Benicia and Martinez

The Carquinez Strait is the narrow channel where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers squeeze through the hills toward San Pablo Bay. On its south shore is Martinez, the Contra Costa County seat, where naturalist John Muir spent the last decades of his life on a fruit ranch. On the north shore is Benicia, a town of old brick and clapboard buildings that served briefly as California's capital. A bridge links the two, so you can see both in a day.

This is a trip for history lovers and anyone who has walked in Muir Woods or Yosemite and wondered about the man behind the names. It is also an easy escape from the Peninsula: about an hour away, rarely crowded and often sunny when Palo Alto is gray.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

Take US 101 or Interstate 880 to the East Bay, then Interstate 680 north through Fremont, Pleasanton and Walnut Creek. For the John Muir site, take Highway 4 west and exit at Alhambra Avenue. Turn right at the bottom of the ramp and the park is on your left. The drive is about 55 miles and takes 1 to 1.25 hours in light traffic. Interstate 680 is heavily congested at weekday rush hours, so travel midday or on a Saturday if you can.

From Martinez, Interstate 680 continues north over the Benicia-Martinez Bridge into Benicia, about ten minutes away. The bridge charges its toll northbound only: $8.50 in 2026 and $9.00 with FasTrak from January 1, 2027. If you return via the Dumbarton or San Mateo bridge, you pay again westbound. Our bridges and tolls guide explains how tolls are billed to rental cars.

By train

Martinez is one of the few towns on this list you can reach by rail. Take Caltrain to San Jose Diridon and transfer to an Amtrak Capitol Corridor train toward Sacramento. Martinez station sits on the downtown waterfront. The Capitol Corridor runs a handful of trains a day between San Jose and Sacramento, so plan the timing carefully. From the station, the Muir site is about two miles away by taxi or rideshare. The park also suggests BART to Concord, then County Connection bus 16, which stops directly at the site. Our Amtrak guide has more on connections.

John Muir National Historic Site

John Muir married Louisa Strentzel in 1880 and joined her family's fruit ranch in the Alhambra Valley. The Italianate house that her parents built in 1882 became the Muir family home in 1890. Muir lived here until his death in 1914, managing the orchards and writing many of the books and articles that helped create Yosemite and other national parks and the Sierra Club. Congress made the house and part of the orchard a national historic site in 1964.

Today the site covers the house, about nine acres of orchards and gardens and the 1849 adobe of Vicente Martinez. Inside the house you can see Muir's upstairs study, which he called his "scribble den," and look up at the bell tower. A 20-minute film, "A Glorious Journey," plays in the visitor center.

The park's hours page lists:

Entry is free and the small lot at 4202 Alhambra Avenue has free parking for about 16 cars. It cannot take RVs. Note that the house is closed on Sundays, which catches many weekend visitors out. Plan a Saturday visit, or come midweek.

Mount Wanda

Across Highway 4, the park's Mount Wanda section, named for Muir's elder daughter, has fire roads and trails through oak woodland and grassland to views over the Alhambra Valley and Mount Diablo. Muir walked these hills with his daughters. The climb is steady but short. The trails are open daily. Bring water, because there is little shade and summer afternoons are hot.

Downtown Martinez and the shoreline

Downtown Martinez is a grid of older storefronts along Main Street a couple of miles north of the Muir site, with cafes, antique shops and casual restaurants. The county courthouse buildings anchor one end. Martinez is the birthplace of Joe DiMaggio. The town also claims, with more enthusiasm than proof, to be the birthplace of the martini.

Beyond the train station, Martinez Regional Shoreline, run by the East Bay Regional Park District, has flat paths through marsh and along the strait, with views of the bridges and passing ships. It is an easy walk after a day of museums.

Benicia

Benicia was founded in 1847 and named for Francisca Benicia Carrillo de Vallejo, wife of General Mariano Vallejo. It had big ambitions. For a year it was the state capital. For more than a century it was home to the Benicia Arsenal, an Army post founded in 1851. Today it is a quiet waterfront town with a walkable historic center.

Benicia Capitol State Historic Park

The 1852 brick building at First and G streets housed the legislature from 1853 to 1854, before the capital moved to Sacramento. It is the only surviving capitol from California's early wandering years. The restored Senate and Assembly chambers are furnished as they might have looked in the 1850s. The state park page lists:

• Address: 115 West G Street, Benicia.
• Hours: Friday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Monday to Thursday and on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
• Admission: $3 adults, $2 youths, free for children 5 and under.
• Dogs: not allowed.

Because the capitol is closed Monday to Thursday and the Muir house is closed Sunday and Monday, Friday or Saturday is the only time to see both on the same day.

First Street and the arsenal

First Street runs from the capitol down to the water, lined with restaurants, cafes, antique stores and galleries. At the foot of the street, a small park and pier look across the strait to Martinez. East of downtown, the old arsenal district has sandstone buildings from the 1850s, including the Clocktower and the Camel Barns, which once housed camels from the Army's short-lived Camel Corps and now hold the Benicia Historical Museum. Check the museum's website for current hours before you go, as we could not confirm them.

When to go

Spring is the prettiest season, with green hills, blooming orchards at the Muir site and wildflowers on Mount Wanda. Summer is hot inland, often in the 90s, while breezes off the strait cool Benicia. Fall brings warm, clear days. Winter is mild and quiet, with occasional rain. The park sometimes holds special events, including a celebration around Muir's birthday in April, so check the park calendar. Our weather guide explains why the East Bay is warmer than Palo Alto in summer.

Where to eat

Benicia's First Street has the widest choice, from coffee shops and bakeries to sit-down restaurants with water views. Downtown Martinez has cafes and casual spots along Main Street. There is no food at the Muir site, but picnicking on the grounds is allowed. Many smaller restaurants in both towns close one or two days a week, so check before you go.

A sample Saturday

1. 9 a.m. Leave Palo Alto for Interstate 680.
2. 10:15 a.m. John Muir National Historic Site: the film, the house and the orchard.
3. 12:30 p.m. A short climb on Mount Wanda, or lunch in downtown Martinez.
4. 2 p.m. Cross the bridge to the Benicia Capitol.
5. 3:30 p.m. Walk First Street to the water and have an early dinner before heading home.

For a longer trip, Benicia makes a handy stop on the way to Sacramento or Napa and Sonoma. You can compare hotels in Benicia and Martinez. If you are flying in, compare rental cars. Browse all our day trips from Palo Alto for more ideas. See Muir Woods for the redwood forest named after Muir.

Frequently asked questions