Historic site · 46 min north
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
Day Trippin' › California › From Stockton
Day trips from Stockton
From Stockton, Old Sacramento is under an hour away, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom under an hour and a half, and California Academy of Sciences under an hour and a half. The best day trips from Stockton, by drive time.
207 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Stockton
- Old Sacramento State Historic Park 46 min north
- Sutter Creek 53 min northeast
- Great Valley Grasslands State Park 1 hr southeast
- Six Flags Discovery Kingdom 1 hr 12 min west
- Winchester Mystery House 1 hr 17 min southwest
- Columbia State Historic Park 1 hr 18 min east
- California Academy of Sciences 1 hr 28 min west
- Alcatraz Island 2 hr 7 min west
- Pinnacles National Park 2 hr 17 min south
- Point Reyes Lighthouse 2 hr 33 min west
Within an hour from Stockton 10 spots
Town · 53 min northeast
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 southeast
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
Park · 58 min north
American River Parkway
About 23 miles of riverside greenway through Sacramento with a paved bike trail, river access and fall salmon runs.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free (some access points charge Sacramento County parking fees)
Historic site · 47 min north
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park
A rebuilt 1840s adobe fort that was the end of the trail for many overland pioneers, including Donner Party survivors.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Historic site · 58 min northeast
Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park
A huge flat marble outcrop pitted with more than a thousand Miwok grinding holes, with a rebuilt roundhouse village and a museum.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- California State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Museum · 33 min southeast
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
Landmark · 47 min north
California State Capitol
A domed 1874 Capitol with restored historic offices and free tours, in a large tree-filled park.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
1 to 2 hours from Stockton 105 spots
Theme park · 1 hr 12 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
Landmark · 1 hr 17 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
Historic site · 1 hr 18 min east
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
Museum · 1 hr 28 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 · 1 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)
State park · 1 hr 35 min east
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)
Observatory · 1 hr 37 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
Hike · 1 hr 44 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
2 to 3 hours from Stockton 89 spots
Island · 2 hr 7 min west
Alcatraz Island
Ferry to the old island prison with an audio tour and big city views.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round when ferry is running
- See the official site for current fees
National park · 2 hr 17 min south
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 33 min west
Point Reyes Lighthouse
A historic lighthouse at the end of a long peninsula road with steep stairs and winter whale watching.
- 2-3 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round; open Thursday to Monday (confirm before you go); whale season Dec to Apr
- See the official site for current fees
Aquarium · 2 hr 18 min south
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
Island · 2 hr 24 min west
Angel Island State Park
Ferry to a bay island with a loop road, hiking, bike rentals and old military sites.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round; reduced ferry in winter (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 2 hr 24 min south
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 26 min east
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
Landmark · 2 hr 27 min east
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
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 95202 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.