7 Northern California Destinations for Your Summer Road Trip

With so much uncertainty in the world still, many people are opting for a summer road trip again this year. Luckily, Northern California offers so many options for summer family fun. Read on for 7 Northern California destinations for your summer road trip put together by family travel bloggers.

Sea Ranch (Sonoma County)

Our vacation to Sea Ranch was one of the most relaxing family vacations to date! Sea Ranch is actually a planned development from the 1960s with a focus to “live lightly on the land.” This translates into one-of-a-kind vacation rentals that blend into the stunning nature. It is located on 10 miles of coastline in Sonoma County. Most of the vacation homes blend into the rugged coastline and have incredible views of the ocean.

Our rental property had floor to ceiling windows in 90% of the house facing the ocean with a hot tub in a walled garden. Even though there are 1000 residents and 2,200 home rentals, you feel completely secluded with nature and we fully relaxed and enjoyed time with our kids.

There are lots of activities in Sea Ranch beyond your vacation rental! Five miles north is the Gualala which has some great small restaurants that we enjoyed including Upper Crust Pizzeria and Trinks Café. There is also Gualala Point Regional Park with the Bluff Trailhead, Sea Ranch Golf Course, and the unique Sea Ranch Chapel. And of course, the stunning Pacific Coast is at your feet with cliffs, beaches, and 50+ miles of trails. Truly a wonderful, unique family vacation spot!

Our rental was Seascape through Vacasa.

 Jennifer is a family travel blogger based outside Washington, DC. She is currently exploring DC with her kids and sharing hidden gems along the East Coast on Instagram @FamilyTripGuides or FamilyTripGuides.com

Emigrant Gap Camping

Every summer our family packs up and heads on a little road trip to go camping!  We love to camp at locations that are close to water!  We randomly found a fun little camping resort a couple years ago and we keep going back every year.  This hidden gem is called the Snowflower Resort which is located in Emigrant Gap, CA, just off I-80, headed east towards Donner Pass.  They offer comfortable campgrounds, cabins, or RV’s spots with plenty of activities for families.  Our favorite activities include hiking, campfires and all of the water activities that are offered on their private lake!  Our family loves to paddle board and kayak all around the lake while enjoying the sun and the beautiful views! 
A weekend away camping is something we all look forward to every year and we are excited to experience it again this year!  

Marc is from NORCALKIDS, Adventure Awaits (follow them on Instagram and use the hashtag #norcalkids).  His family of 6 enjoys sharing their adventures while exploring Northern California. 

Lassen National Park

At Lassen Volcanic National Park families can make their way through otherworldly landscapes of bubbling mud pots and steaming fumaroles, gape at plunging waterfalls, run through meadows of wildflowers, hike into the crater of a volcano, and splash in nearby lakes made from its lava flows. And that’s barely scratching the surface!  

This spectacular National Park gets a fraction of the visitors of other California gems like Yosemite and Death Valley, but it’s an ideal spot for family-friendly adventures. After exploring Bumpass Hell and other natural wonders off of the park’s Scenic Drive, get your Junior Ranger badges at the Loomis Museum and head to the fascinating, but less-visited, northeastern corner of the park. The Butte Lake area offers trails that will lead you past Fantastic Lava Beds, Painted Dunes, and up into Cinder Cone volcano. When you’re ready to rest, relax at the lakeside picnic area while the kids splash along the shore.  

Lassen doesn’t have the lodging options of many National Parks, but we like the rustic Camping Cabins at Manzanita Lake. Several cabins are located just 150 yards from the lake and you’ll enjoy the convenience of the Camper Store nearby.

Kristy from JJ & The Bug is all about finding new and fun ways to get outside as a family. If you’re curious to learn more about what Lassen has to offer, check out our Family-Friendly Guide to Lassen National Park here.

Redwood National Forest

When planning a trip to Northern California, you must visit the Redwood National and State Parks. These parks are home to some of the tallest trees in the world! You can actually find these amazing trees all the way from the Oregon border along to San Francisco, however there are a few special spots you must see. The northern most park is Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This park is one of the most natural in existence and contains very few trails. However, the old growth groves are filled with lush undergrowth and worth a visit to contrast with the redwood parks to the south.

Another popular park is the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park where you’ll find the Newton B Drury Scenic Drive and you might even get a glimpse of elk.

And lastly, you’ll move further south to Humboldt Redwoods State Park where you’ll find the famous Avenue of the Giants. This is a popular drive that will surround you in trees and offers some nice hiking opportunities.

Seeing the redwood trees in California up close is truly a unique adventure and something that everyone should do. If you’re looking for spots to stay, I recommend the Beachcomber Motel in Ft. Bragg or the Best Western Plus in Crescent City.

Kim Tate is the founder of Stuffed Suitcase, a travel blog that shares travel destination ideas and tips to help make traveling easier. You can also find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Mendocino

Mendocino is a great summertime destination in Northern California if you are traveling with your family. The small coastal town is located just off the Pacific Coast Highway, three hours north of San Francisco. Families will love the fact that it is away from the hustle and bustle, and boasts access to beautiful beaches, state parks, and outdoor fun. Families can kayak through sea caves in Van Damme State Park, rent a bike or canoe in Mendocino Headlands State Park, visit a museum downtown or hike Russian Gulch State Park. Those with smaller children may just enjoy wading through the section of the Big River that leads out into the Pacific Ocean . 

In terms of where to stay, the Cottages at Little River Cove offer families more space and a full kitchen, in addition to a great location with beautiful views. Downtown Mendocino has some delicious dining options and is also a nice place for a stroll around the headlands area during sunset. For a short day trip, families may want to head north to check out the lighthouse at Point Cabrillo State Park and then onto Fort Bragg and visit Glass Beach to collect unique sea glass. Mendocino makes for a great family vacation spot in Northern California and it is just a short road trip from San Francisco. 

Margie is the owner of DQ Family Travel and is on a quest to visit all 50 states and visit national park sites around the country. You can follow her family adventures on Instagram. 

Sonoma County Coast

Sick and tired of staring at the same four walls for the past year? Then it’s time for some intense nature therapy on the breezy Sonoma Coast. From Salt Point State Park in the north, to Bodega Bay in the south, this stretch of coastline is full of adventures for your family. If you want to extend your stay by a few more days then you can drive inland for less than an hour to the vacation wonderland that is the Russian River Resort Area. 

Whale Watching: The best places for whale watching are from Bodega Head in Bodega Bay, and from an easy hike on the Kortum Trail just north of Bodega Bay. You can also book a whale watching boat tour with Bodega Bay Sport Fishing. 

Tidepooling: Our favorite spots are Shell Beach at Sonoma Coast State Park, Stillwater Cove Regional Park, and Salt Point State Park. In addition to sea creatures you can find edible seaweed, called sea lettuce, especially at Stillwater Cove. Want to tack on a whale viewing hike? Pick up the Kortum Trail at Shell Beach.

Hiking: With bigger kids, you can up the activity level. For a a bit of forest bathing with stunning rhododendrons take a quick hike at Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve in May or June. Or how about a pygmy forest? Salt Point State Park is the place to go for that. For sweeping views from the coastal prairie take the Raptor Ridge Trail at Jenner Headlands Preserve or hike to Pomo Canyon from Shell Beach.

For the pure coastal experience you can stay at Timber Cove Resort. It was remodeled in 2016 with tasteful modern decor, with suites that have 2 rooms, so you can separate kids from adults and have a restful night’s sleep. If you will be extending your trip to also enjoy the Russian River resort area, then Lucky Bend Lookout is a Mid Century Modern family friendly vacation home with all the gear you will need for your little ones. You can literally jump into the river from the back yard and won’t need to leave the house for your entire stay.

Sarah is a Mom from San Francisco with a healthy Sonoma County obsession. She is the owner of Lucky Bend Lookout vacation rental and co-author of the Sonoma Family Adventures blog. Follow on instagram @luckybendlookout

Yosemite National Park

If California had a crown jewel, Yosemite National Park would definitely be a top contender. With immense beauty and tranquility, it offers so much to do and see for the whole family. Within the park, there are several options to camp, hike, climb and just explore nature but you can also do water activities on the Merced River. For those with younger children, some of the easier hikes like Mirror Lake, Bridalveil Fall and Lower Yosemite Fall.

To amplify your vacation, consider an accommodation that offers some addition entertainment and recreation. For those wanting to be close to the park, consider staying at Rush Creek Lodge. Spacious rooms will allow everyone to get a good night’s rest to save up energy for the heated salt water swimming pool, kid-sized zip line, lots of lawn games and nightly s’mores. If you want to stay a little farther away from the park, check out the Alpaca Ranch House where you can stay in a 2-bedroom house at a working alpaca farm. It is located a little under an hour away from Yosemite but you have the town of Mariposa just 15 minutes away and lots of options for local fun such as gold panning.