Fodor’s Southern California: with Los Angeles, San Diego, the Central Coast & the Best Road Trips
Whether you want to get a glimpse of the Hollywood sign, hike in Joshua Tree National...
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

Napa and Sonoma

San Francisco

San Diego

The Central Coast

The Monterey Bay Area

The Bay Area

Sacramento and the Gold Country

North County and Around

Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts

Orange County and Catalina Island

The North Coast

Lake Tahoe

The Inland Empire

Healdsburg

The Far North

Napa

The Southern Sierra

The Central Valley

The Mojave Desert

Santa Barbara

St. Helena

Sonoma

Yosemite National Park

Palm Springs

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Calistoga

Death Valley National Park

Monterey

Yountville

Sacramento

Berkeley

Redwood National Park

Oakland

Joshua Tree National Park

Mammoth Lakes

Paso Robles

Santa Cruz

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Santa Rosa

Lassen Volcanic National Park

San Luis Obispo

Temecula

South Lake Tahoe

Channel Islands National Park

Sebastopol

Mill Valley

Sausalito

Sequoia National Park

Catalina Island

Kings Canyon National Park

Point Reyes National Seashore

Laguna Beach

Truckee

Newport Beach

Glen Ellen

Fresno

Petaluma

Big Sur Coastline

Guerneville

Rutherford

Outside Redwood National Park

Pinnacles National Park

Kenwood

Disneyland Resort

Avalon

Placerville

Pacific Grove

Redding

Fort Bragg

Barstow

Carmel Valley

Tiburon

Geyserville

Lodi

Murphys

Cambria

Huntington Beach

Bakersfield

Tahoe City

Morro Bay

Nevada City

Ventura

Ojai

Mendocino

Big Bear Lake

Chico

Pismo Beach

Central Big Sur

Olympic Valley

Rancho Mirage

Solvang

Borrego Springs

Mt. Shasta

Claremont

Outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon Nationa Parks

Eureka

Weaverville

Palm Desert

Half Moon Bay

Corona del Mar

Dana Point

Forestville

Bodega Bay

Modesto

Grass Valley

Oakville

Outside Yosemite National Park

Oakhurst

Pebble Beach

Carnelian Bay to Kings Beach

Sutter Creek

Davis

Merced

Avila Beach

Visalia

Auburn

Three Rivers

Palmdale

Quincy

Shenandoah Valley

Outside Death Valley National Park

Los Olivos

Outside Lassen Volcanic National Park

Bishop

Kernville

Indio

Long Beach and San Pedro

San Juan Capistrano

Indian Wells

Ridgecrest

San Simeon

Graton

Victorville

Red Bluff

La Quinta

Yucca Valley

Buellton

Occidental

Lancaster

Lee Vining

Dunsmuir

Moss Landing

Mariposa

Santa Ynez

Outside Channel Islands National Park

Jackson

Southern Big Sur

Lake Shasta Area

Capitola and Soquel

Jamestown

Ferndale

Oak Glen

Aptos

Idyllwild

Cathedral City

Alturas

Freestone

Chester

Stinson Beach

Riverside

Susanville

Hanford

The Marin Headlands

Trinidad

Lone Pine

Needles

Stockton

Pomona

Gualala

Woodland

Oakdale

Joshua Tree

Redlands

Rancho Cucamonga

Outside Joshua Tree National Park

Lake Arrowhead

Outside Pinnacles National Park

Elk

Pescadero

Twentynine Palms

Randsburg

Fish Camp

Sonora

Lompoc

Independence

Little River

Point Arena

Emerald Bay State Park

Desert Hot Springs

Angels Camp

Columbia

Muir Beach

Mojave National Preserve

Ontario

Knott's Berry Farm

El Portal

Salinas

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park

Jenner

Pope-Baldwin Recreation Area

Tahoma

Salton Sea

Bass Lake

Mt. Tamalpais State Park

Corona

Salt Point State Park

Red Rock Canyon State Park

D.L. Bliss State Park

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Fort Ross State Historic Park

Bolinas

Año Nuevo State Reserve

Anderson Valley

Muir Woods National Monument

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

San Juan Bautista

Coloma

McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park

Bodie State Historic Park

Amador City

Manzanar National Historic Site

Carneros District

Cerro Gordo Ghost Town

Primm, NV

Baker

Watsonville

Los Angeles

San Francisco

San Diego

Healdsburg

Napa

Santa Barbara

St. Helena

Sonoma

Palm Springs

Calistoga

Monterey

Yountville

Sacramento

Berkeley

Oakland

Mammoth Lakes

Paso Robles

Santa Cruz

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Santa Rosa

San Luis Obispo

Temecula

South Lake Tahoe

Sebastopol

Sausalito

Mill Valley

Point Reyes National Seashore

Laguna Beach

Glen Ellen

Newport Beach

Truckee

Petaluma

Fresno

Rutherford

Guerneville

Kenwood

Pacific Grove

Placerville

Avalon

Barstow

Fort Bragg

Redding

Tiburon

Geyserville

Carmel Valley

Cambria

Huntington Beach

Murphys

Lodi

Nevada City

Bakersfield

Morro Bay

Tahoe City

Pismo Beach

Chico

Big Bear Lake

Ventura

Mendocino

Ojai

Olympic Valley

Central Big Sur

Rancho Mirage

Solvang

Borrego Springs

Philo

Claremont

Eureka

Weaverville

Mt. Shasta

Palm Desert

Half Moon Bay

Corona del Mar

Dana Point

Forestville

Grass Valley

Modesto

Oakville

Bodega Bay

Hopland

Avila Beach

Boonville

Sutter Creek

Pebble Beach

Davis

Visalia

Carnelian Bay to Kings Beach

Oakhurst

Merced

Auburn

Three Rivers

Quincy

Palmdale

Shenandoah Valley

Bishop

San Juan Capistrano

Indio

Long Beach and San Pedro

Windsor

Kernville

Los Olivos

Buellton

San Simeon

Occidental

La Quinta

Lee Vining

Lancaster

Victorville

Graton

Red Bluff

Ridgecrest

Indian Wells

Jackson

Jamestown

Lake Shasta Area

Dunsmuir

Moss Landing

Mariposa

Ferndale

Santa Ynez

Ukiah

Oak Glen

Aptos

Capitola and Soquel

Idyllwild

Gualala

Riverside

Alturas

Chester

Freestone

Susanville

Trinidad

Hanford

Pomona

Stockton

Woodland

Needles

Cathedral City

Lone Pine

Stinson Beach

Corning

Lake Arrowhead

Joshua Tree

Oakdale

Rancho Cucamonga

Redlands

Elk

Sonora

Randsburg

Volcano

Twentynine Palms

Independence

Desert Hot Springs

Little River

Point Arena

Fish Camp

Pescadero

Lompoc

Knott's Berry Farm

Ontario

Angels Camp

El Portal

Columbia

Salinas

Muir Beach

Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park

Salton Sea

Corona

Tahoma

Jenner

Bass Lake

Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park

Coloma

Amador City

Bolinas

Anderson Valley

San Juan Bautista

Bodie State Historic Park

Fort Ross State Historic Park

Primm, NV

Baker

Watsonville

Cerro Gordo Ghost Town

Manzanar National Historic Site

Napa and Sonoma

The Central Coast

The Monterey Bay Area

The Bay Area

Sacramento and the Gold Country

North County and Around

Palm Springs and the Desert Resorts

Orange County and Catalina Island

The North Coast

Lake Tahoe

The Inland Empire

The Far North

The Central Valley

The Southern Sierra

The Mojave Desert

Downtown and Koreatown

Big Sur Coastline

Outside Redwood National Park

Outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon Nationa Parks

Outside Yosemite National Park

Outside Lassen Volcanic National Park

Outside Death Valley National Park

Yucca Valley

Outside Channel Islands National Park

Southern Big Sur

The Marin Headlands

Outside Joshua Tree National Park

Outside Pinnacles National Park

The Beaches

Carneros District
