Whether you’re seeking beaches or mountains, deserts or small towns, these California road trips deliver.
When it comes to road trips, California is hard to top. The land of fair weather always seems to deliver that carefree, top-down road trip experience. And due to its size — California is the third-largest U.S. state — there’s plenty of terrain to explore. You can start at the ocean and end up in the mountains, or spend an entire weekend exploring the California desert.
All it takes is a solid playlist, some road-trip friendly snacks, and a little planning to get out of your routine and on the road. To get you started, we’ve outlined some of California’s best road trips — from multiday to multiweek adventures that criss-cross practically every part of the state (and kick off in major, easy-to-access cities).
Highway 1
Start: San Francisco
End: Los Angeles
Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway (or PCH), snakes along the California coastline delivering almost 656 miles of ocean views along with plenty of nature (hello, elephant seals) and some of the state’s most interesting sites.
Technically, the route runs from the city of Leggett to Dana Point, south of Los Angeles, but many people cut the 656-mile drive short by starting in San Francisco. If you’re leaving from the Golden City, fuel up with a to-go brew from Snowbird Coffee before hopping on Highway 1. From there, slowly make your way south, stopping in Santa Cruz to watch (or catch) the surf.
!!! Explore Journey !!! 