Here is an excellent list of road trip ideas within a four-hour drive of San Francisco. You will need to get an early start if you plan a day trip. Consider staying at least one night to explore these destinations fully.
New Brighton State Beach Camping
Travel time 2 hours, 77 miles. Whether you wish to visit the park for a day or spend a weekend or week camping there, New Brighton Beach State Park is a rewarding destination less than a two-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sacramento Explore History
Travel Time 2 hours 90 miles. A visit to Sacramento is a perfect destination for those interested in California’s history. Check out old-town Sacramento, take a free tour of the State Capitol, or take a relaxing cruise along the Sacramentoarmento River.
Safari West Wildlife Tours
Travel Time 2.5 hours 76 miles. Safari West African Wildlife Tours guests can take a three-hour tour led by an experienced guide. You climb aboard a Safari truck and head out onto the bumpy roads of the Preserve. This trip lets you take an African safari without the danger of being charged by wild animals.
Apple Hill Orchards
Travel Time 2.5 hours 90 miles. Although open year-round, the Apple Hill Growers Association, located in Camino, Placerville, and Pollock Pines, California, is best visited in early October or November. Apple picking is at its best, and the changing colors of the fall leaves make the entire experience even more memorable.
San Juan Bautista State Park
Travel Time 2.5 hours 100 miles. Along with the San Juan Bautista Mission. The park has four leading historical museums: Plaza Hotel, Zannetta House, The Plaza Stables, and the Castro-Breen Adobe. Additionally, you can see the historic jail, a blacksmith shop, and an early American settler’s cabin.
Salt Point State Park
Travel time 2.5 hours 100 miles. There are plenty of picturesque spots perfect for picnic lunches; the most popular may be Fisk Mill Cove. There are easy-access paved parking, picnic tables, barbecues, drinking water, and bathrooms on site. Beautiful Bishop Pines provide shade in the summer and a measure of shelter from the strong winds that sometimes blow through Salt Point.
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Travel time 3 hours, 107 miles. Fort Ross State Historic Park must have been a bustling place. In the mid-1880s. Today, however, it’s pretty sublime but just as beautiful, as the fort itself is quite an exciting and well-kept timeless reminder of early Russian immigration into the United States.
Monterey Bay California
Travel time 2.5 hours 120 miles. Heralded as one of the top tourist destinations in the state, Monterey Bay is a well-polished gem along with one of the most unspoiled sections of California’s Coastline. It offers visitors a feeling unique from California’s larger northern cities.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Travel time 2.5 hours 122 miles. Carmel boasts mild weather all year round, making it the perfect destination at any time. Since it is nestled on the water, make sure to bring a jacket, as this Monterey County town has a cool breeze from the ocean.
Pinnacles National Park
Travel time 3 hours, 124 miles. Pinnacles National Park is the nation’s newest national park. It is most often visited during spring and fall because of the abundance of wildflowers and the intense heat during the summer months.
Point Arena Lighthouse
Travel time 3.5 hours, 145 miles. The lovely Point Arena lighthouse is located at the end of a small peninsula. For over 100 years, the tower has protected sailors from the rough shoreline and rocky outcroppings along this part of the Pacific Coast.
Bryan Preserve
Travel time 3.5 hours 152 miles. Bryan Preserve, located at Point Arena in Southern Mendocino County, is a wildlife preserve with two kinds of zebra species and several antelope species. If you want to make a weekend trip out of it, the Preserve has two guest cottages and a fully-furnished carriage house on site.
Fort Hunter Liggett
Travel time 3.5 Hours 174 miles. Fort Hunter Liggett is located about 25 miles southwest of King City, CA. Surrounded by national forests, mountains, and valleys, Salinas is to the north, and San Luis Obispo County is to the south. This San Francisco road trip destination can be accessed from Highway 101 in King City or Highway 1 from the south.
Reno Nevada
Travel time 3.5 Hours, 220 miles. When one thinks of Reno, Nevada, the first thing that usually comes to mind is gambling. And while that is a big part of Reno’s overall appeal, visitors could miss out. From historical spots to water sports to mountain trails and performing arts, there are many things to see and do in and around Reno.
Avenue of the Giants
Time 4 Hours 220 miles. Humboldt Redwoods State Park features the most towering redwood trees along the Avenue of the Giants. Including the world’s ten tallest trees, the fallen Dyerville Giant, and one of the last remaining drive-thru redwood trees — the Shrine Drive-Thru Tree.