For the latest on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) click here
Ken Lund/Flickr
Highway 140
Highway 140
Farmlands, premium foothill wines, and historic charm
Follow Highway 140 from Merced through rich Central Valley farmlands on your way to the wineries of the Sierra Foothill appellation. Sample the region’s rich, chocolate-y Zinfandels before continuing to the authentic Gold Rush town of Mariposa.
Stroll past 19th-century buildings, including the 1854 courthouse (still in use) and see a nearly 14-pound hunk of crystalline gold at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum. For a more contemporary side of Mariposa, Savoury’s Restaurant serves pastas and grilled specialties in a stylish dining room. Or sample local wines and California craft beers at The Alley.
Beyond Mariposa, Highway 140 runs along the wild and scenic Merced River before reaching El Portal on the Yosemite boundary. Stay in rooms overlooking the Merced’s tumbling waters at Yosemite View Lodge, or at the Arts and Crafts-style Yosemite Blue Butterfly along the riverfront.
Thomas H. Story/ Sunset Publishing
Northern California
Northern California
Discover the High Sierra
Snow-covered peaks in winter, gushing waterfalls in spring, wildflower meadows and glistening lakes in summer, vibrant colours in fall—this is a land of dramatic and wild beauty. World-class mountain resorts circling turquoise-blue Lake Tahoe, and at Mammoth Lakes cater to all, with scenic ski trails in winter and trails and vistas in summer.
Yosemite Valley…is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and gold and wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space.” --photographer Ansel Adams
Yosemite National Park, a World Heritage Site, is here, roughly 3½ hours east of San Francisco. Whether you hike a mountain, ski the steeps, or lounge in a hot tub beneath a canopy of stars, you’ll find your perfect getaway.
![Highway 140 IMG_3821[1]](https://www.visitcalifornia.com/sites/visitcalifornia.com/files/styles/welcome_image/public/IMG_3821%5B1%5D.jpg)
At 14,505 ft. above sea level, Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States.
Colby Brown
Spotlight: Yosemite National Park
Unforgettable Beauty, Plunging Waterfalls
Famous for its plunging waterfalls and massive granite faces, this unparalleled parkland, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984...
Enter Yosemite Valley to travel back in time to Christmas Past
Enter Yosemite Valley to travel back in time to Christmas Past. Heraldic horns sound throughout Yosemite National Park's elegant ...
Lani Spicer
SPECIAL FEATURE
Family-friendly resorts, snowy escapes
High Sierra peaks, deep drifts on a Mammoth volcano, family-friendly resorts, snowy escapes on the edge of Yosemite and more—California has enough alpine destinations to keep any skier or boarder...
SPECIAL FEATURE
Relax after a day on the slopes
Kicking back after you kick off your boots is a snow-country tradition, and there’s plenty of post-slopes fun at California’s top alpine resorts. Have a beer or warm up with an Irish coffee, dance...
Jeff Enegerbretson
SPECIAL FEATURE
Find whitewater rafting fun for all—from newbies to nerves-of-steel experts
Think of a river, and chances are you’ve got your own daydream. Maybe you want to float on inner tubes, or maybe your style is to careen through raucous rapids in an eight-person inflatable raft....
Groveb/Getty Images
Alex Farnum
Spotlight: Lake Tahoe
Majestic Peaks, Bucket-List Essential
Blue as a topaz and circled by majestic peaks, this High Sierra gem straddling the California-Nevada border is a bucket list essential....
Rebecca Garrett
Spotlight: Mammoth Lakes
Snowy winters, wildflower summers
Surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the west, folks in this laid-back mountain town know they’ve got a good thing going. It’s a land...
Room/Getty Images
Lone Pine
Discover the natural beauty and another side of California in a historic Owens Valley small town
Head to Lone Pine to see a different side of California—one that is less connected to...
As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface, I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords.
July - August
With a pine-and-peak alpine setting and a relaxed and friendly ambiance, this appealing event in Bear Valley, roughly halfway between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, includes performances by outstanding musical artists. Launched in 1967, the festival features a full symphony orchestra, international soloists, and legendary entertainers at pretty outdoor venues. Classical works, opera, Broadway show tunes, and opening weekend acts of contemporary and country music are offered, with past guest artists ranging from the Mamas and the Papas, to Big Bad Voodoo Daddies.
Steve Calderaro
Spotlight: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Deep Canyons, Roaring Rivers
Famous for their giant sequoias, soaring mountains, deep canyons and roaring rivers, this tandem set of parks have plenty to see, even...
Kodiak Greenwood
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve
Visit bizarre formations, cinder cones, and a super-salty lake
There are few places in California—and maybe on the planet—that can make you think you might just be on Mars. This is one of them. At this high-...
Kodiak Greenwood
Bodie
Tour the eerie remnants of a former boomtown
There's something eerily appropriate about bumping down the dusty desert road that winds the final few miles into Bodie State Historic Park. Round...
Courtesy of DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite
Room/Getty Images
Lone Pine
Discover the natural beauty and another side of California in a historic Owens Valley small town
Head to Lone Pine to see a different side of California—one that is less connected to...
Danita Delimont/Alamy
Spotlight: Pacific Crest Trail
How to hike (a part of) the spectacular trail in California
The Pacific Crest Trail extends for a whopping 2,650 miles from Mexico to...
Bishop
Explore an outdoorsy adventure town with an artistic side
Bishop brims with outdoor activities. Situated at the north end of the Owens Valley, with close access to some...
USOC/NBC Olympics
California Questionnaire: Jamie Anderson
The first-ever Olympic slopestyle gold medalist is a proud product of Lake Tahoe
Jamie Anderson has already won gold in South Korea and the 2018 Winter Games haven't even begun yet. At the official Olympic ...
Marc Moritsch/Getty Images
THINGS TO DO IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Eight must-see sites at California's iconic park in the Sierra Nevada mountains
Known for its plunging waterfalls, giant sequoia trees, sheer granite cliffs, and more, you could easily spend weeks exploring Yosemite...
Vacationland
5 Amazing Things to do Near Calaveras Big Trees State Park
The Gold Country area has rich prospecting history, cool outdoor adventures, and great wine
Lucas Himovitz
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Look up at (and learn about) amazing giant sequoias
Established in 1931 to preserve a stunning stand of giant sequoias, this park offers one of the easiest places to see these towering trees. Head 4...
Discover the North Coast
World-renowned State Highway 1 cruises along 650 miles of the California coast from Orange County north toward the Mendocino Coast. At its northern terminus, this...
Spotlight: Anaheim
Though it was originally settled by Bavarian vintners in the 1850s, Anaheim (combining the word 'Ana', for the Santa Ana River, with 'heim', the German word for home), now...
Spotlight: Santa Barbara
In the heart of this beautiful coastal city, stroll among beautiful plantings featuring native and drought-tolerant species. Relax in a serene gazebo, look...