Attractions Nearby Stockton, Day Trips and Excursions

(Stockton, California - CA, USA)

Being situated on the northern side of California means that the city of Stockton offers up a number of extremely tempting day trip possibilities. Various attractions reside along the westerly coastline of California, with most being between 70 miles / 113 km and 90 miles / 145 km away.

Comfortably under an hour away and to the north of Stockton is the lively city of Sacramento, which is simple to reach by taking the West Side Freeway (Interstate I-5) for the majority of the route. Excursions to Sacramento are always popular with tourists, who come here because this is the capital of California.

There are certainly plenty of alluring attractions awaiting sightseers in this capital, with some of the main highlights including the California State Capitol Building, the family friendly Sacramento Zoo, Sutter's Fort and the Crocker Art Museum, which prides itself on being the oldest continually operating attraction of its kind in the whole of the West.

General Information

Of course, the fact that San Francisco is within comfortable driving distance of Stockton certainly means that many tourists plan excursions or road trips to this hilly city, admiring its iconic Golden Gate Bridge backdrop. At just over 80 miles / 129 km to the west of Stockton, San Francisco is just about close enough to make day trips possible, although there are so many attractions to enjoy and sights to explore, that visitors often choose to stay here for at least a weekend or a few days.

Those vacationing in Stockton and planning an excursion to San Francisco should certainly consider drawing up at least a basic outline of an itinerary, to ensure that you can see as much of the city as possible within your allotted timescale. The Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood is a particularly tourist-friendly part of San Francisco, with many waterfront attractions and a real wealth of seafood restaurants. You may also like to wander around the Chinatown district, or spend an afternoon shopping amidst the towering skyscrapers of the Union Square Financial District.

Other possible day trips from Stockton include San Jose, Santa Cruz and the Butano State Park, all of which lie to the southwest, as well as Modesto and Fresno to the southeast.

A little further away and to the northeast are the endless winery attractions of the famous Napa Valley, while to the east, the Glory Hole Recreation Area offers plentiful recreational activities, such as fishing, hiking, mountain biking, water sports and camping. And at under three hours to the south-southeast, the Yosemite National Park lends itself to longer excursions and is best reached by taking Highway CA-99 and CA-140 (Central Yosemite Highway).