Small town · 38 min southeast
Groveland
A Gold Rush town on the road to Yosemite with saloons, a historic hotel and shops.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Day Trippin' › California › From Sonora
Day trips from Sonora
From Sonora, Railtown 1897 is about 15 minutes away, Calaveras Big Trees about an hour, and Tunnel View under two hours. The best day trips from Sonora, by drive time.
157 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Sonora
- Moaning Cavern 36 min northwest
- Groveland 38 min southeast
- Murphys 40 min northwest
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park 1 hr 6 min north
- El Capitan Meadow 1 hr 42 min southeast
- Tunnel View 1 hr 42 min southeast
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park 1 hr 54 min northwest
- Old Sacramento State Historic Park 2 hr 1 min northwest
- Winchester Mystery House 2 hr 22 min southwest
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom 2 hr 28 min west
Within an hour from Sonora 3 spots
Cave · 36 min northwest
Moaning Cavern
California's biggest public cave chamber, reached by a spiral staircase that drops 16 stories.
- 1-2 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Admission
Town · 40 min northwest
Murphys
A Gold Rush Main Street lined with tasting rooms and old stone buildings, a short drive from the caves and Big Trees.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Sonora 34 spots
State park · 1 hr 6 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)
Historic site · 1 hr 54 min northwest
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)
Landmark · 1 hr 42 min southeast
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 42 min southeast
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
Waterfall · 1 hr 50 min southeast
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
Town · 1 hr 11 min northwest
Sutter Creek
A small, well-kept Gold Rush town with balconied buildings, antique shops and wine tasting along Highway 49.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Wildlife · 1 hr 30 min southwest
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
Lake · 1 hr 41 min east
Hetch Hetchy
A quieter reservoir valley with big waterfalls and an easy trail across the dam to a tunnel and falls.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Gate opens by day; sunrise-sunset hours vary (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
2 to 3 hours from Sonora 118 spots
Historic site · 2 hr 1 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 · 2 hr 22 min southwest
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 28 min west
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
Historic site · 2 hr 31 min east
Bodie State Historic Park
A well-kept Gold Rush ghost town frozen in time, with homes, a church and a stamp mill.
- Half day · Easy
- Hours vary by season; winter access limited (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Museum · 2 hr 32 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
Observatory · 2 hr 32 min southwest
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 · 2 hr 46 min northwest
Empire Mine State Historic Park
One of California's richest hard-rock gold mines, with a stone owner's cottage, formal gardens and the old mine yard.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission (per person); trails free
Hike · 2 hr 49 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 95370 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.