Fodor's California: with the Best Road Trips
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...
California's endless wonders, from Yosemite National Park to Disneyland, are both natural and man-made. Soul-satisfying wilderness often lies close to urbane civilization. With the iconic Big Sur coast, dramatic Mojave Desert, and majestic Sierra Nevada mountains, sunny California indulges those in search of great surfing, hiking, and golfing. Other pleasures await, too: superb food in San Francisco, studio tours in Los Angeles, winery visits and spas in Napa and Sonoma. Follow a beach picnic with a city stroll and live the California dream.
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Top Destinations
Top Destinations
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Napa and Sonoma
San Diego
The Central Coast
The Bay Area
The Monterey Bay Area
North County and Around
Sacramento and the Gold Country
Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts
Orange County and Catalina Island
The North Coast
Lake Tahoe
The Far North
The Inland Empire
Healdsburg
The Mojave Desert
Napa
The Central Valley
The Southern Sierra
Santa Barbara
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Yosemite National Park
Palm Springs
St. Helena
Sonoma
Death Valley National Park
Calistoga
Joshua Tree National Park
Oakland
Redwood National Park
Monterey
Sacramento
Yountville
Berkeley
Mammoth Lakes
Santa Cruz
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Paso Robles
Santa Rosa
Lassen Volcanic National Park
South Lake Tahoe
Channel Islands National Park
San Luis Obispo
Sequoia National Park
Sebastopol
Kings Canyon National Park
Sausalito
Mill Valley
Catalina Island
Truckee
Temecula
Laguna Beach
Point Reyes National Seashore
Newport Beach
Redding
Disneyland Resort
Glen Ellen
Pinnacles National Park
Lodi
Placerville
Petaluma
Big Sur Coastline
Fresno
Rutherford
Pacific Grove
Fort Bragg
Cambria
Guerneville
Kenwood
Murphys
Tiburon
Carmel Valley
Ventura
Eureka
Barstow
Geyserville
Morro Bay
Huntington Beach
Ojai
Tahoe City
Rancho Mirage
Big Bear Lake
Chico
Mendocino
Pismo Beach
Nevada City
Bakersfield
Solvang
Olympic Valley
Long Beach and San Pedro
Palm Desert
Outside Redwood National Park
Mt. Shasta
Philo
Weaverville
Claremont
Corona del Mar
Bodega Bay
Oak Glen
Grass Valley
Carnelian Bay to Kings Beach
Borrego Springs
Bishop
Forestville
Los Olivos
Sutter Creek
Hopland
Auburn
Oakville
Dana Point
Outside Yosemite National Park
Boonville
Modesto
Visalia
Quincy
Avila Beach
Lancaster
Lone Pine
Pebble Beach
Oakhurst
Merced
Buellton
Indian Wells
Cathedral City
San Juan Capistrano
Indio
Three Rivers
Outside Death Valley National Park
Trinidad
Kernville
Victorville
Davis
Palmdale
Needles
Santa Ynez
Ridgecrest
Chester
Outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon Nationa Parks
Graton
Ukiah
San Simeon
Yucca Valley
Red Bluff
Riverside
Pomona
Occidental
Elk
Aptos
Capitola and Soquel
Outside Lassen Volcanic National Park
Jackson
Moss Landing
Lake Shasta Area
Dunsmuir
Redlands
Mariposa
La Quinta
Stinson Beach
Lee Vining
Idyllwild
Jamestown
Alturas
Stockton
Hanford
Susanville
The Marin Headlands
Desert Hot Springs
Randsburg
Gualala
Ferndale
Jenner
Point Arena
Outside Joshua Tree National Park
Woodland
Freestone
Rancho Cucamonga
Outside Pinnacles National Park
Corning
Amador City
Oakdale
Joshua Tree
Outside Channel Islands National Park
Lake Arrowhead
Emerald Bay State Park
Knott's Berry Farm
Angels Camp
Twentynine Palms
Lompoc
Volcano
Salinas
Little River
Independence
Fish Camp
Tahoma
Columbia
El Portal
Muir Beach
Mojave National Preserve
Ontario
Sonora
Pope-Baldwin Recreation Area
Salton Sea
Salt Point State Park
Shenandoah Valley
Corona
Bass Lake
Mt. Tamalpais State Park
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Coloma
Bolinas
Anderson Valley
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
Año Nuevo State Reserve
Bodie State Historic Park
McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Muir Woods National Monument
Baker
San Juan Bautista
Watsonville
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
Carneros District
D.L. Bliss State Park
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Cerro Gordo Ghost Town
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Primm, NV
Manzanar National Historic Site
Occidental
Los Angeles
San Francisco
San Diego
Healdsburg
Napa
Santa Barbara
Palm Springs
St. Helena
Sonoma
Calistoga
Oakland
Monterey
Sacramento
Yountville
Berkeley
Mammoth Lakes
Santa Cruz
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Paso Robles
Santa Rosa
South Lake Tahoe
San Luis Obispo
Sebastopol
Sausalito
Mill Valley
Truckee
Temecula
Point Reyes National Seashore
Laguna Beach
Newport Beach
Redding
Glen Ellen
Lodi
Placerville
Petaluma
Fresno
Pacific Grove
Rutherford
Fort Bragg
Murphys
Kenwood
Guerneville
Cambria
Ventura
Barstow
Carmel Valley
Tiburon
Eureka
Huntington Beach
Morro Bay
Tahoe City
Geyserville
Ojai
Big Bear Lake
Rancho Mirage
Pismo Beach
Nevada City
Bakersfield
Chico
Palo Alto
Mendocino
Solvang
Palm Desert
Long Beach and San Pedro
Olympic Valley
Mt. Shasta
Philo
Weaverville
Claremont
Menlo Park
Corona del Mar
Bodega Bay
Grass Valley
Oak Glen
Carnelian Bay to Kings Beach
San Jose
Borrego Springs
Hopland
Forestville
Bishop
Sutter Creek
Los Olivos
Boonville
Auburn
Modesto
Oakville
Dana Point
Quincy
Oakhurst
Lancaster
Merced
Lone Pine
Avila Beach
Pebble Beach
Visalia
Buellton
San Juan Capistrano
Cathedral City
Indian Wells
Indio
Three Rivers
Trinidad
Chester
Needles
Kernville
Ridgecrest
Victorville
Windsor
Santa Ynez
Davis
Palmdale
San Simeon
Occidental
Capitola and Soquel
Graton
Riverside
Pomona
Ukiah
Aptos
Red Bluff
Stanford
Elk
Jackson
Lee Vining
Idyllwild
Jamestown
Mariposa
Lake Shasta Area
Redlands
Stinson Beach
Dunsmuir
Moss Landing
La Quinta
Susanville
Woodland
Winters
Mineral
Hanford
Randsburg
Ferndale
Stockton
Jenner
Gualala
Alturas
Point Arena
Freestone
Desert Hot Springs
Rancho Cucamonga
Oakdale
Joshua Tree
Corning
Amador City
Lake Arrowhead
Salinas
Twentynine Palms
Tahoma
Fish Camp
Independence
Little River
Volcano
Lompoc
Angels Camp
Knott's Berry Farm
Columbia
El Portal
Ontario
Sonora
Muir Beach
Corona
Bass Lake
Shenandoah Valley
Salton Sea
Anderson Valley
Coloma
Bodie State Historic Park
Bolinas
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
Primm, NV
San Juan Bautista
Baker
Watsonville
Cerro Gordo Ghost Town
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
Manzanar National Historic Site
Occidental
Napa and Sonoma
The Central Coast
The Bay Area
The Monterey Bay Area
North County and Around
Sacramento and the Gold Country
Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts
Orange County and Catalina Island
The North Coast
Lake Tahoe
The Far North
The Inland Empire
The Mojave Desert
The Central Valley
The Southern Sierra
Downtown and Koreatown
Peninsular Coastline
Big Sur Coastline
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
Outside Redwood National Park
Plymouth
Outside Yosemite National Park
Sunnyvale and Mountain View
Outside Death Valley National Park
Yucca Valley
Outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon Nationa Parks
Outside Lassen Volcanic National Park
Outside Joshua Tree National Park
The Marin Headlands
Outside Channel Islands National Park
Outside Pinnacles National Park
Avenue of the Giants
Burney
Carneros District
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Yosemite National Park
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Redwood National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Channel Islands National Park
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Pinnacles National Park
Emerald Bay State Park
Mojave National Preserve
Salt Point State Park
Pope-Baldwin Recreation Area
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Mt. Tamalpais State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Año Nuevo State Reserve
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Muir Woods National Monument
D.L. Bliss State Park
All Destinations
Expand All Collapse All
The Bay Area
- Año Nuevo State Reserve
- Berkeley
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park
- Bolinas
- Menlo Park
- Mill Valley
- Mt. Tamalpais State Park
- Muir Beach
- Muir Woods National Monument
- Oakland
- Palo Alto
- Peninsular Coastline
- Point Reyes National Seashore
- San Jose
- Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
- Sausalito
- Stanford
- Stinson Beach
- Sunnyvale and Mountain View
- The Marin Headlands
- Tiburon
San Francisco
- Chinatown and North Beach
- Golden Gate Park
- Mission District, Bernal Heights, and Potrero Hill
- Nob Hill and Russian Hill
- Pacific Heights and Japantown
- SoMa, Mission Bay, and Dogpatch
- The Haight, the Castro, Hayes Valley and Noe Valley
- The Marina and the Presidio
- The Waterfront
- The Western Shoreline
- Union Square, Civic Center, and the Tenderloin
Top Experiences
Top Experiences
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Recent Forum Posts
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