner fair — featuring a booth from California State Parks Foundation — to learn about the many organizations supporting the Reimagining Big Basin planning process and how you can get involved!
OTHER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA EVENTS:
Wednesday, June 10
Bike in the Bay at Angel Island State Park: Join a biking tour around the LARGEST natural island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay! The biking tour will go around Perimeter Road and stop briefly at viewing points and historic sites. The tour will be at a leisurely pace along a hilly paved road. Bikers can bring their own bike or rent at the Angel Island Café (with limited availability).
Plant Tunes at Half Moon Bay State Beach: Listen to music made by plants and create a unique piece of artwork inspired by the plant music! Meet at Francis Beach Campground's amphitheater at 1 p.m. for this two-hour program. We will start with a slow walk along the nature trail, with many stops to listen to what the plants have to say using a PlantWave device. Back at the amphitheater, you can use the provided art supplies to create a unique piece to take home with you or send to a friend!
Thursday, June 11
Coastal Scrub Restoration Workday at Año Nuevo State Park: Help with an ongoing project to convert 30+ acres of invasive grassland back to a native coastal scrub habitat! Activities include brush cutting work, sheet mulching efforts, and invasive plant removal to prepare for planting native plants in the wet season.
Watercolor Walk at Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Time in nature and artistic expression are both beneficial to one’s well-being, so why not enjoy both in a beautiful state park? We will combine a 1-mile round-trip nature walk through woodlands with outdoor watercolor painting in a location with ocean views (weather permitting). Art supplies will be provided, so participants should simply bring sun protection, drinking water, and any snacks they may want.
The Secret Lives of Mountain Lions Presented by Jack London State Historic Park: Join us for The Secret Lives of Mountain Lions, an educational program at Jack London State Historic Park where you’ll learn how trail cameras and research help scientists study and protect mountain lions in our region. The evening includes an approximately 3‑mile hike with stops to discuss mountain lion behavior, tracking methods, and the science behind conservation. This program is led by a guide from the All Hands Ecology Living with Lions project, offering rare insight into how mountain lions live and how the community can help support their conservation.
Friday, June 12
Biodiverse Biomes at Tomales Bay State Park: Learn about the varied biomes of Tomales Bay State Park that are teeming with life! Join our California State Parks staff as they guide you along the Indian Beach Trail Loop past outcroppings of salt marsh, Bishop pines, oak forests, and a stretch of Tomales Bay’s gorgeous, sheltered shoreline!
Pride Birding at Angel Island State Park: Join the Queer Birders Bay Area for a birding hike… on an island! We'll meet at the "Welcome" sign directly ahead of where the ferry lands on Angel Island. We'll bird a loop about 1.5 to 2 miles. The trail is partially paved and includes dirt sections with uneven surfaces and some moderately steep sections including uneven stairs with no handrail.
Saturday, June 13
SugarShuttle: Sugarloaf <–> Hood Mtn, Pythian Rd: Want to do a thru-hike from Sugarloaf to Hood Mountain or vice versa? Ride the Sugar-Hood Shuttle! Make a reservation to ride to the other end of the trail and begin your hike, or hike and ride back. The hike should take 3½ to 4½ hours; the distance is about 7.4 miles one-way with approximately 2,300 feet of elevation gain. This event is also available on Sunday, June 14.
Beauty in Resilience: A Climate Walk at Mt. Tamalpais State Park: Mount Tamalpais State Park and the neighboring Mount Tamalpais Watershed are parks of stunning natural beauty and amazing biodiversity. Join State Parks and Marin Water staff on an easy hike that explores that beauty and biodiversity of the mountain as well as what our agencies are doing to support its climate resilience.
Wild Words: Nature Journaling in Miwok Meadows at China Camp: Join China Camp staff members alongside experienced nature journalist Shirley Austin-Peake for a soul-stirring walk beneath the trees and an introduction to the art of nature journaling. Our guide will help you slow down, notice the details, make observations and capture the quiet magic and resilience of the natural world. Journals, writing utensils, and light refreshments will be provided before we set out.
Kayak Tour at Bethany State Reservoir State Recreation Area: Join us for a 90-minute guided kayak tour at Bethany Reservoir SRA, where we’ll explore the reservoir while learning about safe kayaking practices and the diverse plants and animals that make this park a true gem.
Family Day at Angel Island State Park: Family Day is a celebration of family, connection, and heritage at the Angel Island Immigration Station. The day will be filled with music, dance, history, storytelling, and – of course – FAMILY! Event time is subject to change based on ferry schedule. Angel Island State Park is only accessible by boat. Additionally, the immigration site is a 1-mile hike from where the ferries dock.
Adobe Brickmaking at Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park: Adobe is an all-natural, eco-friendly building material used all around the world. Get your hands dirty and learn how adobe was used in California during the 1830s! Visitors will have the opportunity to create adobe bricks by stepping into an adobe pit (not required for activity). Visitors are encouraged to remove their socks, shoes, and any jewelry before going in the pit. State Parks staff will be in the pit alongside visitors explaining the process of adobe brickmaking. Staff will guide participants in using their hands to move piles of adobe into a wooden frame. The mixture will dry in the sun for about 15 minutes before being removed from frame.
Sunday, June 14
Coastal Dune and Bluff Restoration Workday at Half Moon Bay State Beach: Help us protect and restore coastal habitats at Half Moon Bay State Beach. We will remove invasive ice plant, purple ragwort, mustard, thistles and poison hemlock from coastal dune and scrub areas. We may also sheet mulch some restored areas to prepare for future native plantings. Reintroducing native flora creates a biodiverse coastal habitat that resident birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles need to survive and thrive.
Forest Bathing Walk at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: Have you heard about “Shinrin-yoku” or “forest bathing”? Here is an opportunity to take a walk and experience the practice for yourself. Learn techniques to maximize the health benefits and stress reducing qualities of this walking practice
Yoga in the Park at Angel Island State Park: Sometimes, it's easy to forget to take a breather and check in with yourself. We'd like to invite you to Angel Island State Park where you can reconnect with yourselves and nature by participating in a yoga session on an island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Join a local yoga instructor from Metta Yoga for a 1-hour yoga session against a backdrop of the bay, mountains, and harbor seals.
Slow Journey at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: Join Sugarloaf State Park docents for this series of meandering explorations. Each month (weather permitting) we will explore one or two of our accessible trails. Suitable for all levels and a range of mobility, these Sunday afternoon adventures will accommodate people using wheelchairs, walkers, canes, young children, parents with babies in strollers, and those who just enjoy slow walks in nature that stimulate the five senses.
Visit castateparksweek.org for a full list of the more than 170 events happening throughout the week.
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For more information or to schedule an interview, contact [email protected].
To access hi-res images, please visit the California State Parks Week newsroom.
Subscribe to California State Parks News online at parks.ca.gov/newsroom or click here.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.
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California State Parks Foundation, an independent, member-supported nonprofit with over 50 years of history, is dedicated to protecting and preserving the California state park system for the benefit of all. We work in parks and in Sacramento with partners, park staff, and policymakers to address the challenges parks face. To make real and lasting change, we are working to build a movement of people who enjoy and advocate for their parks now, and for future generations. Learn more at www.calparks.org, or find California State Parks Foundation on:
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Parks California, created by the State of California to expand the reach and impact of its parks system, strengthens our public lands and inspires all people to experience these extraordinary places. As a public-private partner, we work alongside California State Parks, public lands agencies, tribal, community and nonprofit organizations to design solutions that make these spaces more inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable. Together, we’re advancing a new partnership model that supports healthy communities and ecosystems to meet the needs of a changing California. Learn more: www.ParksCalifornia.org
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Save the Redwoods League revitalizes coast redwood and giant sequoia forests across California’s redwood range. In partnership with state and federal agencies, Tribes, and communities, we have conserved more than 220,000 acres in 76 parks and preserves and restored 37,000 acres. Our work bolsters carbon storage, strengthens wildfire resilience, benefits local economies, and safeguards iconic landscapes enjoyed by millions. For more information, visit SaveTheRedwoods.org