Pacific Coast Highway

The classic highway running north and south along California's Pacific coast. Big Sur's cliffs, Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls are among the most photogenic coastal scenery in the United States.

California State Route 1 (SR 1) runs from Leggett in Mendocino County in the north to Dana Point in Orange County in the south. It is about 1,055 km long and mostly follows the Pacific coastline. The northern section runs from Mendocino past Point Arena Lighthouse, Bodega Bay and Point Reyes to San Francisco, with sea fog, ranches and sea cliffs as the main features. South of San Francisco, the road passes Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz to Monterey, then enters the most spectacular stretch, Big Sur. Here you'll find Carmel, Lovers Point, Bixby Bridge, Point Sur Lighthouse, Pfeiffer Beach and McWay Falls. This roughly 145 km stretch has almost no towns. Past Ragged Point, you'll find the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery, Hearst Castle, Cambria and Morro Rock. The road then continues through Santa Barbara, Malibu and Santa Monica into Los Angeles. At the southern end, it passes Laguna Beach and reaches Dana Point, and many travelers continue on to San Diego. It's best to drive from north to south, since the ocean-side pull-offs are easier to stop at. San Francisco to Los Angeles takes at least 3 days, and including the northern section and San Diego takes 7 to 10 days. The Big Sur section has no cell signal and expensive fuel. In the rainy season it is often closed by landslides, so check road conditions in advance. Accommodation is tight on summer weekends.

Pacific Coast Highway

Along the route