weekender.
Weekend trips from Cal State San Marcos
Hidden spots near San Marcos, day trips and weekend road trips from Cal State San Marcos 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 Cal State San Marcos →Local finds near campus
Encinitas & Moonlight Beach
Swami's surf break below a golden-domed meditation garden.
Potato Chip Rock
The famous thin rock ledge photo, on a 7-mile round-trip hike from Lake Poway. Go early: no shade.
San Diego
Balboa Park's gardens, tacos in Barrio Logan and sunsets at Sunset Cliffs.
Torrey Pines
Sandstone bluffs with the rarest pine in the US, down to Black's Beach.
Day trips
Palm Springs
Midcentury pool motels, palm oases in Indian Canyons and a rotating tram up the mountain.
Anza-Borrego & Borrego Springs
Giant metal dinosaur sculptures in the desert, wildflowers in spring and a dark-sky town.
Temecula wine country
Hot-air balloons at sunrise and relaxed wineries in rolling hills.
Julian
A Gold Rush mountain town famous for apple pie, with snow a few times a winter.
Laguna Beach
Hidden coves, tide pools and the Thousand Steps beach.
Mount Rubidoux
Riverside's sunrise hill, topped with a stone bridge and a peace tower.
Weekend trips
Anza-Borrego & Borrego Springs
Giant metal dinosaur sculptures in the desert, wildflowers in spring and a dark-sky town.
Salvation Mountain & Salton Sea
A hand-painted hill, Slab City's off-grid art town and the eerie shores of the Salton Sea.
Joshua Tree
Twisted trees, boulder scrambles and some of the darkest skies near LA.
Palm Springs
Midcentury pool motels, palm oases in Indian Canyons and a rotating tram up the mountain.
Idyllwild
A mountain village with a dog as mayor, Tahquitz Rock and trails to San Jacinto Peak.
Kern River (Kernville)
Whitewater rafting through a granite canyon, a few hours from LA.
Long weekends
Salvation Mountain & Salton Sea
A hand-painted hill, Slab City's off-grid art town and the eerie shores of the Salton Sea.
Joshua Tree
Twisted trees, boulder scrambles and some of the darkest skies near LA.
Valley of Fire (Nevada)
Swirling red and pink sandstone, petroglyphs and the Fire Wave, an hour past Las Vegas.
Death Valley
Salt flats below sea level, rainbow-colored hills and the darkest night sky in California.
Kern River (Kernville)
Whitewater rafting through a granite canyon, a few hours from LA.
Bishop & the Buttermilks
World-class bouldering, Keough's hot springs and Erick Schat's famous bakery.
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.
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