Best California Road Trips: 5 Scenic Routes Worth Every Mile

I’ve driven a lot of roads. But California road trips hit differently. There’s something about this state that makes every turn feel like it was designed to stop you in your tracks, whether it’s a cliff edge above the Pacific, a vineyard stretching out toward distant hills, or a desert road so straight it disappears into the horizon.

The tricky part isn’t finding a good route in California. It’s narrowing them down. So I did that work for you. These are the five California road trips I’d actually recommend, from a legendary coastal highway most people only partially drive to a mountain byway that barely anyone outside Southern California knows about. Each one has a completely different personality, and each one delivers.

Here’s what to drive, what to stop for, and how long you actually need.

Pacific Coast Highway

Start: Dana Point | End: Leggett | Distance: 656 miles

If there’s one drive that belongs on every road trip list, it’s this one. The Pacific Coast Highway runs along State Route 1 from Orange County all the way up to Leggett in Northern California, and it covers more variety than most multi-country road trips do. Sunny Santa Barbara beaches give way to the dramatic cliffs of Big Sur, which open up into the fog-draped forests near San Francisco.

I’d give yourself at least a week and a half, ideally two weeks if you want to stop and actually experience the highlights rather than just photograph them from the car. Five days is doable, but you’ll feel rushed from the moment you leave.

Don’t miss:

• Santa Barbara wine tasting: the Santa Ynez Valley is right inland, and the local wines are genuinely worth a detour. This isn’t a side trip you’ll regret.
• Big Sur: there’s no overstating how different this stretch feels from the rest of the drive. Pull over often. The views from the cliffs down to the water are the kind you remember for years.
• The Golden Gate Bridge: cross it on foot or by bike if you have the time. Seeing it from the road is one thing; being on it is another.
• Santa Cruz: a short detour off the main route, and worth it. It’s the birthplace of mainland surfing in the US, with a boardwalk that feels like it belongs in a different era entirely.

Best for: First-time visitors to California, couples, anyone who wants a classic American road trip experience with serious coastal scenery.

Northern California Wine Country Loop

Start: San Francisco | End: San Francisco | Distance: 161 miles

This is the road trip I’d recommend if you want beautiful scenery, excellent food and wine, and you don’t have a lot of time. The loop starts and ends in San Francisco, which makes logistics simple, and covers both Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley in a route that feels unhurried even at 161 miles.

Domaine Carneros is a good first stop: it’s a proper chateau with French-inspired gardens, and the sparkling wine is made in the traditional method, which makes it a cut above most California bubbly. From there, the Silverado Trail takes you through some of the most photogenic vineyard stretches in the state before reaching Clos du Val and Mumm.

Don’t miss:

• Oxbow Public Market in Napa: a great lunch stop with local producers, good coffee, and enough options that even non-wine people will find something worthwhile.
• Hot springs in Calistoga: after a morning of tastings, soaking in mineral pools or sitting in a mud bath is exactly as restorative as it sounds.
• Robert Louis Stevenson State Park: the 5-mile hike to the summit of Mount Saint Helena is a proper workout with views that justify every step of it.
• Hot air balloon over Napa Valley: I’ll be honest, this is one of those experiences that sounds touristy until you’re actually floating above rows of vines at sunrise. It’s worth it.

Best for: Couples, wine lovers, anyone coming from San Francisco who wants a weekend escape without a long drive.

Golden Chain Highway: Gold Country Road Trip

Start: Oakhurst | End: Vinton | Distance: 295 miles

This is the road trip I tell people about when they say they’ve already done the Pacific Coast Highway and want something different. The Golden Chain Highway runs along Highway 49 through the Sierra Nevada foothills, and it tells a completely different story about California: one built around the gold rush, small-town history, and landscapes that feel genuinely untouched.

The route passes through some of the best-preserved mining towns in the state, including Columbia, which stopped being a working town well before it became a historic park and looks like it. The attention to detail is real. It doesn’t feel like a reconstruction.

Don’t miss:

• Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown: the 45-minute steam train ride through the Sierra foothills is the kind of experience that sounds corny and turns out to be genuinely enjoyable.
• Gold panning in Jamestown: not something I’d normally put on a serious itinerary, but in context it’s actually fun, especially if you’re traveling with someone who needs a tangible souvenir from the gold rush route.
• Sutter’s Mill in Coloma: this is where James Marshall first discovered gold in 1848, which set off the California Gold Rush. Standing there, it feels like a genuinely significant spot.
• Empire Mine in Grass Valley: one of the oldest and deepest gold mines in California. The scale model of the underground tunnel system is on display, and the size of the operation is humbling.
• Yosemite detour: the park is close enough from the southern end of this route that adding a day there makes sense if your timing allows.

Best for: History lovers, slow travelers, anyone interested in a California road trip that has nothing to do with beaches or wine.

Rim of the World Scenic Byway

Start: Cajon Pass | End: Big Bear | Distance: 117 miles

This is the one most people outside Southern California haven’t heard of, and it’s the one I enjoy recommending precisely because of that. The Rim of the World Scenic Byway runs along State Highway 18 through the San Bernardino Mountains, and at 117 miles it’s manageable as a weekend trip from Los Angeles.

The name comes from the elevation: at certain points along the drive, you’re looking out over a drop that feels genuinely vertiginous. On a clear day, you can see the Pacific Ocean from the Keller Peak Fire Lookout, which is a five-mile detour off the main route and absolutely worth taking.

Don’t miss:

• Lake Arrowhead: a slight detour off Highway 18, with swimming, hiking, and a historic steamboat tour on the lake that gives you a perspective on the area you won’t get from the road.
• Running Springs Farmers Market: if your timing works out, this is an excellent place to pick up local produce and snacks before the final stretch to Big Bear.
• Big Bear Lake: the town at the end of the route has water sports in summer and skiing in winter, which makes this a year-round drive depending on what you want at the finish line.

Best for: Los Angeles locals wanting a weekend escape, travelers who prefer mountains to coastline, anyone who wants a California road trip that isn’t crowded.

Route 66: Santa Monica to the Mojave Desert

Start: Santa Monica | End: Needles | Distance: 316 miles

Route 66 is one of those things that sounds like a cliché until you’re actually driving it. The California section runs from Santa Monica through Pasadena, San Bernardino, and out across the Mojave Desert to Needles on the Arizona state line. It’s not the most visually dramatic of the California road trips on this list, but it’s the one with the most cultural weight.

The landscape changes completely as you leave the Los Angeles basin and climb over the Cajon Summit into the desert. The Mojave section, in particular, has a stillness that’s hard to describe, long straight roads, Joshua trees, the kind of sky that makes you feel very small in the best way.

Don’t miss:

• Santa Monica Pier, rent a fishing rod from the Bait and Tackle Co. and spend an hour at the end of the pier before you start. It’s a good way to ease into a long drive.
• The historic service station in Rancho Cucamonga is a beautifully restored Route 66 relic that gives you a real sense of what this road looked like at its peak in the mid-20th century.
• San Bernardino is a brief stop to see the site of the original McDonald’s, which is now a museum. Strange in the best way.
• California Poppy Superbloom detour: If you’re doing this drive in spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is worth a detour. When conditions are right, the hillsides turn completely orange. It’s one of those sights that photographs well but looks better in person.

Best for: Road trip purists, anyone interested in American cultural history, travelers heading toward Arizona who want to make the journey part of the experience.

Tips for Planning Your California Road Trip

Timing matters. The Pacific Coast Highway is busiest in summer, and Big Sur in particular can get crowded at popular viewpoints. Spring and early fall tend to offer better weather, lighter traffic, and lower accommodation prices across most routes.

Book accommodation in advance on popular stretches. Big Sur has limited places to stay, and they fill up quickly in peak season. If you’re planning the PCH, sort accommodation along the Big Sur stretch months out, not weeks.

Fuel up before remote sections. On the Golden Chain Highway and Route 66’s Mojave stretch, fuel stations can be far apart. Don’t let the tank drop below half before a desert crossing.

Download offline maps. Cell service disappears on parts of the Rim of the World byway and in remote sections of Big Sur. Download your route offline before you leave.

Pack layers. The California coast can be 20 degrees colder than inland areas, especially in the morning and evening. Big Sur fog in particular catches people off guard.

Final Thoughts

California doesn’t have just one road trip. It has five completely different ones, each shaped by a different landscape, a different history, and a different version of what this state is. The Pacific Coast Highway is the classic for a reason. But if you’ve already done that, or you want something with fewer crowds and more surprise, the Golden Chain Highway and the Rim of the World byway are the two I’d point you toward first.

Plan your route, allow more time than you think you need, and pull over more than feels necessary. That’s the only rule that actually matters.

For more US road trip ideas and destination guides, explore everything at Travel with Zee.