John Sutter arrived at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers in 1839. His mission was to develop a fort to serve the farmers around the area. Gabriel Moraga, a Spanish military officer, named the city after the Catholic holy sacrament. It took the fort about nine years to develop into a town, which mainly surrounded its wharf.Â
Sacramento, California still enjoys agricultural roots despite being a city of about 525,000 people. It is called the farm-to-fork capital of the world. You will want to try many of the fabulous farm-to-fork restaurants. If you are close to Midtown, try Paragary's, a terrific place to enjoy dinner on the patio, or The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar, where you will want to sample one of their craft cocktails. If you are closer to downtown, think about dining on pork chops at The Grange Bar & Restaurant or the lamb shank at Prelude.Â
Regardless of your interests, you can find terrific options in Sacramento catering to them. History lovers will want to explore the California State Capital Museum, Governor's Mansion State Historical Park, and Old Sacramento State Historic Park. If you love art, spend an afternoon exploring Crocker Art Museum, but if you are a space buff, you will want to leave time to explore the Aerospace Museum of California. There are many family-friendly things to do, including hearing the lions roar at the Sacramento Zoo, riding a seasonal train at the California State Railroad Museum, and learning about marine life at SeaQuest. If you love spending time outdoors, consider riding along the American River Bicycle Trail. Alternatively, you can pack a picnic and head to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, an excellent place for a hike, or McKinley Park, where you will find over 12,000 rose bushes. This city is known for its beautiful trees, and you may want to visit California State Capitol Park, Willow Park, or McClatchy Park.Â
Campgrounds Near Sacramento, California
Cal Expo RV Park offers 65 pull-through sites, each with full hookups. Keep caught up on your laundry in the spacious laundry room. If you bring along your dog, they will love playing in the dog park. This park is near the downtown area, and it is also near the American River, which is a terrific place to go rafting and fishing.Â
Sac-West RV Park & Campground, near Old Town Sacramento, features full-hookup asphalt and gravel sites that can accommodate any RV. Start your day with a hearty breakfast from their 24 Karat Grill. You can go fishing without leaving this campground. Special activities, like ice cream socials, wine tastings, and Bingo, occur frequently.Â
Stillman Mobile Home and RV Park cater mainly to people looking to set up their RV for a month or two, but there are some short-term sites at this gated campground. They have a community room, which is a fabulous place to enjoy your morning coffee and use the internet. Their seasonal pool is a great place to beat the summer heat.Â
National Parks near Sacramento, California
Yosemite National Park is about 145 miles southeast of Sacramento, and you will want to see the waterfalls at this location, including Yosemite Falls, which stands about 2,425 feet tall. Head to Glacier Point, where you can see a lot of this park's valley on a clear day. You will also want to hike through Mariposa Grove to see over 500 tall sequoia trees. This park is also a special place for a scenic drive but be aware that some roads are closed in the winter. There are 10 seasonal campgrounds and three that stay open all year.
Pinnacles National Park is about 180 miles south of Sacramento. This rocky landscape was formed by multiple volcanos about 23 million years ago. There are about 30 miles of hiking trails to see the unique formations up close. Plan to explore Bear Gulch Cave on a caving adventure. Machete Ridge offers enthusiasts of all ability levels an excellent place to go climbing. Pinnacles Campground, accessible only from the park's east side, is open year-round, and most have electrical hookups.Â
Lassen Volcanic National Park is about 150 miles north of Sacramento. While most are only accessible with a short hike, this park has many hydrothermal areas. The most accessible is Sulphur Works, where you can see boiling mud pots and steam vents. You will be fascinated by the steam rising out of the creek when you visit Terminal Geyser. Elsewhere in this park, you can go geocaching. This fun game is like a scavenger hunt for natural features using a GPS-enabled device. You can also fish, boat, paddle, and stargaze. This national park has six campgrounds, with park officials having divided some into multiple sections. The Manzanita Lake Campground offers the most services, including a camp store.Â
State Parks Near Sacramento, California
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area is about 25 miles east of Sacramento. Waterskiing and boating are popular activities, especially in the summertime. Lake Natoma is a terrific place for paddling because of its quiet waters and Sierra Nevada foothill scenery. There is a 32-mile bike trail connecting to many nearby county parks. This park features two camping areas, with Beal's Point open year-round and Peninsula Campground available from April through October. There are about 70 campsites at Beal's Point and about 110 campsites at Peninsula Campground.Â
Brannan Island State Recreation Area is about 46 miles south of Sacramento. Anglers love coming to this Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta park to fish for striped bass, sturgeon, catfish, bluegill, perch, and bullhead. See beavers, muskrats, river otters, mink, and many species of birds by hiking in the Franks Tract area. There are numerous swimming beaches, although no lifeguards are on duty. There are also 10 boat docks spread across the park. This state park has 140 camping spots ranging in size from 20 to 36 feet.Â
Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area, about 45 miles northwest of Sacramento, covers only 62 acres. Anglers love fishing for catfish, shad, carp, and sturgeon. However, they especially like to come to this state park in the fall to fish for salmon. Since this park in downtown Colusa, California, is operated by the city, online camping reservations are unavailable. Bring along a picnic to enjoy under the tall willow and cottonwood trees. There are 15 campsites located along the Sacramento River. While there are no hookups, a shower house and bathrooms are available.Â
National Sites Near Sacramento, California
Fort Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial near Concord, California, was where 320 American soldiers died on July 17, 1944, in an accident during World War II when two ships collided while being loaded with ammunition for the Pacific theater. It was the worst disaster on American soil during the war. During the war, this site on Suisun Bay's shores in Concord, California, was the largest ammunition depot used by the United States Navy. After the explosion, over 250 soldiers refused to return to work, citing unfair working conditions, and the government held a trial where they convicted 250 of tyranny. To date, this is the largest trial on this charge in the United States. You must make a reservation for the tour two weeks ahead of time to visit the museum, where you can learn more about that fateful day. Tours are only available on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.Â
California National Historic Trail is over 5,000 miles long, and it follows the footsteps of settlers who participated in California's gold rush, with the entire trail covering 10 states. Over 250,000 people left towns along the Missouri River following segments of this trail to reach California in hopes of striking gold. There are three sites in California along this trail. In the Sacramento area, you will want to visit Sutter's Fort State Historic Park, where you can learn about the first European settlement in California. The fort is where Native Americans would go annually to receive their pay from the federal government as tribal members.Â
Incorporate time to visit John Muir National Historic Site. Muir was the father of the National Park Service. While visiting this property, you can explore the home where he advocated for the national government to protect Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, and Mt. Rainier as national parks. Follow the trail up Mt. Wanda, where Muir hiked with his two young daughters, and see the Muir family burial site.Â
National Forests Near Sacramento, California
Eldorado National Forest lies in portions of Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, and Placer counties. Anglers will find more than 611 miles of fishable streams. There are 297 lakes and reservoirs in this national forest, and this forest covers more than 615,037 acres. It has many outstanding hiking trails, including climbing Thunder Mountain, starting at the trailhead along Highway 88. Visitors can also find places to go swimming, boating, and horseback riding. There are more than 35 campgrounds in this forest. Many are only open from June 1 through October 15 because of snowfall.Â
Tahoe National Forest offers more than 2,000 miles of roads, and you will love seeing the meadows, waterfalls, canyons, rivers, and lakes in this national forest. It also contains over 190 miles of single-track motorcycle trails and 35 miles of biking trails. The American River bisecting this forest offers anglers terrific fishing opportunities. Placer Big Trees contains the northernmost grove of giant sequoias in the U.S. In the part of the National Forest near Truckee, California, many hiking trails lead to ghost towns you may want to explore. This national forest covers more than 871,495 acres and over 50 campgrounds.Â
Stanislaus National Forest covers more than 898,000 acres. There are over 800 miles of streams and rivers and over 75 lakes. You may want to try fishing in the Spicer, Beardsley, and Relief reservoirs. While several fish species live in the waters of this forest, it has excellent trout fishing. This national forest also contains more than 1,000 miles of hiking trails. The 3.9-mile-long Pinecrest Lake Loop is magnificent, with giant granite boulders along its course. Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River is an excellent place for a rafting adventure. There are 68 campgrounds in this national forest. Lodgepole and Big Meadow campgrounds near Big Meadow, California are terrific options.
