8 Stops to Make on a California Coast Road Trip
Highway 1 along the California coast is the road trip most Americans have on their list, and it’s earned its reputation. The road clings to cliffs above the Pacific, passes through redwoods and little beach towns, and every bend seems to reveal a view better than the last.
In this guide
This route runs south from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, about 400 miles, and it’s best over four or five days. You can do it in two if you’re in a hurry, but you’ll spend the whole thing in the car and miss what makes it special.
One piece of advice before you go: drive it north to south. That puts you in the lane next to the ocean, so the views are on your side and the pullouts are easy to get into.
1. Santa Cruz
An hour and a half south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz is a surf town with a hippie streak. The highlight is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an old-school amusement park on the sand that’s been running since 1907. The wooden Giant Dipper roller coaster dates from 1924, and it’s still a great ride.
Walk out along West Cliff Drive to watch the surfers at Steamer Lane, one of the most famous surf spots in California, and stop at the lighthouse, which has a little surfing museum inside.
2. Monterey
Monterey was a fishing and canning town made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel “Cannery Row.” The canneries closed long ago and the street is now touristy, full of shops and restaurants, but the old buildings are still there.
The reason to stop is the Monterey Bay Aquarium at the end of the row, one of the best aquariums in the world. Its giant kelp forest tank, two stories high, and the sea otter exhibit are both brilliant. Out in the bay itself, you might spot real sea otters floating on their backs near the shore.
3. Carmel-by-the-Sea
Just south of Monterey, Carmel is a tiny, very wealthy town that looks like it came out of a storybook, with crooked little cottages, art galleries and a white sand beach at the bottom of the main street. It has no street addresses and no parking meters, and Clint Eastwood was once the mayor.
Between Monterey and Carmel, take the 17-Mile Drive, a private toll road along the coast through Pebble Beach. It passes golf courses, huge mansions and the Lone Cypress, a single tree on a rock that’s been standing there for over 250 years.
4. Big Sur
This is the main event. Big Sur isn’t a town, it’s a 90-mile stretch of coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains drop straight into the ocean. There are no big towns, very little phone signal and no gas stations for long stretches, so fill up in Carmel.
Stop at Bixby Creek Bridge, the most photographed spot on the road, then Pfeiffer Beach, with its purple sand and rock arch. Further south, McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a waterfall that drops 80 feet straight onto a beach, and you can see it from an easy half-mile trail.
Stay a night here if you can. There are campgrounds, rustic cabins and a few very expensive lodges. Book well ahead, because there isn’t much of anything.
Important: landslides close parts of Highway 1 in Big Sur, sometimes for months. Check the Caltrans road conditions site before you go.
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5. The Piedras Blancas elephant seals
Just north of San Simeon, pull over at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery. Thousands of northern elephant seals haul up on the beach here, and a boardwalk lets you watch them from a few yards away.
The males can weigh as much as a car, and they spend a lot of time fighting and making a noise that sounds like a broken motorcycle. It’s free, open every day, and there’s something going on all year. Winter, when the pups are born, is the busiest season.
6. Hearst Castle
A few miles south, Hearst Castle sits on a hill above San Simeon. It was built by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst from 1919 to 1947 and it’s over the top in every way: a Spanish cathedral-style mansion and guest houses with 165 rooms between them, Roman-style pools and art shipped over from Europe.
Visits are by guided tour only, and the bus ride up the hill is part of the fun. The outdoor Neptune Pool, with its Greek temple front, is one of the most spectacular swimming pools in the world.
7. Morro Bay
Morro Bay is a working fishing town with a huge volcanic plug, Morro Rock, sitting at the mouth of the harbor. Rent a kayak and paddle out into the bay, where sea otters and seals float around the boats.
It’s a relaxed place to spend a night. Nearby San Luis Obispo is a lively college town with good restaurants and a Thursday night farmers market that takes over downtown.
8. Santa Barbara
End the trip in Santa Barbara, which feels like Spain dropped onto the California coast. After an earthquake in 1925, the town was rebuilt in Spanish Colonial style, so nearly everything is white walls and red tile roofs.
Visit the Old Mission, often called the Queen of the Missions, then walk State Street down to Stearns Wharf. The Funk Zone, near the beach, is full of wine tasting rooms. It’s the perfect place to end a road trip with a glass of something local.
Common questions
How long does it take to drive the California coast?
San Francisco to Santa Barbara is about 400 miles. You could drive it in a long day, but four or five days lets you actually stop.
What’s the best time of year for this trip?
September and October have the clearest skies. Summer often brings fog along the coast, especially in the mornings.
Should I drive north or south?
South. You’ll be on the ocean side of the road, which makes the views and the pullouts much easier.
Is Highway 1 scary to drive?
Some stretches in Big Sur are narrow and winding, with steep drops. Take it slow, use the pullouts and let faster cars pass.
Where should I stay along the way?
Monterey or Carmel, Big Sur, and Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo make good overnight stops.
