Eloping in California is always a good idea, but the question is WHERE in California should you elope? After all, it’s a giant state with every landscape you can possibly imagine. As someone who lives in California and also eloped here (Big Sur!), I know that sometimes the hardest part can be narrowing down the area where you’ll have your ceremony. Having traveled throughout the state extensively, I’ve explored some of the best places in California to elope and put together a list of the most popular CA elopement locations. Read on to learn about some of the best places in California to have a dreamy elopement!

So, here’s the thing about eloping: It’s great. Think about all of the little headaches you’ll avoid just by eliminating a guest list. Excruciating small talk with distant (and drunk) relatives. Backhanded compliments about the “unusual floral arrangement” you chose for your bouquet. Awkward group dances (I’m cool never hearing the Cha Cha Slide ever again, personally).

The truth is, when you elope, your wedding day becomes less of “an event” with gawking spectators and more of “an experience” shared only with the most important person in your world. And, of course, your unobtrusive-but-totally-excited elopement photographer (Hi!).

But the absolute best thing about eloping, in my opinion, has to be the venue. Suddenly, your options go from cookie-cutter hotel ballroom to literally any gorgeous backdrop imaginable. Whether yours is a classic beach romance or a stunning cliff-side adventure, finding that special spot to exchange ‘I do’ will make your elopement all the more special.

Which brings me to the topic of the Golden State. If you ask me, California is an ideal place for a picturesque elopement. For one thing, CA is a big state with a lot of flora and fauna. Not to mention the totally drivable access to beaches, deserts, mountain ranges and gorgeous, green canopied forests. Plus, you can’t beat the weather. Something you have to take into account when entrusting the great outdoors to host your fabulous photo shoot. California truly has everything: sandy beaches, dramatic coastal cliffs, snowy winters, epic mountains, endless deserts, and lush forests. Where else can you start your day snowboarding and end with a sunset surf session?

If you’re sold on Cali as your venue but need a little inspiration on that magical spot where it’ll all happen, then read on for my suggestions of the best places to elope in California. Plus a few of the must-know details to help make your day picture perfect.

The California Coastline from San Diego to Crescent City

The first place that many people think of for the best spot to elope in California must be the beach. After all, California is known for its endless sun and sand.

In Southern CA, some of my favorite beach spots for elopement photo magic have to be Laguna Beach in Orange County, Malibu near Los Angeles and Sunset Cliffs in San Diego. Easily accessible from a major international airport, top rated restaurants, endless shopping and maybe even celebrity sightings, these are two great options if you don’t want to go anywhere too remote.

If you want an adventure elopement in Southern CA further from the crowds, there’s always the off-season on Catalina Island or the undeveloped expanses on the Channel Islands outside of Ventura. The last time I went backpacking on Anacapa Island, our ferry was followed the entire time by pod of dolphins! How cool is that?

As for Central and Northern California, the landscapes get a bit more rugged, the towns are smaller and far more quaint, and it’s much easier to find beaches that aren’t mobbed with people. Big Sur offers an incredible variety of locations, all within a short strip along the Pacific Coast Highway. From craggy, dramatic cliffs to pink sand beaches (yes, pink sand!), you can easily plan an elopement that starts surrounded by dramatic redwoods and ends watching the sun drop behind a massive rock outcropping. For more about Big Sur, check out my comprehensive Big Sur elopement guide!

Further north you’ll find more stunning coastal beauty in Mendocino, just outside of San Francisco and at the very top of the state, on the border of Oregon, the cliffs get even more intense and out-of-this-world incredible! You could even start your morning amongst the giant trees in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and then drive thirty minutes up the coast to Brookings, Oregon and the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor to have an insane multi-state elopement!

Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Mountain, Lake Tahoe:

Yosemite National Park is one of the first places a lot of couples consider when they’re thinking about the best place in California to elope. And that’s for good reason; it’s absolutely iconic and totally stunning, any time of the year! You can’t go wrong with sunrise or sunset (although sunrise offers fewer crowds) and within the park, you can explore a variety of different landscapes and hikes of every level of difficulty.

Unfortunately, the closure of Glacier Road, which leads to the most epic (and well-known) viewpoints overlooking the Valley, makes Taft Point and Glacier Point unreachable unless you’re up for an intensive and lengthy hike. However, there are a ton of other great areas to consider both around the Valley and further out into less trafficked area, such as Hetch Hetchy and Tuolumne Meadows.

Other mountains you might not immediately think of include Mammoth Mountain, which is on the other side of the Sierras and Lake Tahoe, which is further up the state. Both offer tons of incredible vista points, hiking trails and views of stunning alpine lakes. Plus, if you’re lucky and plan right, you might also be able to hit up a secluded (and somewhat secret) hot springs!

Joshua Tree, Death Valley & Glamis Sand Dunes:

If you’re looking for the best California desert to elope in, you’ve probably already considered Joshua Tree. Known for the unique trees that give this national park its name, there are also other cool rock formations to check out during your elopement. After exploring the adjacent, boho town, you could then head to nearby Palm Springs for high end dining, amazing spas and fun nightlife!

Further south, Glamis Sand Dunes offer endless waves of sand that will make you think you’re in an old romantic film (the only thing missing are camels). For an out-of-this-world adventure, check out Death Valley for some of the most unique desert cliffs, valleys, and color combos you’ve ever seen! It’s truly like a science fiction scene from a movie on another planet!

While each has its own unique look, these locations offer stunning contrasts and beautiful lighting opportunities for those romantic, jaw-dropping pictures you’re looking for. However, you’ll want to keep in mind the time of year before planning to elope in the desert. Nothing says sweaty, miserable elopement like trying to have it mid-summer in Death Valley, literally the hottest place on earth!

Angeles National Forest, Northern CA Redwoods & Sequoia National Park:

Some of the best places to elope in California also happen to be nearby some pretty amazing forests! As you move from South to North, the types of forest totally changes based on the surrounding landscapes. Down in Southern CA you can choose between the Cleveland National Forest, Angeles National Forest, Santa Monica Mountains, San Bernardino National Forest and Las Padres National Forest. These are a bit more of your typical woods with lots of pine trees and even some oaks. In central California, you could elope amongst the ancient giants of the Sequoia National Forest or head further north to hit up any of the incredible areas filled with Redwood trees.

Each of these forests have totally different vibes from one another. While the Sequoias are spread between Yosemite, the Sequoia National Park and Sequoia National Forest and are in much more remote parts of the Sierras and the area tends to have a drier feeling as you hike amongst the giants. Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Redwood National Park and Jedediah Smith State Park are much lusher and more verdant, filled with vibrant ferns and mossy bark, it’s a cool color contrast to the dark brown bark of these majestic trees.

Mount Shasta, Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain + Big Bear:

How about exchanging vows with your forever person amidst snow-capped mountains surrounding a glimmering lake while soft flurries fall on your love-struck faces? Sounds a little too good to be true, right? California has several incredible areas that receive a massive amount of snowfall each winter. Starting from the northern part of the state, there’s Mount Shasta, Yosemite, Mammoth in the Sierras and in Southern CA, just 2 hours from Los Angeles, you’ll find Big Bear!

In addition to the mountains listed above, one of my favorite areas year-round is Lake Tahoe – a perfect place for a romance filled elopement. Trust me, you’ll feel like you’re getting married in a Lifetime Holiday movie (the good kind like where someone ends up marrying secret royalty…not the ones where the babysitter is a secret killer). From mountains and forest to lakefront beaches and intimate boat rides, there are lots of fantastic photo opportunities for you to start your “happily ever after” at Lake Tahoe.

One thing to keep in mind for all of these areas, is that there are occasional winter storms that come through that make travel extremely unsafe, if not impossible. In December 2021, Lake Tahoe broke records by receiving almost 200” of snow during that month alone! Despite travel warnings from the authorities, people still flocked to the resorts, causing major accidents and delays of assistance to the locals living there (gas and food started to run out quickly). So having a backup plan is always a good idea!

California is known for its many wineries, so why not take advantage of your time in the state and hit up a vineyard or two (or five) during your elopement! Many California vineyards are located in areas where you can also plan to do something adventurous as part of your day as well, so you don’t even have to pick one or the other! For example, many areas of wine country offer sunrise hot air balloon elopements. Can you imagine saying your vows while soaring through the sky, followed by an afternoon of wine tastings in stunning locations? Sounds like a good time to me!

While everyone knows about Napa, I personally try to avoid that area due to high prices, more commercial wineries and nonstop bachelorette parties arriving in party limos. Instead, prefer more boutique wineries off the beaten path, where the quality is higher, the decibels lower, and views are often even more incredible. Russian River, Glen Ellen, Los Olivos and Temecula are a few of my favorite wine regions in the state.

To detail out every one of the best places to elope in California in a single blog post would be almost impossible (or at least overwhelming as it would be the length of a full novel). As such, this is just a general overview of a few of the top places to see. However, if you want more info on what’s listed above – as well as what I didn’t get to cover – feel free to reach out! I’ve traveled around the entire state extensively and know a lot of hidden gems as well as tips for planning in some of the more popular spots.

If you’re already sold on eloping in California, I recommend that you next check out my post full of fun elopement ideas on the West Coast! Thanks to all of the vastly different landscapes, you can easily get overwhelmed trying to figure out what you want to do once your vows have been said.

So now that you know all the amazing elopement locations California has to offer, where will you choose to say, ‘I do’?