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2016 SCMA finisher requirements

California National Parks Tour

The California National Parks Tour challenges riders to visit all the National Parks in California. There are now 25 National Park sites stretching from Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma in San Diego to the Lava Beds and Redwoods in northern California. The 25th and newest park, Caesar Chavez National Monument, was created October 2012 and is located in the Kern County town of Keene.
The challenge is to ride to each park within a calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 15) and document that visit with photograph and a stamp from the visitor center in your SCMA Passport. Details of the challenge requirements can be found on the SCMA website.
Two national parks in California keep limited hours or have weather shortened seasons – the Eugene O’Neill NHS and the Devil’s Postpile. The Eugene O’Neil NHS consists principally of guided tours of the playwright’s former home. Visitors are not able to go directly to the home but must schedule a shuttle trip / tour with the NPS from the Museum of the San Ramon Valley.
The NPS does not keep to a fixed opening / closing calendar for the Devil’s Postpile National Monument. That calendar is driven by the weather. The Park generally opens sometime in June after the winter snows can be cleared but can close again, without notice, before the end of October.
To accommodate the partial schedule at these two parks, the California National Parks challenge only requires the rider to obtain stamp / photo certification from one of these two parks. Satisfactory completion of this challenge then will have 24 validations; 23 of the other parks and then a 24th from either Devil’s Postpile NM OR the Eugene O’Neil NHS.
We highly suggest, before you visit any of the National Parks, you should look at each park’s website for additional information and call the visitor centers to confirm road condition and operating hours. That website can be found at http://www.NPS.gov
The California National Parks are great locations to visit and learn about the fantastic wildlife and natural life that exists in this great state. Many of our riders have taken up this challenge with camping gear on their bikes and have enjoyed visiting sites on weekends throughout the year. All agree that they learned a lot after visiting the National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites located within California!

California Adventure - Chairman