Sources & methods
The source matters as much as the detail.
Sources used in this guide
| Information | Source |
|---|---|
| Fees, hours, dog rules, swimming, addresses, descriptions | Official park and agency pages, plus agency-wide rules and fee schedules (such as a county leash ordinance). Each fact links to its own source and checked date. |
| Park names, managing agency, size, and outlines | California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026a |
| Facilities and named trails | Official facility lists, or OpenStreetMap features mapped inside the park boundary (labeled as such) |
| City or community | U.S. Census Bureau place boundaries; for parks outside any boundary, the city in the official address |
| Photography | Wikimedia Commons files with named creators and explicit licenses, credited beside each photo |
What a checked date means
It records when the linked source was checked. It is not a live status check or a claim that a staff member visited the park. Fees, closures, water conditions, and reservation availability can change; follow the official link before a visit.
When the official source is silent
Dog rules and fees are the questions visitors ask most. When we have read the official park page and it says nothing about them, the park page shows Not stated with that source and date, and suggests checking with the managing agency. It never means free or allowed. Where an agency publishes one rule for all of its parks, such as a county leash ordinance or fee schedule, we cite that rule instead. Other missing details are simply left out.
When a park gets its own page
A park needs an official website, a sourced area, and enough practical information: five sourced facilities (mapped in OpenStreetMap or listed by the park agency), a named sourced trail, or three sourced visit facts. Parks that do not meet this threshold remain in a directory without a separate detail page. Facility guides need at least three matching parks.
Trails and geography
Trail names and any shown lengths are tied to the linked source. We do not infer trail difficulty or elevation gain. Nearby park distances are straight-line distances between sourced locations, not driving or walking distances. Map markers are park locations, not exact facility locations.
How parks are added
New parks come in batches. Each batch starts from the open-access county and regional park units in CPAD, finds each park's official page, and records only what that page or the agency's published rules say. Every batch also gets a review sheet that lists a sample of facts with their source links for a second check against the official pages.
Corrections
Report an error with the park name, the incorrect detail, and a supporting source. A corrected record receives a new checked date.