Riding the Best West Coast Road Trip on the PCH

There are plenty of faster ways to get from SoCal up to Seattle than the windy route along the Pacific Ocean. The difference is, why wouldn’t you want those views, fresh dining, and incredible stops?

Scenic Road Trip down the West Coast — default

If you’re looking for the proper West Coast road trip vibes, you need the Pacific Coast Highway. It is the lynchpin for Big Sur cliffs, surfing beaches, NorCal Redwoods, and all the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

You’ll need to give yourself plenty of time to make unscheduled stops or hit a local hike, but with the right plan, you can see California and the rest of the West Coast in ways you may have never dreamed.

What a West Coast Road Trip Looks Like for Long Stays

If you took a massive measuring tape and judged California, Oregon, and Washington’s coastal routes, you’d get about 1,290 miles of road. That’s a straight line. In reality, there are thousands of coastal routes you can take on this California road trip.

That means you’ll need to prioritize your stops. Unless you have a few months to see everything, you need to decide whether to hit a hike in Olympic National Park or stop for a view of the Pirate Tower in Laguna Beach.

The West Coast also has some pretty varied landscapes. The California road trip section alone can take you from the flat areas of LA to the redwoods north of Mendocino or the hills of San Francisco. If you’re doing this trip, you’d better plan for at least 7 days. It may be better to shoot for 10 to 14 if you want to take your time.

When Switching States Often Makes Vehicle Timing Feel Unpredictable

When it’s open, the Pacific Coast Highway welcomes anywhere from 5 to 7 million visitors each year. That’s besides the locals who stop in specific areas of the PCH for an evening’s meal. Plenty of those visitors come from other parts of the world to enjoy this climatic ride, but don’t want to rent for a longer trip.

A good alternative to paying high California rental fees is to have your personal vehicle shipped using auto transport companies. Your vehicle can arrive at the Seattle airport around the same time as your flight. That way, you have a familiar vehicle ready to go, where you can store all your gear throughout the trip.

You need to consider the cost of fuel, lodging, meals, rentals, mileage, and how many vacation days you’ll be using to make a judgment call on your West Coast road trip. It depends a lot on where you’re starting, the season of the year, and how long you’re staying.

Setting a Flexible Route That Prevents Long-Haul Driving Fatigue

The worst thing you can do during a Pacific Coast Highway road trip is sticking to a navigation recommendation for your itinerary. Look at Big Sur alone. That route may seem pretty straightforward, but when you get onto the windy roads and have to work around fog, traffic, trailhead parking, and so many vistas that your head will spin, things get complicated.

You have to think about what stopping by major destinations along the West Coast road trip means. Think about:

The four hours of drive time between Big Sur and Santa Barbara before adding sightseeing stops like Bixby Creek Bridge, Hearst Castle, Cambria, and Montana de Oro State Park.
Spending time in Washington around the Hoh Rain Forest and Pacific Beach.
Hitting Cannon Beach (à la the cult classic The Goonies) or Cape Perpetua in Oregon while sampling nearby local seafood and farm-fresh veggies.

You need to build each day around one or two priorities, then add flexibility to explore as you road trip. The Pacific Coast Highway is only one small section of a total West Coast road trip.

There are also many seasonal issues to cover. Fog is common once you get above California’s elbow at Point Conception. Head farther north, and you could get snow, heavy rains, seasonal storms, landslides, and forest fires. Checking the Fire Danger Forecast daily during your California road trip is a good idea.

A Complete Guide to Keeping Mobility Simple Across Multiple States

If this is your first multi-state trip, you should group it into six major stages.

Start in Washington and hit Olympic National Park.
Move to Oregon to Cannon Beach.
Hit NorCal for redwoods.
Enjoy San Francisco for a day (don’t forget the Golden Gate Bridge)
Explore Big Sur and the Central Coast like Monterey.
Finish in SoCal around Santa Barbara to LA and Malibu.

That basic outline gives you a strong sense of a West Coast road trip that will keep daily mileage reasonable. It may allow for occasional two-night stays in beachside hotels and rentals. Make sure you buy plenty of fuel before long stretches, download maps when you’re out of cell range, and schedule remote work accordingly so you’re not trying to do a Zoom call when on the PCH.

If you’re more into longer trips, add in a 7-day itinerary for the Pacific Coast Highway. That is, besides Washington and Oregon. It would look something like:

7-Day Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary

Day	Route	Approx. Driving	Main Stops	What to Do
Day 1	San Francisco → Monterey	120 miles	Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey	Drive the coast, stop at beaches and overlooks, explore Cannery Row and Monterey waterfront
Day 2	Monterey → Big Sur	30–50 miles	17-Mile Drive, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Point Lobos, Bixby Creek Bridge	Coastal sightseeing, hike at Point Lobos, explore Carmel, stop at Bixby Creek Bridge
Day 3	Big Sur → San Luis Obispo	100–120 miles	Pfeiffer Big Sur, McWay Falls area, Ragged Point, San Simeon, Morro Bay	Big Sur hiking, Highway 1 overlooks, coastal stops, explore Morro Bay
Day 4	San Luis Obispo → Santa Barbara	100 miles	Pismo Beach, Solvang, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara	Beach walk, explore Solvang, visit downtown Santa Barbara and the waterfront
Day 5	Santa Barbara → Los Angeles	100 miles	Ventura, Point Mugu, Malibu, Santa Monica	Follow the coastline, stop at Malibu beaches, explore Santa Monica Pier and waterfront
Day 6	Los Angeles → Laguna Beach	60–80 miles	Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach	Explore Southern California beach towns, walk the coast, stop for sunset in Laguna Beach
Day 7	Laguna Beach → San Diego	75 miles	Dana Point, San Clemente, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, San Diego	Coastal hiking at Torrey Pines, explore La Jolla Cove, finish the trip in San Diego

It’s also a good idea to look at social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Type in the area you’re planning, and you’ll find some incredible, unique stops you can add to your itinerary. It’s best to do this as a north-to-south journey, as those overlooks will be easier to access when you’re on the coastal side of the highway.

Make Your Next West Coast Road Trip One to Remember

The Pacific Coast Highway may not be the fastest interstate route, but when you wrap it into a full West Coast road trip including California, Oregon, and Washington, it becomes a staple. Plan well in advance and make sure you give yourself plenty of opportunities to experience local culture and scenery. This will be a trip you’ll remember for a lifetime.

Whether you’re shipping a car from New York to California for the summer or renting a local Jeep to enjoy the PCH, the West Coast has experiences you cannot find elsewhere in the world. Good luck and happy road tripping!