California’s outdoor tourism

Ryan Santos, 8, watches pelicans glide over his oceanfront campsite at South Carlsbad State Beach. His family is spending five nights in a trailer they rented from Luv 2 Camp Rentals, a state park-sanctioned concession operator that delivers the ready-to-use camp trailers to the park. The state park system gets a percentage of the rental fee as part of a plan to generate more revenue from the parkland. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

March 15, 2014 3:28 PM PT

Six-foot swells from the southwest are filled with surfers at beaches near Encinitas known as Pipes, Traps, Barney’s and Turtles. California’s vast outdoor assets are at the center of its $95-billion tourism industry, the state’s fifth-largest job creator. Those resources produce more than just hotel receipts and restaurant tabs. They also generate revenue from surfing schools, sporting goods stores, ski resorts, whale watching tours, white-water rafting outfitters and golf courses. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

A group of students check out the tide pools at sunset in south Laguna Beach. Nearly 40% of all domestic visitors to the state last year took part in at least one type of outdoor activity while in California, according to statistics released this month by the California Travel and Tourism Commission. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The national parks in California also help boost the state economy. For example, Yosemite National Park drew 3.7 million visitors in 2009, generating $352 million in spending at hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, sporting goods retailers and gas stations within 60 miles of the park, according to a study released this year by the National Park Service. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

The setting sun lights up the trails of dirt from off-roaders racing across the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, which is managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management. With the state budget crisis worsening and unemployment topping 12%, California officials hope to seize on its balmy climate, 840 miles of coastline and more than 9 million acres of state and national parks to generate more revenue for the state and create jobs. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes visitors more than 8,500 feet above the desert floor to the hiking trails of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

A cross-country skier slowly heads up Mt. Shasta. Tourism is big business in Northern California, where people visit areas in Trinity, Shasta and Siskiyou counties. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)