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BestHomeschooling's Guide to California Field Trip Resources:  By Subject

 

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BestHomeschooling.org in no way endorses any of the places, agencies, or organizations listed in any part of this resource. You must make your own inquiries and do whatever research is necessary to ensure that any listing is appropriate to your own particular needs. DISCLAIMER

Field Trip Opportunities Listed by Subject or Activity

Active Traveler Resources
Links to sites dealing with places and activities for physically active touring--biking, walking, multi-sports, rock climbing, rafting, and more.

Agri-tourism Database for California
INCREDIBLE site with every imaginable kind of farm trails and agricultural tours, horticultural or agribusiness operations, and places to buy produce of all kinds listed for enjoyment, education, or active involvement of the farm or operation.

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Airshows: Northern CA
Fly-In and Air Show with huge number of war and classic aircraft.

Airshows: Southern CA

American River Water Education Programs
Exhibits and interesting programs at the ARWE Center at Folsom promote water education directly related to the American River watershed.

California Archeology Events
Archaeology and paleontology events for kids, families, and schools.

California Rock Art Sites
Links to information about sites all over the state

Cable Cars
The San Francisco Cable Car Website
Delightful site with interactive demos, how the cars work, routes, etiquette, location, and more.

California's Butterfly Coast
Places where you can see migrating butterflies in winter!

Climbing Walls & Rock Climbs
This is a national directory with lots of CA climbs.

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Kim Stuffelbeam                               

Cornfield Mazes
A directory for finding one near you (and even how to make one).

Beaches - Northern California Beach Hiking Guide
Guide to some of the best places to watch wildlife, hike, and camp along California's rivers, the Pacific, and the Lost Coast.

Bicycle Road Tours
A very extensive list with rides all over CA.

Bike rides in Northern CA
Maps & information about good bike trails.

Birding: Where Do You Want to Go Birding Today?
This site tells about interesting bird viewing opportunities all over the state--places that are worth visiting just for the setting.

Birdwatching Field Trips in Southern California
Field trips and events, classes, history tours, river trips, and more—from the Audubon Society.

Boat Tours
A variety of boat rides around the state.

Book Fairs, Storytelling Festivals, & Other Literary Events
A nationwide directory—some interesting ones in CA.

Bureau of Land Management's Recreation Information
A wonderful directory of outdoor recreation in California public lands.

Caves: California Underground
The story of the formation of our caves and subterranean habitats, including bats, bugs, and other cave life. Links to sites about specific caves of California. Programs for kids available through Oakland Museum.

Chaparral
Sites where you can enjoy California's chaparral. There are a variety of spots all over the state, with other features of interest as well.

Chocolate!
Scroll down to find tours of chocolate factories, chocolate studies, and links to much more.

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Kim Stuffelbeam

Coastland
Bay/Cove/Lagoon/Marinas BeachTowns/Villages Cliff/Peninsulas Islands
Remote Coastline State Parks&Beaches Waterfront Cities/Ports

Countryside:
Creeks/Lakes/Rivers
Coastal Foothills
Country/Vineyards
Farmlands Cities / Towns
Gold Country
Mining Towns
Mtn. Foothills

Dairies: California Farm Bureau Federation
This site provides a directory of Farm Bureaus in all counties. Those bureaus will often be able to provide groups with names of dairies that give tours.

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Deserts:
Canyon/Cliffs/Mtns. Ghost&Mining Towns, Natural Scenic Areas Resort/Spas Towns & Cities

Ecology Center: field trip and program listings
A good list of interesting programs and field trip ideas from the Bay Area Environmental Education Resource Guide. Click on each letter to see what the various groups or places listed have to offer.

Endeavor Space Education Program
Visit Vanderenberg AFB! Field trips viewing rocket technology; interactive educational experiences relating to space, science and technology.

Environmental Education Community, Regional
This is an absolutely wonderful directory of Environmental Education resources and field trips in California. For the best local EE help, click on your Region to access information for your area

Environmental Education Resources
Interesting opportunities in a wide variety of places all over the state for nature education and related recreational activities.

Environmental Education Resources for Teachers, Parents, and Kids
A good list of links to sources of information on the environment, with an emphasis on air quality.

Ethnic Events in Northern California
Extensive listings by the Dept. of Anthropology of the California Academy of Sciences

Factory Tours: Olive oil!
Orchards, oil mills and more, see olive oil making equipment or participate in olive oil tasting. Nice site!

Factory Tours from Online Highways
A few factory tours—cheese, chocolate, olive oil, etc.

Factory Tours from The Teenagers’ Guide
This lists a few tours you might not find elsewhere.

Factory Tours U.S.A.
Includes descriptions of a number of factory tours all over California.

Fairs and Festivals
County fairs and food festivals

Fairs, Festivals & Events
Quite a variety around the state, listed by month.

Farm Tour:
Ardenwood Historic Farm – Fremont
A turn-of –the-century museum.

Farm Tour:
Environmental Education at Hidden Villa. A working farm and wilderness trails outside of Silicon Valley--open year round to teach children how to be thoughtful caretakers of the earth. Hikes, lectures, programs.

Farm Tour:
George Key Ranch in Placentia, Orange County Historic house, museum, botanical gardens, and orange grove.

Farm Tour:
Monterey County Ag & Rural Life Museum. Not a farm, but a historical museum with farm displays.

Farming & History Exhibits
San Joaquin County Historical Museum
Farming exhibits, gardens, 94 tractors, zoo, and more.

Field Trips listed by California Science Teachers Assn.
A list of a few field trip resources.

Folk Dancing
Every imaginable kind of dance – find your region from their list for local groups..

Food related field trips
Homefires' list of interesting sites in northern CA, that produce all sorts of foods.

California Forest Websites
Photos, maps, programs, and lots of other information.

Fun Down on the Farm
Featured family farms, Food and harvest festivals, special events, food factory and cheese maker tours, and recipes and tips.

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Kim Stuffelbeam

Goldpanning and Rockhounding
Directory from Bureau of Land Management

“Great Adventure Tours” for groups
Environmental adventures that can include a study of the geology, ecology, biology, zoology or natural history of a destination.

Historical Agencies by County
These listings lead you to a wealth of interesting historical sites and attractions that you might not otherwise come across.

History and Culture of California
A wonderfully thought out and extensive site prepared by the State of California

Historical Society, California
Invaluable information and resources about all aspects of California history and related links. Historical agencies and museums listed by county, walks, events, exhibitions, arts, books, and more.

Historical Societies and Museums
A dazzling array of links to California history attractions: museums, parks, events and more—compiled by Dogtown Territorial Quarterly.

Kites: Sport Kite League
This is called the Bay Area Sport Kite League, but it has members all over the state. Festivals, events, competitions.

Kites: The Northern California Kite Club
A not-for-profit club, with the purpose of promoting the shared joy of kite-flying and related activities. Festivals, workshops, events.

Kites: Ventura Kite Club
A group of kite flyers with many different backgrounds, interests, & flying styles. Festivals and more.

Lakes
A directory of CA lakes.

Missions & Other Hispanic Sites
Information on how to arrange group tours of missions, adobes, pueblos, ranchos, etc., with links to articles, information about events, internet resources, links to related sites, and much more.

Moon & stargazing
Meteor showers, full moons, no moons, eclipses, and Directory of Telescope Shows & Observatories all over California

Mountains
Coastal Foothills
Coastal Redwood Forest
Desert Mountains
Eastern Sierra
Owens Valley Foothills/Gold County
Forests Meadows/Lakes Northern Calif.
Sierra Nevada Mountains
Southern California Villages/Towns

Mudfellows Resources
San Francisco Bay salt marsh, estuary, and marine resources - a fablulous resource!

Museums: from Museumlinks
Links to all the California museums that have websites.

Museums & Visual Arts in Southern California
A nice set of links.

Native Plant Society Activities
Directory of field trips, vernal pools, projects such as weed bashing, guest speaker programs, education projects, conservation projects, and more.

Nature Conservancy
his conservation group has preserves open to the public for educational uses and recreation such as hiking, nature study, bird watching, and photography. Guided tours can be arranged at some.

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Kim Stuffelbeam

Native Plant Society field trips--Placer & Nevada County
Field trips are generally easy walks suitable for all ages unless otherwise noted.

Natural History: The California Naturalist
Natural history, birding, ocean kayaking, and whale watching tours in the North Bay

Orienteering
Events and clubs finding your way cross-country, using a map and a compass.

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Peak to Peak
Hiking Trails and Wilderness Links all over the country, but some in California. Use the subdirectory on the left of the screen in the site to go to CA sites.

Pony Rides, Petting Zoos, and Trail Rides
Listing all over California: pony rides and petting zoos, as well as some horseback trail rides--and some traveling reptiles!

Pumpkin Festival/Half Moon Bay
The world’s largest gathering of giant pumpkins.

Pumpkin Weigh-off
The all day weigh-off for the Pumpkin Festival that follows.

Riley’s Farm
"Living history" adventures in CA history, Civil War, and Revolutionary War, and 19th Century Farm Life–at Riley’s Farm in Oak Glen, CA.

State Parks Homepage
Information about all the CA state parks, their attractions, and details.

Sierra Club
Outings and Exhibits are listed in this educational website.

Trails: California Trail Connection
Connecting trails, greenways, communities, and information.

Trail Monkey--Your Virtual Guide to the Outdoors
Maps & Trails, and information about Death Valley, the Northern CA coast, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and John Muir's home in Martinez!

Train Rides: California "Iron Horses"
Train trips throughout the state,

Turkey Vulture Festival
Although this site focuses on the festival, it also includes lots of interesting information about turkey vultures. There are also field trips and programs available.

Vehicles! Pacific Coast Dream Machines
A unique annual festival of fabulous mechanized vehicles, from tractors to race cars to vintage fire trucks to aircraft.

"Vision of Eagles"
Free airplane demonstrations and rides for kids from a recreational/experimental aircraft association. Make arrangements from your local chapter.

Local chapters listed here

Walking, Driving, and Boating Tours
Scroll down the national list to find lots of California tours, some self-led.

Whales: Have a Whale of a Good Time
Places where whales can be viewed from land, festivals, and boat excursions

Whale Watching Web
Whale watching opportunities all along the coast.

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Kim Stuffelbeam

Whitewater rafting, and kayaking
Yahoo's directory of sites having to do with these outdoor experiences.

Wild Animal Rescue Centers
Yahoo's directory of centers, many in California, and many with tour and volunteer opportunities.

Wildflower Hotsheet
Reports on what wildflowers are spotted in areas all over CA.

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Kim Stuffelbeam                                    

Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory
Information on what to do with injured wildlife and who to contact. Many links are provided to sites of interest relating to the field.

Wildlife Hotsheet
A wildlife status reports as to what wildlife is seen where and when in spots all over California.

Wildlife Viewing Areas
A wide variety of wildlife viewing spots all over CA.

Wildlife viewing opportunities - click on areas on the map to open pages.
Preserves and natural sites all over California have been described here by the Fish and Wildlife Service—pelicans, waterfowl, salmon, eagles, deer, seals, and many more.

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Wildernet! California National Wildlife Refuges
Check this out! There might be one near you that you don't even know about! They offer opportunities for seeing the millions of migratory birds, viewing numerous other types of wildlife, fishing, hiking and environmental education tours, or just enjoying nature.

Zoos & Aquariums
Links to websites throughout the state.


BestHomeschooling.org in no way endorses any of the places, agencies, or organizations listed in any part of this resource. You must make your own inquiries and do whatever research is necessary to ensure that any listing is appropriate to your own particular needs. DISCLAIMER
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