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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
23stops
DAY01
Depart → Portland waterfront
Overnight in Portland waterfront
- 09:00Depart· start
- 11:30Mount Rainier National Park
- 15:30Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area
- 18:00Portland waterfront· overnight
Accommodation
Central Portland
DAY02
Depart → Crescent City
Overnight in Crescent City
- 08:00Depart· start
- 12:30Crater Lake National Park
- 17:30Jedediah Smith Redwoods
- 18:00Crescent City· overnight
Accommodation
Crescent City or nearby redwood-edge lodging
DAY03
Redwood National and State Pa… → San Francisco
Overnight in San Francisco
- 10:00Redwood National and State Parks· start
- 14:30Mendocino Headlands
- 18:00San Francisco· overnight
Accommodation
Fisherman's Wharf or North Beach area
DAY04
Depart → Monterey
Overnight in Monterey Bay Aquarium
- 09:00Depart· start
- 10:00Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point
- 13:00Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
- 17:00Monterey Bay Aquarium· overnight
Accommodation
Monterey waterfront
DAY05
Depart → Santa Barbara
Overnight in Santa Barbara
- 08:00Depart· start
- 09:00Bixby Creek Bridge
- 11:30Julia Pfeiffer Burns
- 15:30Pismo Beach
- 18:00Santa Barbara· overnight
Accommodation
Santa Barbara waterfront or downtown-adjacent
DAY06
Depart → La Jolla
Overnight in La Jolla Cove
- 09:00Depart· start
- 11:00Santa Monica Pier
- 14:00Griffith Observatory
- 17:30La Jolla Cove· overnight
Accommodation
La Jolla or coastal San Diego
DAY07
Cabrillo National Monument → Coronado
- 09:30Cabrillo National Monument· start
- 12:00Balboa Park
- 16:30Coronado Beach
Heads Up
- Day 1: 7h 12m driving — plan rest stops
- Day 3: 8h 4m driving — plan rest stops
- Day 5: 5h 46m driving — plan rest stops
- Book lodging early for San Francisco, Monterey, and Big Sur seasonally.
- In California, parking fees and coastal traffic can add up, so a tighter stop list is usually better than trying to do everything.