Gold Runner With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Gold Runner is the train that gets a family to Yosemite without a car, and that alone would be enough. But it also has free snacks and drinks for everyone on board, a science museum two blocks from one platform, sea lions a cab ride from another, and a 1929 ice cream parlor that does not believe in small. It was called the San Joaquins until last year. My dad loved the Central Valley, the heat and the fruit stands and the long flat miles, and this is the line I ride when I want to feel like he is in the seat across from me. Below is every stop on both branches and what to do when you get off.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Checked against the Gold Runner timetable, YARTS and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Sacramento to Lodi.Fifty minutes through the vineyards, then the World of Wonders Science Museum two blocks from the platform and ice cream on School Street. Two trains a day on this branch, so check the times. Jump to Lodi.
- Ages 4 to 8: Fresno and the zoo.Sea Lion Cove, the stingray touch pool and the kids' zoo, then Storyland and Playland next door in Roeding Park. A cab from the station; a ballgame downtown at night in summer. Jump to Fresno.
- The big one: Yosemite without a car.Train to Merced, YARTS bus to the valley floor, two nights, and the bus and train home. Kids under 13 ride the bus free. Jump to Merced.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, the line has two northern ends: five trains a day go to Oakland and two go to Sacramento, and the two Stockton stations are a mile apart, so read your ticket. Second, since May 2025 the cafe is gone and snacks and soft drinks are free for everyone; bring real food for a long ride. Third, Bakersfield is the end of the rails, and the Amtrak bus to Los Angeles is included in your ticket and runs about 2 hours 15 minutes. Service alerts are on the Gold Runner page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, seats, bathrooms, strollers and what to pack are all in our Gold Runner parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
The Gold Runner is getting new Siemens Venture trainsets through 2026, and more Sacramento-area stations (Elk Grove, Natomas, Lodi's ACE stop) are planned. If a stop below has moved or a new one appears, the Amtrak station page is the final word.
Stop 1 of 20OKJ5 trains a day each way on the Oakland branch
Oakland Jack London Square
The Gold Runner starts here, on a street. The train rolls down the middle of the Embarcadero through Jack London Square with its bell ringing, past a playground, a ferry dock and a presidential yacht. If your kids have never seen a train share a road with cars, start the trip ten minutes early and watch one arrive.
Stand on the sidewalk at Embarcadero and Webster and watch your own train come down the street. Then board it.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with restrooms and a waiting area.
- 3 minJack London Square: the waterfront, a playground, Heinold's crooked-floor saloon and the Sunday farmers market.
- 4 minThe USS Potomac, Franklin Roosevelt's presidential yacht, open for tours some days.
- 5 minThe San Francisco Bay Ferry to the Ferry Building, about 30 minutes.
- 15 minOakland Museum of California, with a great kids' gallery.
A few hours here
- The playground and the waterfront (1 hour).
- A ferry round trip to San Francisco, outside seats (90 minutes).
- Lunch on the square before the train.
Make it a full day
A San Francisco day by ferry, then the evening train south. Or sleep in Oakland and take the first Gold Runner at dawn to Yosemite's bus.
Snack stop: The square has ice cream, pizza and a market hall.
Out the window: The street-running section is slow and wonderful. Both sides.
Trains to Sacramento do not start here; they start in Stockton. All five Oakland trains run the full line to Bakersfield.
Stop 2 of 20EMYEvery Oakland-branch train; Amtrak bus to San Francisco
Emeryville
The stop for San Francisco: the Amtrak bus to downtown meets the train here. On the Gold Runner this is mostly a boarding stop for city families heading to Yosemite or the valley.
Sit on the right side of the Amtrak bus to San Francisco for the Bay Bridge.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with restrooms and the Thruway bus stop outside.
- 10 minBay Street shopping center with a LEGO store.
- at stopThe Amtrak bus to San Francisco, about 30 minutes, included in a ticket to SFC.
A few hours here
- Bus into San Francisco and back (4 hours with lunch).
Make it a full day
San Francisco days are covered in the Capitol Corridor plan; from here the Gold Runner is about heading south.
Snack stop: Bay Street has a Peet's; nothing at the station.
Out the window: The bay and the city skyline on the right heading north.
Stop 3 of 20RICEvery Oakland-branch train; BARTour honest take: ride on
Richmond
A transit center shared with BART. For Gold Runner families it is the place to switch from BART to the train without a bus. The Rosie the Riveter national park is a cab ride away on the waterfront.
If you have time, the Rosie the Riveter visitor center on the Marina Bay waterfront, free, with real shipyard stories.
Right off the platform
- at stopA transit center with elevators, restrooms and BART.
- at stopRosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, 2 miles by cab, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard; this is a transfer stop.
Make it a full day
BART in from San Francisco, train south from here.
Snack stop: Nothing at the station.
Out the window: Refinery tanks, then the Carquinez Strait ahead.
Stop 4 of 20MTZEvery Oakland-branch train, plus the Capitol Corridor
Martinez
A downtown station with a waterfront park across a footbridge, beavers in the creek, and John Muir's house a cab ride up the hill. This is where the Gold Runner turns inland and leaves the bay.
The footbridge over the tracks to the shoreline park, with the strait and the ships below.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minMartinez Regional Shoreline across the footbridge: marina, lawns, a playground.
- 5 minMain Street's toy store and the beaver habitat in Alhambra Creek.
- at stopJohn Muir National Historic Site, 2 miles by cab, free, with Junior Ranger badges.
A few hours here
- Footbridge to the shoreline playground (1 hour).
- Main Street and the beaver pond (45 minutes).
- The next train, which on this stretch means a Gold Runner or a Capitol Corridor, roughly hourly.
Make it a full day
John Muir's house in the morning, Main Street lunch, the shoreline in the afternoon.
Snack stop: Main Street bakeries.
Out the window: Leaving Martinez eastbound the train crosses the marsh and the delta sloughs toward Antioch, with the water on the left.
Stop 5 of 20ACAEvery Oakland-branch trainour honest take: ride on
Antioch-Pittsburg
A platform near the delta waterfront between the two towns. Antioch's riverfront and a small marina are a walk away, but there is not enough here for a family stop.
The San Joaquin River out the window, wide and brown, with the delta islands beyond.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter.
- 15 minAntioch's Rivertown: a marina, a fishing pier and a small downtown.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the platform.
Out the window: The delta: levees, sloughs, and the first farm fields of the valley.
Stop 6 of 20OKYEvery Oakland-branch trainour honest take: ride on
Oakley
The newest station on the line, in a delta town of orchards and vineyards, with a riverfront park a short cab ride away. A nice place to live; not a stop for a day out.
Big Break Regional Shoreline, by cab, has a walk-on map of the delta the size of a basketball court and a visitor center with fish tanks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA new platform with shelters and parking.
- at stopBig Break Regional Shoreline and visitor center, 2 miles, free, with the giant delta map.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip, unless Big Break is the plan.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Orchards and delta sloughs.
Stop 7 of 20SKNOakland-branch trains
Stockton San Joaquin Street
The Oakland trains stop at the old 1930 Santa Fe depot on San Joaquin Street, a 15-minute walk from downtown's Children's Museum and the waterfront. The Sacramento trains use a different Stockton station (Cabral) across downtown; the two are a mile apart.
The Children's Museum of Stockton has a real fire truck, a bank vault and a grocery store, all built for climbing in. Check it is open before you promise it.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored Santa Fe depot with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 15 minChildren's Museum of Stockton on Weber Avenue near the waterfront (hours vary; check).
- 15 minDowntown Stockton's waterfront promenade and the Weber Point fountains.
- 20 minHaggin Museum in Victory Park, with a small Junior Ranger style kids' area and a playground outside.
A few hours here
- Walk or cab to the Children's Museum (90 minutes).
- Weber Point fountains in summer (30 minutes).
- Back for the next train.
Make it a full day
Children's Museum, lunch on the waterfront, then Micke Grove Zoo north of town by cab (small, good for little kids).
Snack stop: Downtown Stockton near the waterfront has cafes; the depot has vending.
Out the window: Leaving Stockton the train crosses the Stockton Diamond, where two main lines cross at grade, and heads into orchards.
Two stations in Stockton: San Joaquin Street (Oakland trains) and Cabral (Sacramento trains). They are a mile apart; do not mix them up.
Stop 8 of 20SAC2 trains a day each way on the Sacramento branch, plus the Capitol Corridor
Sacramento Sacramento Valley Station
The northern end of the Sacramento branch, and the best train museum in America is a 7-minute walk from the platform: the California State Railroad Museum, with a steam engine you walk through, a rocking sleeper car and a real steam train ride on weekends.
Walk through the Governor Stanford, the big black steam engine, then stand on the real train for the 45-minute excursion along the river.
Right off the platform
- at stopA big renovated station with restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 7 minCalifornia State Railroad Museum at 111 I St in Old Sacramento. Open daily 10 to 5; adults $12, 6 to 17 $6, 5 and under free.
- 7 minOld Sacramento's wooden sidewalks, candy stores and the riverfront.
- 8 minExcursion train rides from Front and J, weekends April to mid-October, about 45 minutes, adults $18, kids 6 to 17 $10, under 6 free.
- 10 minDelta King riverboat hotel.
A few hours here
- Railroad Museum at opening (3 hours).
- Excursion train on a weekend (1 hour).
- Lunch in Old Sac and the afternoon train south.
Make it a full day
Museum and steam train, Old Sacramento, the Delta King. Sleep aboard the riverboat and take the morning Gold Runner south to Fresno.
Snack stop: Old Sacramento candy stores and the station cafe.
Out the window: Leaving Sacramento southbound you run through Elk Grove's suburbs and into the Lodi vineyards.
Only two Gold Runner trains a day serve Sacramento; the rest go to Oakland. The Capitol Corridor fills in for Sacramento-to-bay trips.
Stop 9 of 20LODSacramento-branch trains
Lodi
A small-town depot in wine country with a hands-on science museum two blocks away that is one of the best kid stops on the whole line, and a downtown with a toy store and ice cream. Lodi is the stop I tell people about and they do not believe me until they go.
The World of Wonders Science Museum, where everything is meant to be touched: a bed of nails, a tornado machine, a moon walk harness for kids over 40 pounds.
Right off the platform
- at stopA Mission-style depot with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 3 minWorld of Wonders Science Museum at 2 N Sacramento St: open Wednesday to Monday 10 to 5, adults $9, kids 2 to 17 $7, under 2 free.
- 5 minDowntown Lodi's School Street: a toy store, a bakery, ice cream and a Thursday farmers market in summer.
- 15 minLodi Lake Park, with a swimming beach in summer and a nature trail (a long walk or a short cab).
A few hours here
- WOW Science Museum (2 hours).
- Ice cream on School Street (30 minutes).
- The next train, two a day each way, so plan it.
Make it a full day
Museum in the morning, lunch downtown, Lodi Lake in the afternoon (swimming in summer), dinner on School Street. Trains are sparse, so this is an all-day stop.
Snack stop: School Street: a bakery, a creamery, and family restaurants.
Out the window: Vineyards. Old vine zinfandel grows right up to the tracks.
Two trains a day each way on this branch; check the times before you plan the museum.
Stop 10 of 20SKTSacramento-branch trains and the ACE trainour honest take: ride on
Stockton Cabral Station
The Sacramento trains stop at the 1910 Southern Pacific depot, now a transit center shared with the ACE commuter train. It is a mile from the other Stockton station and a 15-minute walk from the Children's Museum.
If an ACE train is in, kids can see two different kinds of trains side by side.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored depot with restrooms and a waiting room.
- 15 minChildren's Museum of Stockton near the waterfront (check hours).
- 15 minThe downtown waterfront and Weber Point fountains.
A few hours here
- The Children's Museum if it is open (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
Same as the other Stockton station: museum, waterfront, Micke Grove Zoo by cab.
Snack stop: Downtown cafes.
Out the window: The Stockton Diamond crossing just south of here.
Sacramento-branch trains stop here, not at San Joaquin Street. Check your ticket.
Stop 11 of 20MODEvery train
Modesto
A modern station on the edge of town, a short cab from a downtown with a hands-on children's museum, a mansion to tour, and the George Lucas-era cruising history on the murals. It is a 10-minute drive from the platform; nothing is walkable.
The McHenry Mansion downtown, free tours, an 1883 Victorian where kids can see a real old kitchen and a bathtub with feet.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with restrooms and a waiting room; buses outside.
- at stopGreat Valley Museum at Modesto Junior College, by cab, with a planetarium and live animals.
- at stopMcHenry Mansion and the McHenry Museum downtown, free, by cab.
- at stopGraceada Park, by cab, with a big playground and the Mancini Bowl.
A few hours here
- Cab downtown for the mansion and a snack (90 minutes).
Make it a full day
Great Valley Museum planetarium in the morning, downtown lunch, Graceada Park, then an evening train.
Snack stop: Downtown Modesto's 10th Street has cafes and a creamery.
Out the window: Almond orchards, which bloom white and pink in February.
The station is not downtown; plan on a cab or a bus both ways.
Stop 12 of 20TRKEvery trainour honest take: ride on
Turlock-Denair
A platform in Denair, a few miles from Turlock, with farm fields around it. A bus goes into Turlock, but with kids it is not worth the stop.
Dairy cows out the window. Lots of them.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and parking.
- at stopTurlock's downtown and Donnelly Park, by bus or cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dairy farms and orchards.
Stop 13 of 20MCDEvery train; YARTS buses to Yosemite
Merced
This is the Yosemite stop. The YARTS bus to the park meets the train, and the valley floor is about two and a half hours away. Merced itself has a free little zoo in a park a 15-minute walk from the station, and a downtown with an old theater.
The first view of El Capitan from the bus window after the tunnel. On the way back, falling asleep on the train. Both count.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1920s depot with restrooms and the YARTS bus stop outside.
- 15 minApplegate Park and Zoo: free, small, with a playground, a carousel in summer and a miniature train on weekends.
- 10 minDowntown Merced's Main Street and the 1931 Merced Theatre.
- at stopYARTS bus to Yosemite Valley, about 2.5 hours, ticketed with Amtrak; kids 12 and under ride free with a paying adult on YARTS.
A few hours here
- Applegate Park zoo, playground and train (90 minutes).
- Lunch downtown and the next train.
Make it a full day
Yosemite. Train to Merced, YARTS bus to the valley, two nights in Curry Village or the lodge, bus and train home. The whole trip without a car, and kids under 13 ride the bus free.
Snack stop: Main Street cafes and a bakery.
Out the window: South of Merced the Sierra rises on the left side, snowy in spring.
Book the YARTS connection with your Amtrak ticket (station code YOS). Park entrance reservations have applied in summer in recent years; check the park site.
Stop 14 of 20MDREvery trainour honest take: ride on
Madera
A platform north of town in the fields, with the fairgrounds a cab ride away. Fresno, 25 minutes on, has the zoo.
The high-speed rail construction out the window south of here, the first of its kind in the country.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and parking.
- at stopMadera's Courthouse Park and museum, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Vineyards, and the high-speed rail viaducts being built alongside.
A new Madera station closer to the high-speed rail line has been planned; check the current stop location.
Stop 15 of 20FNOEvery train
Fresno
A big 1889 Santa Fe depot downtown, with one of the best zoos in California a 10-minute cab ride away: sea lions, a stingray touch pool and the Kingdoms of Asia tigers. Downtown has Chukchansi Park for a ballgame and a Saturday farmers market. Fresno is the middle of the line and the best place to break it.
Sea Lion Cove at the Chaffee Zoo, where the sea lions swim right up to the underwater window and look at your kid.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored depot with a waiting room, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minChukchansi Park, the Grizzlies' ballpark, with family nights and fireworks in summer.
- at stopFresno Chaffee Zoo in Roeding Park, 3 miles by cab: open daily from 9, with Sea Lion Cove, the stingray touch pool, Kingdoms of Asia and a kids' zoo.
- at stopRoeding Park around the zoo: Storyland and Playland (small, old, lovely), paddle boats and lawns.
- 10 minDowntown's Fulton Street and the Saturday farmers market.
A few hours here
- Cab to the zoo at opening (3 hours).
- Lunch in Roeding Park or back downtown.
- The next train, about every two hours.
Make it a full day
Zoo in the morning, Storyland and Playland in the afternoon, a Grizzlies game at night in summer, and a hotel downtown. Fresno is also the Thruway bus stop for Yosemite's southern entrance and Sequoia.
Snack stop: Downtown Fresno's Fulton Street cafes; the zoo has a cafe.
Out the window: Fresno is flat. The Sierra is out the left side on a clear day.
The zoo raised prices in 2026 and shortens summer hours in August; check the day's hours before you cab over.
Stop 16 of 20HNFEvery train
Hanford
A 1897 depot a 10-minute walk from one of the prettiest small downtowns in the valley: a courthouse square with a carousel, a 1920s soda fountain that makes ice cream in enormous portions, and a kids' museum. This is a sleeper of a stop.
A sundae at Superior Dairy on the square, which has been serving the same sundae since 1929 and does not do small. Then the carousel.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored depot with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 10 minCourthouse Square: lawns, a 1920s carousel (small fee, seasonal) and the old courthouse.
- 10 minSuperior Dairy, the ice cream parlor on the square, since 1929.
- 10 minThe Children's Storybook Garden and Museum, a small outdoor museum built around nursery rhymes, ages 1 to 8 (limited days).
- 12 minChina Alley, a historic block with a temple museum open some weekends.
A few hours here
- Walk 10 minutes to the square for the carousel (30 minutes).
- Superior Dairy sundae (45 minutes, do not plan anything after).
- Storybook Garden if open (1 hour).
Make it a full day
Square, ice cream, Storybook Garden, lunch, then a cab to Kings County's Lemoore for the Naval Air Station fence to watch jets, if your kids like planes. Or just the square twice.
Snack stop: Superior Dairy. There is nothing else to say.
Out the window: South of Hanford the valley opens flat and wide; cotton and almond fields.
The Storybook Garden has limited hours; check before you go.
Stop 17 of 20COCEvery trainour honest take: ride on
Corcoran
A small farm town stop. The tracks run beside the old Tulare Lake bed, which refilled in the 2023 floods and made national news. Nothing to get off for.
Tell them a lake the size of Lake Tahoe used to be right here, and in 2023 it came back for a year.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a shelter and restrooms.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The flat Tulare Lake bed to the west, farmed now, water in a wet year.
Stop 18 of 20ALWFlag stop; check the day's trainsour honest take: ride on
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
A flag stop at a state historic park: the town of Allensworth, founded in 1908 by Black settlers led by Colonel Allen Allensworth, restored as a park with a schoolhouse and a church. Powerful and worth a visit, but it is a flag stop in the open with no services, so plan it carefully.
The one-room schoolhouse, with the desks and the slate boards, and the story of a town that built itself.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform at the edge of the park; no building, no shade, no services.
- 5 minColonel Allensworth State Historic Park: the restored schoolhouse, church, library and homes, with a visitor center and picnic tables.
A few hours here
- The visitor center and the schoolhouse (90 minutes), then the next flag stop train, which may be hours later.
Make it a full day
Only with a plan: the park's Rededication Festival in October and Juneteenth events bring the town to life. Bring water and shade; it is hot.
Snack stop: Nothing. Bring everything.
Out the window: The restored town's white buildings off to the west.
Allensworth is a flag stop, which means the train stops only if someone has a ticket to or from it. Buy ahead, and check which trains stop.
Stop 19 of 20WACEvery trainour honest take: ride on
Wasco
A small depot in the town that grows most of the roses in America. In September the rose fields around town bloom and there is a festival. Otherwise, ride on to Bakersfield, 25 minutes.
The rose fields in September, out the window, in rows of color.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room.
- 10 minWasco's small downtown and Barker Park playground.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless it is the September Rose Festival.
Make it a full day
Skip.
Snack stop: A taqueria near the depot.
Out the window: Rose fields in late summer, almonds the rest of the year.
Stop 20 of 20BFDEvery train; Thruway buses to Los Angeles
Bakersfield
The southern end of the line, where Amtrak buses to Los Angeles meet every train. Bakersfield has a museum made of a whole pioneer village with a real steam locomotive and a kids' discovery center, a 10-minute cab from the station, and Basque restaurants that serve family style, which kids love.
Climbing up into the locomotive at the Kern County Museum's Pioneer Village, then walking through the old schoolhouse and the jail.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with restrooms, a staffed counter and the Thruway bus bays outside.
- 10 minMill Creek Park and the Bakersfield Museum of Art's sculpture garden, a walk along the creek.
- at stopKern County Museum at 3801 Chester Ave, 2 miles by cab: open Wednesday to Sunday 9 to 4, with 56 historic buildings, a locomotive and the Lori Brock Discovery Center for little kids.
- at stopCalifornia Living Museum (CALM), a zoo of California animals, 15 minutes by car.
- 10 minDowntown's Fox Theater and the Basque restaurants on 19th Street and in Old Town Kern.
A few hours here
- Cab to the Kern County Museum and the Discovery Center (2 hours).
- A Basque lunch, family style (1 hour).
- Back for the train or the bus to Los Angeles.
Make it a full day
Museum in the morning, Basque lunch, CALM zoo in the afternoon, then the Amtrak bus over the Grapevine to Los Angeles Union Station, about 2 hours 15 minutes.
Snack stop: Dewar's Candy Shop on Eye Street, an old-fashioned soda fountain with taffy chews, is the Bakersfield snack.
Out the window: Arriving from the north you see the Tehachapi Mountains ahead, which the bus will climb.
The Los Angeles bus is included in a ticket to LAX; it leaves from the station bays and runs about 2 hours 15 minutes over the Grapevine.
The valley is the trip
People drive the Central Valley to get through it. On the train, it is the thing you came for: the orchards in rows that line up and vanish, the Sierra floating on the left, egrets in the flooded fields, a fruit stand sign at every crossing. My dad would have pointed out every one. I do it now, and my kids groan, and then they start pointing too. If you take this line, I hope your kids groan at you.
Next in this series: the Capitol Corridor, which shares the tracks from Oakland to Martinez, and the Amtrak Cascades. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Gold Runner trips with kids: questions parents ask
Is the Gold Runner the same as the San Joaquins?
Yes. The San Joaquins were renamed the Gold Runner in November 2025. Same route between Oakland, Sacramento and Bakersfield, same stops, with new trainsets arriving through 2026.
How do we get to Yosemite on the Gold Runner?
Ride to Merced and take the YARTS bus into Yosemite Valley, about 2.5 hours. Book the bus with your Amtrak ticket using station code YOS. Kids 12 and under ride YARTS free with a paying adult, and the bus drops you at the valley lodges and the visitor center.
Are snacks really free on the Gold Runner?
Yes. Since May 2025 there is no cafe car; instead, complimentary snacks and soft drinks are offered to everyone on board. For a long ride, bring real food.
What is the best Gold Runner stop for a toddler?
Lodi, on the Sacramento branch. The World of Wonders Science Museum is two blocks from the platform, and School Street has a toy store and ice cream. On the Oakland branch, Martinez's shoreline playground is the easy one.
Can we take the train to Los Angeles on the Gold Runner?
The rails end at Bakersfield; an Amtrak Thruway bus included in your ticket continues over the Grapevine to Los Angeles Union Station in about 2 hours 15 minutes. Book through to LAX and the bus is part of the ticket.
Which Stockton station do we use?
Oakland trains use Stockton San Joaquin Street (SKN). Sacramento trains use Stockton Cabral (SKT). They are about a mile apart; your ticket says which.
Do kids pay on the Gold Runner?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare and one child under 2 rides free on each adult's lap. Tickets are unreserved, so a missed train just means the next one.
Which Gold Runner stops should we skip with kids?
Antioch-Pittsburg, Oakley, Turlock-Denair, Madera, Corcoran and Wasco are platforms in the fields. Allensworth is wonderful but a flag stop with no services, so only with a plan.
Sources and how I checked
- Gold Runner timetable, October 2026 (Trains 701 to 719), YARTS schedules and Amtrak station pages
- California State Railroad Museum, World of Wonders Science Museum, Kern County Museum, Fresno Chaffee Zoo: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority notices on the Gold Runner rename, free onboard snacks (May 2025) and the restored second Sacramento round trip (December 2025)
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses and station history, cross-checked with Amtrak
- City park and museum pages: Applegate Park Zoo, Hanford Courthouse Square, Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.