Name Image Date Location County Ownership Description Amboy Crater May 1973 34°31′11.69″N 115°43′26.92″W / 34.5199139°N 115.7241444°W /34.5199139; -115.7241444 San Bernardino Federal (Bureau of Land Management ) A 6,000-year-old volcaniccinder cone , made up ofpahoehoe , just off historicU.S. Highway 66 . American River Bluffs andPhoenix Park Vernal Pools 1976 38°39′10.33″N 121°12′59.95″W / 38.6528694°N 121.2166528°W /38.6528694; -121.2166528 Sacramento Federal (United States Bureau of Reclamation ), state (California State Parks ), and municipal (Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District) Containsvernal pools , andblue oak woodlands.[ 2] Año Nuevo State Reserve 1980 37°7′7.24″N 122°18′24.02″W / 37.1186778°N 122.3066722°W /37.1186778; -122.3066722 San Mateo State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) One of the largest mainland breeding grounds for thenorthern elephant seal .[ 3] Anza-Borrego Desert 1974 33°14′57.38″N 116°24′24.63″W / 33.2492722°N 116.4068417°W /33.2492722; -116.4068417 Imperial ,Riverside ,San Diego State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) The largest desert state park in the nation.[ 4] Audubon Canyon 1968 37°55′46.01″N 122°40′55.85″W / 37.9294472°N 122.6821806°W /37.9294472; -122.6821806 Marin Private The largest known nesting area forgreat blue herons andgreat andsnowy egrets on the Pacific Coast.[ 5] Black Chasm Cave Black Chasm Cave 1976 38°26′3.4″N 120°37′35.3″W / 38.434278°N 120.626472°W /38.434278; -120.626472 Amador Private A small three-level cave containing a variety ofspeleothems and some of the besthelictite formations in the western U.S.[ 6] Burney Falls 1984 41°0′43.79″N 121°39′7″W / 41.0121639°N 121.65194°W /41.0121639; -121.65194 Shasta State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) Contains some of the best examples in the western United States of a river drainage regulated by stratigraphically controlled springs.[ 7] Cinder Cone Natural Area 1973 35°17′21.95″N 115°35′6.99″W / 35.2894306°N 115.5852750°W /35.2894306; -115.5852750 San Bernardino Federal (Mojave National Preserve ) A complex of over 20 largecinder cones of recent origin with extensive and continuous lava flows.[ 8] Cosumnes River Riparian Woodlands1976 38°15′56.57″N 121°26′21.22″W / 38.2657139°N 121.4392278°W /38.2657139; -121.4392278 Sacramento Private, Federal, State, and County A smallremnant of a rapidly-disappearingriparian woodland community type that once formed a major part of thecentral valley .[ 9] Deep Springs Marsh1975 37°20′00″N 118°01′03″W / 37.33333°N 118.01750°W /37.33333; -118.01750 Inyo Private An example of increasingly rare desert marsh.[ 10] Dixon Vernal Pools 1987 38°16′31.29″N 121°49′25.49″W / 38.2753583°N 121.8237472°W /38.2753583; -121.8237472 Solano Private The best example of valleyneedlegrass grassland in thecentral valley .[ 11] Elder Creek 1964 39°43′32.04″N 123°37′34.35″W / 39.7255667°N 123.6262083°W /39.7255667; -123.6262083 Mendocino State (University of California Natural Reserve System ) A largely undisturbed watershed containing large old stands ofDouglas fir , broadleaf evergreens, and deciduous trees.[ 12] Emerald Bay 1968 38°57′25.49″N 120°5′36.3″W / 38.9570806°N 120.093417°W /38.9570806; -120.093417 El Dorado State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) An outstanding example of glacial geology.[ 13] Eureka Dunes 1983 37°5′45.6″N 117°40′30″W / 37.096000°N 117.67500°W /37.096000; -117.67500 Inyo Federal (Death Valley National Park ) The tallest dune complex in the Great Basin.[ 14] Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern 1975 37°28′8.69″N 118°24′3.1″W / 37.4690806°N 118.400861°W /37.4690806; -118.400861 Inyo ,Mono Mixed- federal (Bureau of Land Management ), state, municipal A large, essentially undisturbed, desert wetland that provides habitat for thealkali mariposa lily and the endangeredOwens pupfish .[ 15] Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes 1974 34°57′56.13″N 120°39′1.24″W / 34.9655917°N 120.6503444°W /34.9655917; -120.6503444 San Luis Obispo Mixed- federal (Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge ), state, private A coastal dune tract withoff-road vehicle recreation, a national wildlife refuge, beaches, and nesting for thewestern snowy plover .[ 16] Imperial Sand Hills 1966 32°55′0″N 115°3′0″W / 32.91667°N 115.05000°W /32.91667; -115.05000 Imperial Federal (Bureau of Land Management ) One of the largest dune patches in the United States.[ 17] Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks 2006 33°43′53.4″N 117°41′34.8″W / 33.731500°N 117.693000°W /33.731500; -117.693000 Orange Mixed- state, county, municipal A remarkably complete stratigraphic succession ranging in age from lateCretaceous to the present.[ 18] Lake Shasta Caverns May 2012 40°48′16.2″N 122°18′15.98″W / 40.804500°N 122.3044389°W /40.804500; -122.3044389 Shasta Private A well-decoratedSolutional cave that contains a diverse assemblage ofcalcite cave formations.[ 19] Lanphere Dunes andMa-le'l Dunes 2021 Humboldt Federal (Bureau of Land Management ,Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge ) Considered to be the largest and best quality sand dune ecosystems representing coastal dunes in the area.[ 20] Miramar Mounds 1972 32°50′43″N 117°8′19″W / 32.84528°N 117.13861°W /32.84528; -117.13861 San Diego Federal (Marine Corps Air Station Miramar ) Contains unique soil features calledmima mounds , which are found in only three or four locations in the country, andvernal pools .[ 21] Mitchell Caverns and Winding Stair Cave1975 34°56′26.97″N 115°30′51.97″W / 34.9408250°N 115.5144361°W /34.9408250; -115.5144361 San Bernardino State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) Regarded as the most important solution caverns in theMojave Desert .[ 22] Mt. Diablo State Park 1982 37°52′37.75″N 121°55′25.79″W / 37.8771528°N 121.9238306°W /37.8771528; -121.9238306 Contra Costa State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) One of the few areas in the region where geologic strata ofJurassic ,Cretaceous , andTertiary age can be seen in an aggregate thickness of 42,000 feet (13,000 m).[ 23] Mount Shasta 1976 41°24′35.6″N 122°11′41.52″W / 41.409889°N 122.1948667°W /41.409889; -122.1948667 Siskiyou Federal (Shasta-Trinity National Forest ) One of the world's largest and most impressivestratovolcanoes , within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.[ 24] Pixley Vernal Pools 1987 35°59′3.85″N 119°12′45.04″W / 35.9844028°N 119.2125111°W /35.9844028; -119.2125111 Tulare Private One of the few remaining natural vernal pools containing rare endemic crustacean species such asvernal pool fairy shrimp .[ 25] Point Lobos 1967 36°31′1.56″N 121°56′33.36″W / 36.5171000°N 121.9426000°W /36.5171000; -121.9426000 Monterey State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) An outstanding example of terrestrial and marine environments in close association, and the only known habitat ofMonterey cypress and variegatedbrodiaea .[ 26] Pygmy Forest atJug Handle State Natural Reserve 1969 1973
39°22′29.3″N 123°47′22.15″W / 39.374806°N 123.7894861°W /39.374806; -123.7894861 Mendocino State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) Includes a five stepecological staircase on which a unique forest of low, stunted trees and shrubs is located.[ 27] Rainbow Basin 1966 35°1′46″N 117°2′12″W / 35.02944°N 117.03667°W /35.02944; -117.03667 San Bernardino Federal (Bureau of Land Management ) Deep erosion canyons with rugged rims with fossil evidence of insects andMiocene mammals.[ 28] La Brea Tar Pits (Rancho La Brea )1964 34°3′46.62″N 118°21′21.49″W / 34.0629500°N 118.3559694°W /34.0629500; -118.3559694 Los Angeles Municipal (City of Los Angeles ) Site of the world-famous natural asphalt tar pits.[ 29] San Andreas Fault 1965 San Benito Private One of the best illustrations of earth displacement caused by small crustal movements.[ 30] San Felipe Creek Area 1974 33°10′11″N 115°49′19″W / 33.16972°N 115.82194°W /33.16972; -115.82194 Imperial ,San Diego Federal (Bureau of Land Management ), state (California Department of Fish and Wildlife ) A marsh containing probably the last remaining perennial natural desert stream in the Colorado Desert region.[ 31] Sand Ridge Wildflower Preserve 1984 35°18′31.26″N 118°47′24.29″W / 35.3086833°N 118.7900806°W /35.3086833; -118.7900806 Kern Private A remnant natural area displaying a great diversity of floral species including theBakersfield cactus .[ 32] Sharktooth Hill 1976 35°26′30.57″N 118°56′26.18″W / 35.4418250°N 118.9406056°W /35.4418250; -118.9406056 Kern Private One of the most abundant, diverse and well- preserved fossil marine vertebrate sites in the world.[ 33] Tijuana River Estuary 1973 32°33′7.2″N 117°7′9.59″W / 32.552000°N 117.1193306°W /32.552000; -117.1193306 San Diego Federal (Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve ), state, municipal One of the finest remaining saltwater marshes on the California coastline.[ 34] Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve 1977 32°54′59.58″N 117°14′58.7″W / 32.9165500°N 117.249639°W /32.9165500; -117.249639 San Diego State (California Department of Parks and Recreation ) Contains a naturalTorrey pine forest, high bluffs and sea cliffs, and endangered bird species.[ 35] Trona Pinnacles 1967 35°37′3.81″N 117°22′5.08″W / 35.6177250°N 117.3680778°W /35.6177250; -117.3680778 San Bernardino Federal (Bureau of Land Management ) A relict landform from the Pleistocene containing unique formations of calcium carbonate.[ 36] Turtle Mountain 1973 34°19′5.53″N 114°51′7.28″W / 34.3182028°N 114.8520222°W /34.3182028; -114.8520222 San Bernardino Federal (Bureau of Land Management ), state Contains two mountain sections of entirely different composition.[ 37] 
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