1 / 6
Pacific Coast Classic: SF to LA+
Seven days hugging Highway 1 and US-101 from San Francisco down to San Diego — redwoods, cliffs, sea otters, and that golden California light. Pace is slow enough to actually pull over when you want to.
7days
21stops
2326km
Day 1: Seattle → Olympia Capitol Campus → Portland Waterfront
2h 53min · 285km3 stops
Seattle
09:00
1h 2min · 98km
Olympia Capitol Campus
11:00
1h 51min · 187km
Portland Waterfront
16:30
Day 2: Portland → Eugene → Redwood National and State Pa…
5h 42min · 533km3 stops
Portland
08:00
1h 45min · 175km
Eugene
10:00
3h 57min · 358km
Redwood National and State Parks
16:30
Day 3: Crescent City → Avenue of the Giants → San Francisco Waterfront
6h 18min · 573km3 stops
Crescent City
08:30
2h 25min · 217km
Avenue of the Giants
11:30
3h 53min · 356km
San Francisco Waterfront
18:00
Day 4: Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point → Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk → Monterey Bay Waterfront
2h 30min · 197km3 stops
Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point
09:00
1h 39min · 128km
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
13:00
51min · 69km
Monterey Bay Waterfront
16:30
Day 5: Bixby Creek Bridge → Pfeiffer Big Sur → Santa Barbara Waterfront
4h 25min · 345km3 stops
Bixby Creek Bridge
09:30
26min · 23km
Pfeiffer Big Sur
11:00
3h 59min · 322km
Santa Barbara Waterfront
17:30
Day 6: Santa Barbara → Santa Monica Pier → La Jolla Cove
3h 37min · 352km3 stops
Santa Barbara
08:30
1h 32min · 150km
Santa Monica Pier
12:00
2h 5min · 202km
La Jolla Cove
17:30
Day 7: Balboa Park → Cabrillo National Monument → Coronado Beach
45min · 42km3 stops
Balboa Park
10:00
15min · 13km
Cabrillo National Monument
13:00
30min · 28km
Coronado Beach
16:30
Heads Up
- 1. Reserve ahead: Hearst Castle tours, Monterey Bay Aquarium, any Big Sur lodging (fills weeks out in summer).
- 2. Check Caltrans: Highway 1 through Big Sur occasionally closes for slides — know before you commit to that leg.
- 3. Gas strategy: Fuel up in bigger towns (Monterey, Cambria, Santa Barbara). Big Sur gas stations charge a premium.
- 4. Pack layers: NorCal coast can be 15°C and foggy in the morning; SoCal 25°C and sunny by afternoon. Same day.
- 5. Day 2: 5h 42m driving — plan rest stops
- 6. Day 3: 6h 22m driving — plan rest stops