P.S. We then headed to San Fran, our ending point. If youre planning a PCH trip and want to pass through San Francisco, you can either skim over along the side of the city as you drive down the coast, take a detour inland to visit Yosemite National Park or dive in for one night knowing it will only make you want to come back for more. If you want to spend part of one day during your Pacific Coast Highway road trip beachcombing or hiking, Big Sur is the place to do it. This Pacific Coast Highway itinerary is 7 days and will let you take the whole route and return home with unforgettable memories: If you have more time to drive the PCH, this 10-day itinerary is perfect. Camp at Second Beach in Olympic NP Photo: Michael Matti Pacific Coast Highway 1 (PCH) - California. Next, youll pass through Point Reyes, which again seems underwhelming. But never mind those technicalities, because equally bewitching ribbons of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 await all along this route. By the end, youll be ready to plan your own Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary. State Route 1. The coast near Crescent City is dotted with the gigantic rock formations out at sea that characterize most of the northern and central California coastline. Best of all, theres no cell service so theyll have to look around to see them . Start here. My wife and I (with our dog) are driving from Pismo Beach to Cannon Beach and staying at a beach house there. We are from FL and east coast and know very little about west coast, so this is great!! Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. So heading east eventually to round out the trip. Heres a Pacific Coast Highway map and schedule for 10 days: One of the most popular questions I get about driving the Pacific Coast Highway is about when to drive the PCH. Thanks for sharing this great itinerary. You can get a printable version by signing up on the forms in this post. To answer your questions: 1. 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. If I can make a recommendation? Thank you for sharing! I would hate to plan a trip only to find out that things are shut down or there are big restrictions placed on free movement. You can even stretch it out by spending a few extra days exploring some of the cities along the route if you want to. Is it worth waiting to do this trip in summer? Thanks for reading, Laurie! To ensure accommodations, I was thinking to book all of the hotels in advance. To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to exploreNative Land. Thanks for reading, Thomas. Great question, Sharon! But my priority for this trip is just going straight down the PCH so that should help me prioritize. What do you think of Coos Bay/North Bend or better places for overnight, seemed a good split between Seattle and San Francisco? We stay in San Diego on Pacific/Mission Beach a lot so no need to travel this far south for us. The skies are guaranteed to be blue, the weather begs for a convertible, and the passing sands are alive with . Here's an example PCH itinerary: Day 1: Seattle WA, to Forks, WA. Thanks Teena. Seattle is perfect for anywhere between one day and three days if you have the time. We are planning to stay overnight at the Madonna Inn. The best way to enjoy southern California is by diving straight into the beachside culture. We took this trip several years ago. Start in Seattle and end in San Diego. Now that Ive moved to this part of California, I know this is true. Thanks for reading, Sonia. From the beach boardwalk to the lush redwoods, Santa Cruz is one of the best places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway. Thank you for all this information. November should be a good time, but you may experience some days where the Marine Layer rolls in be sure to pack layers in case its cooler/less sunny than expected! After Crater lake we headed back to 238 towards HWY 101, we took an off road to hit the coast right at Brookings. Thanks for your comment, Catherine. Unsurprisingly, a private car is the absolute best way to make the most of a trip along the legendary PCH. Explore the beach then hit the trails to find waterfalls, massive redwoods, and an abandoned limekiln. Located just off the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, this campsite is sandwiched between a gorgeous beach and a redwood forest. 2. Thanks so much. Only question I have is how much money would you recommend someone having for a trip like this and staying in a 3 star hotel each night? I loved the harbor and wharf, was surprised by the food scene, and lightly dabbled in the historical significance of Santa Barbara enough for me to want to return. You could do this road-trip in as little as five days, but I recommend taking at least seven or maybe 10 if you have the time! Great post. Old Highway 101 is now called the Avenue of the Giants, and I highly recommend slowing down to enjoy this 31-mile stretch through some of Californias oldest living and tallest! Thanks! Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! Great name btw . Thanks for reading, Teena! Thanks for your comment, David! Lot of driving in 10 days, but I am excited. Dont drive down to SD and back up to LA. I see we can head to Mendocino and then over to a larger highway to San Francisco or.drive all the way down the PCH to Point Reyes Station & then head over San Francisco but that would be a lot of driving. 1. Briefly, here are some of the other must-see attractions in Seattle: If you want to spend a few days in Seattle, consider purchasing the Seattle CityPass. I wouldnt advise doing this one in an RV, to be honest. The Oregon Coast Aquarium lets visitors explore the marine ecosystems around this part of the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: At this point in Northern California, the PCH is still U.S. 101. Read more in my Privacy Policy. The views of the colors changing in the trees were surreal. Thanks for reading, Oleg. Login or Register an account to download this content. , Hi. Youre very welcome, and have a great road trip!! Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most famous and beautiful road trips on earth. I love all the details and recommendations! The best time of year to do this will be in the summer (June/July/August), probably sooner in the year rather than later. I dont think you can do Yosemite in a day its a four hour drive from the coast to Yosemite (one-way) and youll probably want a full day in the park at minimum. A couple of reasons: 1. There are no reasonable alternatives for some of the routes like the one across Bixby Canyon Bridge (shown above). I have tendency to suffer from analysis paralysis therefore navigating all the ins and outs what to do where to stay etc would be overwhelming to say the least. For bigger cities, there are probably enough options that you can wait until you arrive to book, even during that time of year. Raynard, when are you going? I plan to rent a car in Los Angeles in the summer and make a similar journey, Hello! This post was originally published in August 2014, and was updated regularly including most recently in May 2022. When I drove the PCH in 2014, I drove a northbound San Diego to Seattle road trip, and lament that I wasnt on the outer side of the road. Im thinking of doing this trip from Seattle to San Diego. Ive just started planning our trip for this autumn. These make perfect Instagram captions for dreamy sunsets or foggy mornings on the Pacific. Still figuring it out. We want to make the best out of drive there. Sounds like a great trip, Rudy! What type of car would you rent for 4 of us? Heres a Pacific Coast Highway map and schedule for 5 days: If youre lucky to have a few more 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. Pacific Coast Highway stops include big city vacation destinations like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and smaller places like Monterey. This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. Thank so much for putting together a wonderful and comprehensive itinerary of the PC scenic drive. Im thinking I might end my trip at Santa Barbara. Super excited. Travelling from Auckland to Napier, you'll experience lakes, wildlife, vineyards and a tranquil lagoon. Day 2: Forks, WA to Cape Kiwanda, OR. Even an email answer is fine!! Southern California has great weather year-round. I dont feel we missed a lot of Oregon coast the views we seen before & after Crater lake were absolutely stunning. Hope to rent a car there? Rainier, plenty of coastlines, and Redwoods. Crescent City is a great spot for an overnight stop (or longer) depending on your itinerary. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I did drive it alone and I still recommend heading southbound. Youll see signs for Hoh Rainforest, a left turn that takes you inland to the forest. Want to know more? Blow your budget and stay the night at Fairmont San Francisco, one of the nicest hotels in town. After about 15 miles, you will reach Highway 1. Hi! Stop 4: Bixby bridge. Thanks, Id take those days and visit the San Juan Islands: https://www.valisemag.com/visit-san-juan-islands/, You could also give yourself more time in the cities: https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-seattle/ https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-san-francisco/ https://www.valisemag.com/portland-city-guide/, Valerie, My husband and I are wanting to fly from Denver to California on December 27th. I have been reading your blog posts about the PCH and think I read where you mentioned a couple of crossover vehicles that would be good rental cars. But you missed it and it was so incredible. Sorry, I could not get past it, and I may not even be correct, but I truly loved this page. Once inPortland, its easy to spend a few days exploring; I have been to Portland repeatedly and there are so many experiences that can more than fill a stop on your road trip. Thank you again. The Pacific Coast Highway is located in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. In smaller towns though, Id recommend committing to those earlier you may find you have nowhere to stay and have to drive on another 100+ miles at some parts! Taking my granddaughter on an epic journey. There are plenty of things to do in Long Beach for more than an overnight stop! At this point you should take the exit to CA-1; this is now the Pacific Coast Highway. What you suggested (Anaheim > SLO/Madonna Inn > Half Moon Bay) is a great two-day itinerary. Amazing, Melanii! Thanks for reading, Dale. The Pacific Coast Highway runs along two highways: In Washington and Oregon, the best weather of the year happens between June and September. San Diego is known for its Zoo and was made Instagram famous for Potato Chip Rock. Kim, December should be a pretty good time, but plan for classic marine layer weather (chilly and cloudy this is whats normal on the Pacific coast!). Seeing some nice beaches is also of interest. 8. 5 Beds. I am starting from seattle 8/26 down to los angeles taking PCH. We were 70s teenagers all around! Franke's first solo album is surprisingly melodic, highly accessible, and immaculately produced. The PCH is on my bucket list since my daughter did it with Teens Westward Bound over 10 years ago.