Where should you stop when driving on the coast of California?

12 Road Trip Stops on California's Pacific Coast Highway
  1. Crescent City Pebble Beach. Lighthouse. ...
  2. Giant trees and lush forest in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. ...
  3. Golden Gate Bridge. ...
  4. Devil's Slide at Half Moon Bay. ...
  5. Surfers at Sunrise in Santa Cruz. ...
  6. Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. ...
  7. Bixby Bridge. ...
  8. Elephant Seals resting on the beach.




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Big Sur The most easily accessible and breathtakingly stark part of the PCH is a short drive (about 3 hours) sound of San Francisco, so many people in the Bay Area do it as an overnight or weekend trip. Big Sur is defined as the stretch of coastline and adjacent state park between Carmel and San Simeon.

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Big Sur. At Big Sur, the most spectacular portion of the Pacific Coast Highway 1 begins, where huge, rugged cliffs and forested inlets overlook the pounding surf below. Whale-watching is popular here at certain times of year; depending on the season you can see blue, gray or humpback species breeching off the coast.

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If you want to do the whole thing, you'll need at least 14 days. However, if you're low on time, you can rush through it in 10 days (I really don't recommend this!) There are a few Pacific Coast Highway stops where I suggest spending 2 days, while others are quick stops along the route.

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From mountains to deserts to wine towns and the Mouse House, here are 23 most beautiful places to visit in California.
  • 01 of 23. Palm Springs. ...
  • 02 of 23. Joshua Tree. ...
  • 03 of 23. Temecula. ...
  • 04 of 23. Santa Monica Pier. ...
  • 05 of 23. Long Beach. ...
  • 06 of 23. Mammoth Lakes. ...
  • 07 of 23. Lake Tahoe. ...
  • 08 of 23. Santa Barbara.


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California's coast-hugging Highway 1 is what dream drives are made of. The iconic roadway—which extends for more than 650 miles from Dana Point north to Leggett—offers endless vistas overlooking the Pacific, with plenty of redwood trees and wildlife sightings along the way.

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The left (or fast) lane is called the Number 1 Lane. The lane to the right of the Number 1 Lane is called the Number 2 Lane. Then the Number 3 Lane, etc.

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It's best to travel from north to south as you'll be on the right side of the road for uninterrupted views and to pull over to take photographs. Parking in cities can be expensive. It's better to leave your rental vehicle and use public transport.

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