Day Trips from Sacramento for Groups

One of the best things about basing a group in the Sacramento area is how much is within a day's drive. You can spend the morning in a Gold Rush town, the afternoon on a lake and still be back for dinner together. Here are the day trips that work best for groups, roughly in order of distance.

Folsom Lake and the town of Folsom

Folsom Lake is the closest big lake, east of Sacramento. In summer, groups come for beaches, boating and picnics in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Historic Folsom has a walkable main street for lunch afterward. Arrive early on summer weekends, since parking at the beaches fills up.

Gold Country: Auburn and Coloma

Head up Interstate 80 to Auburn, a historic town with restaurants and antique shops, or continue to Coloma, home of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where gold was found in 1848. The park has a replica sawmill, short trails along the American River and space for a picnic. It is a good choice for groups with children.

Napa and Sonoma

Wine country is west of Sacramento. For a group, the main rules are simple:

• Book tastings in advance. Many wineries cap group sizes or need a reservation for six or more.
• Use a designated driver or hire a van so nobody has to choose between tasting and driving.
• Plan two or three stops at most, with a long lunch in between.

Napa's towns, including Yountville and St. Helena, also make a good day out for people who don't drink.

Lake Tahoe

Tahoe is about two hours away and worth the drive for a full day: beaches and boating in summer, snow and skiing in winter. Leave early, check road conditions before winter trips and carry chains if the forecast calls for snow. For a longer Tahoe stay, many groups split the trip between the city and the mountains.

Making day trips work for a big group

Day trips with a large group go better with a few habits:

1. Choose one main stop. Trying to fit three towns into a day means most of it is spent in the car.
2. Pack lunch from the house. A big kitchen at your rental makes it easy to pack food for twenty.
3. Share the plan the night before with a time to leave and a meeting point.
4. Let people opt out. Not everyone needs to go on every trip.

A base that makes it easy

Staying together in one home means one place to leave from in the morning and one table to share stories at night. Browse our homes in Sacramento and Roseville, which is on the way to Lake Tahoe, or see what else there is to do close by in our Sacramento guide. Planning a reunion? Start with our family reunions page.

Frequently asked questions