17 Weekend Getaways From San Francisco, by Drive Time

Yosemite Valley, about 3h 55m from San Francisco by road, is where Yosemite Falls drops in three tiers from the rim. Six national parks anchor this list: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Lassen and the redwoods of the far north all sit within a long day's drive. The 17 getaways here also run down the coast to Big Sur and Pismo Beach, up to Mendocino and over the Sierra to Lake Tahoe.

Five of these, from Santa Barbara to Crater Lake, reward a long weekend of three nights, and Lassen Volcanic is the offbeat one.

For a weekend this winter, go to Pismo Beach for the monarchs or Nevada City for its December Victorian Christmas, and book Yosemite for May. Mendocino and Cambria suit a slow couple's trip. For a day out with no hotel, the day trips from San Francisco cover Sonoma, Napa, Point Reyes and Santa Cruz.

Each cost is for two people in US dollars and covers gas both ways, food, activities and two nights in a comfortable hotel. Each drive time runs one-way by road from downtown San Francisco.

The short list

Worth a long weekend

Past five hours, most of a two-night weekend is road. These five are better as four days, with three nights:

• Santa Barbara, at about 5h 15m, is far enough south that two nights leave one real day.
• Sequoia, at about 5h 35m, pairs with Kings Canyon next door, and four days covers both.
• Mammoth Lakes, at about 5h 45m, earns three nights in summer for Devils Postpile and the lakes.
• Redwood National Park, at about 5h 45m, needs a full day for Fern Canyon and the Tall Trees Grove.
• Crater Lake, at about 7 hours in Oregon, needs all four days.

Best for national parks

Of the national parks, book Yosemite in May first. The Sierra parks run south from Yosemite to Sequoia, and Lassen, the redwoods and Crater Lake lie to the north.

Yosemite National Park

Granite walls rise straight out of Yosemite Valley, and the Mist Trail climbs beside Vernal Fall (with a weekday repair detour as of November 2026). Go in May or June, when Yosemite Falls runs fullest; by August it can be a trickle. Valley roads stay open all year.

As of November 2026, snow has closed Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road and the Half Dome cables are down, so a winter weekend is for the Valley floor. Tuolumne Meadows and the Glacier Point view wait until the roads reopen, typically late May or June for Tioga Road.

Yosemite National Park

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Kings Canyon National Park

Cedar Grove, the glacier-carved floor of Kings Canyon, has cliffs, waterfalls and the Kings River. Drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway down to Cedar Grove. In Grant Grove, see the General Grant Tree, the world's second-largest.

The Cedar Grove road closes for the winter on November 13, 2026, and typically reopens in May. June is the time to go. Check the Grant Grove trails before you leave, since some closed after a prescribed burn in October 2026.

Kings Canyon National Park

≈ USD 1,100–USD 1,400

Daniel Mayer (mav) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Sequoia National Park

In Sequoia National Park, the General Sherman Tree starts the Congress Trail, a paved two-mile loop through the giant sequoias of the Giant Forest. Climb Moro Rock for the view, or go underground at Crystal Cave. Plan on summer. You may need tire chains on the park roads in winter and spring. As of November 2026, Mineral King Road is closed for the season.

Sequoia National Park

≈ USD 1,100–USD 1,400

Marty Aligata (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Lassen is the offbeat pick: a trail drops 300 feet into Bumpass Hell, the park's largest hydrothermal area. A boardwalk crosses the basin. Aim for August: the trail opens from about late July through October. As of November 2026, snow has closed the park highway to through traffic, though short stretches stay open from the northwest and southwest entrances.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

NPS Photo (Public domain)

Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park holds the world's tallest trees, about 5h 45m up the far north coast. Walk the Fern Canyon loop beside Gold Bluffs Beach, then hike down 800 feet to the Tall Trees Grove on Redwood Creek. The Tall Trees trail needs a free permit booked online, and Fern Canyon needs a day-use reservation in summer. The gravel Davison Road to Fern Canyon has stream crossings. Plan it for August.

Redwood National Park

≈ USD 1,100–USD 1,400

Redwood National and State Parks (Public domain)

Crater Lake

Crater Lake in Oregon, the deepest lake in the USA, fills the caldera of a peak that collapsed 7,700 years ago. Wizard Island rises from the water. Go in August.

As of November 2026, Rim Drive and the North Entrance Road are closed for the season. Cleetwood Cove Trail, the one path down to the water and the boat tours, is closed until 2029. Until then, Crater Lake is a rim-only visit at seven hours each way.

Crater Lake

≈ USD 1,100–USD 1,500

WolfmanSF (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Best for the coast

Big Sur

McWay Falls drops from the cliffs straight onto the sand in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, about 2h 45m south. Stop at Bixby Creek Bridge on the way down, then walk to Pfeiffer Beach. As of November 2026, the park's trails east of Highway 1 are closed, Ewoldsen Trail included, and the cliffs and beach around McWay Falls are off limits, so stay on the trail. Highway 1 through Big Sur can close after winter storms; check its status before you go.

Big Sur

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Mendocino

Mendocino is a clifftop village with Mendocino Headlands State Park on three sides. From its bluff trails you look down on sea arches and grottos. Gray whales pass this coast in winter. Try March, when the Mendocino Coast holds its whale festival on weekends.

Mendocino

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Jef Poskanzer (CC BY 2.0)

Cambria

Cambria is a village of galleries and Tudor-style buildings on Main Street, among Monterey pines. Moonstone Beach lies below town, and bluff trails cross the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Hearst Castle, about 10 miles north, is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Come in October.

Cambria

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conventions Bureau (Public domain)

Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach has a 1,200-foot pier. From November to February, western monarchs gather in the Monarch Butterfly Grove at Pismo State Beach. The count is about 90% below what it was 25 years ago. Come in November, and treat a big cluster as luck.

Pismo Beach

≈ USD 1,100–USD 1,400

Soundsfancy (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Santa Barbara

Old Mission Santa Barbara sits among gardens with the mountains behind it, and Butterfly Beach is a short drive from town. At about 5h 15m, Santa Barbara is the farthest trip south, so give it three nights.

Santa Barbara

≈ USD 1,100–USD 1,400

Pierre André (CC BY-SA 4.0)

For a week on this coast rather than a weekend, the 7-day California coast road trip strings these stops together.

Best for mountain lakes and towns

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay holds Vikingsholm, a Scandinavian-style house built because the bay reminded its owner of the fjords. A steep one-mile trail leads down to the house, and tours run from Memorial Day weekend to the end of September. Walk the Rubicon Trail along the shore and give a July afternoon to Sand Harbor.

Lake Tahoe

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Eric Philbin (CC0)

Mammoth Lakes

In summer, a shuttle from Mammoth Lakes, the Sierra resort town below Mammoth Mountain, carries you to Devils Postpile and Rainbow Falls in the Reds Meadow Valley, which is open from about June to October. June and July are the months to go, when Rainbow Falls runs fullest.

The direct route crosses Yosemite on Tioga Road, which closed for winter on October 29, 2026 and usually opens from late May or June. Until the road reopens, the drive is a long detour around the Sierra.

Mammoth Lakes

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Hike395 (talk · contribs) (CC BY 3.0)

Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta town sits below the mountain near Lake Siskiyou, and the Everitt Memorial Highway climbs to Bunny Flat. Panther Meadow, above Bunny Flat, has wildflowers from July to early August, so come in July. As of November 2, 2026, the gate above Bunny Flat is closed for the season, but Bunny Flat itself is still reachable.

Mount Shasta

≈ USD 1,100–USD 1,400

Radomianin (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Best for wine and gold-rush towns

Paso Robles

The Central Coast's wine town is Paso Robles, about 3h 20m south. As the region's wine alliance puts it, "the entire month of October is Harvest Wine Month in Paso Robles Wine Country", with vineyard tours, winemaker dinners and grape stomps. Try October. Book a tasting at Justin Vineyards or Tablas Creek Vineyard.

Paso Robles

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Wordydave (CC BY-SA 3.0)

San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is a college town built around Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. Shop the Downtown SLO Farmers' Market, hike Islay Hill or Bishop Peak and taste at Edna Valley Vineyard. Pick it over Paso Robles for a town day and a hike. Try April, for the spring wildflowers.

San Luis Obispo

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Rennett Stowe (CC BY 2.0)

Nevada City

In December, the Victorian Christmas fills the hilly, gas-lit streets of Nevada City, a Gold Rush town, with carolers in Victorian dress. The tradition dates to 1978 and runs on two Wednesday evenings and three Sunday afternoons along Broad and Commercial Streets. Malakoff Diggins, California's largest hydraulic gold mine, is about 50 minutes away. Take the paved Tyler Foote route there, not the dirt road GPS suggests.

Nevada City

≈ USD 1,000–USD 1,400

Frank Schulenburg (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Which to skip this winter

Lassen's park highway, Crater Lake's Rim Drive and Yosemite's Tioga Road stay closed until late spring or summer, so leave their high country until then. Leave Mammoth Lakes until Tioga Road reopens, and Kings Canyon's Cedar Grove until its road reopens in May. In winter, head for Pismo Beach and its monarchs, or Nevada City in December.

Common questions

What's the best weekend getaway from San Francisco?

Yosemite National Park, about 3h 55m east, is the strongest weekend getaway from San Francisco, with granite walls and waterfalls in Yosemite Valley and Yosemite Falls dropping in three tiers. Go in May, when snowmelt runs the falls at their fullest.

What's the closest weekend getaway from San Francisco?

Nevada City, a Gold Rush town about 2h 30m northeast, is the closest of the 17 weekend getaways on this page. Big Sur is next at about 2h 45m south, then Mendocino at about 3h 10m north.

How much does a weekend getaway from San Francisco cost for two?

A weekend getaway from San Francisco costs about $1,000 to $1,500 for two people on this page, covering gas, two nights in a comfortable hotel, food and activities. Most land at $1,000 to $1,400; Crater Lake reaches about $1,500.

Can you visit Yosemite from San Francisco in winter?

Yes. Yosemite Valley's roads stay open all year, about 3h 55m from San Francisco. As of November 2026, Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road are closed for winter. Tioga Road typically reopens in late May or June.

What's a romantic weekend getaway from San Francisco?

Mendocino, about 3h 10m north, is the romantic weekend from San Francisco: a clifftop village wrapped on three sides by Mendocino Headlands State Park, with sea arches below its bluff trails. Cambria, about 3h 45m south, is the other, with Moonstone Beach below town and Hearst Castle about 10 miles north.

What's the best wine weekend from San Francisco?

Paso Robles, about 3h 20m south, is the wine weekend from San Francisco. October is Harvest Wine Month there, with winemaker dinners and grape stomps. Napa, Sonoma and Healdsburg are closer and work as day trips instead.

Which weekend getaways from San Francisco are worth a long weekend?

Five weekend getaways from San Francisco reward three nights rather than two: Santa Barbara, Sequoia National Park, Mammoth Lakes, Redwood National Park and Crater Lake, all more than five hours away. Pair Sequoia with Kings Canyon, which shares its park boundary.

What's an offbeat weekend trip from San Francisco?

Lassen Volcanic National Park, about 4h 15m north, is the offbeat pick: a trail drops 300 feet into the Bumpass Hell basin, where a boardwalk gives an up-close view of its hydrothermal features. The trail is open from about late July through October, and the park highway closes to through traffic in winter.

Where can you see monarch butterflies near San Francisco?

Pismo Beach, about 3h 50m south, has the Monarch Butterfly Grove at Pismo State Beach, where western monarchs gather from November to February. The numbers are far below what they were 25 years ago, so treat a big cluster as luck.

What's the cheapest month for a weekend away from San Francisco?

January is the cheapest month for most of the weekend getaways on this page, and July is the most expensive. The gap is small, about 5% for the trip as a whole, so pick the month that suits the place.

The bottom line

Book Yosemite for May first. Try Paso Robles in October, and make Pismo Beach the pick for this winter. Start a free plan.

The weekend getaways by city cover other starting points, and the San Francisco day trips fit in a single day.

Drive times are routed by road from downtown San Francisco in November 2026. Check park road status, permits and Highway 1 conditions before you go. Cover photo: the Bay Bridge western span at night, by Dllu (CC BY-SA 4.0).