Calistoga is a small town in Northern California, but don’t let its diminutive size fool you: it’s secretly the coolest place in the West! While many Northern Californians are familiar with this gorgeous town that’s home to many a famous landmark, many out-of-towners have probably never even heard of it. Well, that’s about to change! Over the years, Calistoga has quietly become one of the coolest places on the West Coast. And here’s why:
- Old Faithful
Partha Chowdhury/Flickr Calistoga proves you don’t want to go to Yellowstone National Park to see a regularly erupting geyser. The world-famous Old Faithful is certainly a sight to behold.
- Petrified Forest
Deane and Natasha Schulze/Flickr Millions of years ago, a volcano erupted and buried a nearby forest in lava. What started as a natural disaster has become a natural phenomenon, as these million-year-old trees were preserved in a process called petrification.
- Palisades Trail
Tim Berger/Flickr Calistoga’s rustic landscape makes the town a great destination for avid hikers. This trail will offer you spectacular views of Napa Valley.
- Wine Country
Morgan Sherwood/Flickr One of Napa wine country’s first moments of stardom happened when a wine from Calistoga’s Chateau Montelena Winery beat out the French wines at a blind taste testing in Paris. You can bet that news broke the hearts of many a Francophile, while also putting Napa on the map.
- Natural Hot Springs
Jasperdo/Flickr Calistoga was first developed back in the 1880s to take advantage of the town’s many natural hot springs. If you’ve had a long day of hiking, wine-tasting, and exploring, all you’ll want to do is take a soak in a hot spring, and watch all your troubles fade away.
- Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
harminder dhesi/Flickr This state park is one of the shining jewels of California’s park system. You’ll see gorgeous views of the valley below. Choose from a multitude of different route options for the one that suits your physical activity level the best.
So, do you agree that Calistoga is the coolest place in the west? (Hot springs and wine country? Yes, please!) Want to visit some other areas that are just as cool as Calistoga? Why not check out some of these amazing NorCal destinations!
Partha Chowdhury/Flickr
Calistoga proves you don’t want to go to Yellowstone National Park to see a regularly erupting geyser. The world-famous Old Faithful is certainly a sight to behold.
Deane and Natasha Schulze/Flickr
Millions of years ago, a volcano erupted and buried a nearby forest in lava. What started as a natural disaster has become a natural phenomenon, as these million-year-old trees were preserved in a process called petrification.
Tim Berger/Flickr
Calistoga’s rustic landscape makes the town a great destination for avid hikers. This trail will offer you spectacular views of Napa Valley.
Morgan Sherwood/Flickr
One of Napa wine country’s first moments of stardom happened when a wine from Calistoga’s Chateau Montelena Winery beat out the French wines at a blind taste testing in Paris. You can bet that news broke the hearts of many a Francophile, while also putting Napa on the map.
Jasperdo/Flickr
Calistoga was first developed back in the 1880s to take advantage of the town’s many natural hot springs. If you’ve had a long day of hiking, wine-tasting, and exploring, all you’ll want to do is take a soak in a hot spring, and watch all your troubles fade away.
harminder dhesi/Flickr
This state park is one of the shining jewels of California’s park system. You’ll see gorgeous views of the valley below. Choose from a multitude of different route options for the one that suits your physical activity level the best.
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Address: Calistoga, CA 94515, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Coolest Place In The West May 23, 2021 Sarah Is Calistoga, California a good place to live? As illustrated above, Calistoga, California has a lot going for it, and is a wonderful place to live! The weather is delightful, the scenery is spectacular, and the town is incredibly diverse and has a ton of excellent restaurants and attractions. What are some of the best small towns in Northern California? Northern California is home to some of the most beautiful small towns that often get lost in the big city shuffle! If you are looking for some fun towns to visit, the options are really endless and you can definitely find some really amazing towns in any of NorCal’s four corners. We devised a road trip that visits 10 of what we believe to be the most picturesque small towns in Northern California, and it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to explore some really amazing parts of the state. Graeagle is one of our favorites; it’s a remote little mountain town that was founded in 1916 as a lumber town. It’s a winsome little town in a very beautiful location. Nevada City is another gem; it’s a gold rush town that was settled by miners and prospectors in 1849. Today, it’s known for its historic charm and great arts and food scene. You will definitely want to stop here for a meal at one of the unique and delightful restaurants. What are some of the coolest towns in Northern California? While the small town of Calistoga may have the distinct honor of being our pick for coolest place in the West, there are certainly other cool kid cities in Northern California worth a mention! Sausalito is a tried-and-true fave; it’s postcard-pretty with a huge houseboat community and some of the best restaurants in NorCal! Tahoe City is another town that just exudes coolness – this place is an outdoor paradise and the place to go for both epic outdoor recreation and also R&R. Beautiful year-round, you’ll definitely wan to visit what’s been called “America’s Best Mountain Town.” Bodega Bay earns major “cool points” for its role in the classic Hitchcock thriller, “The Birds” – can you even get any cooler than that?
The OIYS Visitor Center
Coolest Place In The West
May 23, 2021
Sarah
Is Calistoga, California a good place to live? As illustrated above, Calistoga, California has a lot going for it, and is a wonderful place to live! The weather is delightful, the scenery is spectacular, and the town is incredibly diverse and has a ton of excellent restaurants and attractions. What are some of the best small towns in Northern California? Northern California is home to some of the most beautiful small towns that often get lost in the big city shuffle! If you are looking for some fun towns to visit, the options are really endless and you can definitely find some really amazing towns in any of NorCal’s four corners. We devised a road trip that visits 10 of what we believe to be the most picturesque small towns in Northern California, and it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to explore some really amazing parts of the state. Graeagle is one of our favorites; it’s a remote little mountain town that was founded in 1916 as a lumber town. It’s a winsome little town in a very beautiful location. Nevada City is another gem; it’s a gold rush town that was settled by miners and prospectors in 1849. Today, it’s known for its historic charm and great arts and food scene. You will definitely want to stop here for a meal at one of the unique and delightful restaurants. What are some of the coolest towns in Northern California? While the small town of Calistoga may have the distinct honor of being our pick for coolest place in the West, there are certainly other cool kid cities in Northern California worth a mention! Sausalito is a tried-and-true fave; it’s postcard-pretty with a huge houseboat community and some of the best restaurants in NorCal! Tahoe City is another town that just exudes coolness – this place is an outdoor paradise and the place to go for both epic outdoor recreation and also R&R. Beautiful year-round, you’ll definitely wan to visit what’s been called “America’s Best Mountain Town.” Bodega Bay earns major “cool points” for its role in the classic Hitchcock thriller, “The Birds” – can you even get any cooler than that?
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
As illustrated above, Calistoga, California has a lot going for it, and is a wonderful place to live! The weather is delightful, the scenery is spectacular, and the town is incredibly diverse and has a ton of excellent restaurants and attractions.
What are some of the best small towns in Northern California?
Northern California is home to some of the most beautiful small towns that often get lost in the big city shuffle! If you are looking for some fun towns to visit, the options are really endless and you can definitely find some really amazing towns in any of NorCal’s four corners. We devised a road trip that visits 10 of what we believe to be the most picturesque small towns in Northern California, and it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to explore some really amazing parts of the state. Graeagle is one of our favorites; it’s a remote little mountain town that was founded in 1916 as a lumber town. It’s a winsome little town in a very beautiful location. Nevada City is another gem; it’s a gold rush town that was settled by miners and prospectors in 1849. Today, it’s known for its historic charm and great arts and food scene. You will definitely want to stop here for a meal at one of the unique and delightful restaurants.
What are some of the coolest towns in Northern California?
While the small town of Calistoga may have the distinct honor of being our pick for coolest place in the West, there are certainly other cool kid cities in Northern California worth a mention! Sausalito is a tried-and-true fave; it’s postcard-pretty with a huge houseboat community and some of the best restaurants in NorCal! Tahoe City is another town that just exudes coolness – this place is an outdoor paradise and the place to go for both epic outdoor recreation and also R&R. Beautiful year-round, you’ll definitely wan to visit what’s been called “America’s Best Mountain Town.” Bodega Bay earns major “cool points” for its role in the classic Hitchcock thriller, “The Birds” – can you even get any cooler than that?
