In the northeast corner of the Golden State, Mt. Lassen rises from thick forests and volcanic geology of titanic proportions. The peak, and surrounding Volcanic National Park reward the intrepid with steaming, multicolored geologic pools, alpine meadows, sweeping vistas of the Trinity Alps and a relative solitude courtesy of the region’s remoteness. It is a place where, as much as anywhere in California, visitors can feel the expanse and power of the West.

About 340 miles due south from Lassen, through the state’s central valley and into its sprawling heart, Pinnacles National Park crops up as a craggy refuge. The drive into the park winds through rolling hills pockmarked with lonely oak trees, an environment so uniquely Californian that its golden hue envelops the visitor fully in the place. All of a sudden, from the gentle landscape, Pinnacles emerges, harsher, more angular and striking. Giant rock formations shelter the still-endangered California Condor, a raptor of epic proportions whose return to circling the skies above Pinnacles is a conservation success story. This is California, unbridled and wholly itself.

From Pinnacles, through the coastal range, past sandy beaches and over a stretch of the Pacific, Channel Islands National Park sits in the deep blue, seemingly lonely but teeming with life. The island chain, accessible only by boat, stands steady for an incredible breadth of avian and marine life. Seabirds line the windswept cliffs, roosting young and fishing in the surrounding waters. The sea holds otherworldly wonders in its expansive, swaying kelp forests, including bright orange Garibaldi fish. In a state famous for its coastline, this park holds some of the best.

I propose a story on California’s lesser-known national parks. While Yosemite and Death Valley are well worth the trip, these three parks provide a deeper view into the state’s diversity and its natural bounty. They deserve to be featured.