15 Best Places to Elope in California
Eloping in California
Born and raised in beautiful California, I’ve been blessed to grow up near sweeping mountaintop views, desert vibes and epic rock formations, warm and peaceful beaches, and enchanting forests and greenery - California has a little bit of everything!
As your California elopement expert, I’m super familiar with the best spots and scenery throughout both Southern California and Northern California…
Check out my list below of some of my favorite locations for a California elopement depending on what kind of scenery you’re looking for, which part of California you want to travel to, and the overall experience you’re envisioning!
California Elopement Guide
Where to Elope in California
Here’s my list below of the best places to elope in California! I’ve photographed in all of these locations and they’re all incredible! Scroll down to learn a little more about each one and see some beautiful inspiration of what your California Elopement could look like! You can also check out my guide on how to choose your elopement location!
Yosemite National Park
A Yosemite elopement is going to be insanely magical no matter what! I love Yosemite so much that I actually wrote an entire blog post on how to elope in Yosemite! It’s become one of my most treasured spots, and each visit has honestly been magical - now I’m addicted! From incredible cliffside views, epic rock formations, beautiful meadows, lush forests, and incredible hikes, you just can’t get enough of this iconic place! There’s even restaurants and bars to stop in for a drink (or a few) to celebrate after your vows at Curry Village!
Joshua Tree National Park
For some classic California desert vibes, you can’t go wrong with Joshua Tree National Park, or really anywhere in Pioneertown (like the Pioneertown Motel!), or general Yucca Valley area. I have a whole Joshua Tree wedding guide here too. I’ll never forget the first time I saw this unique place, I thought the Joshua trees looked like Dr. Seuss drawings! One sunset there and I was hooked, and I’ve gone back about a dozen times a year ever since! One of my favorite things to do is stop at the Joshua Tree Saloon for a drink with my couple and cheers to their new life together! P.S. There’s lots of really cute AirBnbs in the Joshua Tree area that would be perfect for a backyard ceremony and some epic sunset photos in the park afterwards.
Big Sur
If you ever get a chance to drive along the coast of California, I definitely recommend it! Along central California’s coast down State Route 1 rests Big Sur, with beautiful seaside cliffs, aqua blue water, peaceful misty air, and green hills. There’s also some beautiful forests filled with redwood trees, and some cozy cabins for lodging or nearby camping! For quintessential California coastal and forest vibes, Big Sur is the way to go! You can also check out my Big Sur elopement guide here.
Mammoth Lakes
Resting on the eastern edge of the Sierra mountains, Mammoth Lakes is one of my favorite places, filled with endless lakes, lovely forests, rock formations, mountain views, volcanos, hot springs, and so many unique spots! And since you’re among a mountain town, there’s also lots of great eateries, spots to stop for a drink, and just has so much diversity for your elopement adventure. With so many spots to choose from, like June Lake, Convict Lake, the Forest Chapel, and tons of others, we’ll definitely find something that speaks to you! Here’s my Mammoth Lakes wedding guide too!
Redwood National & State Parks
If you’re thinking of getting married in the Redwoods, here’s my Redwoods Elopement Guide! Home to some of the tallest trees on Earth, Redwood National and State Parks is one of the most magical spots to elope in all of California! And that’s not all this place has to offer, along with the beautiful redwood trees, the California redwoods also offer rugged coastline views, prairies and fern forests, wild rivers and more! It’s also right by the border of Oregon, so you can even combine your experience with an Oregon road trip or honeymoon! Here’s my Redwoods wedding guide too!
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park, adjacent to Kings Canyon National Park, is home to beautiful sequoia trees like the General Sherman Tree in the Giant Forest! Tucked away in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California, there’s endless beautiful scenery of redwood trees, epic rock formations, enchanting forests, and incredible cliffside sunset views! Check out this beautiful elopement where we explored Sequoia in all its glory! I also have a Sequoia wedding guide here!
Death Valley National Park
My first time in Death Valley National Park was a camping trip with some friends where we witnessed some of the most glorious stargazing with a brilliant view of the milky way! Located in the northern part of the Mojave Desert bordering the Great Basin Desert, here you’ll find magnificent desert scenery, otherworldly craters, sand dunes, and the feeling that you’re on Mars!
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is called “California’s Badlands” for good reason, there’s nothing like these incredible rock formations, and again, I can’t believe this is in Southern California, near San Diego County! There’s so much diversity and incredible scenery for some epic sunset photos at Font’s Point - one of my favorite lookout points to experience golden hour! Keep in mind, for some spots here, you’ll want a 4WD vehicle to navigate through the sandy dirt roads for this spot - hell yeah for some off-roading - like we did for this epic Engagement Session!
San Francisco / Bay Area
San Francisco has diverse beauty, eateries, and experience to offer! Some of my favorite spots there are the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Muir Woods full of redwoods and enchanting forest vibes, and lots of other local hikes. Also, be sure to visit Fisherman’s Wharf for some clam chowder and beer! Also check out this beautiful San Francisco elopement and this awesome Anniversary Session in San Fran for some inspiration!
Glamis Sand Dunes
The Glamis Sand Dunes in Brawley, CA is such a magical place, with sandy hills and dunes as far as the eye can see, warm sand between your toes, and just the way the sand dances around in the wind - truly incredible! It honestly feels like you’re in Morocco, I can’t believe this is a place you can elope in Southern California! You can check out what your elopement at this desert spot can look like with this epic Glamis Sand Dunes session!
Lake Tahoe
Located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains - like so many of California’s incredible elopement spots - Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America! This location alone has several elopement location options, including Emerald Bay State Park, Sugar Pine Point State Park, High Camp at Squaw Valley, Sand Harbor, and some beach options too. There’s also tons of activity options like boating, kayaking, hiking, skiing, and sledding, depending on the season.
Lake Arrowhead
Known as the “Alps of Southern California,” Lake Arrowhead is nestled in mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest and has a lot to offer as a charming mountain town! It offers hiking, backpacking, skiing, fishing, and more. There’s some beautiful lookout spots for golden hour sunsets and some cozy camping spots and forest vibes. You can see some inspiration for your Lake Arrowhead wedding with this unique camping elopement!
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a small mountain town in Southern California - and it’s where I spent winters going skiing growing up! Know for its ski resorts, boutiques and eateries in Big Bear Lake Village, it’s a lovely city nestled in the San Bernardino National Forest. With pretty forest views, mountain landscapes, whether you want fall foliage in Autumn or snow for a Winter wonderland feel, Big Bear is a great spot for a California Elopement! You can even get married at some beautiful cozy venues there, like this AirBnb wedding at Gold Mountain Manor!
Mt. Shasta
Mt. Shasta is a volcano in the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. You can make an entire road trip exploring through all that Mount Shasta has to offer! Whether you’re looking for epic mountain views, scenic hikes, roaring waterfalls, gorgeous lakes, lush forests, or even just want to check out the small town, there’s so much to see and do and would make an amazing elopement trip! Some of my favorite spots are Burney Falls, Heart Lake, the falls at McCloud, and Lake Siskiyou - which are all stunning!
Palm Springs
First off, I actually wrote a whole blog post on eloping in Palm Springs here! Palm Springs is such a fun vacation spot, with its stylish hotels, chic boutiques, entertainment venues, hot springs, desert scenery, and music and film festivals! It also has some great spots for a California Elopement. There’s some hidden sand dunes, iconic windmills, and you can even access beautiful Mt. San Jacinto if you ride the Aerial Tram up, which offers some incredible views! For more inspiration, here’s my Palm Springs elopement guide.
Sunset Cliffs
Imagine saying your vows on these beautiful cliffs with waves crashing behind you for a peaceful and scenic beach vibe! Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in San Diego offers more of California’s coastal beauty, with vast ocean views, unique cliff formations, and sea caves! As the name suggests, you’ll get some beautiful sunset views for golden hour. You can see some of the breathtaking views from this Maternity Session there (blog post coming soon)!
California Elopement Photographer
I’m your California Elopement Photographer & Guide, experience creator, resource provider, planning consultant, location scouter, idea machine, and adventure buddy
I’m your personal GUIDE, your PLANNER, and your BEST FRIEND! As both a born-and-raised California local and your elopement expert, I’m here to help craft the experience of your dreams - and capture it all for you! I’ll be there every step of the way to help make your vision come to life…
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I’m your elopement expert + experience creator, designing and capturing your unique wedding.
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