California State Parks Week Returns June 10–14

California State Parks Week runs Wednesday, June 10 through Sunday, June 14, with 171 events across the 280-park system. Many are in SoCal, and unlike the routine ranger programs that run weekly, these are one-off specials built around a theme of accessibility, cultural programming, dark-sky observation, hands-on interpretation. Worth a look before you default to the same trailhead you always use.

The kickoff is in San Diego County. “Explore the Shore” at Cardiff State Beach runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, the statewide kickoff event, with expert-led coastline demonstrations and self-guided discovery kits. If you’re going to hit one, this is the one State Parks itself is pointing at.

A few others worth flagging by activity type:

Desert and dark-sky stuff. Two scorpion-spotting walks with UV lights — Ocotillo Wells SVRA on Friday, June 12 at 9 p.m., and Anza-Borrego Desert SP on Saturday, June 13 at 8 p.m. Ocotillo Wells also hosts “Moonless Nights, Endless Observations” Saturday at 9 p.m. with telescopes at the nature-trail amphitheater, timed for an almost-new moon. Start early if you’re coming from the coast — it’ll be hot.

Art and journaling. “Pages of Palomar” is a guided nature-journaling session at Doane Pond at Palomar Mountain SP on Friday, June 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — materials provided, bring your own if you’ve got them. “Pines onto Paper” is a short sketching hike along the 0.75-mile Discovery Nature Trail in Long Valley at Mt. San Jacinto SP on Sunday, June 14 at 10 a.m. Note the tram ticket requirement for the Mt. San Jacinto event.

Family-oriented. “Read with a Ranger” at Torrey Pines SNR, Sunday at 10 a.m., targeted at kids 3–6. Old Town San Diego SHP runs 19th-century lawn games — sack races, tug of war, hoop and stick — in the Plaza de Armas throughout Saturday, no reservations. Chino Hills SP has a 1-mile guided habitat hike at 8:30 a.m. Sunday from the Discovery Center, with loaner binoculars.

Accessibility programming. Tijuana Estuary NERR launches a new Navilens self-guided tour for blind and low-vision visitors on Saturday at 10 a.m., with ASL interpreters and sensory kits available. Cuyamaca Rancho SP runs an ADA-trail walk from Stonewall Mine Parking on Saturday at 9 a.m., counting toward the park’s Accessible Hiking Challenge.

Cultural and community. Lake Perris SRA hosts an Indigenous cultures celebration Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Lakeside Pavilion, with Tribal community representatives and the Ya’i Heki’ Regional Indian Museum open for the day. California Citrus SHP runs a self-guided “Ancestral Citrus” scavenger hunt through the museum Saturday at 11 a.m. Los Angeles SHP puts on “Schools of Resilience” — a day-long community learning festival Saturday from 11 a.m. with workshops and activities across the 32-acre park.

Most events require registration. All are free, though park entrance and day-use parking fees still apply at most units. June means marine-layer fog on the coast through midday and real heat inland and in the desert — the Anza-Borrego and Ocotillo Wells programs are scheduled after dark for that reason.

Full event descriptions, times, registration links, and photos are at castateparksweek.org/event-finder. Filter by region for the complete SoCal lineup.