The Great Central Valley
The Great Central Valley
4.3
About
The area located in the middle of California, marked by San Joaquin to the south and Sacramento to the north.
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
80 within 5 kms
Attractions
14 within 10 kms
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.3
26 reviews
Excellent
14
Very good
9
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1
DonaldYokum
Ventura, CA708 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
I spent my earliest years in the Valley; lived in an agricultural setting, though my family weren't farmers. I learned at an early age how important the Valley was in terms of the massive amount of food that it produced to feed our Country. I participated in a festival that celebrated the completion of the first major State-wide water transfer project, the Delta-Mendota Canal. Since that time, the State has grown, the Country has grown, and Valley agriculture has grown to feed new citizens. What hasn't grown is the ability to provide water needed to keep these foodstuffs growing! It's heartbreaking to see acres of trees that have been ripped from the ground, to be chopped up and discarded, because there is no water to keep them alive.
Written 3 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian R
Bakersfield, CA258 contributions
Nov 2022
Other than the hot summers and lack of rain, this is a great place to live and raise a family. The cost of living is low for cali and the town is rather conservative, with ag and oilfield jobs.
Written 7 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard W
Tarragona, Spain75 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
Drove across the valley initially from Napa to Groveland, then down to Mariposa, Fresno and Bakersfield and back to LA and was amazed at the scope and size of this area, the amount of crops being grown and the diversity of the crops. You lose track of the different fruits and vegetables but it's the size of the fields that go on and on and you wonder how it's possible to harvest such vast areas. Then the oil fields near Bakersfield. Again, the scale is mind boggling. It was an unexpected pleasure to drive through and visit this area.
Written 23 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JanV100
Bakersfield, CA24 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
The valley use to be beautiful. Not anymore! Garbage on the sides of roads and terrible roads..traffic congestion awful, rude drivers. Smog, and poor poor air quality. Not enough entertainment to suit the population. Wages extremely low and housing costs inflated. Hot Hot Hot in triple digits! Not a beautiful place anymore. Looks like slum has taken over.
Written 9 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Double "Ollie" Winner
Riverside, CA2,459 contributions
Oct 2016 • Family
We were having fun trying to identify every crop we passed in the central valley, and for some we pulled off to get a closer look: grapes, corn, strawberries, cotton, spinach, carrots, oranges, etc. We gave up on some nut trees we couldn't identify. There's probably a game to be made from this. It's a wonderfully educational trip filled with lots of great scenery.
Written 26 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suzanne7Losangeles
Los Angeles, CA167 contributions
Jun 2015
Love driving through the California farmlands of America and parts of the World. Many capitals in the Valley of fruits and vegetables. The fields are beautiful! Some great photo ops. Also farm stands with goodies to buy along the way for immediate indulging and future home use. Here are some of the things we saw growing and or bought: garlic, onions, lettuces, pistachios, almonds, grapes, cherries, peaches, tomatoes, peanuts, rice, corn, melons, beans, alfalfa cotton. The 5 is fastest and scenic but the 99 takes you through famous small towns including historical places of the farmworkers struggles and Caesar Chavez, ethnic towns including areas of settlement of the Hmongs and Basques. Many places to sip Chablis wine, seemingly the grapes of this wine do well here. Also table grapes. Many art galleries and small museums. Nice little restaurants, not the chains of the freeway. Oilwells and oil fields. Livestock. If the Country is your thing, enjoy the Great Central Valley which feeds literally millions of people around the world.
Written 4 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ron P
Longview, WA561 contributions
May 2015 • Family
I grew up here and have recently moved back after a 25 year absence. While it isn't perfect, I think it is a great place to live. Thanks to the fertile soil, about half of the country's food is grown here. That equates to freshness and low prices delivered to your dinner table. Bakersfield, the southern-most large city, offers jobs not only in agriculture, but also in the oil industry and manufacturing. It is surrounded by smaller cities which offer life straight out of Mayberry. The cost of living isn't really high, all things considered. We are two hours to the Central Coast, 30-45 minutes from the mountains and two hours from the 'culture' of the LA theaters. Two hours north lies Fresno, again surrounded by agriculture and quaint smaller cities.
There is a lot of history to be found and learned here, and myriad museums abound in which to learn that history. There is constantly changing scenery also whether you're driving North, East, West or South. It's a great place to live.
There is a lot of history to be found and learned here, and myriad museums abound in which to learn that history. There is constantly changing scenery also whether you're driving North, East, West or South. It's a great place to live.
Written 8 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Douglas A
Cairo, Egypt673 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
The valley is about 50 miles wide and 450 miles long. California wild rice, cotton, almonds, pistachios, citrus, pomegranates and olives grow here. Five of the central counties grow 52% of the nation's fruits and vegetables. As well, you'll see a lot of oil wells. If you can take the time to drive up Hwy 99 from Bakersfield to Sacramento, then I-5 to Redding and Lake Shasta, you will marvel at how productive this valley is.
Written 21 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OnParleFrancais
California395 contributions
Oct 2013 • Solo
So many things to do, so little time. As often as I can, I drive from one small town to another, just to see the sights and have fun. I avoid this place in the hot, hot summer.
Written 29 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MadDog25
Bakersfield, CA51 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
If you are looking for a huge valley, they don't get much bigger than this. It is 500 miles from one end to the other. If you are looking for clean air, stay out of the South end of the valley.
Written 9 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marsha787
Grove, Oklahoma
When is the best time of year to visit the Great Central Valley--to see the most vegetables being harvested? My husband is an avid gardener--and wants to visit. I would like to plan a trip--but need to know the best time to come from NE Oklahoma
Written 18 October 2016
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