Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica

Route description

Start with the classic view of the Golden Gate Bridge from Battery Spencer, just across the bridge on the Marin Headlands; the fog often clears by midday, and the small parking area is not suitable for large motorhomes. Then head south from San Francisco along the coast through Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz to Monterey, where Cannery Row and the waterfront are worth a stop. Driving southbound puts the ocean on your side of the road, which makes the pull-outs easier to use.

South of Carmel, Big Sur begins. Bixby Creek Bridge, a 1932 concrete arch 260 feet above a creek mouth, is best seen from the pull-outs on its north side, and further south a short, flat trail in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park leads to the overlook for McWay Falls, which drops straight onto a sandy cove. Kirk Creek Campground has bluff-top sites above the Pacific with some of the best sunsets on the coast, and it books up early.

Beyond Ragged Point the mountains ease back from the sea, and at Piedras Blancas a free boardwalk overlooks thousands of elephant seals, with pups born from December through March. Hearst Castle, just inland at San Simeon, can only be visited on a tour, so book ahead. Further south, the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is known for its pink décor and more than 100 themed rooms.

From San Luis Obispo, US-101 carries most of the traffic south to Santa Barbara, with its Spanish-style downtown and mission. The coast road then continues past Ventura and Malibu to finish at the Santa Monica Pier. Highway 1 through Big Sur is narrow and winding, with few services and frequent landslide closures, so check Caltrans for current road status before you set out and fill the tank in Monterey or Carmel.