THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Nate Cavalieri,Sara Benson, Alison Bing, Beth Kohn, John A Vlahides

RedwoodsCoast &

(p393)the Sierra Nevada

Yosemite &

Wine Country (p155)Napa & Sonoma

(p208)

North

(p298)Central Valley

Gold Country &

(p351)Lake Tahoe

the Bay AreaMarin County &

(p104)Coast

Central

(p449)

(p52)San Francisco

(p262)MountainsNorthern

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings

and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z ................. 554Transportation ............... 563Index ................................ 573Map Legend .................... 582

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

GETTING THERE & AWAY Getting to Northern Califor-nia by air or overland by bus, car or train is easy, although it’s not always cheap. Flights, tours and train tickets can be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com/bookings.

Entering the Region

ornia’s importance gricultural state is

the sprawling Central Valley.

, expect ols. To

sts

curreTranspoAdministra289-9673; www.t

Currently, TSA rthat all carry-on liqugels be stored in 3oz smaller bottles placed a quart-sized clear plastzip-top bag. Exceptions, which must be declared tocheckpoint security o cerinclude medications.

All checked luggage is screened for explosives. TSAmay open your suitcase for visual con rmation, break-ing the lock if necessary. Leave your bags unlocked or use a TSA-approved lock

Travel Sentry (www.travelsentry.org).

Airports Northern California’s hasseveral international airSan Francisco Intertional Airport (SFO;flysfo.com) Northerfornia’s major husouth of downFrancisco Blikely poiintern

Transportation

PAGE

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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Look out for these icons:

o Our author’s recommendation S A green or

sustainable option F No payment required

SAN FRANCISCO . . . . 52

MARIN COUNTY & THE BAY AREA. . . . . . . . . . 104MARIN COUNTY . . . . . . . . . 105Marin Headlands . . . . . . . . 105Sausalito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Tiburon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Mill Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Sir Francis Drake Blvd & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116San Rafael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Mt Tamalpais State Park . . 118Muir Woods National Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119The Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120EAST BAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Oakland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Berkeley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Mt Diablo State Park . . . . . 143John Muir National Historic Site . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Vallejo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143THE PENINSULA . . . . . . . . 144San Jose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Half Moon Bay . . . . . . . . . . 151

NAPA & SONOMA WINE COUNTRY . . . . 155Napa Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159Napa Valley Wineries . . . . . 159Napa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Yountville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Oakville & Rutherford . . . . 170St Helena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171Calistoga & Around . . . . . . 173

SONOMA VALLEY . . . . . . . . 178Sonoma Valley Wineries . . 178Sonoma & Around . . . . . . .180Glen Ellen & Around. . . . . . 187Jack London State Historic Park . . . . . . 189RUSSIAN RIVER AREA . . . . 189Russian River Area Wineries . . . . . . . . . . . 189Sebastopol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193Occidental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Guerneville & Around . . . . 197Santa Rosa . . . . . . . . . . . . .201Healdsburg . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

NORTH COAST & REDWOODS . . . . . . . .208COASTAL HIGHWAY 1. . . . . 209Bodega Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211Gualala & Anchor Bay . . . . 216Mendocino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Fort Bragg . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225ALONG HIGHWAY 101 . . . . 229Clear Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229Anderson Valley . . . . . . . . .232Ukiah & Around . . . . . . . . .233Willits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236SOUTHERN REDWOOD COAST . . . . . . . 238Leggett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238Garberville . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240Lost Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241Humboldt Redwoods State Park & Avenue of the Giants . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243Ferndale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge . . . . . . . . . .246Eureka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247Arcata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250NORTHERN REDWOOD COAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253Patrick’s Point State Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255Humboldt Lagoons State Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256Redwood National & State Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . .256Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257Klamath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park . . . .258Crescent City . . . . . . . . . . .259Tolowa Dunes State Park & Lake Earl Wildlife Area . .260Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

NORTHERN MOUNTAINS . . . . . . .262REDDING & AROUND . . . . 263Shasta Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . .267MT LASSEN & AROUND . . 268Lassen Volcanic National Park . . . . . . . . . . .269Lassen National Forest . . .272Lake Almanor Area . . . . . . .272Susanville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274Eagle Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275Quincy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275Bucks Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

MT SHASTA & AROUND . . 278Dunsmuir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284McCloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park . . . . 289Lava Beds National Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges . . . . . . . . 290WEST OF I-5. . . . . . . . . . . . . 291Weaverville . . . . . . . . . . . . .292Scott Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . .295Yreka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

GOLD COUNTRY & CENTRAL VALLEY . .298NEVADA COUNTY & NORTHERN GOLD COUNTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Auburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Auburn State Recreation Area . . . . . . . . .301Nevada City . . . . . . . . . . . . 304EL DORADO & AMADOR COUNTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park . . . . . .310Placerville . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310Placerville Wineries . . . . . . 312Amador County Wine Region . . . . . . . . . . . . 312Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315CALAVERAS COUNTY & SOUTH GOLD COUNTRY. . 316Angels Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . 316Murphys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317Sonora & Jamestown . . . . 319

SACRAMENTO VALLEY . . . 322Sacramento . . . . . . . . . . . . .322Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY . . . 339Lodi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339Stockton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340Merced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342Fresno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343Bakersfield . . . . . . . . . . . . 346Kern River Area . . . . . . . . . 349

LAKE TAHOE . . . . . . . 351Tahoe Ski, Snowboard & Snowshoe Areas . . . . . . . . .353South Lake Tahoe & Stateline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358Western Shore . . . . . . . . . .370Tahoe City . . . . . . . . . . . . . .373Squaw Valley . . . . . . . . . . . .376Truckee & Donner Lake . . . 377Northern Shore . . . . . . . . . 381Eastern Shore . . . . . . . . . . 383

YOSEMITE & THE SIERRA NEVADA . . . .393YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . . . 396YOSEMITE GATEWAYS . . . 410SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414EASTERN SIERRA . . . . . . . . 424Mono Lake Area . . . . . . . . .425Mammoth Lakes. . . . . . . . .432Bishop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438Big Pine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440

Manzanar National Historic Site . . . . . . . . . . . 442Lone Pine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442RENO (NEVADA) . . . . . . . . 443

CENTRAL COAST . . .449ALONG HIGHWAY 1 . . . . . . 451Santa Cruz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451Around Santa Cruz . . . . . .459Monterey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460Pacific Grove . . . . . . . . . . . 469Carmel-by-the-Sea. . . . . . .470Big Sur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473Point Piedras Blancas . . . . 481Hearst Castle . . . . . . . . . . . 481San Simeon . . . . . . . . . . . . 482Cambria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483Cayucos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484Morro Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485Montaña de Oro State Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487ALONG HIGHWAY 101 . . . . 488Salinas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489Pinnacles National Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491Mission San Antonio de Padua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491San Miguel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .492Paso Robles . . . . . . . . . . . . .492San Luis Obispo . . . . . . . . 494La Purísima Mission State Historic Park . . . . . 504Santa Barbara Wine Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504Santa Barbara . . . . . . . . . . 509Channel Islands National Park . . . . . . . . . . . 518

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John A Vlahides Napa & Sonoma Wine Country John A Vlahides co-hosts the TV series Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled, screening on National Geographic Channels International. John studied cooking in Paris, with the same chefs who trained Julia Child, and is a former luxury-hotel concierge and member of Les Clefs d’Or, the international union of the world’s elite concierges. He lives in San Francisco, where he sings tenor with the San Francisco Symphony, and spends free time

skiing the Sierra Nevada. For more, see johnvlahides.com and @JohnVlahides on Twitter.Read more about John at:

lonelyplanet.com/members/johnvlahides

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Nate Cavalieri Coordinating Author, North Coast & Redwoods, Northern Mountains, Gold Country & Central Valley, A Taste of Northern California A native of central Michigan, Nate Cavalieri lives in Northern California and has crisscrossed the region’s back roads by bicycle, bus and rental car on a quest for the biggest trees, the best camping and the hoppiest pints of beer. In addition to authoring guides on California and Latin America for Lonely Planet, he writes about music

and professional cycling. He’s the Jazz Editor at Rhapsody Music Service. Photos from his travels in Northern California and other writing can be found at www.natecavalieri.com.

Sara Benson Central Coast, Lake Tahoe After graduating from college, Sara jumped on a plane to California with just one suitcase and $100 in her pocket. She has bounced around the Golden State ever since, especially between San Franciso and Los Angeles, and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where she has worked as a national park ranger. The author of over 40 travel and nonfi ction books, Sara has also contributed to Lonely Planet’s USA and Coastal California guides. Follow more of her adventures

online at www.indietraveler.blogspot.com, www.indietraveler.net and @indie_traveler on Twitter.

Alison Bing San Francisco Author, arts commentator and adventurous eater, Alison Bing was adopted by California 16 years ago. By now she has done everything you’re supposed to do here and a few things you’re defi nitely not, including talking up Los Angeles bands in San Francisco bars and falling in love on the 7 Haight bus. Alison holds a graduate degree in international diplomacy, which she regularly undermines with opinionated commentary on public radio and in magazines,

newspapers and more than 20 books.

Beth Kohn Marin County & the Bay Area, Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada A lucky long-time resident of San Francisco, Beth lives to be playing outside or splashing in big puddles of water. For this guide, she hiked and bicycled Bay Area byways, lugged a bear canister along the John Muir Trail and selfl essly soaked in hot springs – for research purposes, of course. An author of Lonely Planet’s Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Mexico guides, you can

see more of her work at www.bethkohn.com.

Read more about Nate at:lonelyplanet.com/members/natecavalieri

Read more about Sara at:lonelyplanet.com/members/sara_benson

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9831st edition – April 2012ISBN 978 1 74220 590 8© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

OVERPAGE

MORE WRITERS

Itiner-aries

Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to connect with other travelers.

Sonoma

Napa

Calistoga

San Francisco

MarinHeadlands

Muir WoodsNational Monument

Point ReyesNationalSeashore

BodegaBay

Occidental

RussianRiver Valley

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Five Days to One WeekSan Francisco, Marin County & Wine Country

With its hills and streetcars, ocean views and vibrant counterculture, San Francisco is an instant charmer. Wander though the alleyways of Chinatown and past Beat-poet hangouts in North Beach. Take in boldly colored murals and amazing cheap eats in the Mission District, or Golden Gate Park, where manicured gardens and

museums now decorate the trippy epicenter of 1967’s Summer of Love. Cross the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands, where you can hike

cliff s above the Pacifi c and catch the ferry back to the city. Or keep going north, where the region’s natural beauty delivers a one-two punch with towering redwoods in Muir Woods National Monument and the wildly beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore.

Beyond Bodega Bay country roads wind through Occidental and Russian River Valley vineyards. Truck east across Hwy 101 to soak in the thermal waters of Calistoga, then head south to meander around the nation’s most renowned Wine Country, pausing for a meal in chic Napa or its darling country cousin Sonoma before looping back to San Francisco.

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» (above) Neptune Pool, Hearst Castle (p 481 ) » (left) Enjoying the view at Yosemite National Park (p 396 )

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One WeekUp the Coast

The serpentine two-lane stretch of Hwy 1 between Santa Barbara and the Oregon border is among Northern California’s most epic escapes, off ering cute two-stoplight towns, dramatic cliff s, migrating whales and majestic redwood groves.

Begin tracing the edge of the continent in Santa Barbara, pause for a laid-back lunch in the college town of San Luis Obispo before touring the stately Hearst Castle National Historic Monument. North of the castle is one of America’s most famous drives, along the Big Sur coast. There’s lots of photo ops, so take things slow, being sure to mug for a picture at the Bixby Bridge. Now, choose your adventure: either the best aquarium in the west at Monterey or a classic, bone-rattling roller coaster on the boardwalk at Santa Cruz. Perhaps both.

You’ve fi nally reached San Francisco, the thrilling urban centerpiece of the trip. When you’re ready to get out of town, continue north to Point Reyes National Seashore or the Sonoma Coast State Beach for a day picnicking by the tide pools and scanning the waters for migrating whales. This is where the coast gets truly wild, with wind-swept bluff s and white-knuckle driving. When you break from the road, you can rough it under redwoods at a campground in Gualala or choose the plush option, beside a crackling fi re at bed and breakfasts near Point Arena.

Over the next few days, make your way north slowly, stopping for at least a day enjoy-ing the boutiques and organic fi ne dining at the stunning seaside village of Mendocino. Those with more time to kill can hike a bit on the Lost Coast before heading inland for the region’s best short drive, the Avenue of the Giants.

From there, travelers are treated to one amazing grove of monstrous trees after another, beginning with Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which has the greatest concentration of old-growth trees in the world. Pass through the adorable towns of the far north, like the Victorian village of Ferndale and the wild-at-heart, weed-growing hub of Arcata, before returning to the patchwork groves of Redwood National and State Parks.

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PLAN YO

UR TRIP ITIN

ERA

RIES

ARIZONA

NEVADA

Leggett

Arcata

San Francisco

Mt Whitney

Sequoia &Kings CanyonNational Parks

Mt Shasta

Marin CountyNapaValley

SonomaValleyRussian River

Valley

Anderson ValleyMendocino

HumboldtRedwoodsState Park

Eureka WeavervilleLassen VolcanicNational Park

YosemiteNational

Park

Lake Tahoe

IDAHOOREGON

UTAH

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PACIFICOCEAN

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Two to Three WeeksNorthern California Classics

Kick off with a dose of big-city culture in San Francisco, sitting proudly on its often foggy bay. Bite into inspiring California cooking at the Ferry Building market, then hop a boat over to infamous Alcatraz prison, aka ‘The Rock.’ For panoramic bay views, it’s all aboard a cable car before getting lost in verdant Golden Gate Park.

Head north over the arched Golden Gate Bridge into outdoorsy Marin County. Cali-fornia’s most famous grapes grow nearby in the rustic Russian River Valley, burgeoning Sonoma Valley and chichi Napa Valley. Detour west through the boondocks of the hidden Anderson Valley, jumping on Hwy 1 north to Mendocino, a postcard-perfect Victorian oceanfront town.

Work your way north to rejoin Hwy 101 at Leggett, where your magical mystery tour of the Redwood Coast really begins. In Humboldt Redwoods State Park encounter some of the tallest trees on earth along the Avenue of the Giants. Relax in harborfront Eureka, with its candy-colored Victorian architecture, or its far more funky, radical northern neighbor, Arcata.

Turn east on Hwy 299 for a long, supremely scenic trip through Gold Rush–era Weav-erville, skirting around the lake-studded Trinity Alps. Head north on I-5 to Mt Shasta. Pay your respects to this majestic mountain, then cut southeast on Hwy 89 to unearthly Lassen Volcanic National Park, a hellishly beautiful world in the volcanic Cascade Range.

Keep trucking southeast on Hwy 89 to Lake Tahoe, a four-seasons outdoor playground and mountain resort. Roll down the Eastern Sierra’s Hwy 395, taking the back-door route via high-country Tioga Rd (closed in winter and spring) into Yosemite National Park. Gape at waterfalls tumbling over soaring granite cliff s.

This whirlwind tour of Northern California ends in befi ttingly oversized style. Take the scenic drive down Hwy 395, with short detours to the highest and lowest places in the contiguous US: Mt Whitney and Death Valley, respectively. Finally, end at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, where visitors wander among groves of giant sequoias, the world’s biggest trees.

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