Located just 14 miles from the Southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, Bass Lake is a beautiful lake getaway in the mountains of California. Live Oak is a wonderful, quiet residential community. Lovely mums for sale at a San Luis Obispo farmers market (Photo: San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 9 Best Mountain Towns In California High Sierra To Visit Any Time Of Year Many mountain ranges have ski towns focused only on one time of year but that's not the case in the High Sierra. In town, scour antique shops for treasures and tap your toes to live jazz playing in the town square. 14. This community in Napa County is all about the wine. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Whatever you do, be sure to leave some time to explore all the new dining options available in Markleeville. Once there, you can pick from two beautiful campsitesopt for the North Grove site, which sits in an alpine meadow. Why not combine them both into one! Day 1: From Arnold, drive State 4 to Bear Valley. Not too far from the cozy town of Angels Camp is a quaint cabin that some of the GREATEST literature of the American West was written, by the likes of Bret Harte & Mark Twain. Another draw to the area, besides the leisurely shopping downtown, is hiking in the Marin Headlands and amongst the towering redwoods in the Muir Woods. Many gold-seekers visit Downieville and other locations in Sierra County for gold panning but also river sluicing, dry washing, and metal detecting. 10 Best Places to Visit in Southern California. Clear, blue, and still a classic: Tahoe is a sparkling gem in the California Sierra Nevada. Soak up more gorgeous ocean views from the San Clemente Beach Trail that runs alongside an Amtrak railway. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Sip on wines grown within the county or enjoy a frosty pint brewed locally. The park lends access to historic mining sites, gold panning opportunities, and numerous hiking trails that navigate the verdant river canyon. Dont miss the House and Senate groups as the paved trail loops for two miles with giant trees all around. Discover the beauty and history during your stay at a Gold Country bed and breakfast in the Sierra Foothills. These lovely towns are sure to fit whatever youre looking for! Pack up a picnic and head to a park, wander along the Art and Farm Trails, kayak down the Russian River or hike the Ridge Trail for majestic mountain views. So it goes, day after day, whether youre camping or staying at one of the rustic resorts like Huntington Lake Resort or Lakeview Cottages, where cabins lie steps from the water. This pretty English village straddles the slow-moving River Eye, crossed by two small footbridges. Groveland Theres something for everyone here, so be sure to check out all of these amazing towns! Making four crossings within South Yuba River State Park, Highway 49 explores California's Gold Country and historic mining . Sightseeing trolley through downtown Ojai (Photo: Gaszton Gal Photography via Ojaivisitors.com). Or push yourself to the limit with a road biking adventure to the top of Monitor Pass. English EnglishGermanSpanishFrenchChinese (Simplified) Menu Explore Regions Lake Tahoe Western Sierra Eastern Sierra Southern Sierra Close Trip Ideas Native American Information Getting Here Contact Us Itineraries Itineraries Go boating or fishing out on the water, or head to Mariposa Grove in Yosemite to walk among towering giant sequoias just 30 minutes away! Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 2. 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. Or traverse the city and beyond by way of the Ojai Valley Trail. To see the terrain immortalized in Ansel Adams photographs in person is humbling. Shasta as well. Surrounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains and in the San Jose foothills, the town of Los Gatos may have gotten a lot bigger. 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!). That 60s surf culture remains very much alive today. Craft beer fans can sample the countys growing micro-brew scene at Pizza Port, a local brewer with crave-worthy pizza and a bounty of other celebrated local brews to boot. Its also home to the annual frog jumping jubilee & is one of the most picturesque downtowns your eyes will ever see. 3. 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. Here are some of the Sierras top hits and best-kept secrets, wonders waiting to be explored. Dining in the Sierra Foothills wine country In Sutter Creek Cavana's Pub & Grub 36 Main Street Sutter Creek, 209-267-5507 Elements Restaurant - Breakfast only - Best 61 Hanford Street Phone: 209-267-0747 Hotel . In our opinion, there are two very cool reasons to stop in Auburn. June Lake is another favorite California mountain destination all year round, offering something unique in each season. Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The road to the Pico de Veleta is an enchanting trip into the glorious mountain world of the Sierra Nevada. A requisite for being in the Sierra is enjoying the outdoors. This post guides you through all the best mountain towns in California. When the penniless writer brought his bride to St. Helena, they squatted in an abandoned shack on the mountain, a tale you can learn more about at his eponymous museum in town. Scenery thats unreal. The Route to Pico de Veleta. 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. Couple that with hot springs, thousands of acres of wilderness to explore (Yosemite, Ansel Adams, & John Muir Wilderness areas), and events like the Bluesapalooza & you cant go wrong. American Fire Now 1,200 Acres, Covering Parts Of Sierra Foothills In Smoke. 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. While youre at it, Bodie is a nearby spooky ghost town-turned-park worth the visit. The Beach Boys hit "Surfin' USA" even gives a shout out to the now legendary surf spot Swami's. 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. The departure point for a horse packing trip, McGee pack station sits at 7,600 feet. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. A fishermens dream. At 14,494 feet, its the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. West of the summit, Kennedy Meadows Resort has hamburgers and horseback rides. Vintage-cover posters, coffee mugs, jigsaw puzzles, tote bags, and more. Nevada City At Lakeshore Resorts marina, Olympic gold medalists rub elbows with Girl Scouts in Sunfishes. The quaint downtown area is worth a day (or few) of wandering. Wikimedia/ Sanfranman59. And it doesnt take any mountain climbing expertise or technical climbing equipment (at least not from mid-July to early October) to tackle the 22-mile round-trip trail to the summitjust lots of stamina. A deep yellow-gold color and rich aromas of fig, marzipan and pear indicate this will be a concentrated, full-bodied wine, which it is . The characteristically warm weather makes the state beach a popular attraction year-round, perfect for riding waves, building sand castles, running along the hard-packed shore or boardwalk, and relaxing with the sound track of crashing waves in the background. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Sierra Nevada National Park. A few miles past Silver City Mountain Resort, the only non-camping option along the way, the road rounds the last of its nearly 700 turns then dead-ends at Mineral King Valley. 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. And yet Bishop is a town that embraces its past. 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. Much of Bridgeports Main Street is vintage 1880, from the old brick general store to the stately white Mono County Courthouse, built to serve the silver and gold mines that sprang up nearby. Where to stay. No approach to the Sierra is unimpressive, but if you want to be hit over the head with the magnitude of the range, the eastern side is your best bet. Before you know it, Mineral King Road is leading you on a succession of twists and blind corners with drop-offs above a seemingly bottomless canyon. She has traveled to 60 countries before the age of 30 while running several digital travel publications. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Location : Downieville CA 95936. Spooning Carlsbads southern border, Encinitas is one of the best beach towns in California, with miles of coveted coastline. Truckee This charming mountain town is perfect for those who love outdoor activities. Though it's a reservoir, it still has the heart of a natural lake. It's home to several great museums, a delicious cidery called Indigeny Reserve, beautiful hiking trails, and an excellent downtown shopping scene. Prefer less people? In the end, youll come home reenergized and inspired to make something as everlasting as Bret Harte & Mark Twain themselves. Auburn This city is located in the heart of Placer County and is known for its charming downtown area. The park's dramatically eroded landscape is a remnant of the world's largest hydraulic mine, where water cannons were used to wash away whole mountainsides in. We have them! This historic city is full of charm, from its quaint downtown area to its picturesque Victorian homes. Indigenous roots here, though, reach back thousands of years, when the Chumash people inhabited the land. Best Lodging Sutter Creek Hanford House, Bed & Breakfast P.O. A sure highlight, though, are the unique house boat communities, where the floating homes range from upscale to creatively revamped to how is that still floating? vessels dating back to World War II. Founded in 1911, this small Danish village set in the Santa Ynez Valley is the epitome of charming, in the European sense. The Sierra Foothills AVA (established in 1987) is an American Viticultural Area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California in the United States. At over twelve acres in size, youll have more than enough room to build a snowman, go tubing, or anything else you can imagine. AUBURN, CA. Just beyond, Lake Alpine Resort serves up a hearty trout-and-eggs breakfast, and rents kayaks. Check WineCountryGetaways.com and see which wineries are the best to visit in the Sierra Foothills. Which is why you shouldnt drive just one. World-renowned surf spots here T-street, Trestles, Church and San Onofre draw and produce top surf talent. Victorian Christmas in Charming Nevada City (Photo: Nevada City Chamber). 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. Equally true: Its impossible to know the California Sierra Nevada. Wikimedia/ Bobak Ha'Eri. This serene setting is rich with the cultural influences of its Native American, Portuguese, Spanish and Mexican history. Downtown Truckee is also full of cute shops and restaurants. Each of the 20 coves, linked beneath dramatic cliffs, has its perks. Its no wonder this small city was once the Hollywood of the silent-cinema era and continues to attract film and photo shoots. Your email address will not be published. Here are a listing of 5 Sierra Foothills towns you should explore: 1. Placerville Another charming gold rush town, Placerville is definitely worth a visit. Our New Newsletter Will Help, A Montecito House with an English Garden Vibe Gets a Modern Facelift, The New Cult Cabs Are from Wineries Youve Never Heard Of. 21 Beautiful Places to Discover in California's Sierra Nevada, Peter Fish, Ann Marie Brown, and Matthew Jaffe, Photo by jerici cat (on Flickr Creative Commons), Photo by Kenny Karst / DNC Parks & Resort at Yosemite, Photo by puliarf (on Flickr Creative Commons), Photo courtesy of Facebook fan Suzanne Gladkoff Stephen, The Happiest Place to Live in the U.S. Is This California City, Want a Garden That Saves Water? Chains are legally banned here, a loyalty to local that also purposefully preserves its community-oriented, eco-minded charm. Every year, about 4 million people visit Yosemite National Park alone, more than a million ski Mammoth, almost 3 million visit Lake Tahoe. This California Historic Landmark, with its vine-draped stone walls, launched long before the area became a wine production mecca. You can hike amongst these beauties along trails traversing the 575-acre Arcata Community Forest. folsom lake. Fittingly, the region is . Rugged mountains and awe-inspiring canyons in the area's national parks and forests are truly part of the United States' national . 5/9 Bass Lake If your family likes to kayak, swim, water ski or wakeboard, you'll hit the jackpot at Bass Lake, just half an hour south of Yosemite in the Sierra National Forest. The town of Oakhurst is the perfect place to setup your basecamp not just for Yosemite but the treasure trove of adventure to be had in the foothills of the Sierra. The town of Idyllwild is another wonderful mountain escape in California! Gourmet food and wine shops provide the goods for a memorable picnic in Devendorf Park or any of the 60 courtyards within the one-square mile village (where, fun fact, youll need a permit to wear heels higher than two inches). You wont be disappointed. Darling Solvang (Photo: Prayitno via Flickr). The beating heart of Sonomas neighbor, Napa Valley, St. Helena has been nicknamed Napas Main Street. 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. Skip to header Skip to header; Skip to search Skip to search; . For a town of its small size, Nevada City offers more than youd expect, with great boutiques, a wide variety of restaurants, and little artisanal ice cream and chocolate shops. Sonoma Plaza(Photo: Sonoma County Tourism, www.sonomacounty.com). Cookies containing your personal data may be used for personalized and non-personalized advertising to you. In the winter, youre located mere minutes from an assortment of ski resorts like Palisades Tahoe, Homewood Resort, and Granlibakken Ski & Sled Hill. And there you have it, yet another charming Californian oasis that has tempted many a big city visitor to convert to small-town living. Stroll the main thoroughfare and pick up a gift for a friend or family. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Indian paintbrush carpets the hillsides on sections of this Sierra Foothills wildflower hike. About 400 granite steps ascend 6,725-foot Moro Rocklike Half Dome without the cables and the long hike. Nearby charmers like Monterey and Big Sur are a short, breathtaking drive away. More than 10 years ago, Barbara Zierten and her husband retired to a small town in California's scenic "gold country," in the Sierra Nevada foothills . Moreover, our partners, such as Google Adsense, will collect data and use cookies for ad personalization and measurement. | Privacy Policy | French Website.