Expressnews
Planning a memorable trip for your teens to playful California? Getting teens to look up from their screens can be a challenge, but California offers a treasure trove of adventures to attract them. From surfing and hiking to mountain biking and exploring iconic theme parks, the state is brimming with activities that make teens want to pick up their explorer hats. California offers a safe and vibrant environment where your teens can discover, make new friends, and create lasting memories.
Accommodations
Napa is known for wine, but the newly renovated Meritage Resort & Spa offers plenty of fun for the under-21 crowd. While mom and dad explore the four tasting rooms onsite, teens can enjoy the pools or go bowling at the CRUSH Lounge. During the summer, the property’s expansive lawn hosts outdoor concerts for the entire family.
Desolation Hotel, located in Hope Valley, is a modern wilderness retreat that offers accommodations in restored historic cabins or luxury yurts. Teens enjoy outdoor adventures during the day and campfire s’mores at night. The eco-friendly townhomes at the Desolation Hotel Lake Tahoe property provide a perfect family base for exploring the iconic destination.
Teens can enjoy the California coast at the Sandcastle Hotel on the Beach in Pismo Beach. The property makes it easy to enjoy a coastal bike ride, a wild dune buggy ride at Oceano Dunes, or simply to spend time splashing in the waves and lying out on the beach. The hotel offers a variety of family suites.
In Solvang, the Alisal Ranch brings a luxury ranch experience to the Central Coast. Surrounded by mountains on over 10,000 acres, the ranch lets teens reconnect with nature on horseback, e-bike, or canoeing and kayaking on its large lake. Golf, tennis, and pickleball are also available. Every Wednesday during the summer, the ranch wranglers stage a rodeo followed by a BBQ and live country music.
The newly renovated The Oasis at Death Valley is teen-friendly where they can explore the many hiking trails as they find the sites where Star Wars was filmed. The resort boasts elegant updated rooms at its Inn and family-friendly cottages at its Ranch.
Get back to basics at the Huttopia campsite in Paradise Springs. The property is centred around hiking trails and offers classic summer camp amenities like swimming, board games, and s’mores.
Check into the Capri Laguna Hotel, you will have private beach access to enjoy swimming, surfing, and paddleboarding at Mountain Beach. You will also be within walking distance of Laguna Beach’s many boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants.
From the San Diego Mission Bay Resort, your kids have access to snorkelling expeditions, rock climbing classes, kayaking, and Duffy boat rentals. The property also features tennis and pickleball courts and s’mores nights.
Outdoor Adventures
The quaint town of Ukiah boasts big fun with the Ukiah Skatepark and T-Up-9 miniature golf and VR gaming cantre. End the day at Slam Dunk Pizza for a great pie and fun at its arcade centre.
The Cosumnes River near Elk Grove gives teens the perfect opportunity to grab some paddles and canoe or kayak through the wildlife preserve. You will often see raptors, herons, and more on a guided tour or solo adventure.
Get ready to soar on a zip line, rappel to the forest floor, and experience majestical spiral staircases and sky bridges with a day at Sonoma Zipline Adventure. For some safari flair in Santa Rosa, Safari West allows teens to explore 400 acres teaming with rhinos, giraffes, and more. For a more sedate adventure, the city has free electric trolley rides through Historic Railroad Square and downtown.
Teens might need to skip the pinot, but they can still have fun with paddle boarding or kayaking at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach. If you love the land, enjoy the adventures at the town’s skatepark.
Families can catch a wave with surf lessons in Oceanside or enjoy a SUP, kayak, or jet ski adventure. Skaters can show off their ollies and dragon flips at the town’s legendary skatepark, often alongside local pros. To get a stunning view of the California coast, a helicopter tour makes for the ultimate vacation memory.
Extreme Adventures
On a sunny day, head for a day at Redding’s WaterWorks Parkwhile gloomy days are perfect for laser tag, mini-golf, and gaming at the Oasis Fun Center or fun roller skating at Viking Skate Country.
Vacaville is one of Northern California’s premiere cycling destinations, with paths for all levels of bikers. Pedal along creekside paths, through scenic farmland and rolling hills or opt for a challenging course over rocky terrain before unwinding at one of the many charming cafes.
The Santa Maria Valley offers diverse family fun on the Central Coast where teens can enjoy Boomer and its bumper boats and cars, batting cages, arcade games, mini-golf, and more while mom and dad explore the area’s craft beer and wine scene. A traditional Santa Maria BBQ dinner at The Swiss is a must, topped off by a nitrogen ice cream dessert at Nite Creamery.
Soar above the mountains of Corona at Skull Canyon Ziplines. Depending on your teen’s level of adventure, choose from the original, speed run, monster, or extreme course. After careening through the canopy, enjoy the Sky Gym, which has over 60 obstacles designed to test your balance and strength.
Entertain the teens at Santa Clarita’s MB2 Entertainment, a 7-acre space featuring VR games, laser tag, rock climbing, go-karts, and more. Follow that up with a day at The Thrill Capital of the World, Six Flags Magic Mountain. The park boasts over 100 rides, including record-breaking roller coasters.
Catalina Island’s ZipLine Eco Tour was highlighted in Newsweek’s Reader’s Choice Awards for best zip line adventure in the country. As you whiz up to 35 mph through the course, an expert points out the flora and fauna you soar over. Families will also not want to miss seeing the island’s American Bison on a bio-fueled Hummer journey.
Report for flight duty at Anaheim’s Flightdeck, where teens can dive into aerial dogfight simulations in an F/A-18 fighter jet or simulate piloting a Boeing 737. If cars are more your teen’s thing, strap into one of the fastest race cars in the world at Rogue Racing for some wild virtual laps around the track.
