Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort and Mineral Springs, a Member of Design Hotels Press Room
California’s One of of the Best States for Road Trips – 11 Photo Worthy Drives That Prove It
California is, hands down, one of the best places in the world for a road trip. It's the third largest state in the USA, and its 164,000 square miles are packed with varied terrain highlighted by around more than 60 scenic byways. Along the 865 miles of coast, road-trippers will meander by remote beaches and sheer cliff vistas as well as lively urban beach communities, such as Santa Monica, Venice in Los Angeles, or laid-back La Jolla in San Diego. Inland, rocky desert landscapes give way to rolling farmlands, and two-lane highways carve through quiet groves of towering sequoias before climbing into the high, rugged peaks of the 350+ mountain ranges.
All of that in mind, any Californian would agree that renting a car and hitting the road is a must while visiting (or living) in the Golden State. We've gathered together 11 great California road trips to get you started.
5. Northern California Wine Country Road Trip in Napa and Sonoma
- Start: San Francisco
- End: San Francisco
- Distance: 161 miles
- Recommended time: Two or three days
Plenty of people treat Northern California wine country as a day trip from San Francisco, but go for a long weekend so that you can really savor those winetastings and pamper yourself with a stay at one of the area's luxurious hotels.
Make a beeline from San Francisco to Domaine Carneros to start your trip sipping California bubbly. Then jogging north on Highway 121, you'll pass through the town of Napa, where it's worth a stop for lunch at the Oxbow Public Market. Continue northeast on Highway 121 and you'll pass the hot springs resort Vichy Springs, or turn north instead onto the Silverado Trail, where you can hop between some of the best wineries in the area, including Clos du Val and Mumm.
The Silverado Trail ends in Calistoga. Spend the night at Solage or Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs. The next day, loop back to Sonoma via the winding Calistoga Road and Highway 12, stopping to walk off your wine at a few appealing state parks, including Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, and Jack London State Historic Park. Dine on seasonal tamales at El Molino Central in Sonoma, or pick one of the many restaurants that ring historic Sonoma Square. Spend your second night at the Lodge at Sonoma Resort, Autograph Collection and book a dinner at Animo, a creative new addition to Sonoma's dining scene inspired by Basque and Korean cuisine. For your final day, there are plenty of small wineries and towns to explore in this area before you end your trip with a sunset drive back to San Francisco.