California's most Insta-worthy spots

Ryan & Katy Smilko - (Smilkos_Lens)
Itinerary created by
Ryan & Katy Smilko
What you’ll do

California is riddled with Insta-worthy spots, all over the state. Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and an endless stream of epic spots along the California coast. While the list can be never-ending, we've been to most of the popular and iconic spots and have put together a list to help you plan out your trip a little easier!

Coming to California in the hopes of seeing all the most epic, iconic and photo-worthy spots? No worries. We've got you covered.

With almost 300 things to do on our map, we know it can be daunting trying to figure out where to go and what to do. So we've put together this list of over 30 of our personal favorite things to do that will get you the most epic photos. Your friends and family will surely be jealous of your adventures!

1

Karl Knapp Trail
Karl Knapp Trail
Redwood walk-through tree adventure
Category
Hike
Est. Duration
1-2h

18.5 km (11.5 mi)

33 min

2

Fern Canyon Trail
Fern Canyon Trail
Majestic and lush hike
Category
Hike
Est. Duration
30-60m

413.9 km (257.2 mi)

5 hr 33 min

3

Cinder Cone and Painted Dunes
Cinder Cone and Painted Dunes
Scenic hike with painted dunes
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$30
Est. Duration
2-3h

170.2 km (105.7 mi)

2 hr 26 min

4

Heart Lake
Heart Lake
Magical sunset mountain view hike
Category
Hike
Est. Duration
1-2h

97.6 km (60.6 mi)

1 hr 13 min

5

Burney Falls
Burney Falls
Spectacular Eighth Wonder waterfall
Category
Waterfall
Est. Price
$10

479.6 km (298 mi)

5 hr 27 min

6

Headlands Trail
Headlands Trail
Coastal views of Russian Gulch
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$10
Est. Duration
30-60m

85.4 km (53.1 mi)

1 hr 17 min

7

Bluff Trailhead at Gualala Point
Bluff Trailhead at Gualala Point
Adventure and nature outing
Category
Hike
Est. Duration
1-2h

425.1 km (264.2 mi)

5 hr 17 min

8

Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay
Outdoor adventures in Emerald Bay State Park
Category
Sightseeing
Est. Price
$5

343.3 km (213.3 mi)

4 hr 5 min

9

Cypress Tree Tunnel
Cypress Tree Tunnel
Magical cypress tree tunnel
Category
Sightseeing

79.2 km (49.2 mi)

1 hr 19 min

10

Battery Spencer
Battery Spencer
Breathtaking bridge views
Category
Sightseeing

5.2 km (3.2 mi)

10 min

11

Slacker Hill
Slacker Hill
Stunning panoramic Golden Gate Bridge views
Category
Hike
Est. Duration
30-60m

5.2 km (3.2 mi)

8 min

12

Golden Gate Overlook
Golden Gate Overlook
Spectacular Golden Gate view
Category
Park

127.4 km (79.2 mi)

1 hr 39 min

13

Natural Bridges State Beach
Natural Bridges State Beach
Outdoor recreation and wildlife
Category
Beach
Est. Price
$10

14.9 km (9.3 mi)

14 min

14

Shark Fin Cove
Shark Fin Cove
Idyllic beach escape
Category
Hike
Est. Duration
0-30m

15.6 km (9.7 mi)

15 min

15

West Cliff Drive
West Cliff Drive
Fun family trail with amazing views
Category
Sightseeing

99.1 km (61.6 mi)

1 hr 15 min

16

Bixby Creek Bridge
Bixby Creek Bridge
Iconic bridge on California coast
Category
Sightseeing

38.1 km (23.7 mi)

35 min

17

McWay Falls
McWay Falls
Spectacular coastal waterfall
Category
Waterfall
Est. Price
$15

19.5 km (12.1 mi)

24 min

18

Pfeiffer Beach
Pfeiffer Beach
Beautiful coastal beach
Category
Beach
Est. Price
$15

408.2 km (253.7 mi)

5 hr 19 min

19

Glacier Point Trailhead
Glacier Point Trailhead
Magnificent vista
Category
Sightseeing
Est. Price
$
20

Vernal Falls
Vernal Falls
Ethereal waterfall beauty
Category
Waterfall
Est. Price
$30
21

Mirror Lake Paved Trail
Mirror Lake Paved Trail
Spectacular reflection lake
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$30
Est. Duration
1-2h

16.2 km (10.1 mi)

24 min

22

Tunnel View
Tunnel View
Spectacular panoramic view
Category
Sightseeing
Est. Price
$30

10.1 km (6.3 mi)

13 min

23

Cook's Meadow Loop
Cook's Meadow Loop
Majestic dog-friendly boardwalk hike
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$30
Est. Duration
30-60m

384.2 km (238.7 mi)

4 hr 47 min

24

Leffingwell Landing Park
Leffingwell Landing Park
Picturesque ocean view park
Category
Park

39.1 km (24.3 mi)

30 min

25

Morro Rock
Morro Rock
Iconic natural coastal rock formation
Category
Sightseeing

291.2 km (180.9 mi)

3 hr 5 min

26

Sandstone Peak
Sandstone Peak
Spectacular peak in Santa Monica Mountains
Category
Hike
Est. Duration
2-3h

474.3 km (294.7 mi)

5 hr 29 min

27

Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point
Stunning sunrise view
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$30
Est. Duration
0-30m

26.8 km (16.7 mi)

27 min

28

Artists Palette
Artists Palette
Spectacular rainbow colored hills
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$30
Est. Duration
30-60m

423.7 km (263.3 mi)

4 hr 45 min

29

Cholla Cactus Garden
Cholla Cactus Garden
Exploring desert plants in Joshua Tree
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$30
Est. Duration
0-30m
30

Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail
Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail
Incredible desert oasis
Category
Hike
Est. Price
$30
Est. Duration
1-2h

246.9 km (153.4 mi)

2 hr 41 min

31

Hollywood Sign
Hollywood Sign
Iconic US landmark in LA
Category
Photospot

33.5 km (20.8 mi)

33 min

32

Eaton Canyon Falls
Eaton Canyon Falls
Waterfall paradise in LA
Category
Waterfall

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