It seems everything costs more these days, gas, lodging, food, souvenirs and, most importantly, road trip snacks.
However, there are a treasure trove of road trip gems, places to explore, enjoy, photograph and Instagram to your heart’s delight, that won’t cost you a penny.
Save your money for lodging, restaurants and other travel expenses, but see these sights for free. Parking fees in some areas apply.
Bidwell Park
1968 E. Eighth St. Chico 95928
Info bit.ly/3USu9Dr
Travel time by auto from the Santa Clarita Valley: 6 hours 30 minutes (442.6 miles) via I-5 N.
Bidwell Park was established July 20, 1905 through the donation by Annie Bidwell of approximately 2,500 acres of land to the city of Chico. The city has since purchased additional land, such as Cedar Grove in 1922 and 1,200 acres of land south of Big Chico Creek in Upper Park in 1995.
Today, the total park size is 3,670 acres (nearly 11 miles in length), making it one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.
The park offers everything from hiking, mountain biking and disc golfing to swimming holes, fishing, golf and an observatory.
The Chico Community Observatory is open, weather permitting, Friday through Sunday nights.
The Chico Creek Nature Center offers environmental education for all ages, exhibits, wildlife walks and activities. It serves as the official information and education center for Bidwell Park.
San Jose Municipal Rose Garden
1649 Naglee Ave., San Jose 95126
Info bit.ly/3VuWFLs
Travel time from the SCV is 5 hours (312.4 miles) via I-5 N.
Founded in 1927 and with more than 3,500 plantings and 189 varieties of roses, the Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose is the perfect place to take pictures, have a picnic or simply enjoy the scent and beauty of the fragrant roses.
Green grass and beautiful blooms are available all year round with surrounding redwood trees and a grandiose fountain. The Municipal Rose Garden is available to visit for free.
The 5 1/2–acre Municipal Rose Garden is home to newly hybridized rose and new rose varieties. The All-American Rose Selections, a national independent rating organization, sends new varieties to the garden for testing before release to the general public.
Visitors to the garden will find a detailed map of that lists hundreds of varieties with names ranging from “Bon Bon” to “Voo Doo” and “Olé” to “San José Sunshine.”
Pulgas Water Temple
56 Cañada Rd., Redwood City 94062
Info bit.ly/3JBOXN8
Travel time from the SCV is 5 hours 15 minutes (336.6 mi) via I-5 N.
The Pulgas Water Temple is a stone structure built in 1938 and designed by architect William G. Merchant and with carving by Albert Bernasconi, it consists of a circle of fluted Corinthian columns surmounted by a large masonry ring. The ring bears the inscription of a verse from the Bible, “I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people.” There is a reflecting pool lined with cypress trees.
The Water Temple was erected by the San Francisco Water Department to commemorate the 1934 completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct and is located at the aqueduct’s terminus.
The site is also the location of California Historical Landmark No. 92, commemorating the camping place, somewhere in the immediate area, of the Spanish Portola expedition on Nov. 11, 1769. Members of the expedition were the first Europeans to explore inland areas of California, and the first to see San Francisco Bay.
University of California, Davis Arboretum
1046 Garrod Dr., Davis 95616
Info arboretum.ucdavis.edu/visit
Travel time from the SCV is 5 hours 28 minutes (368.1 miles) via I-5 N.
This 100-acre public garden at the University of California, Davis, offers free year-round access and is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The main path is a 3.5 mile loop popular with walkers, joggers and bicyclists.
The Peter J. Shields Oak Grove, boasts more than 80 kinds of oak trees.
The Putah Creek Riparian Reserve is a rare stream and grassland ecosystem managed for teaching, research, wildlife and habitat protection.
The California State Capitol
1315 10th St., Sacramento 95814
Info capitolmuseum.ca.gov/
Travel time from the SCV is 5 hours 11 minutes (354 miles) via I-5 N.
With its noble columns and stunning cupola, California’s State Capitol building in Sacramento looks like a mini replica of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Take a free tour to learn about the 1869 building’s architecture and history, or stroll through the adjacent 40-acre Capitol Park, where you can admire monuments and memorials that remind visitors of California’s history and natural beauty.
The state capital building is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays.
