Death Valley National Park
In the northern reaches of the park, this first-come, first-served campground has only 30 spaces and is a handy base for Ubehebe Crater and Racetrack Rd…
Must-see hotels in California
Abigail’s Elegant Victorian Mansion
North Coast & Redwoods
Inside this National Historic Landmark that’s practically a living-history museum, the sweet-as-could-be innkeepers lavish guests with warm hospitality…
North Coast & Redwoods
Bright, modern rooms with microwaves and refrigerators fill this centrally located, independent motel. It may seem a bit like a better-than-average…
Sequoia National Park
Sit out on your grassy back patio or perch on the balcony and watch the river ease through a maze of boulders. Fairly generic motel rooms, one with a…
South Lake Tahoe & Stateline
Even better than staying at your best friend’s house by the lake, this hospitable inn on the Heavenly ski-shuttle route charms with color schemes that…
The Deserts
This former haunt of Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe and other old-time celebs has been reborn as a chic mid-Century Modern retreat. Connect with the era over…
Gold Country
Up the crooked stairs of this charming galleried hotel are 20 rooms that vary in size and amenity (most have shared bathrooms) and are free of clutter…
Mt Shasta Region
Rooms in this rambling, quaint Victorian are fabulously big – the bathrooms alone could sleep two. In the morning look out for the frittatas; in the…
Kings Canyon National Park
Just off the scenic byway and only a few miles from Hume Lake, almost 90 reservable sites border a pretty meadow, with sequoia stumps at the registration…
Lake Tahoe
The Washoe tribe offers various lodging options (cabins require minimum stays) plus kayak, canoe and paddleboat rentals. If you’re hungry, swing by the…
Marin County
Load up your sleeping bag and hike 2 miles from Pantoll Station to this rustic 1904 hilltop hideaway built as a stopover for the Mill Valley and Mt…
Monterey
At this downtown Monterey boutique hotel, most of the spacious, clean-lined contemporary rooms have gas fireplaces and chaise longues. Work out in the…
Lake Tahoe
Though there's some noise from traffic outside and the bar downstairs, request a river-facing room so you can drift off to dreamland as the Truckee River…
Napa Valley
Styled after California’s missions, this beautifully restored hacienda-like inn features 25 large suites with oak-beamed wood ceilings, gas fireplaces and…
Santa Cruz
This downtown boutique hotel brings the great outdoors inside, with nature prints on the walls, textured wood panels and earth-toned furnishings. Relax in…
Oakland
While Z touts itself as a boutique property, the courtyard focused layout and comfortable-for-a-business-trip ambiance gives it more of a standard…
Monterey
Built around an adobe hacienda once owned by a 19th-century Spanish colonial don, chic modern rooms come with lofty beds and some have gas fireplaces, all…
Sausalito
Tranquil and inviting, this inn has nine guest rooms in a historical 1869 home and six in a newer building. The more expensive rooms have a Jacuzzi,…
North Coast & Redwoods
Ferndale’s oldest hostelry opened in 1875. It has four antique-laden rooms and an Old West–style, 2nd-floor gallery, perfect for morning coffee. The…
Mammoth Lakes
One of Mammoth's few hostels offers well-kept, contemporary-style dorm rooms with personal lockers and reading lights, plus an equipped kitchen. Rooms…
North Coast & Redwoods
South of town off Hwy 101, this beach has excellent camping, but can get very crowded and is a favorite with traveling homeless folks; keep a close eye on…
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
Sonoma
This historic resort sits on the grounds of one of the original Sonoma missions, about 10 minutes north of downtown. The resort houses one of the best…
Mono Lake Region
Step back in time at this vintage country-style hotel, dating back to 1877. The walls are decorated with Victorian wallpaper, the stairs have original…
Along Highway 101
As Willits’ only upscale option, this place draws an interesting mix: Japanese bus tours, business travelers and wine-trippers. The standard rooms are…
Marin County
This upmarket motel has wonderful service and spiffy rooms with good beds. Alas, it was built backwards: all but two rooms (which have stunning views)…
The Peninsula
Overlooking the bay from the bluffs near Pillar Point Harbor, all these loft-style suites have down comforters and gas fireplaces to keep you toasty in…
San Diego
This 80-room place, facing Balboa Park and a reasonable walk to central Hillcrest, used to be an apartment building, meaning mostly large rooms with…
Coastal Highway 1
Built in 1878 as the town’s first hotel, this place is like a piece of the Old West. If you can sacrifice some creature comforts, like a private bathroom,…
Lake Tahoe
Forget about retro ski-lodge kitsch as you cozy up inside these crisp, earth-toned and down-to-earth hotel rooms that abound in sunny, natural woods. Sink…
Calistoga
The definitive old-school Calistoga resort, Indian Springs has cottages facing a central lawn with palm trees, shuffleboard, bocce and hammocks – not…
Death Valley National Park
The park's busiest campground is within strolling distance of the visitor center as well as the restaurants, store and other facilities of Furnace Creek…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Of the many motels lining Lombard St (Hwy 101), the generic Coventry has the highest quality-to-value ratio, with spacious, well-maintained (if plain)…
San Joaquin Valley
Surrounded by a vast rose garden, this is the most luxurious offering to spring up amid Lodi’s vineyards. Tasteful and romantic, the rooms have slate…
Russian River Area
Reached via a steep road from Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, 4 miles from the entrance kiosk, Bullfrog Pond has forested campsites with cold…
Sequoia National Park
Smaller and quieter than elsewhere, Atwell Mill has 21 sites scattered under a shaded forest canopy on the Kaweah River, inside a sequoia grove that was…
Central Coast
Sure, it's a part of a chain, but a warm welcome at reception and surprisingly stylish rooms lift this Hojo's ahead of the pack. And it's just a half-mile…
Sequoia National Park
A mile north of the national park boundary near Stony Creek Lodge, this forest campground operated by California Land Management fills with families in…
Napa
Understatedly elegant Milliken Creek combines small-inn charm, fine-hotel service and B&B intimacy. Rooms are impeccably styled in English-colonial style…
Mt Shasta Region
Tucked away on the shore of Lake Siskiyou, this sprawling place has a summer-camp feel (there’s an arcade and an ice-cream stand). Hardly rustic, it has a…
Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo
Coastal Highway 1
On 300 acres, in the shadow of Point Cabrillo lighthouse, the stately lightkeeper’s and assistant lightkeeper's houses, together with the staff's two turn…
