California factories to visit and tour
If you live in, or are going to visit, California, you can find a factory to visit and tour. Many factories, large and small, from several person chocolate factories and cheesemakers to large manufacturers making paper towels, wood products, beverage cans and bottles, are open to the public with real tours, exhibitions and fun education. There are often engineering facilities and museums, dinosaur digs, even government facilities, like NASA, astronomy oberservatories and more that are open to the public on certain days and times. These are perfect for homeschooling, for stem, and for fun! Kids love visiting these places! And most of these are completely fee! What's better then fun, entertaining, good for children and families, educational and free?
Here are some of the top factory tours in California and contact information and tips about visiting them.
Top California destinations
- Yosemite National Park - -Yosemite has incredible natural wonders to see and many things to do! The park is home to granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and incredible views and wildlife. The park, located in eastern central California is surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest.
- DisneyLand
- Hollywood - Grauman's Chinese, the walk of fame,
- Universal Studios Tour and Paramount Studios Tour
- La Brea Tar Pits - Famous for the prehistoric animals like Mastodons that are preserved in the natural tar, La Brea Tar Pits are in Hancock Park in Los Angeles, US. Natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years.
- Golden Gate Bridge National Park - San Francisco, CA. Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history from California’s indigenous cultures, Spanish colonialism, the Mexican Republic, US military expansion and the growth of San Francisco. All of this and more awaits you, so get out and find your park.
- Redwood - Del Norte and Humboldt counties , CA. Most people know Redwood as home to the tallest trees on Earth. But the Parks also protect vast prairies, oak woodlands, wild rivers, and 40 miles of rugged coastline. People have lived in this verdant landscape since time immemorial. Together, the National Park Service and California State Parks are managing and restoring these lands for the inspiration, enjoyment, and education of all.
- Sequoia and Kings Canyon - In the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare and Fresno counties, CA. This dramatic landscape testifies to nature's size, beauty, and diversity-huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world's largest trees. The parks lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada east of the San Joaquin Valley. Weather varies a lot by season and elevation, which ranges from 1,370' to 14,494'.
- San Francisco - Fisherman's Wharf, the cable cars,
- San Diego Zoo -
- Death Valley - Death Valley, CA,NV. In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley.
Factories to visit in California
- Alcatraz Island - San Francisco, CA. Alcatraz reveals stories of American incarceration, justice, and our common humanity. This small island was once a fort, a military prison, and a maximum security federal penitentiary. In 1969, the Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz for 19 months in the name of freedom and Native American civil rights. We invite you to explore Alcatraz's complex history and natural beauty.
- Cabrillo - San Diego, CA. Climbing out of his boat and onto shore in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo stepped into history as the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. In addition to telling the story of 16th century exploration, the park is home to a wealth of cultural and natural resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Exploration.
- California Trail - Various States CA,CO,ID,KS,MO,NE,NV,OR,UT,WY. Follow in the footsteps of over 250,000 emigrants who traveled to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840s and 1850s: the greatest mass migration in American history. The California National Historic Trail is over 5,000 miles long and covers portions of 10 states. Step into history along more than 1,000 miles of ruts and traces from travelers and their overland wagons.
- Castle Mountains - Barstow, CA. Castle Mountains represents some of the most unique elements of the Mojave Desert. Nestled between the Nevada state line and Mojave National Preserve, the nearly 21,000 acres of Castle Mountains boasts Joshua tree forests, unbroken natural landscapes, rare desert grasslands, and rich human history. This intriguing area provides serenity and solitude from nearby metropolitan areas.
- César E. Chávez - CA. Yes, we can! Widely recognized as the most important Latino leader in the United States during the twentieth century, César E. Chávez led farm workers and supporters in the establishment of the country's first permanent agricultural union. His leadership brought sustained international attention to the plight of U.S. farm workers, and secured for them higher wages and safer working conditions
- Channel Islands - Ventura, CA. Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth and helped preserve a place where visitors can experience coastal southern California as it once was.
- Devils Postpile - the Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes, CA. Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot high Rainbow Falls, and pristine mountain scenery. The formation is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar basalt. Its' columns tower up to 60 feet and display a striking symmetry.
- Eugene O'Neill - Danville, CA. America's only Nobel Prize winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill, chose to live in Northern California at the height of his writing career. Isolated from the world and within the walls of his home, O'Neill wrote his final and most memorable plays; The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten.
- Fort Point - Presidio of San Francisco, CA. From its vantage point overlooking the spectacular Golden Gate, Fort Point defended the San Francisco Bay following California's Gold Rush through World War II. Its beautifully arched casemates display the art of 3rd system brick masonry and interacts gracefully with the Golden Gate Bridge.
- John Muir - Martinez, CA. John Muir played many roles in his life, all of which helped him succeed in his role as an advocate for Nature. As America’s most famous naturalist and conservationist, Muir fought to protect the wild places he loved, places we can still visit today. Muir’s writings convinced the U.S. government to protect Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier as national parks.
- Joshua Tree - Southern California between I-10 and Hwy 62; headquarters in Twentynine Palms, CA. Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California. Come explore for yourself.
- Juan Bautista de Anza - Nogales, AZ to San Francisco, CA, AZ,CA. "¡Vayan Subiendo!"("Everyone mount up!") was the rousing call from Juan Bautista de Anza. In 1775-76, he led some 240 men, women, and children on an epic journey to establish the first non-Native settlement at San Francisco Bay. Today, the 1,200-mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail connects history, culture, and outdoor recreation from Nogales, Arizona, to the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Lassen Volcanic - Mineral, CA. Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to steaming fumaroles, meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes, and numerous volcanoes. Jagged peaks tell the story of its eruptive past while hot water continues to shape the land.
- Lava Beds - Tulelake, CA. Lava Beds National Monument is a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. More than 800 caves, Native American rock art sites, historic battlefields and campsites, and a high desert wilderness experience await you!
- Manzanar - Independence, CA. In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where the US government incarcerated Japanese immigrants ineligible for citizenship and Japanese American citizens during World War II.
- Mojave - Southern California between I-15 and I-40; headquarters in Barstow, CA. Singing sand dunes, cinder cone volcanoes, a large Joshua tree forest, and carpets of spring wildflowers are all found within this 1.6-million-acre park. A visit to its canyons, mountains, and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and rock-walled military outposts. Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Mojave provides serenity and solitude from major metropolitan areas.
- Muir Woods - Mill Valley, CA. Walk among old growth coast redwoods, cooling their roots in the fresh water of Redwood Creek and lifting their crowns to reach the sun and fog. Federally protected as a National Monument since 1908, this primeval forest is both refuge and laboratory, revealing our relationship with the living landscape. What will you discover in Muir Woods?
- Old Spanish - AZ,CA,CO,NV,NM,UT. Follow the routes of mule pack trains across the Southwest on the Old Spanish National Historic Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. New Mexican traders moved locally produced merchandise across what are now six states to exchange for mules and horses.
- Pinnacles - Paicines, CA. Some 23 million years ago multiple volcanoes erupted, flowed, and slid to form what would become Pinnacles National Park. What remains is a unique landscape. Travelers journey through chaparral, oak woodlands, and canyon bottoms. Hikers enter rare talus caves and emerge to towering rock spires teeming with life: prairie and peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and the inspiring California condor.
- Point Reyes - Point Reyes, CA. From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 species of plants and animals to discover. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, the Seashore preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people. Point Reyes awaits your exploration.
- Pony Express - Various States CA,CO,KS,MO,NE,NV,UT,WY. It is hard to believe that young men once rode horses to carry mail from Missouri to California in the unprecedented time of only 10 days. This relay system along the Pony Express National Historic Trail in eight states was the most direct and practical means of east-west communications before the telegraph.
- Port Chicago Naval Magazine - Concord Naval Weapons Station, CA. On the evening of July 17, 1944, residents in the San Francisco east bay area were jolted awake by a massive explosion that cracked windows and lit up the night sky. At Port Chicago Naval Magazine, 320 men were instantly killed when two ships being loaded with ammunition for the Pacific theater troops blew up. It was WWII's worst home front disaster.
- Presidio of San Francisco - San Francisco, CA. For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to World Fairs and earthquakes, left their mark. Come enjoy the history and the natural beauty of the Presidio. Explore centuries of architecture. Reflect in a national cemetery. Walk along an historic airfield, through forests or to beaches, and admire spectacular vistas.
- Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front - Richmond, CA. Explore and honor the efforts and sacrifices of American civilians on the World War II home front. Find out how they lived, worked and got along. Many faces, many stories, many truths weave a complex tapestry of myths and realities from this time of opportunity and loss.
- San Francisco Maritime - San Francisco, CA. Located in the Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park offers visitors the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Pacific Coast maritime history. The Park includes a magnificent fleet of historic ships, a Visitor Center, Maritime Museum, Maritime Research Center, and Aquatic Park Historic District.
- Santa Monica Mountains - Thousand Oaks, CA. The Santa Monica Mountains offer easy access to surprisingly wild places. Experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. The park abounds with historical and cultural sites, from old movie ranches to Native American centers. What will you and your family discover?
- Tule Lake - Tulelake, CA. The Tule Lake National Monument includes both the the Tule Lake Segregation Center, the largest and most controversial of the sites where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II, and Camp Tulelake, which was first a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, then an additional facility to detain Japanese Americans, and finally a prisoner of war camp.
- Whiskeytown - Whiskeytown, CA. Whiskeytown Lake’s crystal-clear water is perhaps the most recognized feature of the park. However, water-based recreation is only a part of what the 42,000-acre Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has to offer. Visit waterfalls, hike through rugged mountains, explore California Gold Rush history, and observe post-fire ecology in action. Your national park is calling...
California State parks and historic sites
State Parks
- Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area
- Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park
- Albany State Marine Reserve
- Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
- Andrew Molera State Park
- Angel Island State Park
- Año Nuevo State Park
- Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve
- Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
- Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
- Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
- Asilomar State Beach
- Auburn State Recreation Area
- Austin Creek State Recreation Area
- Azalea State Natural Reserve
- Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park
- Bean Hollow State Beach
- Benbow State Recreation Area
- Benicia State Recreation Area
- Benicia Capitol State Historic Park
- Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area
- Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
- Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Bodie State Historic Park
- Bolsa Chica State Beach
- Border Field State Park
- Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
- Brannan Island State Recreation Area
- Burleigh H. Murray Ranch Park Property
- Burton Creek State Park
- Butano State Park
- Butte City Project Park Property
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park
- California Citrus State Historic Park
- California Indian Heritage Center Park Property
- California State Capitol
- California State Mining and Mineral Museum Park Property
- California State Railroad Museum Point of Interest
- Cambria State Marine Park
- Candlestick Point State Recreation Area
- Cardiff State Beach
- Carlsbad State Beach
- Carmel River State Beach
- Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Carpinteria State Beach
- Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve
- Caspar Headlands State Beach
- Castaic Lake State Recreation Area
- Castle Crags State Park
- Castle Rock State Park
- Caswell Memorial State Park
- Cayucos State Beach
- China Camp State Park
- Chino Hills State Park
- Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park
- Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Clear Lake State Park
- Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
- Columbia State Historic Park
- Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area
- Corona del Mar State Beach
- Crystal Cove State Park
- Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
- D. L. Bliss State Park
- Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
- Delta Meadows Park Property
- Dockweiler State Beach
- Doheny State Beach
- Donner Memorial State Park
- Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
- El Capitán State Beach
- El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park
- Emerald Bay State Park
- Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve
- Emma Wood State Beach
- Empire Mine State Historic Park
- Estero Bluffs State Park
- Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
- Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
- Fort Humboldt State Historic Park
- Fort Ord Dunes State Park
- Fort Ross State Historic Park
- Fort Tejon State Historic Park
- Franks Tract State Recreation Area
- Fremont Peak State Park
- Garrapata State Park
- Gaviota State Park
- George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area
- Governor's Mansion State Historic Park
- Gray Whale Cove State Beach
- Great Valley Grasslands State Park
- Greenwood State Beach
- Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
- Grover Hot Springs State Park
- Half Moon Bay State Beach
- Harmony Headlands State Park
- Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area
- Hatton Canyon Park Property
- Hearst San Simeon State Park
- Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument
- Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Hendy Woods State Park
- Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Henry W. Coe State Park
- Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Humboldt Lagoons State Park
- Humboldt Redwoods State Park
- Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Huntington State Beach
- Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park
- Indio Hills Palms Park Property
- Jack London State Historic Park
- Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
- John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve
- John Little State Natural Reserve
- Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
- Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
- Kings Beach State Recreation Area
- Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve
- La Purísima Mission State Historic Park
- Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area
- Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
- Lake Perris State Recreation Area
- Lake Valley State Recreation Area
- Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
- Leo Carrillo State Park
- Leucadia State Beach
- Lighthouse Field State Beach
- Limekiln State Park
- Little River State Beach
- Locke Boarding House Museum Point of Interest
- Los Angeles State Historic Park
- Los Encinos State Historic Park
- Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve
- MacKerricher State Park
- Mailliard Redwoods State Natural Reserve
- Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
- Malibu Creek State Park
- Malibu Lagoon State Beach
- Manchester State Park
- Mandalay State Beach
- Manresa State Beach
- Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park
- Marina State Beach
- Marsh Creek State Park State Historic Park
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
- Martial Cottle Park State Recreation Area
- McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
- McConnell State Recreation Area
- McGrath State Beach
- McLaughlin Eastshore State Park State Seashore
- Mendocino Headlands State Park
- Mendocino Woodlands State Park
- Millerton Lake State Recreation Area
- Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve
- Montaña de Oro State Park
- Montara State Beach
- Monterey State Historic Park
- Monterey State Beach
- Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve
- Moonlight State Beach
- Morro Bay State Park
- Morro Strand State Beach
- Moss Landing State Beach
- Mount Diablo State Park
- Mount San Jacinto State Park
- Mount Tamalpais State Park
- Natural Bridges State Beach
- Navarro River Redwoods State Park
- New Brighton State Beach
- Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Old Sacramento State Historic Park
- Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
- Olompali State Historic Park
- Pacheco State Park
- Pacifica State Beach
- Palomar Mountain State Park
- Patrick's Point State Park
- Pelican State Beach
- Pescadero State Beach
- Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park
- Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Picacho State Recreation Area
- Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park
- Pío Pico State Historic Park
- Pismo State Beach
- Placerita Canyon State Park
- Plumas-Eureka State Park
- Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park
- Point Dume State Beach
- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
- Point Lobos Ranch Park Property
- Point Mugu State Park
- Point Sal State Beach
- Point Sur State Historic Park
- Pomponio State Beach
- Portola Redwoods State Park
- Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area
- Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
- Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
- Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
- Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe Park Property
- Red Rock Canyon State Park
- Refugio State Beach
- Reynolds Wayside Campground
- Richardson Grove State Park
- Rio de Los Angeles State Park State Recreation Area
- Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach
- Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
- Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach
- Russian Gulch State Park
- Saddleback Butte State Park
- Salinas River State Beach
- Salt Point State Park
- Salton Sea State Recreation Area
- Samuel P. Taylor State Park
- San Bruno Mountain State Park
- San Buenaventura State Beach
- San Clemente State Beach
- San Elijo State Beach
- San Gregorio State Beach
- San Juan Bautista State Historic Park
- San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area
- San Onofre State Beach
- San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park
- San Timoteo Canyon Park Property
- Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
- Santa Monica State Beach
- Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park
- Schooner Gulch State Beach
- Seacliff State Beach
- Shasta State Historic Park
- Silver Strand State Beach
- Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area
- Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
- Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve
- Sonoma State Historic Park
- Sonoma Coast State Park
- South Carlsbad State Beach
- South Yuba River State Park
- Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area
- State Indian Museum State Historic Park
- Stone Lake Park Property
- Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
- Sunset State Beach
- Sutter Buttes State Park
- Sutter's Fort State Historic Park
- Tahoe State Recreation Area
- The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
- Thornton State Beach
- Tijuana Estuary NP Point of Interest
- Tolowa Dunes State Park
- Tomales Bay State Park
- Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park
- Topanga State Park
- Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
- Torrey Pines State Beach
- Trinidad State Beach
- Trione-Annadel State Park
- Tule Elk State Natural Reserve
- Turlock Lake State Recreation Area
- Twin Lakes State Beach
- Van Damme State Park
- Verdugo Mountains Park Property
- Ward Creek Park Property
- Washoe Meadows State Park
- Wassama Round House State Historic Park
- Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park
- Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park
- Westport-Union Landing State Beach
- Wilder Ranch State Park
- Wildwood Canyon Park Property
- Will Rogers State Beach
- Will Rogers State Historic Park
- William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park
- Woodland Opera House State Historic Park
- Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area
- Zmudowski State Beach
Historic sites
California Seasons, bugs, topography and climate
Located in the Rockies and at the edge of the plains, Wyoming has both landscapes. In the summer, it tends to be semi-arid, hot during day and cool at night. Winters can be brutally cold. Many roads are closed or impassible in the winter.
Bugs are thankfully few!
Camping in California
If you're looking to save money on your trip, camping may be a fun alternative to hotels and motels, especially, if you already have the gear, or are looking to get some. BTW, this websites ( https://RoadTrippingAndCamping.com ) explains everything you need to know about camping gear and where to the best gear at the lowest prices.
If you're not from California, you may not realize that
There are both state parks and private campgrounds in California.