Description: Parkfield is a tiny town about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. At first glance, you wonder what would bring a tourist to this no-man's land, but Parkfield has a special feature.

The small town is located directly on the San Andreas Fault, one of the most geologically active zones on earth. So here you can step directly from the Pacific to the North American plate, or the other way around. 

On average, relatively severe earthquakes occur here every 22 years, so the area is under special observation. Through seismic studies, it is hoped to gain knowledge that will lead to better predictions for earthquakes.

Unfortunately, when we visited in September 2019, the seismic monitoring station was not staffed. We would have liked to talk to one of the employees.

Our rating: Actually a visually completely unspectacular place. Geologically, however, it is a special feature, because it is not very often that one comes to such a seismically active place. We found it great to walk from the Pacific to the North American plate and back again. For us and all who are interested in earthquake research, certainly an exciting place.