Northern California Road Trip Itineraries: Map, Routes and Ideas
When you go on a road trip in Northern California, you will face a vast territory, which extends from Inyo County (where Death Valley is located) and Tulare County (where Sequoia National Park is located) to the Oregon border. It is a very diverse region where there are deserts, mountain parks (Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada, and the Upstate California region), coastal attractions (e.g. Redwood Parks), incredible geological wonders (Lassen Volcanic National Park), Gold Rush historical sites, and most of the rural agricultural region known as the Central Valley.
The most important city is inevitably San Francisco, which is a beautiful city, and from there, you can take interesting excursions in the surrounding area. North of San Francisco, you can explore the wine region in the Napa and Sonoma Valley and admire more spectacular views on the northern stretch of the California coast. Here are all our itineraries to help you plan a Northern California road trip.
Contents
- Northern California Road Trip itineraries
- Central Valley and Gold Country
- From Monterey to Yosemite: Travel through the Golden Hills of California
- California Gold Country Tour: Follow in the Footsteps of the Gold Rush
- Sacramento: Best Things to Do in California’s Capital
- Fresno: a Strategic Point for Visiting Yosemite and Sequoia
- From Sequoia to Death Valley: Best Routes and Accommodations
- Best Route from San Francisco to Yosemite by Car
- Los Angeles to Sequoia: Recommended Itinerary with Stops along the Way
- Bakersfield: An Ideal Stop on the Way from Los Angeles to Sequoia or Death Valley
- Pinnacles National Park in California: Visit Caves and Pinnacles Made of Volcanic Rock
- San Francisco Bay and the Surrounding Area
- Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley Wineries: Best Places to Visit on a Wine Tour
- Silicon Valley in California: Tour of the Headquarters of Major High-Tech Companies
- Best Things to do in Oakland and How to Get to San Francisco
- Best Places to Visit in San Jose, the Gateway to Silicon Valley
- Northern California Coast
- Pigeon Point Light Station State Park, a fascinating lighthouse on the California Coast
- How to Plan a Visit to the Historic Point Arena Lighthouse in Mendocino, California
- Bowling Ball Beach: Discover the Beach in California Covered with “Bowling Balls”
- Point Reyes National Seashore and Lighthouse: Breathtaking Views on the California Coast
- Visit Mendocino: Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove in… California!
- Star Wars in California: Visit the Locations where the Star Wars Saga Was Filmed
- Redwood Parks in California: the Tallest Trees in the World
- Sierra Nevada Region
- Alabama Hills in California: Surreal Arches and Rock Formations at the Foot of the Sierra Nevada
- The Best Places to Visit in California’s Sierra Nevada
- Eastern Sierra: An Amazing Road Trip from Yosemite to Death Valley on Hwy 395
- Mammoth Lakes: Magnificent Scenery in the Sierra Nevada
- Lake Tahoe: An Incredible Emerald Lake on the Border between California and Nevada
- Mono Lake: Tufa Castles in a Lunar Landscape
- Bodie Ghost Town: Unveiling an Old West’s Hidden Gem
- Death Valley National Park: Travel Guide and Road Trip Tips
- Yosemite National Park Travel Guide: how to plan a trip?
- Planning a Kings Canyon Adventure: Best Things To Do and Hiking Trails
- Sequoia National Park: Why You Should Go and How to Plan Your Visit
- Where to Stay in Sequoia National Park/Kings Canyon: Hotels and Accommodations near the Park
- Upstate California
- Adventure in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California’s Own Little “Yellowstone”
- Discovering Burney Falls, the Spectacular Waterfalls of the Shasta Region
- Hiking McCloud Falls, the Stunning Waterfalls near Mount Shasta
- Northern California Road Trip Map
Northern California Road Trip itineraries
Here are all the itineraries divided by region:
Central Valley and Gold Country
From Monterey to Yosemite: Travel through the Golden Hills of California
California Gold Country Tour: Follow in the Footsteps of the Gold Rush
Sacramento: Best Things to Do in California’s Capital
Fresno: a Strategic Point for Visiting Yosemite and Sequoia
From Sequoia to Death Valley: Best Routes and Accommodations
Best Route from San Francisco to Yosemite by Car
Los Angeles to Sequoia: Recommended Itinerary with Stops along the Way
Bakersfield: An Ideal Stop on the Way from Los Angeles to Sequoia or Death Valley
Pinnacles National Park in California: Visit Caves and Pinnacles Made of Volcanic Rock
Perhaps a few of you have heard of Pinnacles National Park. In fact, this small park in the mountains is not as famous as Yosemite, Sequoia and other national parks in California, but for this very reason it is perfect for those who want to dive into a hidden corner of the Golden State without risking finding the “busy” nature …
Read moreSan Francisco Bay and the Surrounding Area
Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley Wineries: Best Places to Visit on a Wine Tour
Silicon Valley in California: Tour of the Headquarters of Major High-Tech Companies
Best Things to do in Oakland and How to Get to San Francisco
Best Places to Visit in San Jose, the Gateway to Silicon Valley
Northern California Coast
Pigeon Point Light Station State Park, a fascinating lighthouse on the California Coast
How to Plan a Visit to the Historic Point Arena Lighthouse in Mendocino, California
Bowling Ball Beach: Discover the Beach in California Covered with “Bowling Balls”
Point Reyes National Seashore and Lighthouse: Breathtaking Views on the California Coast
Visit Mendocino: Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove in… California!
Star Wars in California: Visit the Locations where the Star Wars Saga Was Filmed
Redwood Parks in California: the Tallest Trees in the World
When talking about Redwood National Park it would be more correct to say “parks”, because in northern California, a few miles from the Oregon border, the Redwood National and State Parks system includes four national and state parks that make giant redwood forests their undoubted strength. Organizing an on the road trip to this part of California is not for …
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