9 Of The Quietest California Towns

As the most populous of the 50 states, California can be a rather rambunctious region. Los Angeles, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area are all appealing in their own right, but peace and quiet are not generally their strong suits. With that said, the Golden State does have its serene sections. The North and Central Coasts, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Mojave Desert are all free of major metropolitans, and protect ample natural playgrounds to boot. So hold out hope you California-bound introverts, for these nine towns are as quiet as they are inviting.

Crescent City

Sitting at the top of the California Coast, Crescent City is insulated by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Pacific Coast Range (namely, the Klamath Mountains) to the east, and one of the planet's largest tracts of old-growth redwood forest in all remaining terrestrial directions. This Del Norte County community is also far removed from any significant cities, seeing as Oregon's corresponding south coast is a rather sleepy place itself, and Northern California's first hub, Eureka, is 85 miles away.

In terms of pleasant local undertakings, consider walking out to Battery Point Lighthouse and Museum during low-tide (but be mindful of the time), or visiting the nearby units of Redwood National and State Parks. The only thing that isn't so quiet in Crescent City is its pier-mounted fog-horn. But you know what, after a little while, the mind just sort of tucks it away into the general oceanfront ambience.

San Juan Bautista

Quiet afternoons await those who make the modest pilgrimage inland to the Spanish Mission town of San Juan Bautista. Home to the namesake State Historic Park, which transplants visitors back to the days of the Franciscan (i.e. Catholic) priests of the expanding Spanish Empire. The park's main structures surrounding the emulated town square all palpably harken back to the 1800s. In the distance, the rolling, arid plains of the Central Coast even nod to the landscape I saw while hiking Spain's Camino de Santiago.

Parallel to the national historic landmark, the village of San Juan Bautista has an Old West Main Street (i.e. Third Street) where a bit of shopping and dining can be indulged. And as an added bonus, San Juan Bautista is less than an hour's drive north of Pinnacles National Park - California's newest federally-protected naturescape. There, a weekday hike amongst the boulders, climate-tolerant trees, and, of course, pinnacles, is sure to be a relaxing affair.

Shelter Cove

This idyllic gem along California's Lost Coast is quiet yet enticing. Shelter Cove is isolated from the Redwood Highway (i.e. Hwy 101) by the steep King Range and from the rest of the world by the Pacific Ocean. After a brake-burning drop down to the shoreline community (unless arriving via private plane, which lands right next to the par-3 golf course), visitors can expect to find a walkable paradise with a light dusting of amenities.

On the Cove Beach side, there is an RV campground and a couple of cozy accommodations, the historic Cape Mendocino Lighthouse (which overlooks hoards of grunting sea lions), two restaurants/watering holes, and a coffee shop with inspiring morning views. Over at Little Black Sands Beach, one will find another string of inns, as well as a breakfast place, pizza joint, and, oddly enough, a Venezuelan restaurant. Many serene days can be spent ping-ponging between Shelter Cove's hemispheres - following the tides and one's whims.

Twentynine Palms

Joshua Tree has many faces. Some people flock to the national park for an impromptu hippie-fest, which may or may not stay within the desired decibel range of fellow campers. But for those who wade into this section of the Mojave Desert during the week and/or the off-season, then silence under the stars is a certainty. The surrounding base towns exude a similar dichotomy. The titular town gets a steady amount of traffic (it does, after all, straddle the highway), and is characterized by outdoor markets, queued-up coffee shops, and live music reverberating from motorcycle bars. Not a bad scene by any stretch, but if you'd prefer to maintain a low profile on your way into and out of Joshua Tree, try scooting down the road to Twentynine Palms. Though still on the highway, traffic tends to relax by the time it reaches this eastward destination. Instead, there is a pleasant lineup of local shops/services, the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, a couple of oasis hiking areas nearby, the Sky's the Limit Observatory and Nature Center, and the otherworldly Indian Cove Campground (which awaits only a few miles into the park boundary).

Mendocino

Ever since rolling through Mendocino in my camper van, I take every chance to sing its praises. This timeless, sunny, and windswept village along the North Coast is perfectly constructed for low-key tourism. With the ocean rolling in from three sides, the grassy perimeter trails of Mendocino Headlands State Park, secretive beaches, and plenty of outcrops for reflection (or, as I saw one lady doing, painting), everything just feels lighter here. Plus, the anachronistic Kelley House and Ford House museums and an array of earnest local businesses inject just the right dose of social interaction into the mix. Grab a new book to read on the beach, pick up some homemade jams to bring home, or plunk down at one of the welcoming cafes to recharge in good company.

Pacific Grove

Much love to Monterrey, but it's really more for the spritely extroverts of the world. Pacific Grove, its neighbor at the northern tip of the Monterey Peninsula, on the other hand, is the laid-back option in the area. Start by parking at the Point Pinos Lighthouse (built in 1855, it is the oldest continually operating beacon on the Pacific), and then stroll the outskirts of the peninsula's apex - replete with minor trails, tidepools, gardens, and craggy boulders that are ever-changing with the tides. Hopeless romantics might be particularly smitten by the heart-shaped "Love Rock," and also aptly-named "Kissing Rock." Next, scoot up Lighthouse Ave to partake in Pacific Grove's reserved, yet thorough commercial center. Here, stately inns meet elegant cafes and art galleries. I found parking to be ample and traffic patient. Should the weather take a turn, or if you just want to escape into anonymity for a couple of hours, try catching a flick at the independent Lighthouse Cinema.

Truckee

Let's now trudge up into the Sierra Nevada, where low population densities and enormous swaths of accessible wilderness ensure solitude (where it is sought). And while modern-day Truckee has changed quite a bit since the ill-fated band of westward immigrants known as the Donner Party rolled through in the mid-19th century, the region remains arresting. Should reverence or morbid curiosity drive you to Donner Lake, within Donner Memorial State Park, a strikingly beautiful alpine water body and modest interpretive exhibits will be there to greet you. Alternatively, if venturing deep into the great outdoors helps you to go within, flee into the spacious playgrounds of the Tahoe National Forest and the rolling shorelines of Lake Tahoe. Hiking and paddleboarding are great solo summertime activities, whereas endless downhill and cross-country skiing options await in the winter.

Bodega Bay

There's not a ton going on in Bodega Bay, but that's exactly the point, isn't it? This uncommercialized community frames most of Bodega Harbor, before it connects to the namesake bay. Westshore Road leads past a few seafood shacks, to Westside Regional Park and ultimately, to Bodega Head, where elevated oceanfront trails deliver epic sunset views and invigorating morning walks.

Over on Dorian Beach Road, motorists are whisked along a fingerlike peninsula to the regional park, beach, and campground of the same name. Given this Sonoma County village's sub-1,000 population and consistent sea breeze, the only consistent sounds are the cackling of shorebirds and occasional spouts of migrating gray whales.

Muir Beach

The unincorporated community of Muir Beach is the last stop before surmounting Mount Tamalpais on the way into the San Francisco Bay Area. And though it is predominantly a residential enclave, Muir Beach does boast a series of significant attractions that are open to soft-footed travellers. For starters, the beach after which the community takes its name is a soulful, reflective place.

Walking across the tree-lined lagoon bridge and out to the rugged stretch of sand, one immediately gets the sense of why this area inspired, and was inspired by, the legendary conservationist John Muir. Speaking of whom, the mighty redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument are just a few clicks up the road - easily bikeable from Muir Beach's sole accommodation/restaurant: the Pelican Inn. Sipping a hot tea or refreshing pint surrounded by 16th-century English-style architecture is a most relaxing affair indeed. Finally, to take in the sweeping grandeur of the whole area, climb back up the Shoreline Highway to the Muir Beach Overlook, where "The City" can just start to be sensed in the distance.

A Quiet Place

California isn't all glitz, glamor, and frenzied surf beaches - it has a subdued side. Several, actually. For a more laid-back, isolated endeavor, head north into the coastal redwood communities or to the antiquitous towns of the Central Coast, or perhaps set your sights on the Sierra Nevada, or, as humans have done for centuries when society gets a little too heated, retreat into the desert. These nine quiet California towns are ready to show off overlooked and understated sides of this popular state.