Later the same day you could tackle the mountain trails on foot or on a mountain bike. The adorable downtown is perfect for strolling, shopping and snacking at the array of unique shops, art galleries, local restaurants and coffee shops. The city of Sonoma is a perfect start for any wine-tasting adventure, as the Buena Vista Winery here was the states first winery, founded in 1857. Other ways to embrace being out in the wild include mountain biking, fishing, and rock climbing on Suicide Rock and Tahquitz Rock, the intimidating monolith that comes into view long before you exit the highway. This pocket of paradise, once run by Hollywood-star-turned-Mayor Clint Eastwood (1986-88), along the Central Coast ranks as one of the best beach towns in the United States. A 2,500 square-foot deck wraps the entire length of the lodge, offering a perfect perch for not only watching sunsets but also the stars at night. Its no wonder why Trips to Discover also picked Murphys the queen of the Sierra as one of the best small towns in California to visit. Many mountain ranges have ski towns focused only on one time of year. But locals argue about which other mountain pass boasts the best scenery. Some of the ground was so rich that the claims were limited to 16 square feet per man! Karen and Mike Riddles version of this ideal retreat sits on Silver Lakea sapphire blue lake where you can swim, or rent a kayak and paddle out to the lakes Treasure Island. The historic Presidio Neighborhood provides a peek into some of the states oldest homes. Day 2: From Bridgeport, State 108 runs west to climb steep switchbacks past thick stands of aspens and craggy volcanic outcroppings to the 9,624-foot Sonora Pass. Your next hometown could be one of these 25 Best Places to Live. A short drive away is all the hiking youll ever need: Easy treks include the 1-mile trail to Granite Lake. Equally true: Its impossible to know the California Sierra Nevada. Most of the Cedarville wines are sold out of . This tiny town tucked into the Sierra foothills of Calaveras County, just 18 miles north of Sonora, offers visitors a wide range of things to see and do, making the short side-trip up Highway 4 well worth the effort. At Lakeshore Resorts marina, Olympic gold medalists rub elbows with Girl Scouts in Sunfishes. Max Whittaker for The New York Times. Unlike many areas of The Golden State, summer does not last year-round in Nevada City. Check out our survey results below for the scoop on the oft lesser-known, little gems in The Golden State. There are also several great museums and art galleries to explore. Mokelumne Hill Mokelumne Hill was one of the richest sites in California. The 5 Best Hikes in Muir Woods National Monument, 15 Beautiful Desert Towns in California for a Unique Getaway. Kirkwood Kirkwood is a small mountain town best visited during winter. Latest. Discover the beauty and history during your stay at a Gold Country bed and breakfast in the Sierra Foothills. Sierra Nevada National Park. Some might argue that a side effect of the areas popularity is that it feels less charming and more commercial. Tucked at the base of the eastern Sierra Nevada, this little mountain town offers you complete solitude. Normally at this elevation your Sierra foothills wildflower hike will include a mix of lupine, Indian paintbrush, poppies, purpleheads (a.k.a. Geology meets geometry in a massive rock formation of hexagonal columns formed by an ancient lava flow more than 100,000 years ago. It does not store any personal data. Truckee This charming mountain town is perfect for those who love outdoor activities. Family-friendly Activities Fun for All Ages Historic Towns, Eastern Sierra Lake Tahoe Western Sierra. For other places with the same name, see Sierra Nevada (disambiguation). Check out the best RV camping options in Gold Country. Baiocchi Wines 2013 Viognier (El Dorado); $30, 92 points. The charming mountain town of Auburn is also great for nature lovers, as there are so many great hikes in the vicinity, as the area is home to the Auburn State Recreation Area. The former gold rush town is now rich in local art, theater and foodie-delights, yet still lures travelers away from the city to escape into the humbling grandeur of the mountains and to swirl a pan in the Yuba River, one of the famed golden rivers where little sparkling nuggets can still be found today. In the summer, youre just steps away from fun. For a taste of a quintessential Southern Californian beach town, look no further than Laguna Beach. There are gorgeous mountain cabins to rent, and the downtown area of Truckee is full of great restaurants and bars to enjoy a California mountain getaway. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Back in town, enjoy people-watching in the central plaza along with the interesting juxtaposition of Victorian-era homes and the edgy cafes, shops and galleries that cater to students attending Humbolt State University. Best Lodging Sutter Creek Hanford House, Bed & Breakfast P.O. Ask for a la mode, then cruise downtown, where Main Street resembles a Western film set, with its pioneer-storefronts selling antiques, Native American handicrafts, local art and more. A vineyard barn in Healdsburg (Photo: ddedit via Flickr). Often called the "Sausalito of the foothills," Sutter Creek is just plain cute. The town of Bishop in the Eastern Sierras is a great base camp for all kinds of mountain adventures in the region. Thinking about making a move to the area? Here are a listing of 5 Sierra Foothills towns you should explore: 1. The Sierra Foothills are a great place to visit if you love spending time in nature. A 5-mile round-trip hike leads to Wapama Falls. Spooning Carlsbads southern border, Encinitas is one of the best beach towns in California, with miles of coveted coastline. In addition to the natural beauty you find in this part of the Sierra, what really makes it stand head and shoulders above the rest is its historic and vibrant downtown. AddThis sets this cookie to ensure that the updated count is seen when one shares a page and returns to it, before the share count cache is updated. In the summer, its elevation provides naturally air-conditioned air yet low enough to provide mild winters. The mountain town of Sonora on the western edge of the Sierra foothills, north of Yosemite, is yet another interesting Gold Country town worth a visit. Home to the Fricot Nugget, a 13.8 POUND monster that was found in the American River in 1864. You might think you know the Sierras inside-out, but many of the mountains best sights are waiting for you to discover them. Which is why you shouldnt drive just one. And not a stop light or fast food joint in sight. california gold country. In summer you can slip in a raft and bob down the Merced River. Shimbu Rebel Sushi and Music. Sonoma Plaza(Photo: Sonoma County Tourism, www.sonomacounty.com). Netflix calls this town home, too. sacramento river. The charming town of Burney is a great base for Northern California mountain adventures! These cookies will be stored in your browser. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Living in the Sierra Nevada Foothills For the tens of thousands of folks who live in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the region is the best of many worlds: a great climate (usually above the Central Valley winter fogs and below the snows of the high Sierra), relatively inexpensive cost of living, spectacular scenery, and easy driving distance to the mountains and seashore. At 7 miles long by 1 mile wide, Huntington is a great Western lake ideal for sailboat racing. ), wild clematis and others. - Information about El Dorada County Area - El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce. Yet the The American Riviera has a flavor of its own, with cooler evenings and characteristic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The Old Mission Santa Ins is another piece of history that has survived centuries of cultural shifts and remains active in the community today. About 400 granite steps ascend 6,725-foot Moro Rocklike Half Dome without the cables and the long hike. AddThis sets this geolocation cookie to help understand the location of users who share the information. It also is home to a botanical garden and it has easy access to Mt. That 60s surf culture remains very much alive today. The Beach Boys hit Surfin USA even gives a shout out to the now legendary surf spot Swamis. Even the trails of Mt. 14. And yet Bishop is a town that embraces its past. Yosemites other great valley, flooded to create Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the early 1900s. The Northern California mountain town of Mt. The laid-back Cali vibe reigns here too, replete with chill sidewalk cafes, meditation gardens and yoga studios where you can get your zen on. Sierra Foothills Escape to Rustic California Living Live in California's historic Gold Country in the rustic Sierra Nevada Foothills where the towns are picturesque and rich with history. Indian paintbrush carpets the hillsides on sections of this Sierra Foothills wildflower hike. The county is situated on the eastern side of the Sacramento Valley, extending from the Sacramento River, on its western border, east into the foothills and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is the Sierra Foothills' best kept secret. Dunsmuir is a charming mountain town located in the Trinity Mountains of Northern California. Bodega casablanca. Beyond the waves and the white sandy beaches and bluffs, the Flower Capital of the World is home to the San Diego Botanic Garden, where the green-thumbed can meander through the largest bamboo grove and largest interactive childrens garden in the country while snapping shots of thousands of plants from across the globe. Surrounding area in El Dorado County include: Placerville, Cameron Park, Auburn, North Auburn, Folsom, South Lake Tahoe, Orangevale, Rocklin, Citrus Heights, Roseville, Fair Oaks, Lincoln, Rancho Cordova, El Dorado Hills and Foothill Farms. Dont miss the House and Senate groups as the paved trail loops for two miles with giant trees all around. This popular swimming hole welcomes visitors who want to escape the summer heat in the Sierra foothills. Up and down the coast along PCH, youll pass through beach town after beach town, each with its own personality. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. Includes Cities/Towns: Columbia, Groveland, Jamestown, Sonora, Twain Harte. For those with a hankering for more history, a guided walking tour (which includes the home of the famed physicist Albert Michelson, the first American Nobel Prize winner) runs every Saturday morning from the Old Timers Museum on Main Street. Not all of the park is completely discovered and busy. You too may be inspired like Otis Redding, who wrote (Sittin on) the Dock of the Bay on a houseboat here, to lose track of time, watching the tide roll away., A peak into Sausalitos unique houseboat communities (Photo: Miwok via Flickr). Soak up more gorgeous ocean views from the San Clemente Beach Trail that runs alongside an Amtrak railway. The town is known for its unparalleled access to outdoor adventures like redwood gazing, whitewater rafting, cave exploration, and waterfall hikes. Swimming is on offer here too, and you can rent tubes and pontoon boats for more leisurely floating. Shopping and dining in the European-style village is equally luxurious, offering a mix of high-end brands and boutiques along stone-paved streets in buildings with adorably curly-cued roofs. 8. Christmas Traditions In The High Sierra From the foothills to the highest peaks, this is your chance to explore the . A fun way to tour the area, especially for families, is a ride on the horse-drawn trolley. Located just 14 miles from the Southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, Bass Lake is a beautiful lake getaway in the mountains of California. However, it's kept its small town charm. Victorian homes dot the area, and residents love their picturesque hiking trails and biking trails. 25 Most Amazing Ancient Ruins of the World. Part of the drama of Mineral King, a small town gem in the California Sierra Nevada is in getting there. U.S. 395s viewpoint at 7,864 feet shows you Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierraand a guardrail festooned with bumper stickers from around the world. Sightseeing trolley through downtown Ojai (Photo: Gaszton Gal Photography via Ojaivisitors.com). YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. The southernmost Golden nugget of the Gold Rush towns. See more of Alexs work at https://localfreshies.com. And there you have it, yet another charming Californian oasis that has tempted many a big city visitor to convert to small-town living. You can hike amongst these beauties along trails traversing the 575-acre Arcata Community Forest. 21 Best Luxury . Here are a listing of 5 Sierra Foothills towns you should explore: 1. Youll also find the Wawona Covered Bridge and the Swinging Bridge, as well as the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. Burney is best-known for being the closest town to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, which is home to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in California. This cookie is installed by Google Universal Analytics to restrain request rate and thus limit the collection of data on high traffic sites. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Why Should You Go? And dont forget the explosion of wildflowers each season on the Hite Cove Trail. Spooning Carlsbad's southern border, Encinitas is one of the best beach towns in California, with miles of coveted coastline. Those 700 turns? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Of course, theres more to do here than swirl a glass. Julian is also a great place for stargazing in California, with some of the darkest skies and a great observatory/inn to stay at and check out the night sky from your secluded mountain oasis. Visit the Railroad Museum, go leaf-peeping in the fall, go climbing, explore nearby hot springs, or explore the magnificent bristlecone pine forest, home to some of the most ancient trees on planet Earth! The quaint downtown area is worth a day (or few) of wandering. The city is named after the Spanish Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa that was founded in 1772 and still draws visitors to explore its characteristically short and narrow naves. . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Over 400 films, including those by mega-stars like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Johnny Depp and Mel Gibson, have been filmed here since the 1920s. One good option is to spend a few days in two different places . For others, its about getting inspired. Once you exit 80 at Foresthill / Auburn Ravine . Shops on State Street (Photo: Mark Weber, courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara), A fun way to get to this charming city-escape, while simultaneously experiencing some remarkable views, is to take the 30-minute ferry ride from Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco. In the winter, get your fix of powder skiing at Kirkwood Mountain Resort or just enjoy some serenity on a pair of cross-country skis in Hope Valley. More outdoor exploration awaits at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary; a paradise for birders. With 5 lakes in Mammoth Lakes itself and over a hundred in the immediate area, a beautiful hike is never far away. Or push yourself to the limit with a road biking adventure to the top of Monitor Pass. When sommelier Guy Tucker moved to the Sierra Foothills, a vast region in the northeastern part of California where the Sierra Nevadas peter out into the Central . Californias abundance of warm, sunny days is perfect for the beach and also for producing luscious, full-bodied wines. The Sierra Foothills are also know for an abundance of vineyards and wineries. Check out Hotels.com to find the best hotel deals, from cheap to luxury & more! Set in a valley fringed by the Topatopa Mountains, Ojai is a cute low altitude mountain town in Southern California. There are many good bases for hiking around the Sierra Nevada. Amidst the oak and pine forests of the Cuyamaca Mountains, northeast of San Diego, find yourself transported back to the gold rush that lured early settlers to California in the 1800s. Facebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. This cookie is used by Facebook to control its functionalities, collect language settings and share pages. Come in the spring to see all the apple blossoms, or in fall to pick your own apples. Known best as an overlook/picnic area along the McCloud River Three Falls Hike, Upper Falls offers a quieter, . This pretty English village straddles the slow-moving River Eye, crossed by two small footbridges. There is the BEST civic park in the world-Bidwell Park, along the river which runs through the center of town. Vintage-cover posters, coffee mugs, jigsaw puzzles, tote bags, and more. Where you should stay depends on the season, which walks you want to do, whether you prefer a big town or a small village, what other activities you want to do and, of course, prices and availability. Every location has its own unique allure, features, and scenery. World-renowned surf spots here T-street, Trestles, Church and San Onofre draw and produce top surf talent. The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The __gads cookie, set by Google, is stored under DoubleClick domain and tracks the number of times users see an advert, measures the success of the campaign and calculates its revenue. San Clemente is the surfers paradise of Orange County; an area of former farmland turned affluent urban sprawl brought into the spotlight by The OCtelevision series. Grab sandwiches to-go and picnic at Yee Tok Chee Park, Via Del Mar Plaza or Rodeo Beach, with its picturesque off-shore rock formations. For a break from imbibing, explore the enticing eateries and shops in the Sonoma Plaza, a National Historical Landmark surrounded by historic buildings like the Mission San Francisco Solano, the last of the missions to be built in California, and the nearby Sonoma Barracks, an adobe building once used by the Mexican military. Stroll through North Grovethe first stand of giant sequoias visited by nonNative Americans. Three Rivers Population: 2,182 A gateway to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, Three Rivers is nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Sierra Nevada. This makes it the most isolated of the towns mentioned in this article. 25 Most Mysterious Monuments on Earth. It is in Fair Play, a tiny town in El Dorado County. So whatever you find in Ojai will be unique. Not to be missed is a chance to peer up at the giant sequoia groves at the nearby Calaveras Big Trees State Park, which has drawn folks into the wild since the early 1850s (a very, very long time ago by Californian standards!).