One of the best things about California's capital city is its easy proximity to the vast wonders of the Sierra Nevada. Whether you're just visiting the City of Trees or live here year-round, it's easy to find hiking trails, swimming holes, and charming mountain towns within two hours' drive of the Central Valley flatlands surrounding Sacramento. Most access to the Sierra Nevada from Sacramento comes via two main transportation corridors, which overlap near downtown before leading to different mountain regions: U.S. Highway 50, which heads to South Lake Tahoe, and Interstate 80, which heads toward North Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada. Along both routes, and the many byways branching off them, you'll find plenty of lesser-known recreational gems well worth a day trip on their own merits. Best of all, you can visit any of the destinations below and be back in America's Farm-to-Fork Capital in plenty of time for dinner.