weekender.
Weekend trips from Fresno State
Hidden spots near Fresno, day trips and weekend road trips from Fresno 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 Fresno State →Local finds near campus
Fresno County Blossom Trail
Miles of almond, peach and plum orchards in bloom, usually late February to mid March. Free.
Millerton Lake
A foothill lake half an hour from Fresno, with bald eagles in winter and swimming in summer.
Forestiere Underground Gardens
A Sicilian immigrant's hand-dug underground home with fruit trees growing through skylights.
Day trips
Columbia State Historic Park
Pan for gold and ride a stagecoach in a preserved 1850s mining town.
Kings Canyon
A canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon, with fewer people than Yosemite.
Yosemite Valley
Half Dome, El Capitan's climbers and the Mist Trail beside two thundering waterfalls.
Shaver Lake
Fresno's mountain lake: snow play and sledding in winter, paddleboards in summer.
Sequoia National Park
The General Sherman tree, the granite stairs up Moro Rock and a marble cave (seasonal tours).
Weekend trips
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Kern River (Kernville)
Whitewater rafting through a granite canyon, a few hours from LA.
Morro Bay & Montaña de Oro
Sea otters under Morro Rock and wild bluff trails in Montaña de Oro.
Big Sur
McWay Falls dropping onto a beach, Bixby Bridge and the purple sand at Pfeiffer Beach.
Nevada City & South Yuba
A gaslit Gold Rush town and emerald swimming holes on the South Yuba River.
Muir Woods & Mount Tam
Old-growth redwoods in a canyon, then the sunset over the fog from Mount Tamalpais.
Long weekends
Death Valley
Salt flats below sea level, rainbow-colored hills and the darkest night sky in California.
Joshua Tree
Twisted trees, boulder scrambles and some of the darkest skies near LA.
Monterey & Carmel
Sea otters on kelp, 17-Mile Drive and Carmel's fairytale cottages.
Kern River (Kernville)
Whitewater rafting through a granite canyon, a few hours from LA.
Morro Bay & Montaña de Oro
Sea otters under Morro Rock and wild bluff trails in Montaña de Oro.
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 Fresno State →