Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, UC Riverside and California Baptist in 3 Days: A Southern California Drive Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, UC Riverside and California Baptist University from one hotel on the Cal State Fullerton campus: official tour sign-ups, visitor parking at every campus, meals between tours, things for siblings and weather by season.
Oviatt Library, Cal State Northridge (Oct 2008). Photo: Cbl62 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
Check before you go. Tour times, sign-up rules, parking and seasonal closures change often, sometimes weekly. Every campus section below links to that school's official visit page and shows when we last checked it. Confirm there before you book or drive. College Visit Guides is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or university. Names are used only to identify them.
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
California State University, Fullerton · California State University, Northridge · University of California, Riverside · California Baptist University, Riverside
Days
3: Cal State Fullerton, then Cal State Northridge, then UC Riverside and California Baptist on the same day. Arrive the day before.
Fly into
John Wayne Airport (SNA), about 24 minutes from the hotel; Ontario (ONT), about 34 minutes; or LAX, about 51 minutes with no traffic. Ontario is about 25 minutes from both Riverside campuses, so it works well for flying home.
Best base
The Fullerton Marriott at California State University, on the Cal State Fullerton campus, about a 13-minute walk from the Titan Student Union.
Car or transit
Plan on a car: the base is about 56 miles from Cal State Northridge and 38 miles from UC Riverside by road, and Los Angeles traffic can stretch those drives a lot.
Registration
All four schools take tour registration online. Cal State Fullerton asks each student to register separately.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see four Big West Conference universities in Southern California in one trip: Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge in the San Fernando Valley, and UC Riverside and California Baptist University in Riverside.
Instead of changing hotels, you sleep at the Fullerton Marriott on the Cal State Fullerton campus every night: Fullerton is a walk, and the two Riverside schools are about 8 miles apart, so they fit in one day.
Why this order
Day 1: Cal State Fullerton's daily tours are led by Titan Ambassadors and last about 75 minutes, and you can walk to the starting point from the hotel.
Day 2: Cal State Northridge runs individual and family tours at 2 p.m. Monday–Friday, so there's time for lunch near campus on Reseda Blvd. first.
Day 3: UC Riverside offers daily tours with an optional admissions presentation, and parking is free with a confirmed tour reservation. California Baptist's visit pairs an admissions presentation with a student-led tour, and visitors get a meal ticket for the dining commons.
Leave plenty of time for the drive to Northridge
Northridge is about 56 miles from the hotel, about 1 hour 12 minutes with no traffic. Los Angeles freeway traffic can make it much longer, so leave well before CSUN's 2 p.m. tour.
CSUN requires a parking permit at all times. Buy a daily permit at a dispenser or information booth, or by texting CSUNPKG to 25023.
Tour availability varies by season.
California Baptist has no tours Sept. 8–9. Its offices close at noon on Nov. 24 and reopen Nov. 30, and close from Dec. 22 until Jan. 4.
Cal State Fullerton tours run rain or shine.
Riverside's Festival of Lights is held around the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa downtown, and CBU says the Christmas season is the best time to see the Mission Inn.
CBU's option to meet a professor or sit in on a class is offered in fall and spring only.
2. The suggested 3-day plan
Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Southern California traffic can make them much longer, especially at rush hour. Some legs were measured in one direction only.
UC Riverside says Ontario Airport is about 20 minutes away in light traffic and up to an hour at rush hour, and LAX can take over three hours in heavy traffic.
All four campuses are on Pacific Time.
Arrival day: fly into Orange County, Ontario or LAX and drive to Fullerton
SNA → Fullerton Marriott at California State University (2701 Nutwood Ave., Fullerton)
Driving (no traffic)
~24 min, 17.5 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive (rental car)
ONT → Fullerton Marriott
Driving (no traffic)
~34 min, 26 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive (rental car)
LAX → Fullerton Marriott
Driving (no traffic)
~51 min, 38 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive (rental car)
Check-in is at 4 pm and check-out is at noon. Self parking is $24 a day.
The hotel has no airport shuttle.
Day 1: Cal State Fullerton (walk from the hotel), then the Fullerton Arboretum
Hotel → TITAN letters outside the Titan Student Union
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking
~13 min walk, 0.6 mi
Titan Student Union → Fullerton Arboretum (1900 Associated Rd.)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking
~16 min walk, 0.8 mi
Fullerton Arboretum → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 1.6 mi
Walking
~22 min walk, 1.0 mi
Daily tours leave from the TITAN letters outside the Titan Student Union, on the east side of campus near State College Blvd.
Watch for the confirmation email; it may land in your junk or spam folder.
Day 2: Cal State Northridge, with lunch on Reseda Blvd. and Lake Balboa after the tour
Hotel → Cal State Northridge (18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 12 min, 56 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking
Drive
CSUN → Lake Balboa/Anthony C. Beilenson Park (6300 Balboa Blvd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~15 min, 6.6 mi
Walking
Drive
CSUN → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 13 min, 56 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking
Drive
Check in at Guest Relations and Campus Tours in Bayramian Hall 190. If you request it at registration, an ASL interpreter is available on Friday tours.
The general tour doesn't include student housing, and housing isn't offering in-person tours.
Day 3: UC Riverside and California Baptist, then fly home from Ontario
Hotel → UCR visitor kiosk (141 Kim Wilcox Dr., Riverside)
Driving (no traffic)
~49 min, 38 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive
UCR → California Baptist University (8432 Magnolia Ave., Riverside)
Driving (no traffic)
~14 min, 8.1 mi
Walking
Drive
CBU → Backstreet (3735 Nelson St., Riverside)
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 2.3 mi
Walking
Drive
CBU → ONT
Driving (no traffic)
~23 min, 14 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive
CBU → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~39 min, 31.5 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive, if you're staying another night
At UCR, check in at the visitor kiosk at 141 Kim Wilcox Drive and bring your tour confirmation email; parking is then free.
Check out of the hotel before you leave if you're flying home; check-out is at noon.
3. Campus by campus
Student Recreation Center, Cal State Fullerton (Sep 2019). Photo: Spatms · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Daily tours are led by Titan Ambassadors and last about 75 minutes. Registration is required, and the tour doesn't include housing.
Other options include a Saturday tour with an overview presentation, tours in Spanish, a self-guided or virtual tour, and separate housing tours run by Housing.
Each student registers separately and lists the number in their party. Tours are wheelchair accessible. Use the same link to reschedule or cancel, with 24 hours' notice.
Ask for disability accommodations at least a week ahead.
Visitor parking
From the hotel you can walk. If you drive, CSUF recommends the State College or Nutwood parking structure, and permits can be bought online.
Visitor permits are required Monday–Thursday 7 a.m.–10 p.m. and Friday 7 a.m.–5 p.m. They cost $4 an hour or $12 a day.
Getting there
About a 13-minute walk from the hotel to the Titan Student Union.
The hotel says the Fullerton Transportation Center is nearby.
What to know
The Arboretum and Botanical Garden sits on the northeast corner of campus, about a 16-minute walk from the Titan Student Union.
Contact
Outreach (Titan Hall 1203): (657) 278-2501. Parking: (657) 278-3082
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Individual and family tours run at 2 p.m. Monday–Friday, except holidays, and you'll be grouped with other families.
Guest Relations and Campus Tours is in Bayramian Hall 190 (18111 Nordhoff St.), open Monday–Thursday 9–5.
Tours don't include student housing, and housing isn't offering in-person tours; call Student Housing at (818) 677-2160 with questions. Facility tours and mock classes are separate from the general tour.
CSUN is a smoke-free campus.
Visitor parking
A parking permit is required at all times. Daily permits come from permit dispensers or information booths (cash or card), or by texting CSUNPKG to 25023.
Rates: $3.30 for 1 hour (pay-by-space stalls only), $6.05 for 2 hours, $8.25 for 4 hours and $10.45 for the day.
From I-405, exit Nordhoff and go 3.2 miles to Zelzah for Lot G4, which has an information booth. Other booths are on Lindley Ave. off Nordhoff and on Prairie St. off Darby and off Zelzah.
Rideshares can drop off at the loading zone outside Bayramian Hall.
Getting there
About 1 hour 12 minutes and 56 miles from the hotel by car with no traffic.
CSUN says Hollywood Burbank Airport is 15.8 miles away and LAX is 29.7 miles. From the CSUN Transit Hub, Metro bus 167 runs to Chatsworth Metrolink.
What to know
The Soraya performing arts center is on campus. CSUN also points families to the Getty Center (advance reservations required), Griffith Observatory and Lake Balboa.
Contact
Guest Relations and Campus Tours: (818) 677-2879. Outreach: (818) 677-2967
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Campus tours are offered daily for up to four guests, with an optional admissions presentation. A self-guided tour is available on UCR's interactive map.
The Campus Tours office is on the first floor of the Student Services Building, east of Lot 1. Walk past the flagpole and the Student Success Center and look for the orange sign.
Visitor parking
Parking is free with a confirmed campus tour reservation. Check in at the kiosk at 141 Kim Wilcox Drive and bring your confirmation email.
Getting there
About 49 minutes and 38 miles from the hotel by car with no traffic.
UCR is about 20 miles from Ontario Airport. Metrolink stops at Riverside–Downtown and Hunter Park/UCR, and RTA buses run to campus.
What to know
The UCR Botanic Gardens are about 6 minutes from the visitor kiosk by car.
UCR suggests a self-guided walking tour of downtown Riverside.
Contact
Campus Tours: (951) 827-8687, tour@ucr.edu
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
A visit starts with an undergraduate admissions presentation by a counselor, then a student-led walking tour. Visitors get admissions materials and a CBU bag.
You can add a meeting with a counselor, attend chapel, or meet a professor or sit in on a class (fall and spring only).
Check in at the Admissions Office in the Horn Academic Wing of the Yeager Center, 8432 Magnolia Ave.
Visitor parking
Enter from Magnolia Ave. onto Campus Bridge Drive. The first lot on the right is for visitors, and there's no fee.
Getting there
About 14 minutes and 8 miles from UCR by car, and about 23 minutes to Ontario Airport.
What to know
CBU recommends Mt. Rubidoux, the Mission Inn, Castle Park and Fairmount Park around Riverside.
Contact
Admissions: 951-343-4212
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
4. Where to stay: one base on the Cal State Fullerton campus
Expedia hotel links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hotel · Our pick
Fullerton Marriott at California State University
2701 Nutwood Ave., Fullerton
Why here
It's on the Cal State Fullerton campus, so day 1 is a walk, and it's about 49 minutes to UC Riverside and 24 minutes to John Wayne Airport with no traffic.
The hotel has an outdoor heated pool, a whirlpool and a fitness center, and the spadra33 restaurant and bar.
Good to know
Check-in 4 pm, check-out noon. Self parking is $24 a day. Wi-Fi is free for Marriott Bonvoy members.
One hotel for every night means no repacking. Northridge is the long drive, so leave early on day 2, and fly out of Ontario after the Riverside schools on day 3.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
At the hotel
Eat
spadra33
Fullerton Marriott, 2701 Nutwood Ave., Fullerton
The hotel's restaurant and bar, for dinner back at base.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
1900 Associated Rd., Fullerton
Gardens on the northeast corner of the CSUF campus. Open daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m., closed on CSUF holidays. Admission is a $5 suggested donation per person, and parking is paid through ParkMobile.
Gardens next to the UC Riverside campus, with a suggested admission donation of $5 per adult (cash at the Gatehouse or by QR code). Check open hours on the gardens' site.
At Cal State Fullerton, walk from the hotel; if you drive, visitor permits are $4 an hour or $12 a day.
At Cal State Northridge, a permit is required at all times; an all-day permit is $10.45.
At UC Riverside, parking is free with your tour confirmation; check in at the kiosk on Kim Wilcox Drive.
At California Baptist, park free in the first lot on the right off Campus Bridge Drive.
Hotel self parking is $24 a day.
Tour day comfort
Cal State Fullerton's tour is about 75 minutes of walking and runs rain or shine; wear comfortable shoes.
Riverside summers are hot: July highs average about 93°F at Riverside's airport, so bring water and sun protection.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Fullerton, Riverside and Van Nuys airports)
Spring: April averages about 74°F/54°F in Fullerton, 76°F/50°F in Riverside and 75°F/52°F in Van Nuys, near Northridge.
Summer: July averages about 84°F/66°F in Fullerton, 93°F/64°F in Riverside and 91°F/64°F in Van Nuys.
Fall: October averages about 80–83°F highs and 55–58°F lows; November highs drop to about 74–75°F.
Winter: January averages about 68°F highs and 44–46°F lows, with about 2.3–2.9 inches of normal January rain, the wettest stretch of the year.
Parent checklist
Register for all four visits online: Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, UC Riverside and California Baptist. At CSUF, each student registers separately.
Bring your UCR tour confirmation email for free parking.
Plan how you'll buy CSUN's daily parking permit: a dispenser, an information booth or a text to 25023.
Book the Fullerton Marriott for every night and reserve a rental car.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (California State University, Fullerton, California State University, Northridge, University of California, Riverside and California Baptist University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
