2021 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in CaliforniaAbout this List

Explore the best counties for outdoor activities based on weather, air quality, and access to parks, forests, and recreational opportunities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, NOAA, and other sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Outdoor Activities

57 results

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Health & Outdoors

Orange County
County in California
Rating 4.32 out of 5 184 reviews
#1 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Orange County is a beautiful city with many things to do throughout the day. Orange County has a few popular amusement parks Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm which are both family-friendly. Orange County also has many great public schools that take education as their first priority. Orange County is also near the middle bottom of Socal which makes it great to travel anywhere going towards Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Fransisco, and San Diego. Orange County is a great place to live at if you have a family or even live alone!
Read 184 Reviews
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3,168,044 Population
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Los Angeles County
County in California
Rating 4.07 out of 5 1,036 reviews
#2 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Thso much to do!...Museums, Attractions, Theaters, Restaurants, Beaches, Sports....Arts!...So Many Night Clubs froI am a Injured Worker, who needs to complete my BSN for eligibility for Management Positions and meet the new 80/20 requirements. I am a Injured Worker, who needs to complete my BSN for eligibility for Management Positions and meet the new 80/20 requirements. I have sacrificed my education to raise my children in which one was special needs and fostering my grandchildren.I have sacrificed my education to raise my children in which one was special needs and fostering my grandchildren.m Hollywood to Long beach, And Santa Monica to Riverside county! In our County, You can find some beautiful home, condos, and townhomes with amenities! There has been a surge in Healthy Living Choices. There are multiple Parks and Recreational centers that offer sports and extracurricular activities for families. Los Angeles County has
Read 1,036 Reviews
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10,081,570 Population
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Santa Clara County
County in California
Rating 4.18 out of 5 136 reviews
#3 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I have been a Santa Clara Resident for my whole life. I went to school, got my first job, and met my lifelong friends in Santa Clara. It is 100% a family friendly community. The public school system is as well pretty decent. It is an overall pretty safe environment. Santa Clara does promote healthy living! The price is high, but so is the rest of California. You get hat you pay for. Santa Clara has been an amazing place to grow up and I would not change a single thing about Santa Clara
Read 136 Reviews
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1,927,470 Population
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Alameda County
County in California
Rating 4.3 out of 5 53 reviews
#4 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I have grown up in Alameda and go to school in Oakland. This is my home and I am very grateful to have lived here for the last 18 years. Although it is an extremely expensive place to live, it is filled with a diverse community of people and countless activities for all interests. We are said to be in a "liberal bubble" with most of the residents having progressive viewpoints surrounding governmental policy, diversity, gender equality, etc.
Read 53 Reviews
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1,656,754 Population
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Contra Costa County
County in California
Rating 4.09 out of 5 45 reviews
#5 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: It a clean area with great neighborhoods. Great environment to be in!Contra Costa is filled with great leaders and try’s its best to make the community a safe place for all! There are multiple sports, arts, and extra curricular programs in the area.
Read 45 Reviews
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1,142,251 Population
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Placer County
County in California
Rating 4 out of 5 9 reviews
#6 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Pleasant rural living. Safe. Scenic. Ideal weather. Clean mountain air and water. Best retirement place in California for outdoor lovers. Mid-county foothills offer both rural privacy and easy accessibility via Interstate 80. Senior friendly supports, services, and activities abound. Better public transportation would be nice.
Read 9 Reviews
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385,512 Population
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Santa Cruz County
County in California
Rating 4.05 out of 5 110 reviews
#7 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I would like to see the rent prices and overall real estate market decrease! The ever-growing cost of rent and living makes 85% of folks struggle to make ends meet. The housing crisis is pushing out people that have been born and raised here and locals are hanging on by a thread just to enjoy the beautiful place they've made home. We also have a horrid homeless crisis where we have been given money to support the homeless folks and the money hasn't been distributed to help with basic services and instead has been put towards taking down their makeshift camps which are their only options to survive due to the lack of room in the shelters that are few and far between. The housing crisis has a heavy hand in the ever growing homeless community because it can make living in Santa Cruz one missed paycheck away from being homeless. I love this city, I was born here and more than anything want to stay living here but it's becoming harder and harder by the day.
Read 110 Reviews
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273,962 Population
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El Dorado County
County in California
Rating 4.29 out of 5 7 reviews
#8 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I grew up here, then, after living in many other places, I found that there really is no place like home. Rural and gorgeous, yet with Highway 50, it's easy to get to Sacramento or Tahoe. If you love the country life, this is the best. Our schools are top notch, especially Ponderosa, Union Mine and Oakridge. We love our sheriff and police and support them. If you are looking for an exciting place with lots of night life, stay in the city. If you love things natural and not picky about the condition of the roads, this is the place to be.
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188,563 Population
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San Diego County
County in California
Rating 4.48 out of 5 1,148 reviews
#9 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: San Diego is beautiful in so many ways!
The people, the food, the sceneries from the buildings of downtown to the natural landscapes from the beaches and trails. As much this is scratching the surface of how precious San Diego is, I would love to add on what needs to improve with the county starting with social climate and police brutality, tension has been rising with people being rude from both workers and the public. There also needs to be more resources for low-income communities for financial assistance and abolishing of rising rent. Houseless people deserve assistance especially on shelter there should be more buildings around Downtown San Diego that facilitate on taking care of the homeless population.
Read 1,148 Reviews
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3,316,073 Population
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Ventura County
County in California
Rating 4.27 out of 5 59 reviews
#10 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I love Ventura County! There is such amazing food and experiences. The schools are all amazing, and offer great opportunities. The sports are always excellent and offer amazing games to watch. The views are all so so beautiful. You can see the beach from almost every place in Ventura, along with the beautiful hills. Downtown is such a fun shopping environments. Everything about Ventura is so amazing. I highly recommend living here. It is one of the most family friendly beautiful places I have ever seen. The beaches are amazing, and the people are so friendly. You will never look back once you come here. Bryant lives here too, which is more than enough incentive for any living creature to move here as he is the most amazing human being that I have ever had and will ever have the pleasure of knowing.
Read 59 Reviews
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847,263 Population
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San Luis Obispo County
County in California
Rating 4.3 out of 5 60 reviews
#11 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: San Luis Obispo County is one of the most beautiful places in this country. It boasts of amazing weather, beautiful beaches, low crime and is home to California Polytechnic State University. Living in this piece of paradise does come with a price tag. Taxes are high, real estate is expensive and job opportunities are not as prevalent as big cities. Overall, It doesn’t get better than living in San Luis Obispo county!
Read 60 Reviews
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282,165 Population
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San Mateo County
County in California
Rating 4.41 out of 5 76 reviews
#12 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: The San Mateo county is very calm and family-friendly. This county has everything you need. The schools are very diverse and very good in terms of education and programs. The housing is quite expensive; though the opportunities are limitless. What I love about San Mateo County is the diversity; you see a lot of different ethnicities, and you can definitely learn about a lot of cultures through the people who live in this County. The weather is extremely nice; it's not too hot and it's not too cold. Everything is near and very accessible so the location is great and the way the cities were planned.
Read 76 Reviews
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767,423 Population
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Santa Barbara County
County in California
Rating 4.58 out of 5 124 reviews
#13 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I am 17 years old, and have lived in Goleta and Santa Barbara my whole life. The weather is phenomenal, and commuting is not bad in the slightest compared to larger cities, and everyone is fairly nice! The drawbacks are serious though. It is not diverse, mostly made up of wealthy and middle class white people. There is a very low Africa American population, and there is unintentional segregation. There are clearly more cramped areas that are filled with people of color, and other areas that are more spread out and have no people of color. I believe this is part of the ongoing problem of gentrification in Santa Barbara. It is a serious problem, and continues to afflict the Santa Barbara County.
Read 124 Reviews
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444,829 Population
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Monterey County
County in California
Rating 4.31 out of 5 62 reviews
#14 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Overall, living in Monterey County has been incredible because everything is so close together and accessible. Being a military family, it is difficult to find a place to truly settle but Monterey County is more than comfortable. Hospitals, gas stations, restaurants, and the beach are no more than five minutes away from our house. Community College is free for residents and is only three minutes away from our home! I am very satisfied with Monterey County and the people here are so accommodating! The food in this area is incredible and you can get anything from incredible sushi to an amazing grilled steak! Having a family in this area is carefree because it is very safe and we never have to worry. I would definitely recommend others to come to visit the area because it is just absolutely gorgeous and an incredible place to spend your off time.
Read 62 Reviews
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433,410 Population
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Sonoma County
County in California
Rating 3.9 out of 5 48 reviews
#15 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: It is absolutely beautiful and every part of Sonoma County has something different to offer. There is the beach, the mountains, wine tasting, and lots of hiking. It is a very expensive county though!
Read 48 Reviews
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499,772 Population
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Marin County
County in California
Rating 4.38 out of 5 29 reviews
#16 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I’ve lived a lot of places and when it comes to natural beauty Marin is probably number one. With over 85 percent of its land set aside as ‘open space’ meaning parks and protected wilderness it always will be. The ocean is on one side the bay on the other. San Francisco is just across the most beautiful bridge in the world and wine country just to the north.

Quant towns that look like Rockwell illustrations and a Mediterranean climate round it all out. Marin has quite an interesting history that comes from rock stars, hippies and periods of ‘anything goes lifestyles’ that have thrived here. The population is on the wealthy side but it’s not flashy or snobby like Beverly Hills type of enclaves. That is even frowned upon. The schools are great. The politics are liberal. It doesn’t have a lot of racial or ethnic diversity mainly because building restrictions and land use policies don’t leave much room for a diverse nor affordable housing stock.
Read 29 Reviews
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259,943 Population
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Nevada County
County in California
Rating 4.5 out of 5 4 reviews
#17 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Nevada County is one of the most beautiful areas I've ever visited, the trees, lakes, people community feeling. You can walk down the street and strike up a conversation with anyone at anytime 😊. People out here are so friendly and welcoming we all feel like one big family, which in our world today i feel isn't as easy to come by anymore. If i was to say if I wanted anything to change here... it would be more activities for younger kids and adults to participate in together park events, communiry parties or gatherings.
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99,244 Population
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Sacramento County
County in California
Rating 3.79 out of 5 556 reviews
#18 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Living in Sacramento County, you have a lot of diversity and options. With its rich history, residents and visitors can visit downtown Sacramento and visit the Capitol or they can take trip to the past and visit Old Sacramento and see the old and rich history of how Sacramento started. Sacramento is a decent place to live at as everything is within reach. Sacramento has great schools and colleges for students and opportunities. unlike lackluster places like Chico, Sacramento has been making its name for itself as we have some notable places and people that live here in Sacramento. It is very diverse and has a very fun nightlife. If residents or visitors want to enjoy some nightlife, I definitely recommend visiting downtown Doco for some late night ice rink skating or taking a quick bite at the famous Yard House, and then finally do some shopping at the Macy's outlet to finish the day off. I definitely recommend visiting and living in Sacramento, who knows you might end up staying!
Read 556 Reviews
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1,524,553 Population
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Napa County
County in California
Rating 4.15 out of 5 34 reviews
#19 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Napa is a great small town, but with a lot of growth over my life. When I was a child it was very small and not a whole lot to enjoy, but as an adult I've seen the county evolve into a major attraction with lots of business. Wine, food, shopping, nature- it's got it all!
Read 34 Reviews
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139,623 Population
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Stanislaus County
County in California
Rating 3.1 out of 5 42 reviews
#20 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: It's the heart of the valley. Very agricultural area. Beautiful weather. Lots of pollen in the air during spring. A couple hours to the nearest beach on the pacific coast. A couple hours from the mountains and national parks.
Read 42 Reviews
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543,194 Population
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San Joaquin County
County in California
Rating 3 out of 5 24 reviews
#21 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: I have lived in San Joaquin County my whole life, and over the years I have seen it change, at times it’s good change and then not so good. But I love it here because the area is beautiful.
Read 24 Reviews
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742,603 Population
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Humboldt County
County in California
Rating 4 out of 5 6 reviews
#22 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Humboldt has unsurpassed beauty in its environment. Everywhere you look there are so many things to do if you are a lover of the great outdoors. I have lived all over California and this is my favorite place to enjoy the great out doors and get closer to nature.

The homes are mostly older Victorian homes which do add to the charm.The night life is not much but on the other hand, there are a variety of Out door festivals and other happening that more than make up for lack of night life
Read 6 Reviews
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135,940 Population
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Shasta County
County in California
Rating 3.33 out of 5 3 reviews
#23 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Former Resident: Shasta County is home to beautiful scenery with Mount Lassen and Shasta in the background. The people are all about community and have warm welcoming hearts. It is creative place where people can start up new businesses. Whiskey Town Lake is a big tourist attraction. Overall Redding is a great place to get away and experience nature just as it is. During the four years I lived there I enjoyed walking along the Sundial Bridge and swimming in Whiskey Town Lake.
Read 3 Reviews
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179,212 Population
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Solano County
County in California
Rating 3.18 out of 5 22 reviews
#24 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Solano county is a great place to live. It’s is very diverse and has very kind and social people. There’s also annually events such as fair and contest, which are found for all ages. It’s a great location to be because it close to Sacramento and the Bay Area. It’s also not to far away from Tahoe or Reno. The weather is perfect in fall and spring, hot in the summer and low 60’s to 50’s in the winter. Solano county also has a lot of great schools with awesome sports programs. A large amount of solan teams are know to be annually playoff contenders.
Read 22 Reviews
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441,829 Population
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Mendocino County
County in California
Rating 4.5 out of 5 2 reviews
#25 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in California
Current Resident: Mendocino is beautiful. The living here is much slower than the Bay Area. Mendocino does not have a very big population and feels less congested than other areas. Although there is not a big nightlife, there are many beaches and trails you can find!
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87,224 Population
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Cape Henry Collegiate
Private School
Virginia Beach, VA
PK, K-12
Rating 4.83 out of 5 72 reviews
Parent: We are at CHC because of teachers/coaches like Lacrosse Coach Joe Thompson. He inspired my daughter in 7th-grade history class & my 10th-grade son who has never played the sport into joining his Lacrosse team. Coach Thompson motivates those around him. He is purposeful, educated, experienced, & an example of what sets CHC apart from other schools! He is a UVA FINAL FOUR player. Read Coach Thompson's experience below. It is because of teachers like him that my kids attend Cape Henry Collegiate and not Norfolk Academy. #dolphinproud

Coach Thompson played at St. Mary's High in Annapolis before heading to UVA. He was team captain when the Cavaliers made the Final Four in 2005 receiving the team's Thomas C. Rixey award for spirit & inspiration. Thompson was a UVA assistant & was the head coach at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, Calif., & his alma mater before serving the past two seasons as offensive coordinator at Maryland power Loyola Blakefield.
Read 72 Reviews
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949 Students
11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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Ednovate - Legacy College Prep
Public School
Santa Ana, CA
9-12
Rating 4.1 out of 5 21 reviews
Works Here: Legacy College Prep is a school that truly cares about its students. The school leaders and teachers are completely focused on student success and getting to know each student as an individual so they can best serve their needs. The college promise is strong at Legacy--all students are prepared for college and this year 99% of seniors were accepted into a 4-year college! For high schoolers in Santa Ana, I couldn't recommend this school more.
Read 21 Reviews
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305 Students
17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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Santa Catalina School
Private School
Monterey, CA
9-12
Rating 4.42 out of 5 83 reviews
Junior: SC is a school for very dedicated girls who are willing to put in a lot of time to reach their goals. That being said, it's the best, well-rounded high school education I've heard of here in northern California. The staff is there for you, but a lot of your class management is your responsibility.

But, it pays off! Many girls get into great universities, and I've heard that the transition into university-style classes is very clean/easy.
Read 83 Reviews
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209 Students
8:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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