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Pacific Coast Drive
A 7-day all-road run down the West Coast, keeping it scenic, sane, and strictly behind the wheel.
7days
27stops
Day 1: Depart → … → Portland waterfront
4 stops
Depart
09:00
Mount Rainier National Park
11:30
Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area
15:30
Portland waterfront
18:00
Day 2: Depart → … → Crescent City
4 stops
Depart
08:00
Crater Lake National Park
12:30
Jedediah Smith Redwoods
17:30
Crescent City
18:00
Day 3: Redwood National and State Pa… → Mendocino Headlands → San Francisco
3 stops
Redwood National and State Parks
10:00
Mendocino Headlands
14:30
San Francisco
18:00
Day 4: Depart → … → Monterey Bay Aquarium
4 stops
Depart
09:00
Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point
10:00
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
13:00
Monterey Bay Aquarium
17:00
Day 5: Depart → … → Santa Barbara
5 stops
Depart
08:00
Bixby Creek Bridge
09:00
Julia Pfeiffer Burns
11:30
Pismo Beach
15:30
Santa Barbara
18:00
Day 6: Depart → … → La Jolla Cove
4 stops
Depart
09:00
Santa Monica Pier
11:00
Griffith Observatory
14:00
La Jolla Cove
17:30
Day 7: Cabrillo National Monument → Balboa Park → Coronado Beach
3 stops
Cabrillo National Monument
09:30
Balboa Park
12:00
Coronado Beach
16:30
Heads Up
- 1. Book lodging early for San Francisco, Monterey, and Big Sur seasonally.
- 2. In California, parking fees and coastal traffic can add up, so a tighter stop list is usually better than trying to do everything.
- 3. Day 1: 7h 12m driving — plan rest stops
- 4. Day 3: 8h 4m driving — plan rest stops
- 5. Day 5: 5h 46m driving — plan rest stops