Northern California Hostels
Northern Californian culture is centered around its natural wonders – it’s the home of the world’s largest trees, world-class surfing, famed whale watching, and remarkable shorelines. Near the northwest tip of California, the Redwood National Park hostel in Klamath is located within Redwood National Park – the park is the home of the world’s tallest trees, measuring more than 300 feet tall. The Klamath River Overlook is also a prime location for watching migrating gray whales; peak migration months are November-December and March-April, but resident populations can be seen any month of the year. Further to the south and along the coast, the Point Reyes hostel is just two miles from the beach and within Point Reyes National Seashore. The Point Reyes Lighthouse is the best location in the Bay area for whale watching from January through April. The lighthouse is also the windiest place on the Pacific Coast. Don’t miss the Point Reyes annual sand sculpture contest, held every Labor Day weekend.
The Sacramento hostel is located in downtown Sacramento. As California’s capital, Sacramento is a modern, cosmopolitan city with a famed arts scene, including the Crocker Art Museum, the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi River, founded in 1885. With an extensive collection of Californian art, the museum is housed in a Victorian structure, typical to the Sacramento region. Visit Old Sacramento, a 28-acre town of historic buildings, monuments, and museums, and step back in time. The best time to visit Old Sacramento is late August, during its signature event, Gold Rush Days. The event’s recreated gunfights, mining camps, and horse-drawn carriages bring visitors back to the days of 1849-1855.
Located in a Mediterrean-style seaside village at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sausalito hostel offers spectacular views of the Bay, as well as one of the largest houseboat communities on the west coast. The annual Labor Day Weekend Sausalito Art Festival draws local, American, and international contemporary artists to showcase their fine art and crafts along the waterfront. The Palo Alto/Los Altos Hills hostel is located on a working farm nestled in California’s Silicon Valley. Strictly a residential locale, with no commercial or industrial zones, Los Altos Hills is set in hilly terrain with unrivaled views of the San Francisco Bay area. Located on the coast, 25 miles south of San Francisco, the Montara hostel is located near the James Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a four-mile stretch of tide pools with residents such as starfish, crabs, mollusks, and sea anemones. The hostel shares its space with the Point Montara Lighthouse, an 1875 structure that is still in operation today.
The Pescadero hostel is located in the restored keeper’s houses of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Pescadero features numerous biking and hiking trails along the Santa Cruz mountains and the mile-long shoreline of Pescadero State Beach, known for its sandy coves and tide pools. The Santa Cruz hostel is in watersports heaven – its reputedly the first site of California surfing in 1885. Santa Cruz has 11 world-class surf breaks, and is home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, the oldest surf museum in the world.
Northern California features a warm Mediterranean climate, with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Winter average temperatures range from the low 40s to the mid 60s, while temperatures are at their warmest in July, with average highs in the mid 90s.
