Day trips and getaways in and around San Francisco

Escapes Things To Do

1 hour from SF: This 150-year-old railway has started running passenger train rides on select weekends — NPS calls it one of the ‘best preserved segments of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the western U.S.’

Fremont's Niles Canyon Railway is back hosting scenic train rides for the 2026 season, offering Bay Area riders a rare opportunity to travel along the original route of the Transcontinental Railroad! F...

Escapes

1.5 hours from SF: A 32-mile, car-free trail project is taking shape along the Santa Cruz coast, following the path of a 140-year-old railroad

From the California Coastal Trail, which is envisioned to run the entire length of California, to the in-progress 300-mile Great Redwood Trail, which will stretch from the San Francisco Bay to Humboldt, t...

Escapes

30 minutes from SF: This 1.3-mile highway-turned-hiking trail leads to a sheltered, clothing-optional beach famous for whale sightings

Just 30 minutes down Highway 1, Devil's Slide is an ultimate hidden gem in the Bay Area. Twelve years ago, Caltrans turned the decommissioned section of highway into a gently graded, 1.3-mile pedestrian a...

Escapes

Just 1.5 hours from San Francisco, this scenic pool club features two pools and 46 luxury glamping tents in one of California’s most charming river towns

Summer is almost here, which means it's the perfect time for day trips to enjoy the sun. Just an hour and 30 minutes from San Francisco sits a charming, nostalgic resort and pool club that is perfect for...

Escapes

1.5 hours from San Francisco: National Geographic named this 6,800-mile, coast-to-coast trail among its ‘100 hikes of a lifetime,’ and it starts at a rugged Bay Area beach

The American Discovery Trail is a massive, continuous trail stretching 6,800 miles coast-to-coast from California to Delaware. While it's been around for a few decades, National Geographic's Stephanie...

Escapes Wellness & Nature

This unfinished 1,230-mile California trail quietly links dozens of secret beaches, WWII bunkers, and Gold Rush towns — after 50 years of development, it’s about 70% complete

The California Coastal Trail (CCT) is a long-running public initiative first proposed in 1975, with the goal of building a continuous network of trails spanning the entire California coastline, from the M...

Escapes

1.5 hours from SF: Roaring Camp is running summer rides to a hidden dinner party in the redwoods

About 1.5 hours away from San Francisco in Felton, California, Roaring Camp Railroads is a recreated 1880s logging-era town hosting one of the area's most quintessentially Californian experiences in the r...

Escapes

1 hour from SF: National Geographic named this unfinished 400-mile trail among its ‘100 hikes of a lifetime’ — the new 14.1-mile section is one of the longest sections ever dedicated at once

National Geographic’s latest book, 100 Hikes of a Lifetime U.S.A. by Stephanie Pearson, highlights some of the most breathtaking, must-do trails across the country. Fortunately for Bay Area residents,...

Escapes Food & Drink

1.5 hours from SF: After nearly 2 decades of development, the Napa Valley Vine Trail has completed about 70% of its 47-mile path — it connects 236 wineries

Did you know about this scenic public trail project taking shape in Napa Valley? The Napa Valley Vine Trail began as a simple yet ambitious idea in the late '90s to create a car-free path that lets pe...

Escapes Food & Drink

1.5 hours from SF: This adorable produce-themed amusement park is kicking off its month-long cherry festival this weekend — awarded the industry’s ‘best new food & beverage event’

Last year, the legendary Gilroy Gardens introduced a brand-new event, the Cherry Jubilee—a month-long celebration packed with family-friendly entertainment and a wide array of cherry-inspired food and dri...

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