2020 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in CaliforniaAbout this List

Orange County

• County in California
• 156 reviews

Current Resident: I appreciate the diversity of ideas and people. We have competitive schools, relatively low crime, and fun--Disneyland! Regarding the political spectrum, the traditionally conservative county has recently shifted left, as evidenced by the 2018 midterms. However, it is still a wealthy community and I think people are very materialistic, which may not be healthy. The cost of living is tremendously high (the cost of my house can buy a house 3x as large in Texas). Our problems with homelessness and other types of people in need are often overlooked by the vast amounts of wealth held by our residents.
Read 156 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A+

• 3,164,182 Population

Los Angeles County

• County in California
• 861 reviews

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 861 Reviews

• B

• B

• A+

• 10,098,052 Population

Santa Clara County

• County in California
• 110 reviews

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 110 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A+

• 1,922,200 Population

Alameda County

• County in California
• 45 reviews

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 45 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A+

• 1,643,700 Population

Placer County

• County in California
• 9 reviews

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

• B+

• A

• A+

• 380,077 Population

Contra Costa County

• County in California
• 29 reviews

Current Resident: Living in Martinez has been a very positive experience. I grew up in Pleasant Hill, and was very lucky to live in a city that was safe and felt like a close community. Contra Costa County is a great place to raise a family, as it is safe, with beautiful parks, flourishing businesses, and it helps that it is close to Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and many other great cities.
Read 29 Reviews

• A

• A

• A+

• 1,133,247 Population

El Dorado County

• County in California
• 5 reviews

Current Resident: I like the safety and the schools in El Dorado County. The few things that could be improved are diversity and the ability to get around. There are virtually no safe ways to get around town without a car, which is a definite downside.
Read 5 Reviews

• B

• A

• A+

• 186,661 Population

Santa Cruz County

• County in California
• 94 reviews

Current Resident: I love Santa Cruz! I grew up here and got to experience what growing up in a beach town feels like. Santa Cruz has amazing beaches, restaurants, and overall good vibes. Of course, with any town there are some downfalls to living in Santa Cruz. We have a huge homeless population that have nowhere to go and pollute our city. A contribution to this homeless problem is the prices of our homes and rent. The prices on our houses are ridiculous, with places selling from one million to three million, no wonder we have a homeless problem. Other then our devastating homeless problem Santa Cruz is a safe, healthy, and beautiful place to live and to visit. The views are spectacular; for example, looking over the dark blue ocean while standing on west cliff as the sun is setting over the water leaving a glowing, orange-pink sky could be one of the most jaw-dropping moments of your time in California.
Read 94 Reviews

• A-

• A

• A+

• 273,765 Population

San Diego County

• County in California
• 1,007 reviews

Current Resident: I am a current resident of San Diego County, and not only is the city itself amazing with sights to see and travel accountability but the outskirts of the county (Santee, La Mesa, El Cajon...) have just as much life and community! The county is close to both smaller towns (such as Julian and El Centro if you go far enough) as well as bigger cities like downtown itself and LA not being too far north. San Diego also shares a border with Mexico, which can make for some interesting and quick vacation plans to a different country! Its a fun and exciting place to be no matter what part of the county you're in.
Read 1,007 Reviews

• A-

• A-

• A+

• 3,302,833 Population

Ventura County

• County in California
• 50 reviews

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 50 Reviews

• B

• B

• A+

• 848,112 Population

San Luis Obispo County

• County in California
• 53 reviews

Current Resident: I've lived in San Luis Obispo for 10 years. I love this small and charming town. The atmosphere is positive and truly friendly; the people are happy and committed to being healthy. Fresh produce is everywhere, and you can find a fun two-for-one deal just about any day of the week at the local eateries and bars. However, although reserved, this town lacks diversity through politics and ethnic backgrounds. It is near impossible to live decently as a student, or without already have achieved a bachelor's degree, and buying a house in this area is out of the question. I hope we see some changes in there areas in the future. Until then, I am committed and charmed by this town!
Read 53 Reviews

• B+

• A

• A

• 281,455 Population

San Mateo County

• County in California
• 65 reviews

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 65 Reviews

• A+

• A

• A

• 765,935 Population

Santa Barbara County

• County in California
• 111 reviews

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 111 Reviews

• A-

• A-

• A

• 443,738 Population

Monterey County

• County in California
• 56 reviews

Current Resident: This is not in anyway like Southern California. It is where the real nature begins. From the ocean, to visible greenery of boundless trees. Small town vibe but not too far from everything. has plenty school, parks, nightlife, hikes, transportation. Touristy yet calm. Santa Cruz, San Jose, Big Sur are all a highway away making it private but not disntant. Rent seems high priced and very hard to obtain. Requires constant vigilance of new places for rent and patience. Depending on where you work traffic can or cannot get congested depending agin on the direction and time. As there is really only two way in and out, one of each direction. Overall a nice beauty safe place to reside.
Read 56 Reviews

• C+

• B-

• A

• 433,212 Population

Sonoma County

• County in California
• 38 reviews

Current Resident: I love Sonoma County we all come together when we most need it, especially when the Wildfires of 2017 happened. Everyone helped everyone rise back up, every where you went you saw signs saying that we would rise from the ashes. We are survivors and we want our stories to be heard we want to everyone to know that it will all be better, "The love in the air is thicker than the smoke." Foundations and organizations helping those who lost their homes, their jobs, and their schools. Sonoma County makes sure that everyone is supportive of everyone, the LGBTQ community is very supportive of each other and of everyone else. The schools here make sure that everyone goes to college and has a career outside of college. The clubs for Volleyball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Swimming, every team has the best parents who look out for each other. Sonoma county really is a place where you would like to visit or live in.
Read 38 Reviews

• B+

• A

• A

• 501,317 Population

Nevada County

• County in California
• 3 reviews

Current Resident: I grew up in Nevada County, and my experience there shaped most of my life. I have been very happy here; the county is small and homey. The neighborhood is very safe, and the area has the benefit of being historically important. There are many historical districts in Nevada County and a thriving tourist industry.
Read 3 Reviews

• B-

• A

• A

• 99,092 Population

Marin County

• County in California
• 23 reviews

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 23 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• A

• 260,295 Population

Stanislaus County

• County in California
• 41 reviews

Current Resident: I was born and raised in Modesto, Ca. I love living here. There is hardly anything that happens in my neighborhood. Our neighbors are friendly and we look out for one another. If I could change something about Stanislaus county it would be larger diversity of restaurants and entertainment.
Read 41 Reviews

• B-

• B

• A

• 539,301 Population

Sacramento County

• County in California
• 501 reviews

Current Resident: In Sacramento you are located in the perfect spot. In a hour you could be at the beach or in the mountains. Our American River Trail is an in city get away that provides a place to walk,run.jog,bike,and just hang by the river. Downtown Sacramento isnt huge but it does have its hot spots and very lively events. Old Sacramento is great spot to enjoy a Saturday afternoon. Saturday night J st and K st are the place to be! The bars and clubs all are so different,unique and youll have a good time no matter which one you go to. This is also a great place to raise a family. Wonderful neighborhoods,schools,parks and things to do with your kids such as the Sacramento Zoo, Funderland and Fairytale town. The only thing lacking in this city is more art museums,more festivals, and more resources to get the homeless population down.
Read 501 Reviews

• A-

• A

• A

• 1,510,023 Population

Napa County

• County in California
• 32 reviews

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 32 Reviews

• B+

• A

• A

• 140,530 Population

San Joaquin County

• County in California
• 23 reviews

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 23 Reviews

• B-

• B+

• A

• 732,212 Population

Mendocino County

• County in California
• 1 review

Current Resident: Mendocino County is one of the most beautiful areas of Northern California. The South Coast has a very high cost of living, but this is mitigated by its beauty, quiet living, and myriad artists and artisans.
Read 1 Review

• C

• C+

• A

• 87,422 Population

Humboldt County

• County in California
• 6 reviews

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

• B-

• B-

• A

• 135,768 Population

Solano County

• County in California
• 18 reviews

Current Resident: Nice place, most cities are good expect for some, beautiful landscapes and good eateries and close proximities near two major cities which are San Fransisco and Sacramento. Good shopping areas and you have plenty of places to go to.
Read 18 Reviews

• B

• B

• A

• 438,530 Population

Del Norte County

• County in California

• C+

• C

• A

• 27,424 Population