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Highest-rated free things to do in California by visitors

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Josep Suria // Shutterstock
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
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Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in California.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in California using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

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#29. Pacific Coast Highway

Tripadvisor

2 / 30

#29. Pacific Coast Highway

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,682 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. La Jolla Shores Park

Tripadvisor

3 / 30

#28. La Jolla Shores Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,726 reviews)
- City: La Jolla San Diego
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.2/5 (3,688 reviews)
- City: Santa Cruz
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Redwood National and State Parks

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. Redwood National and State Parks

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,175 reviews)
- City: Redwood National Park
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Venice Canals Walkway

Tripadvisor

11 / 30

#20. Venice Canals Walkway

- Rating: 4.4/5 (2,070 reviews)
- City: Los Angeles
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. Ferry Building Marketplace

Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. Ferry Building Marketplace

- Rating: 4.5/5 (7,458 reviews)
- City: San Francisco
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

Tripadvisor

16 / 30

#15. Sunset Cliffs Natural Park

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,148 reviews)
- City: San Diego
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. Palace of Fine Arts Theatre

- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,524 reviews)
- City: San Francisco
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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