This 20-mile (one way) detour will take you out on Point Reyes, and has a stark and beautiful landscape because its so far out at sea. Additionally, youll get a sense of the magnitude of the San Andreas fault line, which comes inland along the northern part of Point Reyes. Here are some different starting/ending points for a PCH road trip: As you can see, you have options! This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. I hope you had a good trip! Located just off the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, this campsite is sandwiched between a gorgeous beach and a redwood forest. You might have even stopped to take a picture of the sunset from a beautiful lookout along the Pacific Coast Highway and can caption it with, "Just say the word and we'll go back." Every. While driving southbound, youll approach Marshall first. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary Options, How to Choose a Car for the Pacific Coast Highway, Step-by-Step Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Directions, this gorgeous 3-bedroom oceanfront property, plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego, https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/, Wandering the Olympic Peninsula - Valerie & Valise, https://www.theoutbound.com/theoutbound/camping-along-the-pacific-10-seaside-campsites-for-your-west-coast-road-trip, https://www.valisemag.com/visit-san-juan-islands/, https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-seattle/, https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-san-francisco/, https://www.valisemag.com/portland-city-guide/, https://www.valisemag.com/pacific-coast-highway-guide/. Portland? We are planning a west coast trip and are considering renting an RV one way from Portland or Seattle to San Francisco. These Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops really seem like true country California. Carry on the fantastic work!|. I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. Thanks for your points. I am planning 14 days to take in the sights. Tim & Janice, what kind words! We will only have 7 days. Overwhelmed by the vastness of it all. Even an email answer is fine!! When you picture the Pacific Coast Highway, its Big Sur that comes to mind. To answer your questions: 1. To ensure accommodations, I was thinking to book all of the hotels in advance. Hope to rent a car there? Thanks for your comment . When in doubt, stay on the coast. Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. Now let me break down a few itineraries to choose from, based on how much time you have to do your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. We are coming from Pennsylvania. This post was originally published in August 2014, and was updated regularly including most recently in May 2022. The reason I recommend doing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip north to south is that youll be on the coastal side of the road. Just wondering about restrictions? The West Coast especially is fantastic. I am planning a trip for next year, saving and researching. Thanks for reading, Angel! It'll take you about three hours to reach Big Sur from San Francisco, and by then you'll be ready to stretch your legs. Its a small detail, but totally uncalifornian to say the PCH. My husband, myself and our four kids always take adventurous vacations every summer. Thanks for your comment, Manny. And it's hard to miss: you'll be driving right through, so when you see roller coasters, it's time to stop. Also known as Big Sur, the route winds along the rugged California coastline (from Cape San Martin to Ragged . If youre considering a drive down (or up) the western coast of the U.S., look no further. We are planning a trip next year from New Orleans while my husband has a conference in Portlandwe were thinking of driving Hwy 1 down to Disneylandand catching some of the beautiful beaches and state parks. Thanks for reading, Tony! Also being from Colorado, we would love to camp oceanside, do you have any recommendations on campsites? Have a great drive! Hello Valerie & Valise, I love this trip information on, it is so amazingly helpful. Our kids will be 15 & 10Im just afraid it will be a boring ride for them in the car. How Long is it? My favorite place is Mendocino if the skies are clear! Want to stop over a few nights, and hit some of the destinations you listed. Scott, I replied to your email, so you should be all set! Any thoughts would be appreciated. I was considering driving from San Jose with overnight stops at Mt Shasta or Lassen NP, Crater Lake, Portland, and Seattle (maybe a few nights in the cities). Any suggestions. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: At this point in Northern California, the PCH is still U.S. 101. Thank you again for all of your information. Hi Valerie, Great job! If you know which car you want, I recommend renting from Fox Rent-A-Car or Sixt. Did you drive it alone and what do you think about being able to see well driving north to south? "Golden state of mind." 3. Be sure to check the California DOT website for more information. We are just wondering if you have an estimate on how much it would be to travel the PCH! After reading your blog we are excited to visit San Jose. LA's vast size may seem daunting, but if you plan what you want to see and do, it can be a really rewarding place to visit. So, don't just rely on Google Maps, instead download an offline map in advance, so there's no chance of getting lost. Am interested in your upcoming 7 day itinerary of PCH. If youre planning a full 10-day west coast road trip, make sure you follow my guide and do at least one overnight on the Olympic Peninsula. Loved your trip adventure and recommendations !! Just give yourself more time and end n LA. Thanks for reading, Laurie! Planning for 5-6 days of Seattle to San Diego. For accommodation, try a small hotel like the. Im not sure how to prioritize the rest of our time. This Pacific Coast Highway Attractions, those must-see sights along PCH, include Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Golden Gate Bridge. But you missed it and it was so incredible. Driving south on the right-hand side of the road, youll have a great view of the ocean and coastline. Thanks for your comment, Rex! In fact, we serve over 15 000 different locations worldwide. This is such a great article. This is such a great resource. I appreciate this guide. But there's something extra special about driving the Pacific Coast Highway as it approaches its southern end. 1. I recommend checking out California resources for the pandemic before you book anything. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for reading, Kay. These stops are numbered to match my Roadtrippers map and trip above (click here to open the trip in a separate window). Im glad to surpass the AAA level. This will be a great resource for the trip that we are planning. Amazing, Melanii! The first time, we (I) had it all planned out. Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! I am starting from seattle 8/26 down to los angeles taking PCH. My wife and I (with our dog) are driving from Pismo Beach to Cannon Beach and staying at a beach house there. I have no idea what the case will be for forest fires next year, unfortunately! hi planing to do the PCH however we will be in Las Vegas and driving to San Francisco will be there for 2 or 3 days and dont know witch is better to do San Francisco to L A back to Vegas or go north San Francisco to Seattle and then drive to Vegas i will have a extra 3 to 4 days what is your thoughts, we are nature and wildlife lovers not to big into visiting towns. Id check out the California DOT website for the most up-to-date information. We will go from Seattle to San Diego using your itinerary as our planning guide. One of the most famous sea stacks on the U.S. Pacific Coast, Haystack Rock is picture perfect while you stretch your legs. So I am very, very thankful to have found THIS resource!! Gov. We then headed to San Fran, our ending point. Portland is the only city on this list thatisnton the coast, and its definitely a trip extender if you want to visit Portland while driving the Pacific Coast Highway. That said, there are plenty of nice ones depending on which part of town you want to stay in. Youd need to fly into. Thanks for reading, Jan. Bixby Bridge in Big Sur Choosing the top Pacific Coast Highway attractions isn't easy, as there are so many we love! Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! Do you recommend any of your overnights for golf fireworks for 4th of July? Southern California has great weather year-round. The most commonly driven part of the . I used to use Google Maps to do this, but I find that the numbered stops and waypoints are much easier to understand, and this Roadtrippers map also has other points of interest (Extraordinary Places) you might want to stop at too. You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). I have one question where is the best place to fly into? Silvia, not to minimize risks but I think the issue is not being represented realistically by the media. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. Sounds like a great trip either way drive safe! If I am going to follow your 10 day itinerary from Washington State to San Diego, how many overnight stays can I have? Okay, now youve got your car, youve got your basic itinerary. Day 4: Redwood State Park, CA to San Francisco, CA. San Luis Obispo with Paso Robles). I enjoyed it so much that I wrote a whole article about the experiences I recommend in Santa Barbara! Are we likely to hit snow in the northern stops? Hi We have just 1-day and will be starting in Fortuna and heading to San Francisco. Its the best time for good weather on the whole coast! Thank you for great info This is exactly what I was looking for. Taking your advice, flying into Seattle (from KC), and heading south. To access the map on Roadtrippers, you just need to click the map! Your help is appreciated. I am traveling with my husband, brother and our 4 year old. I dont remember providing that advice but off the top of my head, I wouldnt go bigger than a Tesla Model X (swoon! The PCH is on my bucket list since my daughter did it with Teens Westward Bound over 10 years ago. Great read! Hi Valerie, we are planning a trip from Crescent city back home to Phoenix traveling along PCH. My husband and I are both 62 in pretty good shape and planning to do this trip from Portland to San Diego in late September 2019 over 2 weeks. Enjoying the Unexpectedly Cool Pitchwood Ale House, All words and images 2013-2023 The Kolibro Group LLC. Let me know if you need any extra tips whenever you start planning! Thank you for all this information. Hi, I love Portland and San Francisco. Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! In Northern California, the best weather of the year happens between September and October. Thanks again for this excellent resource. You can look out over beautiful sea stacks that dot the northern part of the Pacific Coast and stroll along the sand covered with huge driftwood formations and seafoam. Thank you for your great ideas and itineraries! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on U.S. Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast to Newport. Hi Valerie, I am doing the PCH drive southbound from Seattle and as far as we can go for 5 days. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Return west to U.S. 101 and turn south. Am planning to do a 10 day PCH drive in August. . This gorgeous building mostly survived the 1906 earthquake and captures Victorian glory with modern amenities. A one-week Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary will allow you to see the highlights without feeling rushed. When it comes to vacation rental options. Its a very winding cliff-side road and doing it in an RV is going to be laboriously slow and probably make you a bit nervous at times. PCH bucket list road trip done! Im glad you booked LA and Seattle, because those are the two you most need to have arranged! I would love to take this vacation but not fall short on money. Have a safe trip!! Solvang Stop and admire the views in Big Sur, too! This is exactly what I was looking for. Have a wonderful trip! I know we wont see everything, but its the only time frame we have. Im saving this post to reference when I think about doing this trip, because that has to happen!

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