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
Kings Canyon National Park
Mill Valley
Sausalito
Sebastopol
Catalina Island
Truckee
Laguna Beach
Temecula
Point Reyes National Seashore
Half Moon Bay
Redding
Newport Beach
Glen Ellen
Disneyland Resort
Avalon
Lodi
Pinnacles National Park
Placerville
Petaluma
Big Sur Coastline
Fresno
Fort Bragg
Rutherford
Pacific Grove
Cambria
Murphys
Guerneville
Kenwood
Carmel Valley
Barstow
Eureka
Ventura
Tiburon
Geyserville
Tahoe City
Morro Bay
Ojai
Huntington Beach
Rancho Mirage
Big Bear Lake
Chico
Nevada City
Pismo Beach
Bakersfield
Mendocino
Solvang
Outside Redwood National Park
Olympic Valley
Long Beach and San Pedro
Palm Desert
Philo
Mt. Shasta
Weaverville
Claremont
Corona del Mar
Carnelian Bay to Kings Beach
Bodega Bay
Oak Glen
Grass Valley
Forestville
Los Olivos
Hopland
Bishop
Borrego Springs
Sutter Creek
Dana Point
Auburn
Outside Yosemite National Park
Modesto
Boonville
Oakville
Lancaster
Buellton
Lone Pine
Avila Beach
Oakhurst
Merced
Pebble Beach
Visalia
Quincy
Three Rivers
Outside Death Valley National Park
San Juan Capistrano
Trinidad
Indian Wells
Cathedral City
Indio
Santa Ynez
Ridgecrest
Pescadero
Kernville
Victorville
Needles
Davis
Palmdale
Chester
Riverside
Yucca Valley
Capitola and Soquel
Aptos
Graton
Outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon Nationa Parks
San Simeon
Red Bluff
Occidental
Pomona
Ukiah
Elk
Lee Vining
Lake Shasta Area
Dunsmuir
Mariposa
Outside Lassen Volcanic National Park
Stinson Beach
Jamestown
La Quinta
Jackson
Idyllwild
Redlands
Moss Landing
Jenner
Point Arena
Randsburg
Ferndale
Desert Hot Springs
Susanville
Hanford
Woodland
The Marin Headlands
Freestone
Outside Joshua Tree National Park
Stockton
Gualala
Alturas
Oakdale
Outside Channel Islands National Park
Outside Pinnacles National Park
Lake Arrowhead
Amador City
Joshua Tree
Rancho Cucamonga
Corning
Emerald Bay State Park
Fish Camp
Salinas
Knott's Berry Farm
Tahoma
Twentynine Palms
Independence
Columbia
Angels Camp
Lompoc
Volcano
Little River
El Portal
Muir Beach
Ontario
Mojave National Preserve
Sonora
Southern Big Sur
Salton Sea
Pope-Baldwin Recreation Area
Salt Point State Park
Central Big Sur
Shenandoah Valley
Corona
Bass Lake
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
Anderson Valley
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Bodie State Historic Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Año Nuevo State Reserve
Bolinas
Mt. Tamalpais State Park
Coloma
Baker
San Juan Bautista
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
Watsonville
Muir Woods National Monument
Manzanar National Historic Site
McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Primm, NV
Occidental
Cerro Gordo Ghost Town
Carneros District
D.L. Bliss State Park
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
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
Mill Valley
Sausalito
Truckee
Laguna Beach
Point Reyes National Seashore
Temecula
Half Moon Bay
Newport Beach
Redding
Avalon
Glen Ellen
Placerville
Lodi
Petaluma
Fresno
Pacific Grove
Fort Bragg
Rutherford
Kenwood
Cambria
Murphys
Guerneville
Eureka
Carmel Valley
Barstow
Ventura
Tiburon
Morro Bay
Ojai
Huntington Beach
Geyserville
Tahoe City
Big Bear Lake
Rancho Mirage
Bakersfield
Nevada City
Pismo Beach
Chico
Palo Alto
Mendocino
Solvang
Olympic Valley
Long Beach and San Pedro
Palm Desert
Philo
Mt. Shasta
Claremont
Weaverville
Corona del Mar
Grass Valley
Menlo Park
Carnelian Bay to Kings Beach
Bodega Bay
San Jose
Oak Glen
Hopland
Borrego Springs
Los Olivos
Forestville
Sutter Creek
Bishop
Oakville
Modesto
Boonville
Auburn
Dana Point
Oakhurst
Buellton
Avila Beach
Quincy
Visalia
Lancaster
Pebble Beach
Lone Pine
Merced
San Juan Capistrano
Trinidad
Cathedral City
Indio
Indian Wells
Three Rivers
Kernville
Windsor
Santa Ynez
Davis
Ridgecrest
Palmdale
Chester
Pescadero
Victorville
Needles
Occidental
Ukiah
Pomona
Capitola and Soquel
Elk
Riverside
Graton
San Simeon
Red Bluff
Stanford
Aptos
Lake Shasta Area
Lee Vining
La Quinta
Idyllwild
Dunsmuir
Jackson
Mariposa
Jamestown
Redlands
Stinson Beach
Moss Landing
Susanville
Desert Hot Springs
Woodland
Gualala
Stockton
Point Arena
Jenner
Randsburg
Mineral
Alturas
Winters
Ferndale
Hanford
Freestone
Oakdale
Corning
Joshua Tree
Rancho Cucamonga
Lake Arrowhead
Amador City
Tahoma
Columbia
Independence
Fish Camp
Little River
Salinas
Angels Camp
Lompoc
Volcano
Knott's Berry Farm
Twentynine Palms
Muir Beach
Miramar
Sonora
Ontario
El Portal
Bass Lake
Central Big Sur
Shenandoah Valley
Corona
Salton Sea
Bolinas
Coloma
Anderson Valley
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
Bodie State Historic Park
Watsonville
Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park
San Juan Bautista
Primm, NV
Manzanar National Historic Site
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Cerro Gordo Ghost Town
Baker
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
Pacifica
Avenue of the Giants
Southern Big Sur
Moss Beach
Burney
Carneros District
Eastern Carneros
Western Carneros
Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo
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
Recent Forum Posts
Recent Forum Posts
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T
Kids Jet lag (California to Florida)
Traveler_t started Jan 4, 2024 |Last reply Jan 25, 2024 6 replies 683 views -
T
Another California trip (far north)
Tom_mn started Oct 10, 2023 |Last reply Nov 4, 2023 14 replies 938 views -
Y
Going to Napa California next month
Youngtom2910 started Oct 7, 2023 |Last reply Oct 9, 2023 9 replies 754 views
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