Get Outside

Day trips from Sacramento: Here are 11 places to explore the region’s outdoors

By The Sacramento Bee
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

Searching for a thrilling outdoor adventure but don’t want to go too far from Sacramento? There are a multitude of exciting places to explore not far from the city.

These are the best road trips to outdoor adventure destinations within roughly 3 hours of Sacramento. From hiking and camping to kayaking and surfing, these 11 spots have something for everyone:

1. Monterey/Carmel-by-the-Sea

A surfer watches the sun set from the ocean at Carmel-by-the-Sea in 2010.
A surfer watches the sun set from the ocean at Carmel-by-the-Sea in 2010. Lezlie Sterling Sacramento Bee file

“From the dramatic panoramas of the Big Sur coastline to the fairytale cottages of the charming city of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County is a truly inspired California getaway,” according to the county’s tourism website.

Nearly 200 miles away; depending on where in Sacramento you’re leaving from, your drive will be roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Things to do:

2. Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe ranked second with 15%, or 170 votes for “best road trips from Sacramento,” according to Bee readers.
Lake Tahoe ranked second with 15%, or 170 votes for “best road trips from Sacramento,” according to Bee readers. Randy Pench Sacramento Bee file

Nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Lake Tahoe region offers a myriad of attractions, from ski resorts and beaches to lakeside dining, hiking and camping.

The freshwater lake straddles California and Nevada and is divided into Tahoe South and North Lake Tahoe.

Whether you’re headed north or south, the drive to the west edge of the lake will likely take you just over 2 hours and 100 miles from Sacramento.

Things to do:

3. Coastal Marin County

Tule elk graze near Drakes Bay near the Point Reyes Seashore in 2018.
Tule elk graze near Drakes Bay near the Point Reyes Seashore in 2018. Hector Amezcua Sacramento Bee file

Sitting just north of San Francisco, Marin County promotes itself as an “outdoor wonderland.”

Spots to see may include: Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpais, Point Reyes Station, Tomales Point, Petaluma, Mill Valley, Muir Woods and Sausalito.

At just over 100 miles away from Sacramento, on a good day you can reach Stinson Beach in about two hours.

Things to do:

4. Mendocino

Residents once to discard trash on Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, shown in 2012, and over time the action of the waves has worn smooth the shards of glass that littered the beach. The beach is now covered with smooth colorful pieces of glass.
Residents once to discard trash on Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, shown in 2012, and over time the action of the waves has worn smooth the shards of glass that littered the beach. The beach is now covered with smooth colorful pieces of glass. Randall Benton Sacramento Bee file

“Mendocino is an enchanted place filled with real, unspoiled California opportunities and inhabited by fun-loving misfits, mavericks and makers,” according to the county’s tourism website.

Here you can find cliffside trails, wine, beaches, and art and history museums.

Just under 200 miles from Sacramento, it would take you roughly three hours and 45 minutes to get to your destination.

Things to do:

5. 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

The National Parks Service writes that Pinnacles was “born of fire” roughly 23 million years when multiple volcanoes “erupted, flowed, and slid,” forming today’s unique landscape.

“Travelers journey through chaparral, oak woodlands, and canyon bottoms. Hikers enter rare talus caves and emerge to towering rock spires teeming with life: prairie and peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and the inspiring California condor,” the parks website says.

You can expect the roughly 180-mile journey to take three hours or more.

Things to do:

6. Feather River Canyon

The north fork of the Feather River in Plumas County Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005, looking east up the canyon off Highway 70.
The north fork of the Feather River in Plumas County Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005, looking east up the canyon off Highway 70. 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.

Things to do:

  • Hike

  • Fish

  • Camp

  • Kayak

7. 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

8. Bodega Bay

The National Audubon Society has called Bodega Head, seen in February 2013, one the nation’s top birding spots. Nearby Bodega Bay was a key location in the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds.”
The National Audubon Society has called Bodega Head, seen in February 2013, one the nation’s top birding spots. Nearby Bodega Bay was a key location in the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds.” 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:

9. Half Moon Bay

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:

10. Lassen Volcanic National Park

Chaos Crags, top left, and snow-covered Lassen Peak loom over boaters on Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park in July 2006.
Chaos Crags, top left, and snow-covered Lassen Peak 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:

11. 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:

This story was originally published April 13, 2023 at 5:00 AM.

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