Photo: Dbecker52, CC BY-SA 4.0
Family fun · 43 min southeast
Mooney Grove Park
A county park near Visalia with a lake, oaks, an old museum and shaded picnic spots.
- 2-3 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Day Trippin' › California › From Fresno › Within 2 hours
Places within 2 hours of Fresno
46 places are worth the drive within 2 hours of Fresno, counted by road time from ZIP 93721: 5 under 1 hour and 41 1 to 2 hours.
The mix leans toward history, hikes and wildlife, mostly to the north and east. Two hours each way is the sweet spot for a day trip: you can leave after breakfast and be home for dinner.
The headline places are Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and General Sherman Tree, and the closest real day trip is Mooney Grove Park (43 min).
Under 1 hour from Fresno 5 places
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Kjkolb assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5
Lake · 44 min north
Millerton Lake State Recreation Area
A big lake with boating, camping and an old courthouse nearby.
- Half day
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Mychemicalromanceisrealemo, CC0
Hike · 48 min southeast
Kaweah Oaks Preserve
A small preserve of valley oak forest with easy trails near Visalia.
- 1-2 hrs
- Year-round
- Free
Photo: Guywelch2000, CC BY-SA 4.0
Small town · 51 min north
Oakhurst
The southern Yosemite gateway with shops, diners and a museum. A good stop before Bass Lake or Fish Camp.
- 1-2 hrs
- Year-round
- Free
Photo: MaryConverse, CC BY 3.0
Zoo · 56 min northwest
Applegate Park Zoo
A small, friendly zoo and park in Merced with train rides.
- 1-2 hrs
- Hours vary (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
1 to 2 hours from Fresno 41 places
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hike · 1 hr 14 min north
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
- Shuttle usually runs spring-Nov; check
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Guywelch2000, CC BY 4.0
Scenic drive · 1 hr 21 min east
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
A dramatic drive into one of the deepest canyons in the US.
- Full day
- Usually open late spring-fall
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Landmark · 1 hr 39 min east
General Sherman Tree
The largest tree on Earth by volume, reached by a short paved trail.
- 1-2 hrs
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0
Viewpoint · 1 hr 44 min north
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
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Waterfall · 1 hr 58 min north
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
- Year-round; best Apr-Jun
- See the official site for current fees
Photo: Bobtalbot61, Public domain
Family fun · 1 hr 4 min north
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
A steam train ride through the pines near Fish Camp, in the style of an old logging line.
- 1-2 hrs
- Seasonal; check train days (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
More 1 to 2 hours from Fresno, by type
- History
- Castle Air Museum (1 hr 3 min), Wawona Covered Bridge and Pioneer Yosemite History Center (1 hr 18 min), California State Mining and Mineral Museum (1 hr 20 min), McHenry Mansion (1 hr 32 min), Buck Owens Crystal Palace (1 hr 35 min), Hospital Rock (1 hr 36 min), Giant Forest Museum (1 hr 42 min), Tunnel Log (1 hr 46 min) and 3 more
- Hikes
- Grant Grove (1 hr 4 min), Boyden Cavern (1 hr 31 min), Tokopah Falls (1 hr 39 min), Moro Rock (1 hr 46 min), Zumwalt Meadow (1 hr 50 min), Cook's Meadow Loop (1 hr 55 min), Taft Point (1 hr 57 min), Mirror Lake (2 hr)
- Wildlife
- Great Valley Grasslands State Park (1 hr 20 min), Merced National Wildlife Refuge (1 hr 40 min), Kern National Wildlife Refuge (1 hr 51 min), Tule Elk State Natural Reserve (1 hr 56 min)
- Beaches & lakes
- Bass Lake (1 hr 2 min), Lake Kaweah (1 hr 4 min), Sentinel Beach (1 hr 53 min)
- Small towns
- Three Rivers (1 hr 14 min), Mariposa (1 hr 23 min)
- Food & wine
- Bakersfield Basque Food (1 hr 36 min), Paso Robles Wine Country (1 hr 54 min)
- Waterfalls
- Roaring River Falls (1 hr 47 min), Bridalveil Fall (1 hr 48 min)
- Scenic drives
- Highway 140 Merced River Canyon (1 hr 54 min), Mineral King (2 hr)
- Biking
- Kern River Parkway Trail (1 hr 35 min)
Questions about places within 2 hours of Fresno
What are the best places within 2 hours of Fresno?
Our picks, by drive time, include Mooney Grove Park (43 min), Millerton Lake State Recreation Area (44 min), Kaweah Oaks Preserve (48 min), Oakhurst (51 min) and Applegate Park Zoo (56 min). The full list on this page has 46 places, each with its drive time and direction from Fresno.
How many places are within 2 hours of Fresno?
46 places within 2 hours, 161 within 3 hours and 309 within 4 hours of Fresno, by road from ZIP 93721.
Are there free places within 2 hours of Fresno?
9 of the 46 places need no pass or fee, such as Three Rivers, Kaweah Oaks Preserve and Kern National Wildlife Refuge. Fees and passes change, so check each place before you go.
What can I do with kids within 2 hours of Fresno?
45 places are marked good for kids, including Mission San Juan Bautista, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and Boyden Cavern.
How are the drive times worked out?
They are by real roads on a typical day, from the middle of ZIP 93721 to each place (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Traffic, weather and closures can change them. Places under 25 minutes from the city center count as in town, not a day trip, so they are left out.
Can I see places within 2 hours of my own home?
Yes. Type your ZIP code into Day Trippin' and it shows everything by drive time. Your ZIP is used for that one search and is not saved.
Keep planning
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.