Blake Walsh

15 Best Things to Do in Tracy, CA

  • Published 2022/01/13

Why is California a favorite travel destination for many?

Well, there’s a myriad of reasons why.

It’s probably because of its natural beauty, warm weather, modernity, diverse culture, entertainment, food, etc.

California virtually has everything you want and need.

It’s home to vast vineyards, miles of pristine beaches, majestic state parks, and vibrant cities, making it a bucket list for everyone who wants to visit there or perhaps settle down.

If you’re planning to visit California, you should try visiting the less known places.

Instead of going to Hollywood, San Francisco, or San Diego, you should visit small-town charms and cities in California.

It’s where you’ll likely find the true beauty of this state.

One of these hidden beauties in California is the city of Tracy.

Tracy is a vibrant community in San Joaquin County in California.

It is home to 84,000 residents, and it’s widely known across California for its hospitality and laid-back vibes, perfect for a quick city escape.

Tracy is one and a half-hour drive east from San Francisco, while an hour’s drive north to reach Sacramento.

Meanwhile, it’s a five-hour drive south to reach Los Angeles.

Since Tracy is within reach of these California cities, it makes an ideal weekend destination for fun and leisure.

Tracy has dozens of attractions to visit, such as parks, malls, museums, and restaurants.

So, check out this post about the 15 best things to do in Tracy, CA.

Explore Corral Hollow

View of Corral Hollow

Slamslam102, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On the southern tip of Tracy, Corral Hollow is a canyon that the Corral Hollow Creek formed through erosion thousands of years ago.

This natural attraction in Tracy is in the city limits, and it’s partially located in the neighboring county of Alameda.

Formerly known as El Arroyo de Los Buenos Ayres, this natural attraction is a perfect destination for hiking and other outdoor activities.

Many visitors stop at this place initially to take photos but end up wandering its dry but very scenic rolling hills.

Corral Hollow is also home to numerous outdoor recreation areas in San Joaquin County that are worth checking out.

Do Waterborne Activities at the Eagal Lakes Resort

The Eagal Lakes Resort is a popular outdoor attraction in the city, teeming with exciting waterborne activities like jet skiing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming.

It’s a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts seeking a great time on the water.

Ultimately, the Eagal Lakes Resort has been known around San Joaquin County as a top-notch place to learn jet-skiing.

Professional instructors offer tutorials for people who want to learn to ride this machine.

Aside from waterborne activities, the resort has a calming ambiance, perfect for relaxing.

Party at Leia’s Restaurant and Nightclub

Tracy is home to an upscale nightclub where you can party until dawn.

Leia’s Restaurant and Nightclub is one of the best places to party and drink in Tracy.

It is a restaurant, a bar, and a nightclub all-in-one.

It offers its guests a spacious dance floor where everyone can dance their hearts out with great music from the DJ at the stage.

It’s also known for its delicious cocktail drinks and delicious food.

Leia’s has a fine-dining restaurant and a lounge where you can chill and enjoy a delicious dinner privately.

Aside from partying, live band performances are also happening at this place regularly.

Uncover History at the Tracy Historical Museum

To start your Tracy travel adventure, you should first check out the Tracy Historical Museum along Adam Street to learn the city’s backstory.

The museum lets you learn a lot of historical stuff about Tracy’s humble beginnings, its notable people, and other relevant events that helped form this community.

The museum is housed in an old office building built back in the 1930s during the Great Depression.

The museum is an exciting place to explore since it’s filled with historical artifacts, photographs, wares, and memorabilia that locals mostly donate.

Dine at Magellan’s Restaurant

If you’re looking for a romantic fine-dining restaurant in Tracy, you can head to Magellan’s Restaurant.

For more than two decades, this restaurant in Tracy has been treating locals and visitors in the city with excellent food.

Magellan’s Restaurant is widely known for its delicious Mediterranean cuisine, fresh seafood, and classic American comfort food that you should try.

The Magellan’s Restaurant offers you a wide array of menu items from appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, and desserts.

You should try its popular menu items like the Smoked Pork Chop, Rigatoni Bolognese, and their Salmon Rigatoni.

This restaurant also has an excellent collection of fine wines, cocktails, beers, and spirits to pair with their delicious menu.

Visit the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area

View of Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area

Slamslam102, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area is one of the eight Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) designated areas for off-road motorsports.

This place is completely worth checking out if you want to witness exhilarating motocross, dune buggy, and other off-road races.

This outdoor recreation area in Tracy is where most off-road races happen, including local and nationally-organized races.

It’s equipped with an SVRA-standard motocross track that’s also utilized by four-wheel off-road vehicles for competitions.

If you’ve got what it takes, you can borrow someone’s bike and do your stunts there, or perhaps you can watch these daredevils do their tricks on the racecourse.

Go Skydiving with Skydive California

If you’re looking for an extremely thrilling experience in Tracy, you should check out Skydive California.

This company, which has been operating for years in Tracy, is best-known for its adrenaline-pumping skydiving experience.

If this extreme sport happens to be on your bucket list, you should completely try this one in Tracy.

Since these well-trained, seasoned skydivers have made countless jumps with tourists in Tracy, you don’t need to worry.

Skydive California has world-class equipment and facility to ensure tourists a safe and memorable experience.

Before you even hop on to their plane, you’ll be undergoing a 20-minute lecture on safety guidelines.

You will jump along with Skydive California’s expert skydiver as a pair.

You will be jumping off their plane with an elevation of 13,000 feet.

If you want to experience skydiving in Tracy, visit their office along Kasson Road to book a reservation.

Play Sports at the Legacy Fields Sports Complex

Tracy’s Legacy Fields Sports Complex covers around 170 acres of land dedicated only to sports.

It boasts nine baseball diamonds, eight soccer fields, and many other sports facilities.

If you’re looking for a place in Tracy to sweat out and play sports, this is the place you need to go.

You can join locals for a friendly soccer or baseball game or perhaps have fun watching local sports competitions.

Or perhaps enjoy the peaceful and lush greenery in the area.

The Legacy Fields Sports Complex is nestled on Tracy’s northern portion, and it’s a proud project of the City government.

It’s one of the largest sports complexes in San Joaquin County.

Its construction’s main purpose is to provide youngsters with a top-notch sports facility to hone their skills.

From a visitor’s perspective, it’s a wonderful place to play or watch sport.

Watch Great Performances at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts

The Grand Theatre Center in Tracy offers visitors of all ages a wonderful experience about culture and arts.

Situated in the historic downtown of Tracy, the theatre is a unique municipal arts center that features interdisciplinary arts performances throughout the year.

It opened in 1923 as Tracy’s premier vaudeville theatre.

The theatre is equipped with 547 seats and 400 seats for general admission.

This famous theatre in Tracy has regular scheduled events and performances from movies, stageplays, musical concerts, and civic-oriented events.

Check out the Theatre’s official website to learn about its upcoming shows that you can catch up on when you’re in Tracy.

Buy Beautiful Souvenirs at the Chrysalis Pottery

This local charm in Tracy offers visitors hand-made and uniquely designed ceramic wares that are perfect for souvenirs to bring home.

Chrysalis Pottery has provided locals and visitors in Tracy with beautiful gifts for the past 30 years.

It has a vast collection of beautiful and unique pottery ware and mosaics shaped into different animals, flowers, and formations that are perfect additions to your home decor.

Furthermore, Chrysalis Pottery accepts customized made-to-order pieces if you want a memorable souvenir in your Tracy travel adventure.

Have Quality Leisure Time at the West Valley Mall

Barnes and Nobles in West Valley Mall, Tracy, California

Davidcaballero864, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

If shopping is part of your Tracy travel itinerary, you can check out the West Valley Mall.

It’s one of the various shopping centers in Tracy.

The West Valley Mall is teeming with many restaurants, mainstream brands, and specialty shops commonly found in a plush mall.

It houses major brands like Macy’s, Target, Footlocker, Claire’s, and AT&T.

It also boasts dozens of restaurants from Mexican, Italian, European, Asian, and other fusion cuisines.

Macys in West Valley Mall, Tracy, California

Davidcaballero864, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stroll along the Historic Downtown Tracy

If you want to immerse yourself in Tracy’s locality and learn how its people go with their daily lives, you can stroll along the Historic Downtown.

It provides you with an authentic and unique experience to immerse with the community of Tracy.

As you walk along downtown’s street, you’ll be greeted with Tracy’s locals.

The highlight of your visit here is, of course, shopping and dining.

This area has a mixture of shops, restaurants, services, and entertainment.

The Historic Downtown Tracy is the city’s epicenter for congregation, businesses, and leisure.

You can check out local specialty shops like The Owl Box, Scarlata Farms Cellar, Elaines’ Boutique, McHenry House Second Time Around, L’aube Boutique – Tracy, and Blast from the Past.

Chug Down a Mug of Craft Beer at the Morgan Territory Brewing

The Morgan Territory Brewing is one of Tracy’s pride when it comes to excellent craft beer.

This local favorite features a wonderful tasting room with a cozy bar where you can hang out and rub elbows with the locals.

It offers 16 different craft beers and wines locally brewed in Tracy.

Never forget to taste its signature brews, the Old Diablo Barley Wine and the California Cream Ale.

Aside from craft beer, Morgan Territory Brewing also serves beer match food.

Ride a Hot Air Balloon with Professor Muldoon’s

If you want to have a different view of Tracy and California, you can see it above the sky, onboard a hot air balloon.

Professor Muldoon’s Hot Air Balloon Rides is one of the most popular attractions in San Joaquin County.

You can take a good look at San Joaquin County’s beauty and Tracy itself above the sky.

It will surely give you a one-of-a-kind experience that you rarely find in other travel destinations.

The hot air balloons of Professor Muldoon are launched at the Tracy Municipal Airport.

Each of its hot air balloons can occupy four to eight passengers, depending on their weight.

The entire journey up in the sky lasts for about an hour, giving you enough time to take wonderful photos of the majestic scenery below.

Unwind at the Edgar Thoming Park

If you’re looking for the perfect spot in Tracy to relax and unwind, you can head to Edgar Thoming Park.

This vast recreation area in the city has tons of trees to serve as your canopy under the sun, while it has beautifully maintained grass that you can sit on.

You can also have a picnic or let your kids play at the playground.

There are also walking paths and sports facilities in the park.

A brief history about this park in Tracy; it was named after one of the pioneering persons in the city, Edgar Thoming, who was instrumental in shaping the city to what it is now in the early 19th century.

Edgar Thoming Park is situated along Cambridge Place.

Final Thoughts

There are tons of reasons why Tracy should be on your list of travel destinations from outdoor activities, parks, shopping, and restaurants.

It technically has everything to make a charming small city in the middle of California.

You don’t need to head out too far if you’re looking for a quick weekend getaway with your family or friends because Tracy is easily accessible from California’s major cities.

Make sure you bookmark this post when you’re heading there to give yourself an instant itinerary.

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