California State Park Weddings - Location Guide to Having a Budget Wedding, Green Wedding and Nature Wedding all in one!

I'm a big fan of supporting our state parks! While I'm not planning my own wedding (I'm still seeking the groom), here's the scoop on California State Parks wedding locations for those of you in the busy wedding planning phase. You can  host a green wedding and watch your wedding budget, too!

From historic adobes to stately mansions to ancient redwood forests to stretches of sandy beaches,  the California State Parks system offers a spectacular and unique setting for your wedding and reception. 

Here's a sample of California State Parks wedding sites, listed alphabetically, by region.  Fees and requirements vary from location to location.

  
Big Sur
Andrew Molera State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, or Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Call Wedding Special Event Coordinator, (831) 667-2315.

Chico
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park
Call Supervising State Park Ranger Michael Fehling, (530) 895-6144.

Coloma
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park features 2 beautiful historic churches and 3 shady picnic areas perfect for an outdoor ceremony or reception.
Call the Special Event Coordinator at (530) 622-3069.

Guerneville Group Picnic Area of Armstrong State Natural Reserve. The Department’s Russian River Sector office can help find the ideal location for your special occasion.
Call Elizabeth Beale (707) 865-2394 or email at lbeale@parks.ca.gov.

Laguna Beach
Crystal Cove State Park  has bluff-top wedding sites and allows beach weddings.
Call (949) 494-3539.

Lake Tahoe
Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park offers a beautiful lakeside location for ceremonies, with receptions taking place on the grounds of the elegant and historic Ehrman Mansion (with gazebo). 
Call the Special Events Coordinator at (530) 525-5060 or lssec@parks.ca.gov.

Lompoc
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park features a rustic setting for an outdoor wedding. Guests are limited to 100 people, including the bride and groom.
Call the park’s supervising ranger, (805) 733-3713.

Malibu area state beaches and parks
Malibu Creek, Tapia, Leo Carrillo, El Matador, Thornhill Broome and Point Mugu
Call (310) 457-8144 or email: mzuhair@parks.ca.gov
Adamson House in Malibu
Call (310) 457-8144 or e-mail: adamsonhousewedding@parks.ca.gov 

Mendocino area
Call (707) 937-5804 for information and availability.

Monterey      
Garrapata State Park, Monterey State Beach, and Carmel River State Beach.
Call (831) 624-3704.
For weddings and special events at Monterey State Historic Park, including Custom House Plaza and Memory Garden,
Call (831) 649-7118 or email mshp@parks.ca.gov.

Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove

Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds
Go to http://www.visitasilomar.com. Click on “Meetings and Events.”
Patrick's Point State Park along the northcoast includes beautiful vistas over looking the ocean including wedding rock and others.
Call (707) 677-3110.

Riverside
California Citrus State Historic Park offers a natural park setting among the citrus groves for weddings and/or receptions. 
Call (951) 509-4500 or email debbyphillips2@yahoo.com 

Sacramento
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park and Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park are available as wedding sites.
Call Cheryl Meyer, (916) 445-2560 or email cmeyer@csrmf.org.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/suttersfort and http://www.parks.ca.gov/governorsmansion

San Clemente         
Calafia State Beach in San Clemente has bluff-top wedding sites.
Call (949) 366-8589.
San Clemente State Beach has an historic cottage with a patio and catering kitchen.
Call (949) 366-8589.

San Diego area
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park or Torrey Pines State Reserve.
Call Debbie Valdez at (619) 688-3385.

Sonoma
Sonoma Coast State Park offers vistas of the rugged northern coastline and majestic Pacific Ocean.

Sonoma State Historic Park Chapel and Courtyard (near downtown Sonoma) can accommodate 210 guests.
Call the special events office,  (707) 939-6188.

Santa Cruz County
Visit  http://www.santacruzstateparks.org.

Ventura
San Buenaventura State Beach  features a sandy beach with a shady picnic area that can be used as a reception area.
Call (805) 648-4059.

This list is compiled from this page. For a complete list of parks, visit http://www.parks.ca.gov.

You can also check out the online magazine, California Escapes, for more info about California State Parks. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25071.

From their website:
California State Parks contains the largest and most diverse natural and cultural heritage holdings of any state agency in the nation.  Our treasures are as diverse as California: from the last stands of primeval redwood forests to vast expanses of fragile desert; from the lofty Sierra Nevada to the broad sandy beaches of our southern coast; and from the opulence of Hearst Castle to the vestiges of colonial Russia.

State park units include over 280 fantastic miles of coastline, 625 miles of lake and river frontage, 15,000 campsites, and 3,000 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. Our parks also have redwood and wildlife reserves, beautiful beaches, water recreation areas, wilderness areas, reservoirs, historic homes, Spanish adobe buildings, lighthouses, ghost towns, and off-highway vehicle areas.