48 Hours in Sonoma County

Sonoma County Road Trip

02.15.2018
Sonoma County road trip

Time is precious. Which is why Sonoma County is the ideal 48-hour getaway! We’re talking acres of beautiful open space, easygoing hiking and biking trails, amazing food, and of course—the wine!

Day 1: Start at Sonoma Valley’s historic plaza, surrounded by restaurants, wine tasting rooms, cool shops, even a state park. Rent bikes or hop on the Wine Trolley to explore the surrounding area and tasting rooms—like California’s first premium winery, Buena Vista.

Day 2: Swing up Highway 12, stopping at marquee winery estates like Kunde, St. Francis, and Chateau St. Jean. Get to Bodega Bay by late afternoon for a sunset hike and famous winter whale-watching at Bodega Head. Have dinner by the water at Gourmet Au Bay or go for farm-to-table comfort food at Terrapin Creek.

Day 3: Make your way along the wild and scenic Sonoma Coast, stopping for selfies at iconic Goat Rock. Grab lunch in Jenner at River’s End Restaurant & Inn. A little further north, explore Fort Ross State Historic Park and its scenic coastal hiking trail. Now that you’ve got your 48-hour getaway, the big question: Who gets shotgun?

COOL STAYS & DEALS: Get fantastic ideas and deals for lodging, wine tasting, dining and more.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View
  2. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View
  3. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

    View
  4. Hike top Angel Island Mount Livermore San Francisco Bay

    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

    View

  2. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View

  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View