This National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary was developed as a demonstration project by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO). The itinerary is designed to introduce the traveller to the wide range of historic places listed in the National Register, from National Parks, to locally significant historic districts. Visiting these historic sites can help foster an understanding and appreciation of our Nation's past, and encourage the preservation of these significant places as living parts of our communities.

This itinerary was first created as a printed brochure, the design and initial printing of which were made possible by a gift from the American Express Company to the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Proceeds from the sale of the itinerary help support the National Park Service in expanding and maintaining the National Register of Historic Places. The printed brochure was prepared by: Carol D. Shull, Patty Chrisman and Patrick Andrus, National Register of Historic Places, National Register, History, and Education; Nell Dieterle, Branch of Mapping and Information Technology, Heritage Preservation Services; and Kathleen Madigan, NCSHPO in cooperation with California Office of Historic Preservation, and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers.

The online version of the Early History of the California Coast, the 30th in our series of online itineraries, was produced by the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places and NCSHPO. It was created under the direction of Carol D. Shull, Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, Patrick Andrus, Heritage Tourism Program Manager, and Beth L. Savage, Publications Managing Editor. National Register web production team members included Jeff Joeckel, who designed the itinerary, Rustin Quaide, and Shannon Bell (all of NCSHPO). The Early History of the California Coast is based on information in the files of the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks collections. These materials are kept at 1201 Eye St., NW, Washington, D.C., and are open to the public from 9:00am to 12:00pm, Monday through Thursday.

For more information on historic places in Coastal California contact:

California Office of Historic Preservation
California Division of Tourism