Palm Springs / Joshua Tree Gateway
Desert warmth in midwinter, a cable car up to alpine air, and a zoo where you feed giraffes.
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National parks you can drive to
7 destinations from the Dublin, CA area. Big scenery, long drives. Plan around the nap, pack more snacks than you think you need.
| Destination | Kids | Drive | Days | Cost (2 nights, family of four) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs / Joshua Tree Gateway | 3.3 | 8h 26m | 2–4 days | $1,800–3,800 |
| Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Parks | 2.9 | 5h 04m | 2–3 days | $1,000–2,500 |
| Mariposa / Yosemite Gateway | 2.8 | 2h 47m | 2–3 days | $1,500–3,500 |
| Pinnacles National Park | 2.7 | 2h 23m | 1–2 days | $800–1,500 |
| Yosemite Valley (Direct) | 2.6 | 3h 55m | 2–4 days | $1,500–4,000 |
| Lassen Volcanic National Park | 2.4 | 4h 46m | 1–2 days | $800–1,500 |
| Redwood National Park (Crescent City) | 2.4 | 7h 55m | 2–3 days | $1,500–3,000 |
Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Parks
The largest living things on Earth, reached on flat paved trails a small child can manage.
Mariposa / Yosemite Gateway
A Gold Rush base town outside Yosemite - cheaper beds and milder weather than the valley floor.
Pinnacles National Park
Volcanic spires with talus caves you walk through by torchlight, and condors overhead.
Yosemite Valley (Direct)
Sleeping inside the valley: waterfalls, granite walls, and no commute to see them.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Boiling mud pots and a lava tube you walk through by torchlight - Yellowstone in miniature.
Redwood National Park (Crescent City)
The tallest trees on Earth, a canyon walled in ferns, and elk grazing beside the road.
Costs are a fixed yardstick: 2 nights, family of four, lodging, food and activities. Not the cost of the stay we recommend.