Gold Runner With Kids: Every Stop, Free Snacks and Kids Tickets
Yes, the Gold Runner is an easy train to take with kids. Children 2 to 12 ride for half fare, and the snacks and soft drinks on board are now free, which might be the best news a parent hears all week. The Gold Runner is the new name for the San Joaquins, with seven round trips a day down the Central Valley to Bakersfield: five from Oakland and two from Sacramento. From Oakland, plan on about 6 hours 15 minutes, and read on for every stop, the Yosemite bus from Merced and short rides for a first try.
The short version
- Seeing San Joaquins on an old ticket? It's the same line, stations and tickets; the name changed to Gold Runner in November 2025.
- Food sales on board ended in May 2025, and free snacks and soft drinks replaced them.
- Five daily trains start in Oakland and two in Sacramento, and the two branches meet near Stockton.
- Dreaming of Yosemite without the car? A connecting Amtrak bus runs into the park from Merced.
- The rails end at Bakersfield, and a connecting bus takes you the rest of the way to Los Angeles.
- Checked bags work only at selected stations, and not at Oakland Jack London Square or Martinez.
Gold Runner at a glance
- Runs between
- Oakland or Sacramento and Bakersfield, California
- Distance
- about 315 miles from Oakland; about 282 miles from Sacramento
- End to end
- about 6 hours 15 minutes from Oakland; about 5 hours from Sacramento
- Trains
- 7 round trips a day: 5 Oakland to Bakersfield, 2 Sacramento to Bakersfield
- Train cars
- Single-level Siemens Venture trains on most trips; some double-decker California Car sets remain
- Upstairs seating
- Only on the double-decker California Car sets
- Quiet Car
- No
- Food
- Free snacks and soft drinks; no food for sale
- Sleeper rooms
- None (day trains)
- Checked bags
- At selected stations; not at Oakland Jack London Square or Martinez
Look inside the book
The snacks are free. So is a peek at Rally.
Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute corgi story with a pretzel snack page, just right to read while the kids visit the Gold Runner Snack Station.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Do kids need a ticket on the Gold Runner?
Kids need tickets, but they ride cheap. Children 2 to 12 pay half fare every day with an adult 18 or older, and one baby under 2 can ride free on each paying adult’s lap. Car seats, ID and the rest of the basics are in our Amtrak with kids guide.
Traveling with a crowd? Gold Runner has a few deals that help. With Friends and Family, one full-fare ticket gets 50% off up to five companion fares. California Everyday Discounts take up to 15% off for students, seniors and military families, and students can save 30% on a six-ride pass called Student 6Tix.
Yosemite is the big draw for families. Amtrak’s Gold Runner page says the Yosemite shuttle and park admission are included when you book the train and bus to the park, so the car can stay home. The bus leaves from Merced.
Don’t worry if an old ticket or confirmation says San Joaquins. The board voted to rename the line in March 2025, and the new name started in November 2025.
Free for train families
Free Gold Runner activity book
Print it the night before. Kids color in each of the 19 stops as the train pulls in, check off things to spot out the window, play window bingo and finish with an “I rode the Gold Runner” certificate.
Get the free Gold Runner activity bookEvery Gold Runner stop, from Oakland and Sacramento to Bakersfield
The Gold Runner has 19 stops on two branches, so check which one your train takes. Oakland trains stop at Emeryville, Richmond, Martinez, Antioch-Pittsburg and Stockton San Joaquin Street; Sacramento trains stop at Lodi and Stockton Downtown. From Modesto to Bakersfield, both branches share every stop.
California- Oakland, Jack London Square (Oakland trains)Look for: Point out the San Francisco Bay Ferry dock, then see if they can find the old presidential yacht, USS Potomac, tied up nearby.
- Emeryville (Oakland trains)Look for: Bridge fans, this is your stop: it’s the closest station to the Bay Bridge, and the connecting bus to San Francisco leaves from here.
- Richmond (Oakland trains)
- Martinez (Oakland trains)Look for: John Muir’s 1882 Victorian house is here, with an oak-covered hill called Mount Wanda looking out over the Carquinez Strait.
- Antioch-Pittsburg (Oakland trains)
- Stockton San Joaquin Street (Oakland trains)
- Sacramento Valley Station (Sacramento trains)Look for: Walk a few minutes west to the California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento, a 28-acre historic district on the Sacramento River.
- Lodi (Sacramento trains)Look for: Have them spot the clock tower and the Gateway Arch beside the 1907 depot, built after the first station burned in 1906.
- Stockton Downtown (Sacramento trains)
- Modesto
- Denair (Turlock-Denair)
- MercedLook for: Yosemite fans, this is where the connecting bus into the park leaves. Train crews also change at Merced.
- Madera
- Fresno
- Hanford
- Corcoran
- Allensworth (Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park)
- Wasco
- BakersfieldLook for: End of the rails. Tell them a bus takes over for Los Angeles because the Tehachapi Loop freight line has no room for passenger trains.
What kids can see from the Gold Runner
Orchards and farm country
Most of the Gold Runner rolls through the San Joaquin Valley, which Amtrak calls California’s farm heartland. That makes for an easy window game. Have the kids count almond groves and peach orchards and keep score.
Two branches, one train
Oakland trains cross the Bay Area, then head east past Martinez and Antioch toward Stockton. Sacramento trains come south through Lodi.
The branches meet at a rail crossing called the Stockton Diamond. Crews are building a grade separation there, set to finish in summer 2027.
Gateway to the national parks
Amtrak lists Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Death Valley as parks near the Gold Runner. Yosemite is the easiest: ride to Merced and take the connecting bus into the park. You won’t be the only ones on a bus, since more than half of Gold Runner riders use a connecting bus on at least one end of their trip.
Kids will ask why the train stops at Bakersfield. The tracks south are a busy single-track freight line over the Tehachapi Loop, with no space for passenger trains, so the trip to Los Angeles finishes on a bus.
Where to sit with kids on the Gold Runner
Most Gold Runner trips now use single-level Siemens Venture trains. They have oversized windows, power and USB ports at every seat, wide aisles and accessible restrooms, and wheelchair users can move between all the cars. No stairs means no hauling a toddler and a folded stroller up a staircase.
Some trains still use older double-decker California Cars. Kids tend to love an upstairs, but stairs are harder with a stroller. If a table matters to you, ask the conductor which car has one, since the layout depends on the train set.
Bikes ride as carry-on, and checked bags are taken at selected stations only. Oakland Jack London Square and Martinez don’t check bags, so pack light if you start there.
If the Gold Runner splits up your crew
We couldn’t confirm whether Gold Runner coach seats are assigned. On most Amtrak trains, coach is open seating, meaning a ticket gets you somewhere to sit, with no row number on it, so treat it as first come. Book the family on one reservation, reach the platform early, and step aboard together.
No block of seats in your car? The wide Venture aisles make it easy to roll on to the next car and look. If you must split for now, two of you can take seats across the aisle. Keep any young child right next to an adult, even on the quick hop to Lodi.
Hoping a neighbor will swap? Catch them before the snack run, explain that you’ve got a 4-year-old, and offer them the better seat of your two, ideally facing the same way and with as much window. If they’d rather stay put, thank them anyway.
You can also find the conductor when you board or during the ticket scan. Share the size of your group and the youngest kid’s age, and ask about a car with room or a table. A bag doesn’t get its own seat, so the conductor can have one cleared, but a rider in a seat won’t be asked to get up.
The best first Gold Runner ride with kids
Not sure your crew can handle six hours? Try one of these first.
- Oakland Jack London Square to Martinez, less than an hour. Ride past Emeryville and Richmond, visit John Muir’s house, then ride back. You get a taste of the line without giving up the whole day.
- Sacramento to Lodi, a short hop. Lodi is the first stop south of Sacramento. Find the clock tower and Gateway Arch, then catch the northbound train home.
- Merced to Yosemite, a full day. Take the train to Merced and the connecting bus into the park. Save this one for kids old enough to sit through a long bus ride.
Check the timetable for exact times. With five Oakland trains and two Sacramento trains a day, plan your ride home before you leave, and tuck a few free coloring sheets in the bag for the trip back.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Gold Runner
Here’s the Gold Runner twist parents will like. On May 5, 2025, all food sales on board ended, and free snacks and soft drinks took their place. Venture trains have Snack Stations where you help yourself.
The catch: there’s no hot food on board. Pack a real lunch and dinner for long rides, especially the full Oakland to Bakersfield trip of about six hours. A hungry kid at hour four is nobody’s friend.
The Venture cars have accessible restrooms. We couldn’t confirm changing tables, so a portable changing pad belongs in the diaper bag. These are day trains with no sleeping cars, so if you’re hoping for a nap, a midday departure is your best bet.
A train book for the ride
In Rally Takes the Train, Mom hands Rally a pretzel on the way to his grand-paw-rents’ house. On the Gold Runner the snacks are free, so your kids get to pick their own treat at the Snack Station. Read the pretzel page while they munch.
On a six-hour valley ride, a few quiet activities go a long way. Print the free Rally activity pack and coloring pages and have kids draw the orchards rolling past the window.
Pack a story with the snacksRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi, his first train ride and one very good pretzel, hand-painted in watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon
More for train families
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find another train by city or station
- The complete guide to Amtrak with kids: tickets, car seats, changing tables, family tables and what to pack by age
- Free Rally activity pack and coloring pages to print before your trip
- Capitol Corridor with kids
- Pacific Surfliner with kids
- Coast Starlight with kids
Sources
- Amtrak: Gold Runner route
- Amtrak: Gold Runner
- Amtrak: Gold Runner, where we go
- Amtrak: John Muir National Historic Site
- Amtrak: California State Railroad Museum
- Amtrak: California kids discount
- Wikipedia: Gold Runner
- Wikipedia: Antioch-Pittsburg station
- Caltrans: New Venture railcars
- ABC30: New train cars for the San Joaquins
- Mass Transit: Venture railcars enter service
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Gold Runner with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids need a ticket on the Gold Runner?
Yes. Every day of the week, children 2 to 12 get half price when they travel with an adult 18 or older. Bringing grandparents or a teen? Friends and Family takes 50% off up to five companion fares with one full-fare ticket, and students can save 30% with the Student 6Tix six-ride pass. Otherwise, anyone 13 or older is charged as an adult.
Do babies ride free on the Gold Runner?
Yes, one per adult: babies under 2 travel free on a grown-up's lap when that grown-up pays an adult fare. If you want your baby in their own seat for a long valley ride, or you have two babies and one adult, that extra seat costs the child fare. Free lap babies get a spare seat only when no paying rider is waiting for it.
Do I need a car seat on the Gold Runner?
No. Per Amtrak's rules, neither the train nor the connecting buses to Yosemite and Los Angeles can hold a car seat secured to a seat. Only bring one along if a car is waiting at the other end. It can be checked at no cost instead of a suitcase wherever checked baggage is offered, which leaves out Oakland Jack London Square and Martinez.
Are there changing tables on the Gold Runner?
We couldn't confirm changing tables on Gold Runner trains. The Venture cars have accessible restrooms, which are your roomiest spot for a change, but there's no official Amtrak policy on changing tables, so you may or may not find one. Pack a portable changing pad, and do a fresh change before the bus if you're heading on from Bakersfield or Merced.
Where are the bathrooms on the Gold Runner?
Every car has at least one restroom. On the single-level Venture trains the restrooms are accessible and there are no stairs to climb, which helps with a kid in the middle of potty training. Some trips still use double-decker California Cars, so you may find stairs there. A light tells you when it's taken. Go in together with younger kids, and mention the noisy flush before it surprises them.
Can I bring a stroller on the Gold Runner?
Yes. On Venture trains, wide aisles and no stairs make a folded stroller easy to manage. If your child is under 2, the stroller or diaper bag rides as a free extra beyond the carry-on rules. A jogging stroller or a double might need to go as checked baggage, which works only at stations with checked baggage, so not at Oakland Jack London Square or Martinez.
Can I breastfeed or bottle-feed on the Gold Runner?
Yes. You can legally breastfeed in public anywhere in the country, since all 50 states allow it. The Gold Runner has no dining car and nothing for sale, just free snacks and soft drinks, so bring formula, bottles and water for the whole ride. Venture seats have power and USB ports, which is handy for charging a pump.
Is there food on the Gold Runner?
Free snacks and soft drinks, yes. Hot food and all other food sales ended on May 5, 2025, so there's nothing to buy on board. Venture trains have Snack Stations where riders help themselves. For a long ride with kids, pack a real lunch and dinner from home, because a hungry kid at hour four is nobody's friend.
How do I keep kids entertained on the Gold Runner?
Turn the San Joaquin Valley into a game: count almond groves and peach orchards and keep score. A trip to the Snack Station is a built-in walk, and the snacks are free. The Venture trains have oversized windows for all that farm country. Print our free Rally window-drawing page and activity pack, and read Rally Takes the Train during snack time, since Rally gets a pretzel too.
Can we sit together on the Gold Runner?
We couldn't confirm whether Gold Runner coach seats are assigned, so board together and claim seats as a group. Most trips use single-level Venture trains with power at every seat; some still use double-decker California Cars with an upstairs. Want a table? Ask the conductor which car has one, because the layout depends on the train set.
No seats together on the Gold Runner: what should we do?
Try the next car first; the single-level Venture cars have wide aisles that are easy to walk with kids in tow. Backpacks and jackets don't count as passengers, so a pair can open up once riders shift their things to the rack. Until then, split across the aisle. However short the ride, keep a young child next to a grown-up rather than off on their own.
Will a Gold Runner conductor help us find seats together?
Usually, if you ask early. Catch them as you step aboard, or while they work through the car checking tickets, and tell them who is in your crew, littlest first. They can tell you where there's room, ask riders to shift bags, and ask a car seat or free lap baby sitting in a spare seat to clear it for a paying rider. Riders who are already sitting won't be moved for you.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Gold Runner?
No, the Gold Runner doesn't have a Quiet Car, so normal family conversation is fine. Use headphones for any device with sound, and save the louder games for the walk to the Snack Station rather than the seat right behind someone trying to work or rest.
What should I pack for kids on the Gold Runner?
Pack real meals. There's no hot food on board, and Oakland to Bakersfield takes about 6 hours 15 minutes. Add diapers, wipes, a changing pad, a water bottle, a quiet toy and a stack of free Rally printables. If you continue to Los Angeles, the last stretch is a bus from Bakersfield, so keep the essentials in one bag you can grab fast.
Can my toddler nap on the Gold Runner?
There are no sleeping cars, since the Gold Runner is a day train, but there's plenty of time for a nap. Sacramento to Bakersfield takes about 5 hours, and Oakland to Bakersfield about 6 hours 15 minutes. With seven round trips a day, choose a midday departure if your toddler sleeps after lunch.
What is a good first ride on the Gold Runner with kids?
Oakland Jack London Square to Martinez takes less than an hour, past Emeryville and Richmond. Hop off, visit John Muir's house, and ride back. From the Sacramento side, Lodi is the first stop south, a short hop to the clock tower and Gateway Arch. Check the timetable for the ride home, since there are only five Oakland and two Sacramento trains a day.
Can kids ride the Gold Runner alone?
Kids 12 and under can never ride alone; someone 18 or older has to come along. For ages 13 to 15, the only option is Amtrak's unaccompanied minor program: call 1-800-USA-RAIL to book, and pay the adult fare. The ride has to happen during the day, start and end at staffed stations and include no transfers, which rules out pairing the train with a connecting bus. At 16 and 17, teens can ride on their own.
How early should we get to the station for the Gold Runner?
Arrive about 30 minutes early, and double-check your Stockton station. Oakland trains stop at Stockton San Joaquin Street, while Sacramento trains use Stockton Downtown, and mixing them up is easy. Busy stations often let families with babies and toddlers board ahead of everyone else. If you're checking bags, remember that Jack London Square and Martinez don't offer it.
What if my child gets scared on the Gold Runner?
Talk about the train horn before you go, and let your child cover their ears for the first one. Switching from train to bus at Bakersfield or Merced can feel like a lot, so walk through the plan ahead of time with our printable 'what happens next' page. If new places worry them, page through Rally's tunnel scene together, where the dark gives way to bright light.
Is the Gold Runner safe for kids?
Yes, with a few basics. Hold hands on the platform and wait behind the line until the train stops. Venture cars are single level, but the train still sways, so kids should stay seated or grab a handhold whenever it's rolling, including on the walk to the Snack Station. Keep shoes on, and hold hands when crossing between cars.
What if the Gold Runner is delayed?
Look up your train in the Amtrak app and scan the travel advisories on the morning you ride. With no food sales on board, a long wait leaves you with just the free snacks and soft drinks, so pack extra food, water, diapers and wipes. If you have a bus connection at Bakersfield or Merced, ask the crew what happens to it. More than half of riders use a connecting bus, so you won't be the only ones asking.
Can we take the Gold Runner to Yosemite with kids?
Yes, with a bus at the end. Ride the Gold Runner to Merced, then take the connecting Amtrak bus into Yosemite National Park. Amtrak says the Yosemite shuttle and park admission are included when you book the train and bus together. Old confirmations that say San Joaquins still work, since it's the same line under the name Gold Runner since November 2025.