While national parks are struggling with the government shutdown, the California State Parks Foundation has rolled out an innovative way to broadcast the availability of their own incredible park system. It’s a new "Plan Your Own State Park Adventure" quiz to help you decide which park best suits your needs.
On the website, you will be asked a few questions about your preferences, each one geared to help you focus on what you’re looking for. For example: are you ready to hit the trails or craving a more leisurely experience? Do you prefer to explore parks with your dog or without?
After completing the quiz, which should take a minute or so, you'll be prompted to input your name, telephone number and email address. The website will then instantly generate an answer for you.
Because the system is so easy to navigate, we suggest using it multiple times, perhaps slightly shifting your answers to get more than a single recommendation.
After all, California’s state park system features a whopping 280 parks, including some heavy hitters like Emerald Bay State Park, a stunning turquoise bay inside Lake Tahoe; Crystal Cove State Park, where you can spend the night in a vintage seaside cottage; and Bodie State Historic Park, one of the best ghost towns you can visit.
Bonus adorable fundraising plug: from now until October 31, if you pledge a monthly donation of $5 or more to the California State Parks Foundation, you'll snag a free pair of limited-edition Parks Projects socks (along with the other benefits, including a calendar, a new magazine, 10% discount on camping and more). These donations help pay for trail marking, staff salary, wheelchair ramps and facility cleaning.