Wildlife · 30 min west
Great Valley Grasslands State Park
A rare tract of native grassland near San Luis Reservoir with birds and wildflowers.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Best Mar-May
- See the official site for current fees
Day Trippin' › California › From Merced
Day trips from Merced
From Merced, Castle Air Museum is about 15 minutes away, Tunnel View under two hours, and Lick Observatory under two hours. The best day trips from Merced, by drive time.
190 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Merced
- Great Valley Grasslands State Park 30 min west
- California State Mining and Mineral Museum 44 min east
- Forestiere Underground Gardens 45 min southeast
- Columbia State Historic Park 1 hr 21 min north
- El Capitan Meadow 1 hr 34 min northeast
- Lick Observatory 1 hr 49 min west
- Old Sacramento State Historic Park 1 hr 51 min northwest
- Pinnacles National Park 2 hr 2 min southwest
- Winchester Mystery House 2 hr 3 min west
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park 2 hr 5 min north
Within an hour from Merced 9 spots
Museum · 44 min east
California State Mining and Mineral Museum
A big mineral and gold collection in Mariposa, including a large piece of gold in quartz.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Hours vary; check before going (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Garden · 45 min southeast
Forestiere Underground Gardens
A handmade underground garden with courtyards and tunnels dug by one man. Reservations are a good idea.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Seasonal; closed winter, reopens spring (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Food town · 53 min southeast
Tower District
A lively Fresno neighborhood with restaurants, theaters and shops.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Small town · 42 min northeast
Mariposa
The gateway to Yosemite, with old Gold Rush buildings, the county courthouse and cafes.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Zoo · 52 min southeast
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
A friendly zoo with African savanna, Asian elephants and a kids' play area.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Museum · 42 min northwest
McHenry Mansion
A historic Victorian house in Modesto with guided tours.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Limited days (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Garden · 58 min southeast
Woodward Park
A large Fresno park with a Japanese garden and trails along the San Joaquin River bluff.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
1 to 2 hours from Merced 58 spots
Historic site · 1 hr 21 min north
Columbia State Historic Park
A whole Gold Rush town kept as it was, with stagecoach rides, gold panning, old saloons and costumed shopkeepers.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Observatory · 1 hr 49 min west
Lick Observatory
Historic hilltop telescopes above San Jose with a long winding road and big views.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Grounds open daily; visitor center hours limited (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 1 hr 51 min northwest
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
A riverfront district of Gold Rush and railroad-era buildings with wooden sidewalks, under Tower Bridge.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Landmark · 1 hr 34 min northeast
El Capitan Meadow
Pull over and watch climbers on the granite face with binoculars. A flat walk by the Merced River.
- 30 min-1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Viewpoint · 1 hr 34 min northeast
Tunnel View
The classic first look at Yosemite Valley, with El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome in one frame. Pull off right on the way in.
- 30 min-1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Hike · 1 hr 38 min east
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Walk among huge sequoias including the Grizzly Giant. A shuttle or short hike runs from the welcome plaza.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Shuttle usually runs spring-Nov; check
- See the official site for current fees
Waterfall · 1 hr 42 min northeast
Yosemite Falls
The tallest waterfall in the park, with an easy paved walk to the base of the lower fall. Spring flow is biggest; it can run dry by late summer.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; best Apr-Jun
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 1 hr 10 min southeast
Kingsburg
A Swedish-themed town with painted buildings and cafes.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
2 to 3 hours from Merced 121 spots
National park · 2 hr 2 min southwest
Pinnacles National Park
Spires and talus caves from an ancient volcano, plus condors and good hiking trails.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; best Oct-May
- See the official site for current fees
Landmark · 2 hr 3 min west
Winchester Mystery House
A huge odd mansion in San Jose with stairs to nowhere and doors that open to walls.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 2 hr 5 min north
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Giant sequoias in the North Grove on an easy, mostly flat loop, where the big trees first became famous in the 1850s.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (best May to October)
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Theme park · 2 hr 6 min west
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Classic seaside amusement park with a wooden coaster, arcade and a wide beach next door.
- Half day · Easy
- Open daily in summer; limited days in winter (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Theme park · 2 hr 10 min northwest
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Roller coasters, a water park and live animal shows in one park in Vallejo.
- Full day · Easy
- Check calendar; fall and winter events on select days (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Museum · 2 hr 14 min west
California Academy of Sciences
An aquarium, planetarium, rainforest dome and living roof all under one roof in Golden Gate Park.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 2 hr 29 min north
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
The place in Coloma where the 1848 gold find set off the Gold Rush, with a replica sawmill, a museum and gold panning on the American River.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Hike · 2 hr 30 min west
Muir Woods National Monument
Easy paths through old coast redwoods in a quiet canyon just north of the city.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; best on weekdays
- See the official site for current fees
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 95340 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.