Victorian Christmas in Charming Nevada City (Photo: Nevada City Chamber). Julian, California is another mountain town in Southern California known for its apple orchards! Soak up more gorgeous ocean views from the San Clemente Beach Trail that runs alongside an Amtrak railway. Burney is best-known for being the closest town to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, which is home to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in California. Roseville is only 20 minutes away from Sacramento and is a short ride away from the nearby Sierra Nevada foothills and Folsom Lake. A short drive from either Los Angeles or San Diego, Idyllwild is a great place to play in the snow and stay in a charming cabin in winter or enjoy the hiking trails in summer. While you can surely visit both in one trip, it is impossible to visit every winery: there are over 400 in Sonoma County alone, ranging from rustic family-run wineries serving out of their homes (by appointment only), to fancy wine castles. Chances are that youve seen this unfold on screen. Nearby charmers like Monterey and Big Sur are a short, breathtaking drive away. Stroll the main thoroughfare and pick up a gift for a friend or family. One good option is to spend a few days in two different places . Located just 14 miles from the Southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, Bass Lake is a beautiful lake getaway in the mountains of California. Though mostly lacking the cobblestoned, antiquated aesthetic of Colonial towns on the opposite coast, California can also be charming in its own varied ways. These cookies will be stored in your browser. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Location : Downieville CA 95936. An epic photo-op spot along your trek through the Sierras. Step back in time to the logging days of the late 19th century and set off on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This designated historical landmark is about an hour's drive from Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National Forest - great for those who want to explore both natural neighborhoods. Lower Slaughter is home to one of Britain's most romantic streets, Copse Hill Road. Dont miss the House and Senate groups as the paved trail loops for two miles with giant trees all around. Then head down to Main Street and stop for a drink at Bar of America, located in a beautifully restored 19th century historic building. Go boating or fishing out on the water, or head to Mariposa Grove in Yosemite to walk among towering giant sequoias just 30 minutes away! In the summer, take a short stroll to see a waterfall in Grover Hot Springs State Park. 10 Best Places to Visit in Southern California. One of the best hot springs in the West, Travertine Hot Springs, mineral pools in an alkali-encrusted meadow just east of Bridgeport, isnt one of those placesits accessible. Book now. Yosemites other great valley, flooded to create Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the early 1900s. As an Airbnb Associate, I earn when you book through my links. The Sierra Nevadas define the interior, with many wonderful California mountain towns dotting the foothills and edges of the mountains, and smaller ranges in Southern California combine both beauty and accessibility. If so, then youll definitely want to check out the charming towns in the Sierra Foothills. The Route to Pico de Veleta. Numerous safe bike paths are a fitting addition to the laid-back, earth-friendly tone. Pretty much any time of year you can hop on a mountain bike and feast on more than 2,000 vertical feet of singletrack in Bass Lake. Our New Newsletter Will Help, A Montecito House with an English Garden Vibe Gets a Modern Facelift, The New Cult Cabs Are from Wineries Youve Never Heard Of. Lets just say the fun never stops it just evolves based on the time of year. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Below you will find a Sierra Foothills Northern California Map of the areas we write about. The town of Bishop in the Eastern Sierras is a great base camp for all kinds of mountain adventures in the region. AddThis sets this cookie to track page visits, sources of traffic and share counts. The faulted Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks are . Amongst the towering pines and situated at 4,000 feet above sea level, Twain-Harte provides a perfect basecamp to the High Sierra in any season. The 25-mile, nearly 7,000-foot climb starts innocently enough in Three Rivers, one of Sequoia National Park's gateway towns. Drive west from Redding and dip your toes in the warm, crystal-clear waters, enclosed by 36 miles of shoreline. There are plenty of great hiking and biking trails in the area, as well as several ski resorts nearby. TravelMag set out to find the most charming towns and small cities in California. This is but a glimpse as to why Bishop is one of the best mountain towns in California. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. My grandtwins live there, so I visit at least once a month. The lakeside mountain town of Big Bear Lake is a SoCal favorite in summer or winter! Before you know it, Mineral King Road is leading you on a succession of twists and blind corners with drop-offs above a seemingly bottomless canyon. Thick, hazy smoke from the American Fire can be seen billowing above the hills in the Tahoe National Forest, eventually . The Beach Boys hit "Surfin' USA" even gives a shout out to the now legendary surf spot Swami's. . Read my privacy policy and disclaimer here. What are some of the cities in the gold country in the foothills of northern California? Heading east, 4 curlicues up and over Ebbetts Passs 8,732-foot summit. Karen and Mike Riddles version of this ideal retreat sits on Silver Lakea sapphire blue lake where you can swim, or rent a kayak and paddle out to the lakes Treasure Island. Downieville is a small town off of the Yuba River, and it's one of the first sites where gold miners arrived in the 1800s. Vintage-cover posters, coffee mugs, jigsaw puzzles, tote bags, and more. The cabins in Big Bear are a great place for a mountain escape, and the town has tons of great bars, restaurants, and shops to enjoy no matter the weather. Grab sandwiches to-go and picnic at Yee Tok Chee Park, Via Del Mar Plaza or Rodeo Beach, with its picturesque off-shore rock formations. And in the winter, Truckee is home to great ski resorts such as Northstar and Palisades, making it the perfect ski trip destination! Its also close to the McCloud Waterfalls a short drive away. The High Sierra is very fortunate to offer an assortment of mountain towns featuring fun & adventure all year round. For example, set off on a pair of cross-country skis to get a taste of what Yosemite was like when Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir visited. Wine grapes were introduced to the area in the nineteenth century during the California Gold Rush. #1 Best Places to Live in Placer County Olympus Pointe Neighborhood in Roseville, CA 13 reviews Niche User: There are a few very isolated incidents, but this area is very safe and neighborhood watches are common.. Read 13 reviews A Overall Niche Grade A+ Public Schools Population 2,316 See more of Alexs work at https://localfreshies.com. Every year, about 4 million people visit Yosemite National Park alone, more than a million ski Mammoth, almost 3 million visit Lake Tahoe. Scenery thats unreal. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. As you can see, theres no wrong time to visit the Sierra Nevada. Over 400 films, including those by mega-stars like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Johnny Depp and Mel Gibson, have been filmed here since the 1920s. While California is better known for its beaches and coastal cities, people often forget just how much of the state is mountainous. But surrounding mountains remain gorgeous and uncrowded. AddThis sets this cookie to ensure that the updated count is seen when one shares a page and returns to it, before the share count cache is updated. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Shop and taste your way along State Street. Check out the best RV camping options in Gold Country. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". For some, going on vacation is to get away from it all. Set in a valley fringed by the Topatopa Mountains, Ojai is a cute low altitude mountain town in Southern California. It's near some of the best places for whitewater rafting in the western U.S., and you can go kayaking . The winery makes less than 3000 cases of wine a year. Enjoy the historic European-inspired half-timbered houses that were built when the town was settled by Danish immigrants. Another perk of the winter season is the Victorian Christmas Celebration, when the streets come to life with twinkling lights, Victorian singers and minstrels, roasted chestnuts, crafty vendors, horse-drawn carriages, a live nativity and a boon of holiday cheer. The Sierra Foothills AVA (established in 1987) is an American Viticultural Area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California in the United States. Lower Slaughter. The beautiful Southern California mountain town of Oak Glen is a beloved place to visit in the fall for apple-picking as well as in the winter for a spot of snow, if youre lucky! Septembers Secret Season boasts leaf peeping hikes, high-altitude training and races including the World Championship Spartan Race, locally-sourced menus, and the renowned Autumn Food & Wine Festival. Prefer less people? Also voted as one of the best small towns to visit in California by The Crazy Tourist, this passageway to the Pacific Northwest combines gorgeous coastline with cloud-kissing redwood forests. If speeds your goal, set cruise control and take I-80 over Donner Summit. If youre looking for a beautiful mountain getaway in California, theres no shortage of places to visit! I also wanted to distinguish between towns on the Western and Eastern sides of the Sierra Nevada range, because the range is all but impassable except for a few select routes, making them two extremely distinct regions when you consider how to get between them. A few miles past Silver City Mountain Resort, the only non-camping option along the way, the road rounds the last of its nearly 700 turns then dead-ends at Mineral King Valley. Dunsmuir is a charming mountain town located in the Trinity Mountains of Northern California. This popular swimming hole welcomes visitors who want to escape the summer heat in the Sierra foothills. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The city of Sonoma is a perfect start for any wine-tasting adventure, as the Buena Vista Winery here was the states first winery, founded in 1857. Just outside of Murphys, Courtwood Inn is a grand log lodge that sits on a five-acre hilltop with commanding views of the Sierra Foothills and unobstructed views of the skies overhead. Baiocchi Wines 2013 Viognier (El Dorado); $30, 92 points. Shops on State Street (Photo: Mark Weber, courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara), A fun way to get to this charming city-escape, while simultaneously experiencing some remarkable views, is to take the 30-minute ferry ride from Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco. Its also quite close to Hetch Hetchy for those looking to explore a quieter part of Yosemite, far away from the crowds of the Valley. The Beach Boys hit Surfin USA even gives a shout out to the now legendary surf spot Swamis. Amidst the oak and pine forests of the Cuyamaca Mountains, northeast of San Diego, find yourself transported back to the gold rush that lured early settlers to California in the 1800s. 10 Downieville. Best small towns to visit in California. If youre looking for amazing live music venues, Nevada City wins the prize for me. Healdsburg is one of the best towns in California to visit where you can taste a variety of local wines in a gorgeous setting. Beyond the waves and the white sandy beaches and bluffs, the Flower Capital of the World is home to the San Diego Botanic Garden, where the green-thumbed can meander through the largest bamboo grove and largest interactive childrens garden in the country while snapping shots of thousands of plants from across the globe. Get a glimpse of the stunning scenery to see and activities to do in the Sierra Nevada. Why not combine them both into one! Western Side: National Parks and Large Sequoias Vernal Falls The western side of the Sierra Nevada has 3 of the most famous national parks in all of California. John Muir called the park a rival to Yosemite, and you can see why when you find yourself hiking under the towering sequoias, admiring the unspoiled valley, and searching for falls. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. Julian is also a great place for stargazing in California, with some of the darkest skies and a great observatory/inn to stay at and check out the night sky from your secluded mountain oasis. Before you know it, Mineral King Road is leading you on a succession of twists and blind corners with drop-offs above a seemingly bottomless canyon. Capileira Clinging to the dramatic foothills of Mount Mulhacn, Capileira is the highest of a three-strong cluster of villages in the Poquira valley, on the Sierra Nevada 's southern edge. Schmitz 24 Brix Wines. Tahquitz Rock stands tall above the village of Idyllwild (Photo: Don Graham via Flickr). In summer you can slip in a raft and bob down the Merced River. Shimbu Rebel Sushi and Music. Start off with a dinner on top of a hilltop at the Cottonwood which provides you an overlooking view of downtown Truckee. Indian paintbrush carpets the hillsides on sections of this Sierra Foothills wildflower hike. Proper lake attire is flip-flops and a bathing suit, but come evening, when the scent of campfires and roasting smores wafts along the shore, its jacket weather until bedtime. While youre at it, Bodie is a nearby spooky ghost town-turned-park worth the visit. Dont believe us? Dining in the Sierra Foothills wine country In Sutter Creek Cavana's Pub & Grub 36 Main Street Sutter Creek, 209-267-5507 Elements Restaurant - Breakfast only - Best 61 Hanford Street Phone: 209-267-0747 Hotel . Here's 9 towns that prove our point. This is just a taste of the best mountain towns in California High Sierra. 27 Top Tourist Attractions in San Francisco. Mammoth Mountain covers over 3,500 acres and often boasts some of the deepest annual snowpack in the country. The town of Idyllwild is another wonderful mountain escape in California! South of San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara, like many of its neighboring coastal cities, boasts picturesque beaches along with an average of 300 days of sunshine. Its also a good base for visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lassen National Forest. Shopping and dining in the European-style village is equally luxurious, offering a mix of high-end brands and boutiques along stone-paved streets in buildings with adorably curly-cued roofs. More likely are the Hollywood images of its famed metropolises Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego coupled with dreamy thoughts of perpetually warm, sunny weather and palm-tree lined beach promenades. And every afternoon, colorful spinnakers fan out among the whitecaps. There are plenty of great shops and restaurants to check out, as well as historic buildings and a beautiful river spots to explore. Day 1: From Arnold, drive State 4 to Bear Valley. The beauty of this former rural farming town is that despite its growth, the small-town feel remains, which means you can enjoy tantalizing food and wine, sans the snootiness. Its a great place for shopping since chain stores are essentially banned in the town! Then theres Kit Carson Lodges parlor, which has knotty pine walls, a stone fireplace, and landscape paintings by local artists. Yet the The American Riviera has a flavor of its own, with cooler evenings and characteristic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. A deep yellow-gold color and rich aromas of fig, marzipan and pear indicate this will be a concentrated, full-bodied wine, which it is . We have them! Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You may have noticed that California boasts many wine regions, but the two that are the best known (for both their wines and their long-standing competition) are neighboring Sonoma and Napa Valley. There are several art galleries and live performance venues, as well as a lovely downtown area with a variety of shops and restaurants. Californias landscape is dramatic and ever-changing: a place where the highest peak and the lowest point in the Lower 48 are less than a hundred miles apart. No matter where you are, a mountain escape in California is never far from reach! At one time it boasted a population over 15,000 which was quite high for the time. Truckees mountain cuisine is just as elevated as its elevation. This California Historic Landmark, with its vine-draped stone walls, launched long before the area became a wine production mecca. Terramar Point at Carlsbad State Beach (Photo: Brett Shoaf Artistic Visuals). Inn at Eagle Mountain 3.5-star. Redding Is One of the Best Places to Live in Northern California . USA , Sierra Foothills. Due to its location, you can enjoy pleasant weather in the winter and do things like rock climbing or hiking and still see snow-covered peaks from a distance. Surrounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains and in the San Jose foothills, the town of Los Gatos may have gotten a lot bigger. Just beyond, Lake Alpine Resort serves up a hearty trout-and-eggs breakfast, and rents kayaks. The road to the Pico de Veleta is an enchanting trip into the glorious mountain world of the Sierra Nevada. Making four crossings within South Yuba River State Park, Highway 49 explores California's Gold Country and historic mining . Many mountain ranges have ski towns focused only on one time of year. And dont forget the explosion of wildflowers each season on the Hite Cove Trail. The beautiful town of Mammoth Lakes is a wonderful all-season California mountain town. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website. South Yuba River State Park is parceled along the South Yuba River north of Sacramento, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Spooning Carlsbad's southern border, Encinitas is one of the best beach towns in California, with miles of coveted coastline. The city is named after the Spanish Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa that was founded in 1772 and still draws visitors to explore its characteristically short and narrow naves. The High Sierra includes world renowned destinations, including Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Mammoth Lakes, and much more. The Sierra Foothills, which run from the eastern edge of the Central Valley to the crest of the Sierra Nevada, were once home to a booming gold rush industry. At 7 miles long by 1 mile wide, Huntington is a great Western lake ideal for sailboat racing. A fishermens dream. The beating heart of Sonomas neighbor, Napa Valley, St. Helena has been nicknamed Napas Main Street. Groveland Auburn This city is located in the heart of Placer County and is known for its charming downtown area. of freshly baked pastries. Wine Tree Farm & Corinne Wines. By fall, the crisp changing leaves are irresistible to chase, and in winter, you can join the quiet ski scene at June Mountain. Swimming is on offer here too, and you can rent tubes and pontoon boats for more leisurely floating. The discovery of gold in the area in the mid-1800s brought thousands of people to the region, and many small towns sprang up to accommodate them. Your email address will not be published. Later, savor samples at local wineries, while chatting it up with those who grew the grapes and produced the wine. . The mountain town of Sonora on the western edge of the Sierra foothills, north of Yosemite, is yet another interesting Gold Country town worth a visit. But finding the hidden pools that are open to the public (and not scalding hot) requires local knowledgeor locals willing to share that knowledge.