Landmark · 39 min southwest
Morro Rock and Embarcadero
Sea-level volcanic plug beside a harbor with sea otters and kayak rentals.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Day Trippin' › California › From Paso Robles
Day trips from Paso Robles
From Paso Robles, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is under 40 minutes away, Hearst Castle under an hour and a half, and Solvang under two hours. The best day trips from Paso Robles, by drive time.
128 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Paso Robles
- Morro Rock and Embarcadero 39 min southwest
- Pismo Beach Pier and Monarch Grove 39 min south
- Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes 1 hr south
- Hearst Castle 1 hr 17 min west
- Solvang 1 hr 32 min southeast
- Pinnacles National Park 1 hr 34 min northwest
- McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 1 hr 43 min northwest
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 2 hr 13 min northwest
- Winchester Mystery House 2 hr 33 min northwest
- Six Flags Magic Mountain 2 hr 42 min southeast
Within an hour from Paso Robles 16 spots
Beach · 39 min south
Pismo Beach Pier and Monarch Grove
Classic beach town with a pier, clam chowder and winter monarchs.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; monarchs Nov-Feb
- Free
Hike · 1 hr south
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes
Huge coastal dune system with trails and wildlife near Guadalupe.
- 2-4 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 31 min south
Downtown San Luis Obispo and Bubblegum Alley
Walkable college town with a farmers market and a funky chewed gum alley.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; market Thursday evenings
- Free
Wildlife · 55 min west
Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery
Hundreds of elephant seals rest on the beach next to Highway 1.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round; peak Dec-Mar and spring
- Free
Winery · 39 min south
Edna Valley Wine Country
Cool-climate vineyards just outside San Luis Obispo with tasting rooms.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 30 min south
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Active mission in the middle of downtown San Luis Obispo.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Landmark · 32 min south
Madonna Inn
Eye-popping pink roadside inn, with a famous bakery.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to visit
1 to 2 hours from Paso Robles 42 spots
State park · 1 hr 17 min west
Hearst Castle
Grand hilltop mansion with tours of the pools and gardens along the coast.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round; tours need reservations
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 1 hr 32 min southeast
Solvang
Danish-style village with bakeries, windmills and shops in the Santa Ynez Valley.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
National park · 1 hr 34 min northwest
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
Waterfall · 1 hr 43 min northwest
McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Short walk to an overlook of an ocean waterfall dropping onto a beach.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 1 hr 33 min southeast
Santa Barbara Mission
Large, elegant mission church often called the Queen of the Missions.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Aquarium · 1 hr 55 min northwest
Monterey Bay Aquarium
World-famous aquarium with kelp forest, jellyfish and sea otters, right on the water.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 1 hr 7 min south
Montana de Oro State Park
Rugged coast with tide pools, dunes and bluff trails.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Beach · 1 hr 48 min northwest
Fort Ord Dunes State Park
Wide dunes and a long, quiet beach with a paved bike trail along the bay.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
2 to 3 hours from Paso Robles 70 spots
Theme park · 2 hr 13 min northwest
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
Landmark · 2 hr 33 min northwest
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
Theme park · 2 hr 42 min southeast
Six Flags Magic Mountain
A big park known for roller coasters, in Valencia.
- Full day · Easy
- Open select days; check calendar
- See the official site for current fees
Observatory · 2 hr 54 min northwest
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
State park · 2 hr 1 min northwest
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Rocky coves, sea otters, harbor seals and cypress groves, often called the crown jewel of state parks.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Viewpoint · 2 hr 11 min northwest
Bixby Creek Bridge
Photo stop for the tall arched bridge on Highway 1 in Big Sur.
- 30 min · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Hike · 2 hr 3 min northwest
Garrapata State Park
Wildflower bluffs and a short trail to a quiet beach, just south of Carmel on Highway 1.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round; best in spring
- Free
Family fun · 2 hr 13 min northwest
Mystery Spot Santa Cruz
A quirky roadside attraction where the ground seems to bend gravity and height.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 93446 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.