One of the structures at Jack London State Park in Sonoma County that dates to when he lived there. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Thank goodness for the people who had the foresight to preserve land for the public.

California’s 280 state parks come in various sizes with multiple attributes. While many think of them as a place to recreate be it walking, hiking, biking or riding a horse, they are also full of history.

Bidwell Mansion in Chico is still part of the California State Parks system even though it was destroyed by arson in December 2024. The state this month embarked on a 15-month process, which includes getting public input, to figure out the future of this iconic landmark.

The park system started in the late 1800s, not too long after California became the 31st state in 1850. This month marks the 175th  anniversary of statehood.

“The first state park was conceived in California in 1862. Captain Israel Ward Raymond and California’s U. S. Senator John Conness wanted to have natural land areas at Yosemite set aside purely for the purpose of preservation and public enjoyment,” according to the State Parks website. “At Raymond’s request, Senator Conness introduced a bill in the Senate that quickly passed though both Congressional houses. President Abraham Lincoln signed The Act of June 30, 1864 (13. Stat. 325), granting the ‘Yo-Semite Valley’ and the Mariposa Big Tree Grove to the State of California. Governor Frederick Low accepted the grant in September of that year. The granted land was eventually returned to the federal government in 1906, becoming part of the surrounding Yosemite National Park that had been formed in 1890.”

Voters in 1928 approved the first bond for state parks. Bond measures have continued to fund these outdoor playgrounds.

State Parks is responsible for shoreline, river fronts, lake fronts, campsites, trails (including OHV), and historical areas like Jack London’s home, Hearst Castle, and the gold discovery site in Coloma.

“California State Parks represents the most diverse natural and cultural heritage holdings of any land management agency in California. These lands support a stunning array of the state’s landscape provinces, environmentally sensitive habitat areas, threatened species, ancient Native American sites and historic facilities. With almost 25 percent of California’s magnificent coastline under its care, California State Parks manages the state’s finest coastal wetlands, estuaries, and dune systems,” the state website says.