©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Northern California Northern Mountains North Coast p270 & Redwoods p215 Gold Country p305 Napa & Sonoma Lake Tahoe Wine Country p330 p159 Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada San Francisco ^# p368 p68 Marin County & the Bay Area Sacramento & p108 Central Central Valley Coast p483 p424 THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY John A Vlahides, Sara Benson, Alison Bing, Celeste Brash, Tienlon Ho, Beth Kohn PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD Welcome to SAN FRANCISCO . 68 Vallejo . 148 Northern California . 6 Sights . 72 The Peninsula . 148 Northern California Map . 8 Activities . 88 San Francisco to Northern California’s Tours . .. 89 San Jose . 149 Top 25 . 10 San Jose . 150 Need to Know . 22 Festivals & Events . 90 Sleeping . 93 San Francisco to If You Like… . 24 Half Moon Bay . 154 Eating . 97 Month by Month . 27 Half Moon Bay to Itineraries . 30 Drinking & Nightlife . 101 Santa Cruz . 156 Road Trips & Entertainment . 103 Scenic Drives . 36 Shopping . 105 NAPA & SONOMA Northern California Information . 106 WINE COUNTRY . 159 Camping & Outdoors . 43 Getting There & Away . 106 Napa Valley . 162 Travel with Children . 53 Getting Around . 107 Napa Valley Wineries . 162 Eat & Drink Like a Local . 56 Napa . 166 Regions at a Glance . 64 MARIN COUNTY Yountville . 171 & THE BAY AREA . 108 Oakville & Rutherford . 174 St Helena . 175 PHOENIX WANG / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / WANG PHOENIX Marin County . 110 Marin Headlands . 110 Calistoga & Around . 179 Sausalito . 115 Sonoma Valley . 184 Tiburon . .. 117 Sonoma Valley Sir Francis Drake Wineries . 184 Blvd & Around . 119 Sonoma & Around . 188 San Rafael . 120 Glen Ellen & Kenwood . 193 Mill Valley . 121 Russian River Area . 195 Mt Tamalpais Russian River State Park . 122 Area Wineries . 195 Muir Woods National Sebastopol . 199 SAN FRANCISCO P68 Monument . 123 Occidental & Around . 202 Muir Beach . 124 Guerneville & Around . 203 Stinson Beach . 124 Santa Rosa . 208 DEREK GARDNER / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / GARDNER DEREK Bolinas . 125 Healdsburg & Around . 210 Olema & Nicasio . 126 Point Reyes Station . 126 Inverness . 127 NORTH COAST & Point Reyes REDWOODS . 215 National Seashore . 127 Coastal Highway 1 . 217 East Bay . 129 Bodega Bay . 217 Oakland . 129 Sonoma Coast Berkeley . 138 State Beach . 220 Mt Diablo State Park . 147 Jenner . 220 COASTAL HIGHWAY 1 P217 John Muir National Fort Ross State Historic Site . 148 Historic Park . 221 Contents Salt Point State Park . 222 Patrick’s Point West of I-5 . 299 Sea Ranch . 222 State Park . 263 Weaverville . 300 Gualala & Anchor Bay . 223 Humboldt Lagoons Lewiston Lake . 302 State Park . 263 Point Arena . 224 Trinity (Clair Engle) Redwood National Lake . 302 Manchester . 225 & State Parks . 263 Elk . 226 Klamath & Siskiyou Klamath . 266 Mountains . 303 Van Damme State Park . 226 Crescent City . 267 Scott Valley . 303 Mendocino . .. 226 Tolowa Dunes Yreka . 304 Jug Handle State Park & Lake State Reserve . 231 Earl Wildlife Area . 269 Fort Bragg . 232 Pelican State Beach . .269 GOLD COUNTRY . 305 MacKerricher State Park . 235 Nevada County & NORTHERN Northern Gold Westport . 235 MOUNTAINS . 270 Country . 307 Along Highway 101 . 235 Auburn . 307 Redding & Around . 272 Hopland . 236 Auburn State Redding . 272 Recreation Area . 308 Clear Lake . 237 Around Redding . 274 Grass Valley . 309 Anderson Valley . 239 Shasta Lake . 275 Nevada City . 310 Ukiah . 241 South Yuba River Around Ukiah . 242 Mt Lassen & Around . 276 Lassen Volcanic State Park . 312 Willits . 243 National Park . 277 Malakoff Diggins Southern Redwood Lassen National Forest . 280 State Historic Park . 312 Coast . 245 Lake Almanor Area . 280 North Yuba River . 313 Leggett . 245 Susanville . 282 El Dorado & Amador Richardson Grove Counties . 316 Eagle Lake . 283 State Park . 246 Coloma-Lotus . 316 Quincy . 283 Benbow Lake . .. 246 Marshall Gold Discovery Garberville . 247 Bucks Lake . 285 State Historic Park . 316 Lost Coast . 248 Mt Shasta & Around . 286 Placerville . 317 Humboldt Redwoods Mt Shasta . 286 Plymouth & State Park & Avenue Mt Shasta City . 288 Amador City . 319 of the Giants . 250 Dunsmuir . 292 Sutter Creek . 320 Scotia . 252 Castle Crags Volcano . 321 Ferndale . 252 State Park . 294 Jackson . 322 Humboldt Bay McCloud . .. 294 National Wildlife Calaveras County Refuge . 254 McArthur-Burney Falls & South Gold Memorial State Park . 296 Country . 323 Eureka . 254 Lava Beds Angels Camp . .. 323 Samoa Peninsula . 257 National Monument . .. 297 Murphys . .. 324 Arcata . 257 Klamath Basin Columbia State Northern Redwood National Wildlife Historic Park . 326 Refuges . 298 Coast . 261 Sonora & Jamestown . 327 Trinidad . 261 Modoc National Forest . .. 298 ON THE ROAD LAKE TAHOE . 330 NAGARAJU HANCHANAHAL PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES © IMAGES GETTY / PHOTOGRAPHY HANCHANAHAL NAGARAJU Tahoe Ski, Snowboard & Snowshoe Areas . 332 Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding . 332 Cross-Country Skiing & Snowshoeing . .. 335 South Lake Tahoe & Stateline . 338 Western Shore . 349 Emerald Bay TENAYA LAKE, YOSEMITE State Park . 349 NATIONAL PARK P373 DL Bliss State Park . 350 Meeks Bay . 350 Ed Z’berg Sugar Mariposa . 387 Monterey . 436 Pine Point State Park . 351 Midpines . 390 Pacific Grove . 445 Tahoma . 351 Briceburg . 390 Carmel-by-the-Sea . 447 Homewood . 351 El Portal . 391 Big Sur . 449 Sunnyside . 352 Groveland . 391 Point Piedras Blancas . 458 Tahoe City . 352 Sequoia & Kings Hearst Castle . 458 Squaw Valley . 355 Canyon National Parks . 391 San Simeon . 459 Truckee & Kings Canyon Cambria . 460 Donner Lake . 357 National Park . 392 Cayucos . 461 Northern Shore . .. 360 Sequoia Morro Bay . 462 Tahoe Vista . 360 National Park . 397 Montaña de Oro Kings Beach . 361 Eastern Sierra . 401 State Park . 464 Mono Lake Area . 402 Eastern Shore . 363 Along Highway 101 . 465 Mammoth Lakes . .409 Crystal Bay . 363 Gilroy . 465 Incline Village . 363 Around Mammoth Lakes . 417 San Juan Bautista . 465 Lake Tahoe-Nevada Salinas . 466 State Park . 364 Bishop . 418 Big Pine . 421 Pinnacles Reno (Nevada) . 364 National Park . 468 Independence . 421 Mission San YOSEMITE & THE Manzanar National Antonio De Padua . 468 Historic Site . 421 SIERRA NEVADA . 368 San Miguel . 469 Lone Pine . 422 Paso Robles . 469 Yosemite National Park . 369 San Luis Obispo . 471 CENTRAL COAST . .. 424 Yosemite Gateways . 386 Avila Beach . 476 Fish Camp . 386 Along Highway 1 . 426 Pismo Beach . 479 Santa Cruz . .426 Oakhurst . 387 Around Santa Cruz . 434 Merced River Canyon . 387 Contents UNDERSTAND SACRAMENTO Northern California & CENTRAL Today . 514 VALLEY . 483 History . 516 The People: Tree Sacramento Valley . 485 Huggers to Techies . 524 Sacramento . 485 The Land & Sacramento–San Sustainability . 528 Joaquin River Delta . 491 NorCal Wildlife . 534 Davis . 493 Arts & Architecture . 538 Oroville . 494 Chico . 496 Red Bluff . 500 San Joaquin Valley . 501 SURVIVAL Lodi . 501 GUIDE Stockton . 502 Modesto . .. 503 Directory A–Z . 546 Merced . 504 Transportation . 556 Fresno . 505 Index . 564 Visalia . .. 507 Map Legend . 574 Bakersfield . 508 Kern River Area . 511 SPECIAL FEATURES Alcatraz 3D Illustration . 74 San Francisco by Cable Car . 81 California Wildlife . 388 Best Hikes of the Sierra Nevada . 415 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 30 Itineraries Calistoga •# É É Occidental•# Bodega Bay •# Russian River Valley •# •# Napa Sonoma É Point Reyes National Seashore ÷# É San Pablo É Bay ÷# Muir Woods National Monument Marin Headlands•# É PACIFIC É OCEAN San Francisco•# 1 WEEK San Francisco, Marin County & Wine Country This classic NorCal itinerary explores San Francisco, then heads north up the rugged coast, and inland to Wine Country. San Francisco begs exploration – its hills, cable cars, glorious bay and dynamic culture are unique in the world. Wander hidden alley- ways in Chinatown, see Beat-poet hangouts in North Beach and ascend Telegraph Hill beneath flocks of wild parrots. Head to Golden Gate Park for gorgeous gardens and thrilling museums, then get off the beaten path in the Mission District to find colorful murals and great cheap eats. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands and hike cliffs rising straight from the Pacific. Or wander among redwoods – the world’s tallest trees – at cathedral-like Muir Woods National Monument. For a full-day trip, go whale-watching on the rugged coast of Point Reyes National Seashore. Stay the night. Explore Sonoma Coast State Beach, near Bodega Bay, then cut inland to tiny Occi- dental and Wine Country to spend another night. Recharge in thermal springs and mud baths in Calistoga before sampling famous California vintages in the surrounding Napa Valley. Head to Napa and return to San Francisco via Sonoma to explore historic sights between visits to wine-tasting rooms, and picnic on the state’s largest town square. 31 OREGON IDAHO Redwood National ÷# & State Parks Arcata •# Ferndale •# Humboldt Redwoods ÷#State Park •#Avenue of the Giants PLAN YOUR TRIP É •# Lost Coast AH T Mendocino •# NEVADA U Gualala •# Sonoma Coast State Beach Ù# Point Reyes National Seashore ÷# San Francisco•# IT É •# I Santa Cruz NERAR Monterey •# PACIFIC OCEAN •# Big Sur I É ES •# Hearst Castle National A Historic Monument •#San Luis Obispo ON IZ É CALIFORNIA AR 10 DAYS Up the Coast The serpentine stretch of Hwy 1 (and Hwy 101) between San Luis Obispo and the Or- egon border is among Northern California’s most epic road trips, connecting cute beach towns, rugged coastline and majestic redwood forests. From the college town of San Luis Obispo, head straight to jaw-dropping Hearst Castle