weekender.
Weekend trips from Dominican University
Hidden spots near San Rafael, day trips and weekend road trips from Dominican University 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 Dominican University →Local finds near campus
Stinson Beach
A long sandy beach under Mount Tam, reached by one of the curviest roads in the Bay.
Marin Headlands
The postcard Golden Gate view from Battery Spencer and a lighthouse on a suspension bridge.
Lands End & Sutro Baths
Ruins of a giant Victorian bathhouse, a cliff trail and a hidden stone labyrinth.
Tilden Park & Inspiration Point
Berkeley's backyard: a ridge trail over the bay, a swimming lake and a tiny steam train.
Point Reyes
Tule elk on the bluffs, a lighthouse 300 steps down a cliff, and oysters on Tomales Bay.
Sonoma Valley
Bike between family wineries, then picnic on Sonoma's mission plaza.
Day trips
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Bodega Bay & Sonoma Coast
Where Hitchcock filmed The Birds: whale-watching headlands and secret coves.
Calistoga & Napa
Volcanic mud baths, an erupting geyser and the valley's grand wineries.
Half Moon Bay & Pescadero
Tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and warm artichoke bread in tiny Pescadero.
Mission Peak
The Bay Area's most-climbed summit and its famous pole; go at sunrise.
Lake Berryessa
The 'glory hole' spillway drain that looks like a portal in the lake.
Weekend trips
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Bodega Bay & Sonoma Coast
Where Hitchcock filmed The Birds: whale-watching headlands and secret coves.
Half Moon Bay & Pescadero
Tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and warm artichoke bread in tiny Pescadero.
Russian River & Armstrong Redwoods
Float the river on an inner tube under giant redwoods, then Guerneville at night.
Big Basin Redwoods
California's oldest state park, regrowing after the 2020 fire: blackened giants sprouting green.
Columbia State Historic Park
Pan for gold and ride a stagecoach in a preserved 1850s mining town.
Long weekends
Death Valley
Salt flats below sea level, rainbow-colored hills and the darkest night sky in California.
Columbia State Historic Park
Pan for gold and ride a stagecoach in a preserved 1850s mining town.
Nevada City & South Yuba
A gaslit Gold Rush town and emerald swimming holes on the South Yuba River.
Big Sur
McWay Falls dropping onto a beach, Bixby Bridge and the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach.
Pinnacles National Park
Crawl through talus caves with a flashlight while California condors circle above.
Morro Bay & Montaña de Oro
Sea otters under Morro Rock and wild bluff trails in Montaña de Oro.
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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