STAYCATION IDEAS for Roseville, Rocklin, & Lincoln CA and surrounding areas
Not every vacation has to be hours away and for several days. The Sacramento region has plenty of fun things to do with the family that are close to home. Whether it's several day trips, or a couple days spent in a specific area, there's Staycation Fun all around us! This is the time to go and do something you don't do all the time around here!
Here are a few ideas:
Take a Camping Trip
- Folsom Lake is so close you can pack the car up quick and even take your chances on getting a reservation for the night. If you forget something, there are stores pretty close, or if it is full for camping, you can still spend the day, and go home late (and maybe set the tent up in your own back yard).
- Rollins Lake We love Rollins Lake. Depending on which campground you choose (and their schedule) you may even get a treat of live music.
- Camp Far West Last year was the first time we tried out Camp Far west and we had a blast. We took the boat out several times, and it was a nice change. We discovered a lot of fun little areas to dock so we could play, and we saw several deer on the shore while cruising around!
- Jellystone Park This year we are going to Jellystone Park and we are all really excited. They are very family oriented, with many fun things for the kids to do. We can't wait to share our trip with everyone. Even if you don't want to spend the night, it's still close enough to drive and spend the day playing.
- Sly Park I can remember going to Sly Park as a "tween" with Girl Scouts, and its still a great destination for families with kids to have fun
- Pitch a Tent in Your Backyard. Don't forget to stock up on the makings for S'mores!
Camping not your thing? There's so much more to do around here!
Visit local Museums
Keep learning all summer long (while having fun doing it). To save money, you could do the Heritage Trail on the free days. Below are some other kid favorite's in the area. You'll find those, and more, plus information about free days in our Museum Guide
- Aerospace Museum
- California State Railroad Museum
- California Automobile Museum
- Fairytale Town (yes, it is considered a museum)
- Gold Rush Museum
- Maidu Museum
- SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity
- Roseville Utility Exploration Museum
- Sacramento Children's Muse
- Sutter's Fort
- Worlds of Wonder Science Museum
A Day of Animals, Rides, & Fairytale
You can spend the entire day in the Land Park area of Sacramento! Visit the animals at the Sacramento Zoo, ride some rides at Funderland, and then play around in Fairytale Town. Be sure to pack a lunch to enjoy in the park, too!
Get Back to Nature
Head to Placer Nature Center, Effie Yeaw Nature Center, or check out the fish at Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Head to the Folsom Lake or Lincoln Fish Hatchery to get a little fishing in. Check out the horses or animals at one of the farms in the area. Go to a U-Pick Farm or Farmstand and get some fruit, then go home and make a yummy treat with the kids.
Spend the Day in the Water
Sunsplash is always fun with the slides and wave pool, but if you haven't tried Wake Island, you really need to (best for kids at least 48" tall). At Sac State Aquatic Center, you can rent a boat, kayak, or paddleboat (you must take a class first) and they have family night Jet Skiing and Waterskiing nights. Or you could grab a raft, and spend the day floating down the America River!
Take a Train Ride
The train at the Fountains is fun for little ones, and everyone always thinks of the California State Railroad Museum, but there are other to choose from.
- Folsom Valley Railway, outside of the Folsom Zoo
- Sacramento Valley Live Steamers at Hagan Park have open to the public days
- River Fox Train
- Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad
- Sacramento Light Rail
- Amtrak take a trip to the Bay Area
Take a Boat Ride
- Hornblower City Experiences Cruises
- River City Queen (they have limited hours)
- Take a cruise on the Delta
- Take the San Francisco Ferry from Vallejo to SF
Fairfield/Vacaville Trip
You could spend the afternoon at the Jelly Belly Factory and Scandia, then stop by the Nut Tree area on the way home, and have lunch. There are plenty of fun activities (train ride, carousel & playground) to keep the kids busy. Make sure you leave room for dessert because Fenton's has yummy ice cream. You could even sneak in a little shopping at the outlet stores.
Take a Cavern Tour
Just a couple hours away an adventure awaits. Take a tour of the caverns and try your hand at mining
- Mercer Caverns in Murphys
- Black Chasm Caverns in Volcano
- California Cavern in Mountain Ranch
- Moaning Cavern Adventure Park in Vallecito also has zip lining and a climbing tower
Go Gold Panning
- Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
- Strike it Rich Adventures
- Columbia State Historic Park 2nd Saturday of each month is Gold Rush Day
- Black Chasm Caverns
- Moaning Caverns
Go to an Amusement Park
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is well within driving distance for the day, and if you get an early start, you could do California Great America in a day.
Go to CalExpo
Spend the entire day at the California State Fair and Raging Waters. Pack a bag so you have clothes to wear for water and the fair. The fair allows outside food, so you could bring a picnic lunch. Just be sure to finish it before you go in to Raging Waters, because they don't allow outside food.
Take a Trip to San Francisco
Get an early start so you have time to see a few things in a day (and you'll beat some of the traffic going early). There is so much to do there, you won't be able to do it all in one day, so you'll have to make some decisions before you go. Here are some of the kid friendly things to do.
Try out an Adventure Playground
Sacramento has an Adventure Playground on 37th Ave at the Maple Neighborhood Center. The have Community days where they are open to the public, so you have to plan ahead. Berkeley has an amazing Adventure Playground at the Berkeley Marina that is worth the drive. They are open every day during the summer.
Check out our Day Trippin' Guide for some more ideas.
Quick links to get you where you want to go:
Macaroni Kid Roseville-Rocklin-Lincoln is published weekly to keep parents "in the know" about great activities in our area for the kids. Subscribe to our e-newsletter so you don't miss a thing and be eligible to enter our giveaways! If you already subscribe, help us spread the word to others! Subscribe here
Check out the other Macaroni Kids sites in our area!
We do our best to ensure that all event information is accurate, however sometimes dates and times get changed, or an event may be canceled, and we are not made aware of it. It is always best to check with the event website or Facebook page listing to be sure before going.
