The grand pacific drive is one of australias most spectacular driving routes. I cant wait to hit the road and plan my road trip on tripadvisor. There are several different routes you can take but the bulk of your journey will exist on some legendary roads such as us route 101, known as the 101 and different portions of the pacific coast highway such as highway 1 in california. Skip the typical southern california road trip along the pch. The pacific coast highway, also called california state route 1, coast highway, or shortened by locals to be pch, is 650 miles of road. Rugged headlands, large rivers, and quiet beach towns are found throughout the entire. Pacific coast highway road trip guide outdoor blueprint. Californias pacific coast highway is a classic american road trip that should be on everyones bucket list. Here are tips for your pch road trip, including pacific coast highway itinraries and maps. May 05, 2017 a road trip down the california coast on the pacific coast highway highway 1 is an unforgettable way to see so much of what the state has to offer. Road trip usas pacific coast route begins at the northwest tip of the united states at port.
From waterfalls and castles yes, really, to spectacular beaches and theme parks, theres. You can either start in seattle and finish in san diego or go in reverse, only dependent on your preference. Driving south on the righthand side of the road, youll have a great view of the ocean. Unfortunately, big sur state park suffered from several mudslides due to the recent rain and we were unable to see the entire state park because of the road closures. The pacific coast highway, aka california state route 1 or highway 1, is the most beautiful road trip in the us. In this itinerary blog post, we will talk about all. Highway 1 discovery route central coast road trip vacations.
The classic pacific coast highway road trip road trip usa. It should be noted that june, july and august are particularly foggy months. Named as one of the most scenic drives in america, californias state highway 1 or the pacific coast highway road trip is well worth the hype. Explore californias stunning coastline from san francisco to san diego. The ultimate guide to the perfect oregon coast road trip. Ive lived along bits of it for most of my adulthood and as a young child, but never actually drove it up to san francisco. Map of pacific coast through olympic national park. Pacific coast highway 4 day itineraryday 2 san francisco to monterey. Pacific coast highway south if there was ever a reason to hire a convertible, this road trip is it. Here, a guide to one of the most scenic drives youll ever take. Pacific coast highway travel is written and published by donna dailey and mike gerrard. Get stopbystop directions for a driving tour of californias pacific coast highway from national geographics ultimate road trips. We think the usa is the perfect country for road tripping in, and weve already done a number of road trips here, including iconic route 66, the pacific coast highway, and the oregon trail. If youre lucky to have a few extra days for your pch road trip, a week is a pretty fantastic amount of time to see all that the pacific coast highway has to offer but not feel rushed.
Its designated an allamerican road for its scenic views, and it packs one heck of a path that takes you past some pretty rad attractions and places. Pacific coast highway driving distance map from moon pacific coast. The pacific coast highway, part of californias state route 1, may be the best road trip out therehere are 16 places to. After a while of being the trip, we realised we were going to be driving highway 101 the entire way. Pacific coast highway driving tips for this great american road trip include finding cheap gas, watching the speed limits, making the journey from north to south, and allowing plenty of travel time.
Theres a glimpse of ocean, but it isnt until laguna beach that highway 1 becomes pacific coast highway in more than name. Make the most out of your adventure with this stepbystep pacific coast highway road trip itinerary. If there was ever a reason to hire a convertible, this roadtrip is it. The perfect usa deep south road trip itinerary finding. Meet the san luis obispo county highway 1 discovery route, where rugged coastline, adventure, and the great wide open lie just minutes from wine country, boutique shopping, cuisine and culture. Pacific coast highway vestiges plus pacific coast highway the ultimate road trip. Pacific coast highway west coast america road trip. How to plan a road trip on the pacific coast highway valerie. There are several different routes you can take but the bulk of your journey will exist on some legendary roads. Starting at the northwest tip of the united states at washingtons olympic national park and remaining within sight of the ocean all the way south to sunny san diego, this 1,650mile, mostly twolane road trip takes in everything from temperate rainforest to neardesert. Get ideas for a five night itinerary along the pacific coast highway drive. Drive the pacific coast highway in southern california. Pacific coast highwaywest coast road triphighway 1 roadtrippacific westsan diegolas vegascalifornia mapsouthern.
Though its not on the ocean, the puget sound port city of seattle makes a good starting or finishing point to this pacific coast road trip. Heres a travesty i had never done a road trip up californias pacific coast highway aka highway 1, but locals call it pch. Driving up the pacific coast highway and highway 1 on a west coast usa road trip is an experience to remember its one that i certainly do. Planning a california pacific coast highway road trip. The perfect oregon coast road trip itinerary and exactly. The best stops on a pacific coast highwaypchhighway 1. Check out the pacific coast highway route 1 road trip on tripadvisor. Without stopping, it takes approximately 10 hours to drive the entire length of the pacific coast highway, but on this route, its recommended to take your time to see the sights and stay overnight along the way, stretching your vacation out to at least six days.
Stop 1 santa barbara 735 anacapa st, santa barbara. Starting from the royal national park south of sydney, this route takes you through rainforests and seaside villages as you follow the exquisite coastline. At a total of just over 656 miles 1,056 km, it is the longest state route in california. Pacific coast highway south visit california road trips. The pacific coast highway, also known as the pch, is one of americas most scenic road trips, particularly the coasthugging stretch through california. Here are my twenty five favorite stops on pch from south to north. Pacific coast highway california 2020 all you need to. Highway 101 road trip an epic pacific coast highway road. Lastly, take 17 mile drive to carmelbythesea, this most famous of routes. Without stopping, it takes approximately 10 hours to drive the entire length of the pacific coast highway, but on this route, its recommended to take your time to see the sights and stay overnight along the. We both had the pacific coast highway pch road trip on our bucket list took advantage of the opportunity. The legendary pacific coast touring route tourism australia.
Famous for its stunning beaches, jawdropping sea stacks, and endless opportunities for coastal adventures. Good road maps of the pacific coast highway are obviously essential for anyone planning to drive the trip. The best stops for a road trip on the pacific coast highway afar. We think the usa is the perfect country for road tripping in, and weve already done a number of road trips here, including iconic route 66, the pacific coast. Pacific coast highway road trip makes stops at monterey state historic park, carmel river state beach, point lobos state reserve and others.
We had to give henry miller library, mcway cove and andrew molera state park a miss due to several reasons library was closed for a private event, we could not locate the. Mom and i decided to change that this summer when i came back for a visit. A road trip down the california coast on the pacific coast highway highway 1 is an unforgettable way to see so much of what the state has to offer. The oregon coastline is arguably the best stretch of road along the pacific coast there is no other section of highway 101 or 1 that stays so consistently close to the ocean. Driving south on the right hand side of the road, youll have a great view of the ocean. The pacific coast highway, part of californias state route 1, may be the best road trip.
Heres where to sleep, what to eat, and what to see en route from san francisco to. San diego is high on my mustvisitlonger list, so im again a bit short on recommendations here. It connects the beautiful harbor town of dana point in southern californias orange county to leggett, california, in mendocino county, home to some of the largest trees in the world. Farther south, the landscape mellows to oakstudded hills as the road passes hearst castle on its way to morro bay.
Your epic 8 day pacific coast highway road trip itinerary. Pacific coast highway pch road trip day guides in this section, i break down a seven day itinerary on pch and what you should do during each day of the drive. Lucky for us, this is the kind of work we live for, and it was fun, inspiring, and most of all helpful. Stretching south from florence, or, to coos bay, 40 miles of oregons coast is home to. Take a road trip along californias pacific coast highway for a look at some of americas most dramatic coastal vistas.
Monterey, which serves as the location for the popular hbo series big little lies, makes for the perfect place to start your pacific coast road trip because it evokes. Highway 1 begins unceremoniously, emerging from a tangle of freeway ramps in orange countys dana point. The map automatically updates whenever i post along the route. Plus it has tips on getting around, where to stay, when to go and a detailed map. Pacific coast highway travel planning your pch road trip. Click the table of contents to jump to a section, or just keep scrolling for everything oregon coast map. Oregon highway 101 road trip guide outdoor blueprint. See the dramatic landscapes of big sur, visit famous mcway falls, and drive through the. Jul 06, 2018 nothing quite compares to the classic american road trip, and cruising down the pacific coast highway is one of the most exhilarating of them all. If there was ever a reason to rent a convertible, this road trip is it.
A dreamy drive down the pacific coast highway one week. If a road trip down californias coast isnt on your bucket list, you should probably drop whatever youre doing and go ahead and plan a trip. So far in 2020, we have visited the highway one pacific coast highway in ensenada, mexico. Get ideas for a five night itinerary along the pacific coast highway drive with scenic stops, favorite spots and great places to stay. Pacific coast highway is one of the most scenic drives in the world. Some of the highlights are of half moon bay, santa cruz, monterey, 17 mile. From north to south, the following pacific coast highway stops make for the ultimate summer road trip. Further south, just outside of santa barbara, nosh on fish tacos, bao buns, and fried cauliflower. How to plan a road trip on the pacific coast highway. Let me help you plan the perfect 8 day pacific coast highway road trip itinerary down californias coast from san francisco to san diego. Planning a pacific coast highway road trip from san francisco. Pacific coast highway south visit california visit. In washington, oregon, and at the northern end of california, the pacific coast route. San diego was the starting point of my pacific coast highway road trip.
We hope this helps in your own pacific coast highway trip and makes planning a little bit easier for you. Finally, here is the big sur road trip map highlighting all the pacific coast highway stops mentioned in the post and a few others that we visited. The essential pacific coast highway road trip itinerary. We hope this helps in your own pacific coast highway trip and makes planning a little bit easier for. One of the trips in the us that we had always wanted to do was a deep south road trip. Creating this pacific coast road trip itinerary was quite the workload. Driving along the california pacific coast highway is perhaps one of the greatest road trips in the world. A usa road trip tops a whole lot of bucket lists if youre serious about ticking it off check out the pacific coast highway route from san francisco to san diego. Over the past five years, i was very lucky to have the opportunity to visit many of the towns and citys along the golden coast. From south to north, here are 16 of the best places to stop on this classic.
Head south down the iconic pacific coast highway to the southern end of big sur. Explore essential stops on california state route 1 road trip in our 5day itinerary. We have driven the pacific coast highway many times. Before you get started on your road trip, some helpful tips. Pacific coast highway the american road trip company. After leaving carmel, the ride south along the pacific coast highway is the most spectacular portion of the route for many cyclists. Strap in and get ready for an exhilarating driving experience.
Start north in seattle and head south to san francisco for the best of the pacific northwest. The legendary pacific coast highway pch was first started in the 1930s, and remains a. May 20, 2019 from north to south, the following pacific coast highway stops make for the ultimate summer road trip. Illustration of californias pacific coast highway links to southern cal, central cal, northern cal, oregon and washington see more. Pacific coast highway south if there was ever a reason to rent a convertible, this road trip is it.
Unfortunately, big sur state park suffered from several mudslides due to the recent rain and we were unable to see the entire state park because of the road. State route 1 sr 1 is a major northsouth state highway that runs along most of the pacific coastline of the u. Do some nextlevel forest bathing amid the towering redwoods. Heres a guide to the mustsee spots while road tripping the pch. If youre looking for a time of year with the clearest views and best weather, october is generally the best time to road trip down the pch.
Sep 14, 2010 get stopbystop directions for a driving tour of californias pacific coast highway from national geographics ultimate road trips. Print the itinerary or map your adventure to get started. Well, the pacific coast highway, formally known as california state route 1, is the ultimate road trip route. Pacific coast highway west coast america road trip california. The best stops for a road trip on the pacific coast highway. This is a huge post, including everything from the best stops, accommodations, beaches, attractions, and even a packing list. Illustration of californias pacific coast highway links to southern cal, central cal, northern cal. Planning a pacific coast highway road trip from san. Let me help you plan the perfect 8 day pacific coast highway road trip itinerary down californias coast from. Pacific coast route through washington state road trip usa. From the temperate rainforests around lincoln city to the sand dunes of the central oregon coast, there seems to be an adventure fit for everyone.
From worldclass wine to sparkling beaches and ancient rainforest walks, the new south wales legendary pacific coast touring route is a road trip not to be missed. Map of pacific coast through southern washington coast. Imagine the sun on your face and wind in your hair as you cruise the pch. Nov 11, 2015 heres a travesty i had never done a road trip up californias pacific coast highway aka highway 1, but locals call it pch. From waterfalls and castles yes, really, to spectacular beaches and theme parks, theres absolutely no shortage of things to do on the california coast. Jun 10, 2019 planning a california pacific coast highway road trip.
San diego is known for its zoo and was made instagram famous for potato chip rock. The pacific coast highway is one of the most iconic drives in the united states. After years of dreaming about it, i finally checked this off my bucket list. Jan 11, 2020 one of the trips in the us that we had always wanted to do was a deep south road trip. Driving up the pacific coast highway and highway 1 on a west coast usa road trip is an. The perfect pacific coast highway road trip itinerary. Over the past five years, i was very lucky to have the opportunity to visit many of the. Ultimate california highway 1 road trip sunset magazine. Californias pacific coast highway national geographic. It connects the beautiful harbor town of dana point in southern californias orange county to leggett, california, in. Pacific coast highway route 1 road trip on tripadvisor. The first stop on this road trip is the city of monterey, which boast rich history, including the wharf area that was made famous by novelist john steinbeck.