Things to do in California
60 places worth stopping for and 24 places to stay on a road trip through California.
See and do
- Walk
Walk · Sequoia National Park
General Sherman Tree
The largest tree on earth by volume, with an easy paved trail.
Walk · Big PineHidden gem
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Short trail among some of the oldest trees on earth.
History · Point Reyes
Point Reyes Lighthouse
Staircase down a sea cliff to a 1870 lighthouse on one of the windiest, foggiest points on the coast.
Museum · Monterey
Monterey Bay Aquarium
World-class aquarium on the old Cannery Row, with a giant kelp forest tank.
Walk · Carmel-by-the-Sea
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Rocky headland with sea otters, harbor seals and cypress groves, easy short trails.
Beach · Big SurHidden gem
Pfeiffer Beach
Purple-tinged sand and a keyhole rock where the light shines through in winter.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Kings Canyon National ParkHidden gem
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to Roads End
Deep glacial canyon drive ending at a trailhead river valley.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Pescadero
Año Nuevo State Park
Watch thousands of elephant seals on the beach in winter.
Waterfall · Big Sur
McWay Falls
An 80-foot waterfall dropping straight onto a turquoise cove beach.
Viewpoint · Death Valley
Zabriskie Point
Golden eroded badlands viewpoint at sunrise or sunset.
- History
History · Independence
Manzanar National Historic Site
Preserved Japanese American incarceration camp with a driving tour.
Walk · Lee Vining
Mono Lake South Tufa
Boardwalk among limestone towers rising from a salty lake.
- History
History · BridgeportHidden gem
Bodie State Historic Park
Preserved gold-rush ghost town kept in a state of arrested decay.
Walk · OrickHidden gem
Fern Canyon
Narrow canyon with 50-foot walls draped in ferns, reached by a gravel road.
Waterfall · Burney
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
A 129-foot spring-fed waterfall with a short loop trail and lake access.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Weott
Avenue of the Giants
31-mile old highway through the biggest stands of old-growth redwoods.
Geothermal · Mineral
Lassen Volcanic National Park Road and Bumpass Hell
A 3-mile round trip walk past bubbling mud pots and steaming vents.
Lake · South Lake Tahoe
Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm
Tahoe's most famous cove with a Scandinavian-style castle on the shore.
Viewpoint · Yosemite Valley
Tunnel View
The classic Yosemite panorama of El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome.
Viewpoint · Yosemite Valley
Glacier Point
3,200 feet above the valley, with a sweeping view of Half Dome and the high country.
Walk · Tioga Road
Tuolumne Meadows
Alpine meadows beneath granite domes along the Tioga Road.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Los Feliz
Griffith Observatory
Free hillside observatory with a skyline and Hollywood Sign view, best at dusk.
- Beach
Beach · MalibuHidden gem
El Matador State Beach
Sea stacks and arches reached by a short cliff stair.
Hot pool · GaviotaHidden gem
Gaviota Hot Springs
Short hike to small stone-lined hot springs in Gaviota State Park.
- Walk
Walk · Joshua Tree
Hidden Valley Nature Trail
One-mile loop through boulders once used as a rustler hideout.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Death Valley
Badwater Basin
Salt flat at 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Three RiversHidden gem
Mineral King Valley
Steep, narrow road to a remote alpine valley.
Viewpoint · SausalitoHidden gem
Battery Spencer
Cliff-top view straight up at the Golden Gate Bridge's north tower.
Walk · Mill Valley
Muir Woods National Monument
Flat boardwalk stroll among old-growth coast redwoods just north of San Francisco.
- Walk
Walk · InvernessHidden gem
Tomales Point Tule Elk Reserve
Windswept clifftop hike through a herd of wild tule elk at the northern tip of Point Reyes.
Activity · VenturaHidden gem
Channel Islands National Park (Ventura Visitor Center)
Ferry to car-free islands with kayaking, camping and whale watching.
Viewpoint · Joshua Tree
Keys View
Overlook above the Coachella Valley with the San Andreas Fault below.
Viewpoint · Death Valley
Dante's View
Cliff-top lookout 5,500 feet above Badwater.
Viewpoint · Death ValleyHidden gem
The Racetrack
Dry lake where rocks leave trails across the clay.
- Walk
Walk · Borrego Springs
Borrego Palm Canyon Trail
3-mile round trip to a fan palm oasis and small waterfall.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Borrego SpringsHidden gem
Font's Point
Sandy-road overlook above the Borrego Badlands.
- Lake
Lake · BishopHidden gem
Lake Sabrina
Alpine lake at the end of a canyon road above Bishop.
History · San Francisco
Lands End and Sutro Baths
Ruins of a huge Victorian swimming complex on the edge of San Francisco.
History · Pescadero
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Tall white lighthouse on a bluff, with whale watching and tide pools nearby.
Viewpoint · Big Sur
Bixby Creek Bridge
The arched concrete bridge that defines Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · NilandHidden gem
Salvation Mountain
Hand-painted adobe hill covered in biblical messages and bright colour.
Walk · Baker
Kelso Dunes
Tall singing dunes in Mojave National Preserve.
Walk · TronaHidden gem
Trona Pinnacles
Hundreds of tufa spires on a dry lake bed, free to camp nearby.
Walk · Stovepipe Wells
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Easy-access dunes near Stovepipe Wells, best at dawn.
Walk · Sequoia National Park
Moro Rock
350 steps up a granite dome for views of the Great Western Divide.
Walk · Mammoth Lakes
Devils Postpile National Monument
Basalt columns and Rainbow Falls reached by a shuttle from Mammoth.
- Walk
Walk · JennerHidden gem
Salt Point State Park
Cliff trails, tide pools and a pygmy forest north of Jenner.
- Walk
Walk · MendocinoHidden gem
Russian Gulch State Park
Blowhole, fern canyon and a waterfall within one compact park.
Walk · Crescent CityHidden gem
Stout Grove
Flat, uncrowded redwood grove along the Smith River.
Town · Shelter CoveHidden gem
Shelter Cove
Remote coastal village at the end of a winding road to the Lost Coast.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · WhiskeytownHidden gem
Whiskeytown Falls
A 220-foot waterfall reached on a steady uphill hike near Redding.
Cave · TulelakeHidden gem
Lava Beds National Monument
Explore lava tube caves in a remote corner of northeastern California.
Hot pool · MarkleevilleHidden gem
Grover Hot Springs State Park
Natural hot spring pools set in an alpine meadow near Markleeville.
Lake · GrovelandHidden gem
Hetch Hetchy
Quiet valley flooded by a reservoir, with waterfalls and fewer crowds than the main valley.
Viewpoint · Tioga RoadHidden gem
Olmsted Point
Roadside view of Half Dome from behind, over glacier-polished granite.
- History
History · North BloomfieldHidden gem
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
Giant hydraulic mining pit with red and white cliffs and a preserved town.
Viewpoint · Malibu
Point Dume
Headland trail above the Pacific, with whales visible in winter.
- Gallery
Gallery · Joshua TreeHidden gem
Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum
Ten acres of large-scale assemblage sculpture in open desert.
- Town
Town · Bombay BeachHidden gem
Bombay Beach
Abandoned shoreline town on the Salton Sea, now an art hub.
- Walk
Walk · MeccaHidden gem
Painted Canyon (Mecca Hills)
Colourful badlands slot canyon reached by a rough dirt road.
Food stops
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Marshall
Hog Island Oyster Farm
Shuck-your-own oysters on a picnic table beside Tomales Bay.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Big Sur
Nepenthe
Cliff-top restaurant famous for the Ambrosiaburger and views along the coast.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Lee Vining
Whoa Nellie Deli
Gourmet kitchen inside a gas station at the Tioga Pass gate.
- Bakery
Bakery · Bishop
Erick Schat's Bakkery
Bishop sheepherder bread bakery that has been a road trip stop for decades.
- Pub
Pub · Pioneertown
Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace
A roadhouse in a Wild West film set town, with barbecue and live music near Joshua Tree.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Los Angeles
Langer's Delicatessen
The 1947 deli across from MacArthur Park with the No. 19 pastrami on double-baked rye.
- Bakery
Bakery · Point Reyes Station
Bovine Bakery
Busy small-town bakery known for morning buns and good coffee.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Pescadero
Duarte's Tavern
Old-school coast diner famous for artichoke soup and fruit pies.
Pub · Santa BarbaraHidden gem
Cold Spring Tavern
Stagecoach-era roadhouse in the mountains above Santa Barbara.
Restaurant · Chinatown
Philippe the Original
Sawdust-floor deli known for French dip sandwiches since 1908.
Bakery · Julian
Julian Pie Company
Long-running pie shop in the middle of Julian's main street.
- Café
Café · Newberry SpringsHidden gem
Bagdad Cafe (Mother Road Cafe)
The cafe from the 1987 cult film Baghdad Cafe is still serving burgers and pie.
Places to stay
- Freedom camping
Freedom camping · Lone PineHidden gem
Alabama Hills dispersed camping
Free BLM camping among rounded boulders beneath Mount Whitney.
- Campground
Campground · OrickHidden gem
Gold Bluffs Beach Campground
Camp between a beach and a wall of ferns, with Roosevelt elk wandering through.
Campground · Lone Pine
Whitney Portal Campground
Road-end camp at 8,000 ft beneath Mt Whitney, with a waterfall and the famous trailhead store.
Campground · South Lake Tahoe
Emerald Bay State Park (Eagle Point Campground)
Clifftop camp above Emerald Bay, the postcard view of Lake Tahoe.
Campground · LuciaHidden gem
Kirk Creek Campground
Clifftop campsites right above the Pacific, run by the Forest Service.
Campground · Big Sur
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground
Redwood-shaded riverside campground in the heart of Big Sur.
Campground · LompocHidden gem
Jalama Beach County Park
Remote beachside campground at the end of a long winding road.
- Campground
Campground · Orick
Elk Prairie Campground
Redwood campground beside a meadow where wild Roosevelt elk graze.
Campground · Hiouchi
Jedediah Smith Campground
Riverside campground among giant redwoods on the Smith River.
Campground · Burney
Burney Falls Campground
Pine-shaded camp a short walk from a spring-fed waterfall.
- Campground
Campground · Tahoma
D.L. Bliss State Park Campground
Lakeside pine campground with beaches and granite shoreline.
- Campground
Campground · Joshua Tree
Jumbo Rocks Campground
Camp among giant boulders, a classic spot for stargazing.
- Campground
Campground · Death ValleyHidden gem
Wildrose Campground
High-elevation camp near the charcoal kilns.
- Campground
Campground · Lava Beds National MonumentHidden gem
Indian Well Campground
Quiet camp near lava tube caves.
Campground · Yosemite Valley
Upper Pines Campground
Valley-floor camp beneath Half Dome.
Campground · Joshua Tree National Park
Hidden Valley Campground
Camp among giant boulders and Joshua trees.
Motel · San Luis Obispo
Madonna Inn
A hot-pink fantasy motel with over 100 differently themed rooms.
Campground · Yosemite ValleyHidden gem
Camp 4, Yosemite Valley
The legendary climbers' walk-in camp, shared sites at US$10 a head.
- Campground
Campground · Mineral KingHidden gem
Atwell Mill Campground
Remote tents-only camp among sequoia stumps in Mineral King.
- Campground
Campground · Mineral KingHidden gem
Cold Springs Campground
Alpine tents-only camp at 7,500 ft at the end of the Mineral King road.
- Campground
Campground · Yosemite Valley
Lower Pines Campground
Valley-floor camp along the Merced River with views of Half Dome and Glacier Point.
- Campground
Campground · Yosemite Valley
North Pines Campground
Quieter Valley camp in the pines by the Merced River with Half Dome views.
Campground · WildroseHidden gem
Mahogany Flat Campground
Free camp at 8,200 ft at the Telescope Peak trailhead.
- Campground
Campground · WhitethornHidden gem
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
Wild, remote Lost Coast camping on rugged ridges and beaches.
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Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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