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Monterey and back on one tank of gas? Map shows road trip destinations from Sacramento

By Brianna Taylor

This summer, Sacramento drivers who want to road trip will likely have to pay more than $6 a gallon to fill up their gas tanks.

With a hefty fee, you’ll want it to get you as far as possible.

The Bee has compiled a list of “gas tank” road trips or round trips that take approximately a single tank of gas. To build our model, we used the most commonly owned vehicle in California: the Toyota Camry.

Here’s what to keep in mind: A 2016 Toyota Camry is equipped with a 17-gallon tank and its driving range on a combination of city and highway roads is 476 miles, according to Kelley Blue Book. That means its one-way road trip range is roughly 238 miles.

The interactive map below shows trips you could technically get to and back on one tank of gas from downtown Sacramento. We’ll then highlight several destinations in the 238-mile range by shortest to longest distance. Full disclosure: If you’re hitting the edge of the map you’re pushin’ it and it’s never a bad idea to have some extra gas in the tank for an enjoyable and safe trip.

Note: Distance calculated from downtown Sacramento
Map: NATHANIEL LEVINE

Yountville

Yountville is the “heart of Napa Valley,” according to the Yountville Napa Valley Chamber of Commerce. You can wine and dine in manicured streets filled with galleries, shops and spas while being surrounded by vineyards. This is one of the shorter roads trips, just about 68 miles or an hour and 10 minutes from downtown Sacramento.

Lombard Street

Motorists make their way down famously crooked Lombard Street in San Francisco in 2014.
Motorists make their way down famously crooked Lombard Street in San Francisco in 2014. Marcio Jose Sanchez Associated Press file

About 88 miles or nearly an hour and 45 minutes from downtown Sacramento sits Lombard Street in San Francisco, the “most crooked street in the world,” according to the San Francisco Travel Association. The street has several sharp hairpin turns and is surrounded by mansions and manicured landscape.

Things to do near Lombard Street in San Francisco:

Feather River Canyon

The north fork of the Feather River in Plumas County looking east up the canyon off Highway 70 in 2005.
The north fork of the Feather River in Plumas County looking east up the canyon off Highway 70 in 2005. Randy Pench Sacramento Bee file

Known for its scenic drive, Feather River Canyon in Oroville showcases waterfalls, wildflowers and more. The drive is roughly 100 miles and will take around two hours to complete.

You can:

  • Hike
  • Fish
  • Camp
  • Kayak

Stinson Beach

Nestled in Marin County, the “long winding road” to Stinson Beach is 102 miles or roughly two hours from downtown Sacramento. This large public beach, situated in a town with its same name, is “one of the best swimming beaches in Northern California,” according to the National Park Service.

Things to do:

  • Fish
  • Surf
  • Hike
  • Picnic

Bodega Bay

The National Audubon Society has called Bodega Head, near Bodega Bay, one the nation’s top birding spots.
The National Audubon Society has called Bodega Head, near Bodega Bay, one the nation’s top birding spots. Manny Crisostomo Sacramento Bee file

Situated on the Sonoma County Coast, Bodega Bay is a “seaside destination,” according to the official Bodega Bay website. It’s 110 miles or roughly two hours from downtown Sacramento, and the bay is packed with hiking and biking trails, ocean views and more.

You can:

Half Moon Bay

Nic Lamb rides a wave during the Mavericks surfing contest in Half Moon Bay in 2016. A storm near the Aleutian Islands will produce swells up to 30 feet at Northern California beaches New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the National Weather Service says.
Nic Lamb rides a wave during the Mavericks surfing contest in Half Moon Bay in 2016. A storm near the Aleutian Islands will produce swells up to 30 feet at Northern California beaches New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the National Weather Service says. Ben Margot AP

Half Moon Bay, roughly 115 miles or two hours from downtown Sacramento, is the “best of Northern California’s San Francisco’s Bay Area all in one place,” according to Half Moon Bay’s website. Offering miles of sandy beaches, meadows, hills, locally-owned businesses and more — Half Moon Bay is a small town filled with activities.

Things to do:

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Chaos Crags, top left, and Lassen Peak (with snow) loom over boaters on Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park in July 2006.
Chaos Crags, top left, and Lassen Peak (with snow) loom over boaters on Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park in July 2006. Randy Pench Sacramento Bee file

Sprinkled with steaming fumaroles, lakes, volcanoes, wildflowers and more — Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California continues to be shaped by hot water, according to National Park Service. The park sits 154 miles or nearly three hours from downtown Sacramento.

Things to do:

Ark Wildlife Sanctuary

Ark Wildlife Sanctuary, located 30 minutes north of Reno, Nevada, is filled with a variety of animals, trails, picnic and playground areas and more. The sanctuary sits about 156 miles or two hours and 40 minutes from downtown Sacramento.

Things to do:

Pinnacles National Park

Hikers cross the Bear Gulch Reservoir dam as seen from the Rim Trail in Pinnacles National Park in Feburary 2021.
Hikers cross the Bear Gulch Reservoir dam as seen from the Rim Trail in Pinnacles National Park in Feburary 2021. Nathaniel Levine Sacramento Bee file

Pinnacles National Park is the product of a 23 million year-old volcano eruption. Visitors trek through woodlands, canyon bottoms and caves where falcons, eagles and the California Condor have taken residence. The park is 180 miles or nearly three hours from downtown Sacramento.

Things to do:

Cannery Row

Situated 187 miles or roughly three hours from downtown Sacramento, Cannery Row in Monterey is a coastal getaway filled with specialty shops, galleries, attractions, restaurants and more.

Things to do:

  • Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Carmel-by-the-Sea

    • OTHER “GAS TANK” ROAD TRIPS FROM DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO

    This story was originally published July 8, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

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