October 2026 seasonal travel: Where to spend Halloween in California: 20 destinations and free events. Our guide includes Calico Ghost Town, West Hollywood, Palm Springs, Monterey, Cambria and family-friendly attractions with official dates through November 2.
Where do you want to explore California? California58 is a county-by-county travel guide to the coast, redwoods, Sierra Nevada, national parks, deserts, small towns and major cities. Start with your county, find family activities, check official road conditions, and make a trip that fits your schedule.
Explore the 21 historic missions on the interactive map →
Explore all 21 California Missions
Follow California’s historic missions from San Diego to Sonoma. Our complete mission trail includes 21 individual historical guides, counties, locations, directions, Indigenous histories and practical road-trip ideas. Open the California Missions Trail and all 21 mission profiles →
Featured California experiences
Whether you have a free afternoon or an entire weekend, begin with one of these useful resources:
- Families and seasonal events: Halloween 2026 in all 58 California counties — a county-by-county collection of festivals, pumpkin patches, trick-or-treating and local fall experiences.
- Outdoor adventures: California’s nine national parks — parks, conditions and trip essentials.
- Find your destination: Explore California’s 58 counties or view the California map.
- Discover local favorites: Community rankings and reader favorites — follow the actual vote status on each ranking.
Travel California by county: 58 local guides
Each county has its own evergreen California58 guide with locally relevant attractions, parks, history and planning tips. Big destinations and rural communities deserve different experiences — there is no one-size-fits-all itinerary. Choose your county to see its own list of places to visit.
A–F
- Alameda County
- Alpine County
- Amador County
- Butte County
- Calaveras County
- Colusa County
- Contra Costa County
- Del Norte County
- El Dorado County
- Fresno County
G–M
- Glenn County
- Humboldt County
- Imperial County
- Inyo County
- Kern County
- Kings County
- Lake County
- Lassen County
- Los Angeles County
- Madera County
- Marin County
- Mariposa County
- Mendocino County
- Merced County
- Modoc County
- Mono County
- Monterey County
N–S
- Napa County
- Nevada County
- Orange County
- Placer County
- Plumas County
- Riverside County
- Sacramento County
- San Benito County
- San Bernardino County
- San Diego County
- San Francisco County
- San Joaquin County
- San Luis Obispo County
- San Mateo County
- Santa Barbara County
- Santa Clara County
- Santa Cruz County
- Shasta County
- Sierra County
- Siskiyou County
- Solano County
- Sonoma County
- Stanislaus County
- Sutter County
T–Z
Festivals and seasonal travel
Looking for things to do this month? Start with our Halloween 2026 statewide event directory, with links to all 58 county-specific articles. The regular county guides are designed to remain useful year-round; seasonal schedules require more frequent verification. Event dates and ticket prices may change: check the original organizer before traveling.
Build a realistic California trip
For a good road trip, start with one home base, allow realistic driving time and verify operating hours. In California, seasonal snow, high desert heat, wildfire closures and coastal road conditions may change a route. A long list of attractions is not the same thing as a workable itinerary.
Check conditions before you travel
- California road conditions and Caltrans QuickMap.
- Weather alerts and emergency updates — official sources should take precedence when conditions are dangerous.
- National Park Service: California parks and California State Parks.
- Live cameras and official California apps.
California58 Editorial Desk. Directory updated October 2026. These 58 local guides are California58’s own travel content; photos, seasonal event status and individual attractions are reviewed progressively. Official sources determine current closures and admission requirements.