weekender.
Weekend trips from Chico State
Hidden spots near Chico, day trips and weekend road trips from Chico State in November, scored 1–10 on price, timing and what's happening, with gas, park fees, a campsite or room and food included.
Plan your own trip from Chico State →Local finds near campus
Bidwell Park
Swimming holes in Big Chico Creek, one of the largest city parks in the country.
Lake Oroville
The tallest dam in the U.S. and a giant reservoir; Chico's summer swim spot.
Day trips
Feather Falls
A 400-foot waterfall at the end of a forest trail near Lake Oroville.
Nevada City & South Yuba
A gaslit Gold Rush town and emerald swimming holes on the South Yuba River.
Sacramento
Gold Rush boardwalks in Old Sacramento and the farm-to-fork capital's food halls.
Burney Falls & Subway Cave
A waterfall that pours out of the rock face, and a lava tube you walk through in the dark.
Mount Shasta & Castle Crags
A lone volcano with crystal shops in town, McCloud's three waterfalls and granite spires.
Lassen Volcanic
Boiling mud pots and steam vents at Bumpass Hell, and a summit hike on a volcano.
Weekend trips
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Nevada City & South Yuba
A gaslit Gold Rush town and emerald swimming holes on the South Yuba River.
Point Reyes
Tule elk on the bluffs, a lighthouse 300 steps down a cliff, and oysters on Tomales Bay.
Columbia State Historic Park
Pan for gold and ride a stagecoach in a preserved 1850s mining town.
Bodega Bay & Sonoma Coast
Where Hitchcock filmed The Birds: whale-watching headlands and secret coves.
Russian River & Armstrong Redwoods
Float the river on an inner tube under giant redwoods, then Guerneville at night.
Long weekends
Point Reyes
Tule elk on the bluffs, a lighthouse 300 steps down a cliff, and oysters on Tomales Bay.
Columbia State Historic Park
Pan for gold and ride a stagecoach in a preserved 1850s mining town.
Bodega Bay & Sonoma Coast
Where Hitchcock filmed The Birds: whale-watching headlands and secret coves.
Russian River & Armstrong Redwoods
Float the river on an inner tube under giant redwoods, then Guerneville at night.
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Big Sur
McWay Falls dropping onto a beach, Bixby Bridge and the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach.
Personalize it
Set your budget, how many friends are coming, your car (or no car: train and bus), and what you're into (hiking, beaches, camping, stargazing, food and more), and Weekender re-ranks every trip for you, with a day-by-day plan, directions and campsites.
Find my trips from Chico State →