Things to do in Central California

Activities, attractions and tours

Yosemite Valley showing mountains and a waterfall
Yosemite Valley showing mountains and a waterfall
Channel Islands National Park
Central California featuring general coastal views, a coastal town and landscape views
Ventura showing night scenes, dining out and outdoor eating

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What to do in Central California


Popular places to visit

Areas of Central California

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Yosemite West

You'll enjoy the waterfalls and riverfront in Yosemite West. You might want to make time for a stop at Yosemite National Park or Sierra National Forest.

Yosemite West
Downtown San Jose featuring heritage architecture

Downtown San Jose

3.5/5(5 area reviews)

Known for its fascinating museums and great live music, there's plenty to explore in Downtown San Jose. You can visit top attractions like San Pedro Square and San Jose Museum of Art, and jump on the metro at Santa Clara Station or St James Station to see more of the city.

Downtown San Jose
Aerial View of Mammoth Lakes, California in Winter

Mammoth Village

While Mammoth Village isn't home to many top sights, Village Gondola Station and Sierra Star Golf Course are some notable places to visit nearby.

Mammoth Village
This is a small state park at the northern end of Santa Cruz' scenic West Cliff Drive and a little over a mile from the Boardwalk, wharf and Main Beach.  A couple of times a year you can see Monarch butterflies during their migration. They are not in the numbers of years past, but you'll still see some.

If you walk north towards the rocks during low tide you will find some amazing tidepools full of sea anenomes, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, hermit crabs, and all sorts of marine life. The tidepools are on a ledge, so the tide needs to be quite high

Westside Santa Cruz

4/5(31 area reviews)

Travellers to Westside Santa Cruz praise its stunning beaches. If you've got some more time to explore, be sure to stop by Monterey Bay and Pacific Avenue.

Westside Santa Cruz
Following highway 1 south out of Monterey you get views like this

Downtown Monterey

4/5(31 area reviews)

The pristine beaches and popular aquarium are top of the list for many visitors to Downtown Monterey. A stop by Golden State Theatre or Munras Avenue might round out your trip.

Downtown Monterey
Yellow Rowboats at the Dock on the Lake with Pine Trees

Old Mammoth

When in Old Mammoth, you can plan a visit to Eagle Express Ski Lift and Sierra Star Golf Course, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Old Mammoth

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