Calistoga

Calistoga is at the north end of the Napa Valley in the Bay Area region of California. Calistoga was founded as a hot springs resort in the 1860s by Sam Brannan, California's first millionaire, and has long been a destination for its natural hot springs and mineral water and their supposed health benefits. Its position at the north end of the Napa Valley also makes it a gateway to Sonoma County wine country. Calistoga is a visitor's destination that celebrates being different - franchise fast food is against the law (really!) and healthy hedonists are celebrated. Go wine tasting, have a fabulous dinner, then take a bike ride and have a mud bath before you leave.

Understand

At least since the 1700s, Calistoga's distinguishing characteristic has been its hot springs, which were used by the native Wappo people for medicinal purposes. After the time of Spanish missions and Mexican ranchos, Samuel Brannan bought 2000 acres, founding Calistoga and starting the Indian Springs resort. The resort eventually went into the hands of Doctor John Wilkinson, the founder of the spa industry.

Due to the spa industry, the California wine boom of the 1970s, the ensuing tourism, and the proximity to San Francisco (which in turn has fueled more tourism), Calistoga, like the rest of the Napa Valley, has maintained very high property value. This has increased the cost of living and essentially the price of everything from coffee to gasoline. The surprise win by Chateau Montelena Winery of Calistoga at a 1976 Chardonnay blind tasting in France instigated the California wine boom of the 1970s.

Get in

By plane

By car

From San Francisco:

Highway 101 North over the Golden Gate Bridge, to Highway 37;
Highway 37 East towards Vallejo/Napa, to Highway 121;
Highway 121 North towards Napa to Highway 29 North to Calistoga.

Alternatively,

Highway 101 North over the Golden Gate Bridge, to Mark West Springs Road exit, just north of Santa Rosa;
Mark West Springs Road East becomes Porter Creek Road;
Continue on Porter Creek Road to stop sign;
Left on Petrified Forest Road to Calistoga.
This route avoids the traffic in Napa Valley.

Yet another route from San Francisco goes via the East Bay.

Interstate 80 East across the Bay Bridge;
Follow directions from Oakland, below.

From Oakland:

Interstate 80 East to Highway 37 at Vallejo;
Highway 37 West to Highway 29;
Highway 29 North to Calistoga.

From Sacramento:

Interstate 80 West to Highway 113 at Davis;
Highway 113 North to Covell Road exit in Davis;
Covell Road West to Winters. Covell Road becomes Highway 128;
Highway 128 West to Highway 29 at Rutherford;
Highway 29 North to Calistoga.

By bus

Vine offers bus service from places including Napa, Vallejo, and El Cerrito.

Get around

Calistoga is a very small town, with most of the shops and restaurants on two crossing streets, Lincoln Avenue and Washington Street. Walking is the best way to explore the town.

Bicycles are another good option, especially for those wishing to visit the wineries and other attractions a little farther from the center of town. Bicycles can be rented at the Calistoga Bike Shop, which also dispenses tips and route advice. The Bike Shop can also arrange "Calistoga Cool Wine" tours, with arrangements for the shop to pick up and deliver any purchased wine, so the bicyclist is not weighted down.

A bike path connects the eastern end of Washington Street to Dunaweal Lane, providing easy, car-free access from the center of town to several wineries, including Sterling, Twomey, Clos Pegase, Paoletti and Cuvaison.

See
  • 🌍 Old Faithful Geyser, 1299 Tubbs Ln, ☏ +1 707 942-6463. 9AM-6PM daily. Named after the far larger geyser in Yellowstone National Park, this geyser puts on a good show every 1-2 hours. Bring a lunch and have a picnic while waiting for the show to start. $15 adult, $9, 4–12 years old, free for under 4 years old. 
  • 🌍 Petrified Forest, 4100 Petrified Forest Rd (off Highway 29 south of Calistoga, then a few miles west along Petrified Forest Road). 9AM-7PM (9AM-5PM in winter). Big-old honking redwood trees which were petrified after being covered by ash from a nearby volcano. You will never see a bigger petrified tree anywhere. Adults $8, Children 6-11 $3. 
  • The Sharpsteen Museum, 1311 Washington St, ☏ +1 707 942-5911, fax: +1 707 942-6325. Daily 11AM-4PM. Presents the history of the upper Napa Valley. Free; $3 donation recommended. 

Do
  • 🌍 Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, 3801 St. Helena Highway North (Highway 29), ☏ +1 707 942-4575. Hiking or horseback riding (see below) through redwoods on 10 miles of trails in over one hundred acres including Ritchey Canyon. Also ruins of Napa Valley's first church and a pioneer graveyard with the graves of some of the Donner Party. Swimming pool (extra fee). $5 per vehicle. 
  • 🌍 Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park, 3369 St Helena Hwy, St Helena (3 miles north of St Helena on Hwy 29). Sa–Sun 10AM–5PM, plus some Mondays. Closed in 2020 due to a wildfire. This park is centered on a water-powered grain mill built in the middle of the 19th century. The grist mill still works and is operated on the weekends; the tour is worth the extra charge of $5 a person. Because wooden mills can't comply with modern food safety standards, the corn, wheat, and rye flour that they mill for the demonstrations can't be sold, but small bags are available as souvenirs for a donation. There is a hiking trail to Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and its camping facilities. Picnic area and drinking water. Wheelchair-accessible unisex restrooms. Geocaching site. Dogs allowed only in specific outdoor areas. (updated Jan 2021)
  • 🌍 Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, 4824 Lake County Hwy #4774, ☏ +1 707 942-4575. Sunrise to sunset. This park has one historic spot: the site of a now-demolished cabin where Robert Louis Stevenson once stayed. However, the main reason to go to this park is to spend half the day hiking up the mountain (9 mi., 2000' elevation each way) to see the 360° panoramic view from the summit. This is not an easy trail, especially the last mile. Bring water, sunscreen (there is no shade after the first mile), a hat, good shoes, stout lungs, and warm clothes for the windy summit. During the summer, plan to start this hike before mid-morning. Bikes permitted on some trails. No dogs permitted anywhere. Geocaching site. No restrooms, no drinking water, and limited parking. (updated Feb 2021)

Spas

In addition to the businesses below, many of the local resorts also offer spas.

Wine tasting
  • Clos Pegase, 1060 Dunaweal Ln, ☏ +1 707 942-4981. Daily 10:30AM-5PM. Estate wines grown, pressed, vinified and bottled on their 450 acre winery. Wine, art, architecture, picnic area. Try their great red wines and enjoy their public tours. Tour: free. 
  • Castello di Amorosa, 4045 St Helena Hwy, ☏ +1 707 967-6272. Daily 9:30AM – 6PM. This replica of a Tuscan castle is one of Napa Valley's landmark destinations. General admission for adults (self-guided tour; includes tasting of five wines) is $30; children (ages 5 to 20) is $20. Guided tours and other upgrades are available. (updated Sep 2019)
  • Sterling Vineyards, 1111 Dunaweal Ln, toll-free: +1-800-726-6136. 10:30AM-4:30PM. View the Napa Valley from high above on the aerial tram that delivers you to the Sterling Vineyard tasting room; $15 and includes tasting of 4-5 wines and a self-guided tour for 21+ and $3 for under 21. Pay a little extra and taste the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots from single vineyards and other premium wines. Great place for those traveling with their whole family. Great Cabernets, too. 
  • Newton Vineyard, 1171 Tubbs Ln, ☏ +1 707-204-7423. Beautiful setting with bocce court and entertainment center. Taste their Charbono wine, a wine grown exclusively in California and primarily in Calistoga. 
  • Vincent Arroyo Winery, 2361 Greenwood Av., ☏ +1 707 942-6995. Daily 10AM-4:30PM. Their wines can only be bought through the winery and usually sell out before the grapes are picked. Big red wines, especially Petite Sirah. 

Buy

Eat

Budget
  • Buster's Southern Barbeque, 1207 Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 707 942-5605. Daily 10AM-8PM. Southern style barbecue, beer and wine. Warning: the hot sauce is extremely hot. Ask for a taste if you are not sure you can handle it. Sandwiches $11 (includes one side dish), dinner $13.20 (includes two side dishes). (updated Sep 2019)
  • Cal Mart, 1491 Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1 707 942-9686. A grocery store offering take out sandwiches and prepared foods. 
  • Palisades Deli Cafe, 1458 Lincoln Ave. Offers take-out sandwiches and prepared food as well as on-site dining. Take-out from either place can be taken to any of Calistoga's parks, where consumption of beer and wine is also permitted. Both may be purchased at Cal-Mart, or at any number of wine stores or wineries in and around Calistoga. Note, however, that open containers of alcoholic beverages are not allowed on city streets--only within the parks. (updated Sep 2019)

Mid-range
  • Sam's Social Club, 1712 Lincoln Ave (Located on the grounds of the Indian Springs resort; open to the public.), ☏ +1 707 942-4969. Upscale New American fare in a bright eatery with a fireplace, a bar for local drinks, and a patio. (updated Sep 2019)

Splurge
  • SolBar, 755 Silverado Trail, ☏ +1 707 226-0860, toll-free: +1-866-942-7442. Daily 7AM-9PM. Restaurant and bar at the Solage Calistoga Resort was awarded a second consecutive Michelin Star for its cuisine in 2010. Daily menu based on seasonal changes. Mains $18-36 (lunch), $32-55 (dinner). (updated Sep 2019)

Drink

Coffee
  • Yo el Rey Roasting, 1217 Washington St, ☏ +1 707 942-1180. Small, art-filled, creative hangout. The upper Napa Valley's only Fair Trade or organic coffee shop. Fifty cent discount for bringing your own mug or cup, and no charge for the Wi-Fi or in-shop bookcase. 

Bars

Calistoga has more bars per capita than any other Napa Valley city, and may even have more than the City of Napa itself.

  • The Calistoga Inn, 1250 Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1 707 942-4101. The Inn houses Napa Valley Brewing, which produces 4 beers as well as seasonal offerings, and a full pub-style bar, as well as a restaurant and lodging. Weather permitting there is also a back bar and beer garden along the Napa River, with picnic tables and horseshoe pitches. The Inn features live music nightly. 
  • Susie's Bar, 1365 Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1 707 942-6710. Less touristic than the others on this list. 
  • Hydro Bar & Grill, 1403 Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1 707 942-9777. The Hydro features an extensive offering of specialty beers and top-shelf liquors. Hydro serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and features live music on the weekends. 

These restaurants have separate bar service areas for still more nightlife options.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Craftsman Inn, 1213 Foothill Blvd, ☏ +1 707 341-3035, . Elegant Craftsman-style bed and breakfast with beautiful new rooms with flat screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, private porches. Full breakfast included. Rooms Starting at $149. 
  • The Inn on Pine, 1202 Pine St, ☏ +1 707 942-6829. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Spa services, and Wine Country California vacation packages. $125-210. 
  • Mount View Hotel & Spa, 1457 Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1 707 942-6877, toll-free: +1-800-816-6877. Historic hotel with luxury feel and day spa. A romantic location with beautiful "Artist Cottages". Rooms starting at $189. 
  • Roman Spa, 1300 Washington St, ☏ +1 707 942-4411. Hotel and spa in a Roman theme with baths and pools that complement the romantic cottage rooms. Rooms starting at $120 (midweek) and $160 (weekend). 
  • Calistoga Spa Hot Springs, 1006 Washington St, ☏ +1 707 942-6269. 4 outdoor mineral water pools, exercise and aerobics rooms. Right in town. Rooms starting at $142 (March-Oct), $120 (Nov-April). (updated Jan 2023)

Splurge
  • Solage Calistoga, 755 Silverado Trail, toll-free: +1-866-942-7442. 89 studio style loft-inspired rooms with an eclectic design offering spa facilities. From $350 (Nov-March), $450 (Oct-April). 
  • Indian Springs Resort and Spa, 1712 Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1 707 942 4913, . Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Historic resort and spa founded in the 1800s by Samuel Brannan, California's first millionaire. Now owned by a local family, it underwent a multi-million dollar renovation and has the largest Olympic pool in Northern California and a "summer camp" style atmosphere. Spa uses volcanic ash treatments and all geysers fuel the pools. From $259. (updated Jun 2016)

Campground
  • Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, 3801 St. Helena Highway North (Highway 29), ☏ +1 707 942-4575. 40 sites. Restrooms and hot showers. $15. 

Go next

There's more wine to the west in Sonoma County, with Healdsburg close by.

Lake County, with recreation opportunities at Clearlake as well as Harbin Hot Springs, is just over Mount St. Helena to the North.

Routes through Calistoga
Lakeport ← Middletown ←  N  S  → St. Helena → Vallejo
Cloverdale ← Geyserville ←  W  E  → St. Helena → Winters


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