We've driven sections of this coastline twice, between LA and San Francisco. I appreciate any help you can provide. Great question, Judy. Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. Ive put together some tips on how to choose the right car for the PCH, but in short, I recommend an automatic car with a low center of gravity but skip the convertible! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Head south from Ruby Beach along U.S. 101. Is there any river rafting or boating along the way? But the hills inland will go even steeper! Any additional thoughts? Start here. Awesome, Tim! It depends a lot on how long you plan to make the drive do you know how many days youll be driving? 99. Valerie I just came across this post. The weather also wasnt great for most of the route; after moving up out of SoCal, youre much more likely to experience clouds and/or the marine layer on the PCH. Have a great trip! We might consider staying a total of 12-15 days. Southern California has great weather year-round. Glad to help, Dan! Sorry; I dont have any suggestions for that! I am flying into Portland to meet my niece and we will rent a car and drive down the coast to LA to meet another nephew. When driving the PCH south from Portland, how much of a detour would it be to see Crater Lake on the way? It's renowned as one of the most scenic road trips in America, and of course there are dozens of fun places to stop and check out along the way. But my priority for this trip is just going straight down the PCH so that should help me prioritize. Feel free to comment back here if you have questions while planning your trip . There are a number of epic hiking trails in the area, ranging from a 0.5-mile loop to 16-mile out-and-back trails. We will start in Portland, Or and drive to Las Angeles, CA. How long is the Pacific Coast Highway? Thanks for your comment, Patty! A few years ago I started saving (unbeknownst to my husband) for his 50th birthday this summer. Also, further north, you could fly to Portland and do the Oregon coast too. This gorgeous building mostly survived the 1906 earthquake and captures Victorian glory with modern amenities. Thanks for reading, Dave. Im planning on doing the PCH from Seattle to SF next Sept. (We did SF to SD in 2019). We detoured at Reedsport to go to Crater lake, which turned out awesome, there was a ELK reserve on the way, it took about 3 hrs to get to Roseburg, where we stayed the night, the next day the drive to Crater lake was about 3 hrs, the drive was absolutely beautiful. I would like to follow the route on the map. The must-see sights definitely include places such as Hearst Castle and Big Sur. You can choose the spots you want to stop at that way . Port Angeles is the place for that one-night stop. The Oregon Coast Aquarium lets visitors explore the marine ecosystems around this part of the Pacific Ocean. Free or royalty-free photos and images. Were using it to plan our itinerary for June/July this year, 3 weeks, Seattle to LA. I lived for 15 years in Alaska, as well as four years each in California and Washington. The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. Stretching from Washington to California, the Pacific Coast is picturesque, with cliffs, sea stacks, gorgeous urban spaces, and the raging ocean. Pacific Coast Highway stops include big city vacation destinations like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and smaller places like Monterey. Related posts: Stop 1: San Francisco. 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. 8. BEST PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY STOPS Sun, sand, and surf. Thanks. I wouldnt go all the way to Seattle, especially if you dont like big cities. Have a great trip!! I hope this helps! Making the drive in 2 days. I hope you can do at least part of the PCH someday soon . This is my idea of an itinerary but I need to cut out one of these days or consolidate one since I really only have 8 days. Be sure to check the California DOT website for more information. Wondering about forest fires and how they affect the trip. I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. Explore the beach then hit the trails to find waterfalls, massive redwoods, and an abandoned limekiln. The most important thing you need to decide first when driving the Pacific Coast Highway is which direction you prefer to travel the Pacific Coast Highway (northbound or southbound). We just did this trip in October 2019, We started in Portland to Cannons beach then headed south on HWY 101. Next time I have a few days off, Ill have to change that! (If you decide to fly to SF, heres a recent post I wrote: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/). 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. After reading your blog we are excited to visit San Jose. Once you are on Pacific Coast Highway, it is a straight-shot to virtually any beach destination on your road trip list, including San Luis . We want to spend 5 days for PCH and not sure where to fly in or out of. I have looked up the different uses of the word and grammatically correct samples, and I believe you needed to use it in past-tense. Your second choice is where to start your road trip. Please keep doing what youre doing. Have a great trip! The Pacific Coast Highway is located in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Id like to include Olympic NP, Mt. Love all the comments ideas and suggestion, will try and make this trip happen in about 2-3 years . Thanks for your comment, Shelly! (Be prepared for fog from the marine layer! 20520 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265 - $540/sq ft larger lot 23 years older SOLD JUL 12, 2022 $1,830,000 F Sold Price 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,446 Sq. Hurricane Ridge. I did drive it alone and I still recommend heading southbound. Want to know more? The most commonly driven part of the . Though I have visited a few cities in California over the years, I (we) are looking forward to that California coastal drive. Point Reyes is arguably my favorite part of the Pacific Coast Highway and that is saying something as its really hard to choose favorites from over 650 miles of California coastline! I hope you can make it happen sooner! of the PCH? Now my only problem is trying to figure out how many extra days were going to need! The Pacific Coast Highway has long been considered a "dream drive" and the ultimate road trip. But, we need to go the opposite way; starting in San Diego and heading north. Ending at a beach front hotel in Diego for 2-3 days to visit that college, unwind and settle a little bit before leaving. ), Valerie, My wife and I are planning this very trip you outlined. skip Santa Cruz, skip San Francisco Day 2 and just hit the highway) OR if you had a suggestion on swapping out one of the spots with a different one (ex. Nice ride. Did you drive it alone and what do you think about being able to see well driving north to south? Sep 26, 2017. ai traffic expansion highway 1 layout mod pacific coast pch. Awesome, Im hoping to do the PCH and NorCal next summer. So nice to hear from you, Silvia! The ocean's energy is magical. Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway (Official Audio) - YouTube 0:00 / 6:18 Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway (Official Audio) Record Makers 225K subscribers Share 12M views 11 years ago #Kavinsky You absolutely nailed it. I would love to take this vacation but not fall short on money. I agree, go north to south. I do you can sign up using the email forms in this post to receive a short version! 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. $23.99 $ 23. We are planning a west coast trip and are considering renting an RV one way from Portland or Seattle to San Francisco. Thank you for all this information. There are plenty of things to do in Long Beach for more than an overnight stop! 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. Is this possible? 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. The Point Reyes Lighthouse is only open to visitors from Fridays to Mondays (weekends) from 10am-4:30pm. Required fields are marked *. The PCH heads inland near Lompoc but is the main road you can take to Santa Barbara. A frequent Cali traveler warned me of smog in the late summer and recommended late Sept. early Oct. What are your thoughts? We are planning to spend Thanksgiving in San Diego. Is this doable in 7 days, with stops during the day and to spend the night? No matter which you choose, youll enter SF by driving across the Golden Gate Bridge; you can either stay along the coast and drive down Ocean Beach or head east into the city. Lot of driving in 10 days, but I am excited. I was, for the most part, ambivalent about the cities along the PCH. Amazing! Have a great drive! Download Pacific Coast Highway stock photos. Thanks so much for this comprehensive look at the PCH. Thank you for sharing. Thanks, Larissa! Thanks for your comment, Rex! There are a few restaurants in town and 17 miles of beautiful beach to explore. Hey Valerie great name yourself! When in doubt, stay on the coast. While driving southbound, youll approach Marshall first. Sorry, but theres no way to do the drive to Seattle and back along the PCH in just 7 days. Ive been to Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valley but curious if there are any great places you are aware of. The West Coast especially is fantastic. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. 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. That includes missing the Devils Punchbowl and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in the southern part of the state; you would however get to drive through Oregons Redwoods on your way from Crater Lake to Crescent City. I had the chance to spend a weekend in Huntington Beach a few years ago and loved the vibe in this surf town. So heading east eventually to round out the trip. We stayed in Seattle and drove south to Olympia, to pick up the beginning of the 101. Santa Barbara was the biggest surprise I had on my PCH road trip in 2014. Its really up to you to decide where you want to end and figure out the closest rental car/airport option from there, but there are airports of all sizes throughout the region. My question is: how to best use our time? I did a bit of research into this seems like its a Los Angeles thing to drop the the but as I lived up in Northern California, we use the the. Since my post is referring to a much larger area than just SoCal, Im still going to keep the the. Thanks for providing me this opportunity to learn about a quirky bit of California lingo! I especially appreciate your links to stays and dine. I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. Were on day 2 of our 8-day PCH Tour.and its great to have your help! Have a great drive! We are thinking of taking this drive during the week of Christmas. BIG SUR, Calif. A section of California's scenic and iconic Pacific Coast Highway that collapsed during a winter storm in January reopened to traffic on Friday. Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! Seeing some nice beaches is also of interest. You live in SF! A weekend of sea, sand, and sunscreen. I travelled alone from San Francisco to LA while on a work trip years ago and havent stopped thinking about getting my husband out there. Planning a mother/son trip after my son graduates HS next year. The Pacific Coast Highwayalso known as PCH or, more commonly, Highway 1runs north-south along most of the United States' West Coast. We stay in San Diego on Pacific/Mission Beach a lot so no need to travel this far south for us. Day 2: Forks, WA to Cape Kiwanda, OR. In Northern California, the best weather of the year happens between September and October. We only wish to go South as far as Salinas (more family) or Santa Barbara the furthest. Valerie, valuable tips ! These are just ten of the many places off Highway 1 that you'll want to experience. Thank you! Hi, we are flying into Seattle 7/27 and out from San Diego 8/7, we are visiting colleges in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and San Diego for my daughter. Id look at September as an ideal time to catch autumn colors in the Pacific Northwest but admittedly its hard to predict since this part of the country isnt known for the same leaf colors as New England. The ideia is to have a West Coast Beer Route drive. Sorry, I could not get past it, and I may not even be correct, but I truly loved this page. Sea the possibilities. I have one question where is the best place to fly into? I do too (ish Im in Oakland!). 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. What is the average speed on the 101? If you would like a customized itinerary, I offer that for a fee to help cover the time it takes me to put those tips together. Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! Thanks for your comment, Vicky! Thank you so much for sharing this informative article with all of us. Theres a link to that at the end of the post. I appreciate all the information! The first time, we (I) had it all planned out. San Jose is a creative and thriving high-tech culture epicenter. Want to avoid the summer crowds, but still enjoy nice weather. Have a great trip! Ill have to stop at these places, Thinking about a pch trip from San frans to LA.. suggestions on where to stop and how many days, I have this post that will help you plan your trip: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/, Hi Valerie I am looking for a 1 day coastal trip from Anaheim back to San Francisco with 4 kids ranging from Teen to toddler. There are loads of cool things to explore in/around this small PNW town, including Olympic National Park! Aretta, thanks for your comment! The majority of this California road trip will take place on Highway 1, AKA the Pacific Coast Highway, AKA the PCH, AKA Cabrillo Highway, AKA Shoreline Highway, AKA The Prettiest Highway in the World. It includes so many things each person in my family wants to see and do! Be sure to plan your trip on a day the lighthouse is open for tours, so you can climb the steps down to the lighthouse and lookout beneath the clouds across the sea. We live in Colorado, so more interested in Ocean more than hiking, so 101 is ideal. Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. Its not a long drive from Seattle to Olympia, so I recommend just making a waypoint stop here to stretch your legs before the rest of your driving today whether thats to Port Angeles or Portland. Great question So Crater Lake is pretty far inland. You should have no problem making it down the road in December. (Hours and dates for the attractions on the SF CityPass have been affected by the pandemic, so be sure to check those when you purchase!). Before you hit the road, youve gotta figure out your car situation! As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. Thanks for such a thorough rundown of what to do. From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. If you know which car you want, I recommend renting from Fox Rent-A-Car or Sixt. Thanks Valerie. Just wondering about restrictions? If youre not sure (or not loyal to any particular car rental company), consider using a tool like Kayak or TripAdvisor to compare a bunch of options (yes, TripAdvisor does rental cars!). But all of those are just ways to say "The 1.". Sort of a round trip Oregon adventure. In Washington, Oregon, and at the northern end of California, the Pacific Coast route follows US Highway 101. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on CA-1, the Pacific Coast Highway. Take a road trip along California's Pacific Coast Highway for a look at some of America's most dramatic coastal vistas. Stop and admire the views in Big Sur, too! Thank you again. But there's something extra special about driving the Pacific Coast Highway as it approaches its southern end. It is best known for the stretch along the Californian coast, with spectacular ocean views and awesome attractions as you travel. I did a quick search and heres how it breaks down: Newport > Crescent City (what I originally suggest) = about 5 hours of driving Newport > Crater Lake > Crescent City = about 8 hours of driving (and none of it is on the coast), If you chose to go from Portland > Crater Lake > Crescent City instead = 7.5 hours of driving. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: As you might have guessed continue following California Highway 1 south! If your PCH road trip includes the Olympic Peninsula, follow U.S. 101 west and then north along the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula toward Port Angeles. I was a truck driver for 29 years and could not drive that road. If I were going to recommend a route, Id do something like the National Parks in California or the Utah/Arizona/SoCal loop. Is Yellowstone worth the long detour? You have the same recommendations? Thank you for the pointers! Any other advise you could give us. Thank you. If not, spend your day exploring the Seattle waterfront to see all of the city from above. Im not sure there are many good airports to leave a rental car in the region youre suggesting you may end up driving into L.A. to do so and to fly home. You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). Have a great trip!! I plan to rent a car in Los Angeles in the summer and make a similar journey, Hello! Id check out the California DOT website for the most up-to-date information. If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. 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! The best time of year to do this will be in the summer (June/July/August), probably sooner in the year rather than later. Thanks for reading, Brianna! The worst that happens is you might end up in a slightly less nice place than you had planned. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Head west along U.S. 101 until it turns south along the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula. Its a great spot for a short hike to stretch your legs. Wonderful trip sharing you made. Whether you stop to take a few Instagram-worthy spots or ogle the animals, theres plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego. Thanks! I recommend checking out California resources for the pandemic before you book anything. Have you heard any issues with the Covid and being able to rent places on the way down? Thanks for your comment, Victoria! The Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip While many travelers begin in Los Angeles and head north, driving the Pacific Coast Highway from north to south keeps you in the lane closest to the ocean. Were renting an RV in Seattle (after few days in hotel) and have 30 days before we drop it off in San Fran (and hotel for a few days). Have a great trip and drive safely! I am going to drive PCH 1 this summer and was going to drive from North to South but my son has driven it and suggested going South to North. The PCH begins south of Dana Point in Orange County and ends at US 101 in Mendocino County. Also, you can probably get away with booking hotels/vacation rentals in the smaller towns only a few days in advance but if you want to stay in any of the big cities, I would book those 2-3 weeks in advance at the latest! Do you think we could do it in 7 days?? Here are the stops I suggest for a Pacific Coast Highway California road trip itinerary. I love road trips & he tolerates them so I am looking forward to all these sights to see! We are so overwhelmed. Im thinking of doing this trip from Seattle to San Diego. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101 to Crescent City always stick to the coast! I am currently planning a road trip from Phoenix to Vancouver, WA to visit family and weve decided to come back home via the PCH. Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Thank you in advance! Chinquel, nice to hear from you! Glad to help, Nancy, and thanks for reading! I was planning 10-12 days? Sounds like youre well on the way to it . I do not care to get into the Los Angeles areaHowever, the Sequoias are a must. Again, thank you so much!! We were planning on 10 days total for driving, site seeing and ending it with 2 days in Disneyland. Best of all, theres no cell service so theyll have to look around to see them . Now we want to take our girls on the same trip. I hope that helps! Thanks for sharing this! Cant say enough how appreciative we are. Thanks for asking, Helen! Thanks so much for reading, Teresa! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: At this point in Northern California, the PCH is still U.S. 101. Thanks for your comment, Pam, but Im a little confused its a 10-day itinerary, so its a 9-night trip. Ft. 1553 S Monte Viento St, Malibu, CA 90265.