California State Parks with and without Showers - the Full List

California has some of the most beautiful state beaches and state parks in the world. From the sunny shores of Torrey Pines, to the arid desert of Anza-Borrego, to the immaculate cliffs of Big Sur - California boasts the most diverse landscape of state parks you can find anywhere.

 

 cardiff state beach in encinitas

Cardiff State Beach in Encinitas, CA.

 

Luckily for outdoor lovers, many of these state parks come with amenities provided by the state: showers, parking, campsites to name a few. The thing is, not all of them have the same amenities, and depending on where you’re going and what you’re planning on doing - knowing what amenities are provided could make or break your experience. If you’re camping or beaching and there’s no showers provided, for example, it may be helpful to know that before planning and embarking on your trip so that you aren’t left sandy and sweaty after your day of fun.

In the interest of helping you plan your next California State Park adventure, we put together a list of all the state parks in California, and their amenities. Since we are a portable shower company, we wanted to focus on the shower aspect of these amenities - as we believe a shower at the end of the day is an absolute necessity if you’re camping or hitting the beach. 

Before we jump into the list, let’s take a look at some overall data about how many state parks have shower facilities.

 

Percent of CA State Parks with Outdoor Showers

ca state parks with outdoor showers

Out of our selection of over 220 state parks, 77.9% did not have any outdoor showers. Now, as you can imagine, most of the parks that did have outdoor showers were state beaches, as campsites typically have restroom / shower facilities. Let’s look at the state beaches now to see how their numbers compare.

 

Percent of California State Beaches with Outdoor Showers

ca state beaches with outdoor showers

Out of our selection of over 50 state beaches, 53.7% did not have any outdoor showers. So over half the state beaches in California have no way to wash the sand off your body and gear after a day at the beach. This is a surprising number to say the least - but goes to show that you can’t rely on there being showers at all the state beaches you go to.

 

san elijo state beach

San Elijo State Beach in Encinitas, CA.

 

So just looking at the overall numbers here, you can see that you can’t rely on state parks to have showers, even at places where you definitely need them like state beaches. While state parks with camping are more likely to have them, one-third of them don’t. So if you really want to be prepared for all terrains and state parks, you need to have an alternative to the public showers so that you can be clean and comfortable at the end of a day outdoors. 

Why You Need a Portable Shower

With a portable shower, you can wash the sand off you and your beach equipment right in the parking lot, or take a full shower at the privacy of your campsite. In both of these situations you can skip lines and coin operated showers, and take a long shower without worrying about the person waiting behind you.

At RinseKit, we invented the first portable shower, with the intent of empowering campers, surfers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to take showering into their own hands. With RinseKit, you can have your own shower that you take anywhere, so you don’t have to rely on state facilities to keep clean when you’re adventuring.

 

why you need a portable shower

The RinseKit PRO PAK & HyperHeater being used in the middle of the woods.

 

Whether you’re doing a multi-night off-grid adventure or simply a day at the beach, RinseKit has multiple models with different capacities, so there’s a RinseKit made for every adventure. Our state-of-the-art battery-pressurization sets us apart from other portable shower companies, as it makes for a super easy to use, but consistently powerful portable showering experience.

We also have heating options for all of our models so that you can take a hot shower wherever you go. We sell a propane heater, the HyperHeater, that can heat water up to 110 degrees in around 30 seconds, and we also have an electric option that will heat water up in around an hour as your drive.

If you’re showering at the campsite and you want full privacy, we sell a two-roomed shower tent that makes it so you can have full privacy while washing off. Combining the RinseKit, the HyperHeater and the RinseKit Shelter Shower Tent makes it so you can take a long, piping hot shower in privacy literally anywhere. Why wait in line for a public shower when you can have that?

 

offgrid shower

The PRO + HyperHeater + Shelter being used as a private, hot shower off-grid.

 

California State Parks Showers Full List

So now that you have a general idea of what the overall landscape of state parks with showers looks like, let’s dive into the full list of California State Parks and their amenities. The amenities we looked at include parking, outdoor showers, restroom / shower facilities, and camping facilities. Hopefully, this list will help you better plan your future trips to CA state parks so you can be prepared for any adventure - whether there’s a shower or not.

State Park Has Parking Have outdoor Showers Have Restrooms / Showers Camping Facilities
Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Albany State Marine Reserve Yes No No No
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park No No No Yes
Anderson Marsh Historic Park Yes No No No
Andrew Molera State Park Yes No No No
Ano Nuevo State Park Yes No No No
Antelop Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Antelop Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park Yes No No No
Angel Island State Park No No No Yes
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park Yes No No No
Asilomar State Beach Yes No No No
Auburn State Recreation Area Yes No No Yes
Austin Creek State Recreation Area No No No Yes
Azalea State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park Yes No No No
Bean Hollow State Beach Yes No No No
Benbow State Recreation Area Yes Yes Yes No
Benicia State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park Yes No No No
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park Yes No No No
Bodie State Historic Park Yes No No No
Bolsa Chica state beach Yes Yes No Yes
Border Field State Park Yes No No No
Bothe-Napa Valley State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Brannan Island State Recreation Area Yes Yes Yes Yes
Burleigh H. Murray Ranch Park Property Yes No No No
Butano State Park Yes No No Yes
California Citrus State Historic Park Yes No No No
California State Mining and Mineral Museum Park Property Yes No No No
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Calaveras Big Trees State Park No Yes Yes Yes
Cambria State Marine Park No Yes No No
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area No No Yes No
Cardiff State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Carlsbad State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Carmel River State Beach Yes No No No
Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area Yes No Yes Yes
Carpinteria State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
Castaic Lake State Recreation Area Yes Yes Yes Yes
Castle Crags State Park No No Yes Yes
Caswell Memorial State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Castle Rock State Park No No No Yes
Cayucos State Beach Yes No No No
China Camp State Park Yes Yes Yes Yes
Chino Hills State Park Yes No No Yes
Clear Lake State Park Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park Yes No Yes Yes
Columbia State Historic Park Yes No No No
Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area Yes No Yes Yes
Corona Del Mar State Beach Yes Yes No No
Crystal Cove State Park No No Yes Yes
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Yes No Yes Yes
DL Bliss State Park Yes Yes Yes Yes
Del norte Coast Redwoods State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Dockweiler State Beach Yes Yes No Yes
Doheny State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
Donner Memorial State Park Yes No No Yes
Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park Yes No No Yes
El Capitan State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve Yes No No No
Emma Wood State Beach Yes No No No
Empire Mine State Historic Park Yes No No No
Emerald Bay State Park No Yes Yes Yes
Emma Wood State Beach No No Yes Yes
Estero Bluffs State Park Yes No No No
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area Yes No No Yes
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park Yes No No No
Fort Humboldt State Historic Park Yes No No No
Fort Ross State Historic Park Yes No No Yes
Fort Tejon State Historic Park Yes No No Yes
Fremont Peak State Park No No No Yes
Gaviota State PArk Yes Yes Yes Yes
George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area Yes No No Yes
Great Valley Grasslands State Park Yes No No No
Greenwood State Beach Yes No No No
Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park No No Yes Yes
Grover hot Springs State PArk No No Yes Yes
Half Moon Bay State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
Harmony Headlands State Park Yes No No No
Hearst San Simeon State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Hearst Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Yes No Yes No
Heber Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Yes No Yes No
Hendy Woods State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Henry W. Coe State Park Yes No No Yes
Hollister hills State Vehicular Recreation Area Yes No Yes Yes
Humboldt Lagoons State Park Yes No No Yes
Humboldt Redwoods State Park No Yes Yes Yes
Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area No No No Yes
Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park No Yes No Yes
Jack London State Historic Park Yes No No No
Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park Yes No Yes Yes
John B Dewitt Redwoords State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Jug Handle State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Yes No No Yes
Kenneth hahn State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Kings Beach State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park Yes No No No
Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area No No Yes Yes
Lake Perris State Recreation Area Yes Yes Yes Yes
Lake Valley State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Lake Orovile State Recreation Area No Yes Yes Yes
Leo Carrillo State Park No Yes Yes Yes
Leucadia State Beach Yes No No No
Lighthouse Field State Beach Yes Yes No No
Little River State Beach Yes No No No
Limekiln State Park No Yes Yes Yes
Los Angeles State Historic Park Yes No No No
MacKerricher State Park Yes No No Yes
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park Yes No No Yes
Malibu Creek State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Malibu Lagoon State Beach Yes Yes No No
Manchester State Park Yes No No Yes
Manresa State Beach No Yes Yes Yes
Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park Yes No No No
Marina State Beach Yes No No No
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park Yes No No Yes
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park Yes No Yes Yes
McConnell State Recreation Area No No Yes Yes
McGrath State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
McLaughlin Eastshore State Park State Seashore Yes No Yes No
Mendocino Woodlands State Park No No Yes Yes
Mendocino Headlands State Park Yes No No No
Millerton Lake State Recreation ARea Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Montana de Oro State Park Yes No No Yes
Montara State Beach Yes No No No
Monterey State Beach Yes No No No
Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Moonlight State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Morro Bay State Park Yes Yes Yes Yes
Morro Strand State Beach Yes Yes No Yes
Moss Landing State Beach Yes No No No
Mount Diablo State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Mount Jacinto State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Mount Tamalpais State Park Yes No No Yes
Natural Bridges State Beach Yes No No No
Navarro River Redwoods State Park Yes No No Yes
New Brighton State Beach Yes No Yes Yes
Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Yes Yes No No
Ocitillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area Yes No Yes Yes
Palomar Mountain State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Pelican State Beach Yes No No No
Pescadero State Beach Yes No No No
Petaluma Adobge State Historic Park Yes No No No
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Picacho State Recreation Area Yes No No Yes
Pio Pico State Historic Park Yes No No No
Placerita Canyon State Park Yes No No No
Pismo State Beach No No Yes Yes
Plumas-Eureka State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park Yes No No No
Point Dume State Beach Yes No No No
Point Lobos Ranch Park Property Yes No No No
Point Mugu State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Point Sur State Historic Park Yes No No No
Pomponio State Beach Yes No No No
Portola Redwoods State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area Yes No No No
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park No No Yes Yes
Railtown 1897 State Historic Park Yes No No No
Red Rock Canyon State Park No No No Yes
Refugio State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
Reynolds Wayside Campground Yes No No No
Richardson Grove State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Rio de Los Angelese State Park State Recreation Area Yes No No No
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park Yes No No No
Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Russian Gulch State Park Yes Yes Yes Yes
Saddleback Butte State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Salinas River State Beach Yes No No No
Salt Point State Park Yes No No Yes
Salton Sea State Recreation Area Yes No Yes Yes
Samuel P. Taylor State Park No No Yes Yes
San Bruno Mountain State Park Yes No No No
San Buenaventura State Beach Yes No Yes No
San Clemente State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
San Elijo State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
San Gregorio State Beach Yes No No No
San Juan Bautista State historic Park Yes No No No
San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area No No Yes Yes
San Onofre State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Santa Monica State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park Yes No No No
Seacliff State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Shasta State Historic Park Yes No No No
Silver Strand State Beach Yes No No No
Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve Yes No No No
Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area No Yes Yes Yes
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park No No No Yes
Sonoma Coast State Park Yes No Yes Yes
South Carlsbad State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
South Yuba River State Park Yes No No No
Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area Yes No Yes Yes
Sue-meg State Park No Yes Yes Yes
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Yes No No Yes
Sunset State Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tahoe State Recreation Area No No Yes Yes
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Yes No No Yes
Torrey Pinest State Natural Reserve Yes No Yes No
Torrey Pines State Beach Yes No Yes No
Tomales Bay State Park Yes Yes No No
Towola Dunes State Park Yes No No No
Turlock Lake State Recreation Area No No Yes Yes
Trinidad State Beach Yes No No No
Trione-Annadel State Park Yes No No No
Twin Lakes State Beach No Yes Yes No
Van Damme State Park Yes No Yes Yes
Ward Creek Park Property Yes No No No
Wassama Round House State Historic Park Yes No No No
Watts Tower of Simon Rodia State Historic Park Yes No No No
Westpor-Union Landing State Beach Yes No No Yes
Wildwood Canyon Park Property Yes No No No
Will Rogers State Beach Yes Yes Yes No
Will Rogers State Historic Park Yes No No No
William B. Ide Adobe State Historic Park Yes No No No
Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area No No Yes Yes
Zmudowski State Beach Yes No No

 

So there you have it, a full list of all the state parks in California and their included amenities.

Like we showed earlier, you can’t rely on these state parks to have shower facilities, whether you’re camping or beaching. That’s why if you’re planning on visiting a state park, it’s a good idea to have a portable shower with you - so you can keep clean no matter where you are. 

Let’s face it, even if a state park has shower facilities, many times they aren’t the most desirable. Outdoor showers at state beaches are typically crowded with long waits, and showers at campsites aren’t necessarily the cleanest.

So  if you are planning a trip to a California State Park and you think you may need a shower while you’re there - the list above can help you plan on what to bring. If where you want to go doesn’t have shower facilities, or even if they do and you don’t want to deal with the lines and grime, it may be time to consider getting a portable shower. As a California born and bred company - we made RinseKit just for this reason, so that you can get out, go further and do more without having to worry about where you’ll take your next shower.