Best California Road Trips | Amazing Scenic Routes And Coastal Drives

Some of the world’s best road trips are in California, with its glorious highways and varied terrain. So how do you decide which ones to pick? Here is a selection of the best California road trips that will give you a taste for everything the Golden State has to offer.

Looking for a weekend getaway? Why not take to the road on the scenic Rim of the World, or follow the history of the gold rush while visiting some of California’s smaller towns? Or you could start Route 66 in Santa Barbara after exploring its hidden gems, and travel into the Mojave Desert to the border with Arizona.

Or if you’re celebrating a special occasion, why not spend the night at a vineyard and open a bottle of Californian sparkling wine? Or you could plan to spend more than a week enjoying the beaches along California’s best coastal drives.

This California road trip guide breaks down the finest driving routes in the state, as well as the unmissable highlights of each one.

Pacific Coast Highway

Start: Dana Point 
Finish: Legget
Distance: 656 miles

California’s Pacific Coast Highway along the southern portion of the iconic State Route 1 is one of the best road trips in California for first-time visitors. World renown, the route covers incredible sunny beaches, Spanish colonial architecture, the mountainous areas of Big Sur, and some of the most beautiful waterfalls in California.

You can drive the entire route in five days. However, to fit in the best sights, you should give yourself a week and a half to two weeks. Want to add variety to this bucket list trip? See the Golden Gate Bridge from the water during a cruise around Alcatraz Island. 

Highlights:

• Local Wines: Santa Barbara offers incredible wine made in the nearby Santa Ynez valley.
• Wildlife: Paddling with elephant seals in Santa Monica.
• American Icons: Cross the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
• Surfing Heritage: Take a slight detour to visit Santa Cruz, the birthplace of mainland surfing in the US.

Northern California Wine Country

Start: San Francisco
Finish: San Francisco
Distance: 161 miles

One of the best road trips in California is the Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley wine regions. This route meanders through scenic countryside, small towns, vineyards, and some of California’s best state parks. If you love bubbly, your first stop should be at Domaine Carneros, a chateau with french inspired gardens.

In Napa, the Oxbow Public Market offers an excellent location for a lunch stop. Need some space? Soar above the Napa valley for an aerial perspective of the area during a hot air balloon adventure.

Travel north on the Silverado Trail to visit the Clos du Val and Mumm wineries. And after sipping down a few glasses, consider exploring the wonders of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park or Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, two great state parks that are a must whether you are on a vacation in Sonoma or passing on a road trip.

Highlights:

• Sparkling Wine: share a bottle of California’s methôde traditionelle sparkling wine.
• Hot Springs: Soak in the mineral pools, or get dirty in the mud baths at Golden Haven in Calistoga.
• State Park Hike: Embark on the 5-mile hike to the top of Mount Saint Helena from Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, one of the many gorgeous hikes in Northern California.

Golden Chain Highway

Start: Oakhurst
Finish: Vinton
Distance: 295 miles

Are you ready for the ultimate road trip in Northern California through small towns? Travel along the Golden Chain Highway following a spectacular route on Highway 49 through the Sierra Nevada foothills. En Route, you can learn about the influence of gold on the area at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum in Mariposa.

When you hit Jamestown, be sure to stop at the Railtown 1897 Historic State Park for a glimpse of the transportation used in the late 1800s. Step foot in the Columbia State Historic Park, one of the best preserved mining towns in Gold Country, before reaching Coloma to visit the site where James Marshall first discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill.

From Coloma, you’ll head northeast on Highway 49 to one of the oldest, largest, and deepest gold mines in California, Empire Mine. Then leave Grass Valley through the Tahoe National Forest until you reach the end of Highway 49 at the community of Vinton.

Highlights:

• Train Trip to the Past: Depart from Railtown Depot for a 45-minute round trip in the Sierra foothills. 
• Searching for Gold: Try your hand at gold panning in the historic gold mining town of Jamestown.
• Empire Mine: A scale model of the Empire Mine’s tunnels was top secret, but is now on display.
• Yosemite National Park: Why not take a detour and spend a day in Yosemite?

Rim of the World Scenic Byway

Start: Cajon Pass
Finish: Big Bear
Distance: 117 miles

Rim of the World is one of the best California road trips and is an easy weekend getaway to the San Bernardino Mountains. Start on State Highway 18 and head east through small towns in the mountains of Southern California.

Lake Arrowhead is a slight detour but provides the perfect location to stop for a swim or one of the many amazing hikes in Southern California. Continue to Running Springs on Highway 18 with the option of a 5-mile drive to the Keller Peak Fire Lookout, which can offer you views of the Pacific Ocean.

Highway 18 follows the edge of Big Bear Lake before reaching the town of Big Bear. Here, you can settle in for a relaxing stay in a cabin or try your hand at the area’s water sports in summer and snow sports in winter.

Highlights:

• Lake Arrowhead: Travel back in time in this Southern California hidden gem on a tour on the Lake Arrowhead Queen Steamboat.
• Farmers Market: Enjoy local produce from the Running Springs farmers market and artisan fair.
• Big Bear Lake: Here you’ll find 365 days of outdoor adventures.

Route 66  

Start: Santa Monica
Finish: Needles
Distance: 316 miles

For a taste of America’s famous drive, start your bucket list road trip by traveling from Santa Monica, one of California’s best road trip destinations, to Pasadena. Along the way, you can visit Arcadia for lunch before continuing through the old West Village of San Dimas to Rancho Cucamonga.

Drive right into San Bernardino to briefly visit the location of the first McDonalds before traveling over the Cajon Summit to spend the evening in the city of Victorville. Then travel through the arid Mojave Desert to the city of Needles on the Arizona state line.

Highlights:

• Santa Monica Pier: Try your hand at fishing from the pier with a rental rod from the Bait & Tackle Co.
• Rancho Cucamonga: This restored service station offers an insight into the history of Route 66, and one of California’s most unique spots.
• Mojave Desert: Enjoy otherworldly vistas while traveling through dramatic mountains and across the Colorado River.
• Poppy Superbloom: If you do this road trip in spring, it’s worth taking a detour to see the famous California poppy bloom in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

Start planning your California road trip today 

The highways, mountain passes, history, and outdoor activities make this the perfect state for a spectacular vacation. Choose one of the above California road trip ideas or use the highlights to plan your route through ‘The Land of Milk and Honey’.

Have you done any of these California road trips?
Share the highlights of your journey in the comments below

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