If you’re shopping for someone who values experiences over things, Northern California offers no shortage of memorable adventures. From exploring underground caverns to discovering city streets in a new way, these unique experiences make thoughtful gifts for outdoor lovers and curious travelers alike.Go 165 feet underground at Moaning CavernFor the more adventurous on your shopping list, head beneath the surface at Moaning Cavern in Calaveras County.Visitors descend 165 feet via a 10-story spiral staircase to a viewing platform overlooking towering stalactites, stalagmites and other dramatic cave formations.Those looking for an even bigger thrill can sign up for the Expedition Tour, which includes climbing, crawling and squeezing through chambers deeper into the cavern.Cost:• Spiral Tour: $24 (ages 12 and older)• Half-day Expedition Tour: $130 per personSee Sacramento through a scavenger huntFor a unique way to explore the capital city, consider a scavenger hunt adventure through Sacramento.ScavengerHunt.com offers interactive tours that guide participants to murals, landmarks, and pieces of local history from the State Capitol to the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Hunts range from just over a mile to several miles in length.Groups of up to six can play together.Cost:• Hunt for two: $30• Annual pass: $90 (unlimited hunts in more than 3,000 cities worldwide)A guidebook that delivers adventure every weekendFor a gift that keeps giving throughout the year, the guidebook “52 Weekend Adventures in Northern California” offers plenty of inspiration.Written by bestselling author Tom Stienstra, a longtime outdoor columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, the book collects dozens of his favorite regional adventures into one easy-to-use guide.Cost:• Paperback edition available online for $20One pass, all the parksCalifornia is home to nine national parks, six of them located in Northern California—and a single pass unlocks them all.The National Parks Annual Pass provides 12 months of access to every U.S. national park, along with more than 2,000 federal recreation sites nationwide. The pass is available as a digital download or can be shipped as a card for an additional shipping fee.Cost:• $80 for a twelve-month passSee more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
If you’re shopping for someone who values experiences over things, Northern California offers no shortage of memorable adventures.
From exploring underground caverns to discovering city streets in a new way, these unique experiences make thoughtful gifts for outdoor lovers and curious travelers alike.
Go 165 feet underground at Moaning Cavern
For the more adventurous on your shopping list, head beneath the surface at Moaning Cavern in Calaveras County.
Visitors descend 165 feet via a 10-story spiral staircase to a viewing platform overlooking towering stalactites, stalagmites and other dramatic cave formations.
Those looking for an even bigger thrill can sign up for the Expedition Tour, which includes climbing, crawling and squeezing through chambers deeper into the cavern.
Cost:
• Spiral Tour: $24 (ages 12 and older)
• Half-day Expedition Tour: $130 per person
See Sacramento through a scavenger hunt
For a unique way to explore the capital city, consider a scavenger hunt adventure through Sacramento.
ScavengerHunt.com offers interactive tours that guide participants to murals, landmarks, and pieces of local history from the State Capitol to the Old Sacramento Waterfront. Hunts range from just over a mile to several miles in length.
Groups of up to six can play together.
Cost:
• Hunt for two: $30
• Annual pass: $90 (unlimited hunts in more than 3,000 cities worldwide)
A guidebook that delivers adventure every weekend
For a gift that keeps giving throughout the year, the guidebook “52 Weekend Adventures in Northern California” offers plenty of inspiration.
Written by bestselling author Tom Stienstra, a longtime outdoor columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, the book collects dozens of his favorite regional adventures into one easy-to-use guide.
Cost:
• Paperback edition available online for $20
One pass, all the parks
California is home to nine national parks, six of them located in Northern California—and a single pass unlocks them all.
The National Parks Annual Pass provides 12 months of access to every U.S. national park, along with more than 2,000 federal recreation sites nationwide. The pass is available as a digital download or can be shipped as a card for an additional shipping fee.
Cost:
• $80 for a twelve-month pass
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel