Orange poppies blooming along the highway with the ocean and mountains in the background — Poppies along California’s Highway 1 in Big Sur. Click on my photos to pin on Pinterest!

Road trip! Can you think of a more iconic road trip than along the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur? We explored up and down the coast of California, driving all the way from Los Angeles to San Francisco. This blog will be all about my favorite stops along California’s Pacific Coast Highway 1. I’ll go over where to stay, my favorite photography spots, and tips for your Pacific Coast Highway road trip.

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Getting to California

To start your Pacific Coast Highway road trip, you have to get to California. We have flown into Hollywood Burbank Airport as well as LAX. Burbank is smaller, so it’s easier to get in and out of. Check out both of these locations, because their prices vary. Sometimes Burbank surprises you and is cheaper to fly into. Once you’ve arrived, make sure to rent a car. That will be needed for you California road trip! Explore rental cars here.

Best Times to Visit

We did our California Pacific Coast Highway 1 road trip in the end of May in the spring. I thought it was such a great time to visit. The flowers were all in bloom and the weather was sunny. Near Big Sur, the fog rolled in, but it was still amazing. I wore shorts and a long sleeve most times. I recommend packing layers, because the wind and fog off the coast can be chilly at times.

Big Sur was pretty busy in the spring, which was the only downfall. If you travel in the fall, you won’t get as many flowers blooming, but it won’t be as crowded. The California coast is beautiful all year long!

Road Trip Tips

The road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco on Highway 1, takes over 7 hours to complete. That’s not including any stops. I recommend staying a couple of nights along Highway 1 to make this road trip enjoyable and to have enough time to see all the wonderful sights.

Make sure to fill your gas tank whenever you have the opportunity. Gas is pricy in California, and even pricier once you get to the Big Sur area since there are limited gas stations.

It’s very important to download or screenshot any road map information you may want before leaving. Service is spotty along the coast, especially near Big Sur. You’ll want to have that information ready for when you lose service. So if there are specific stops you don’t want to miss, be sure to save those to your phone beforehand.

I recommend packing snacks for the road trip! We stopped at a grocery store near Morro Bay for some road trip snacks to save on some money.

Los Angeles

If you’re starting in Los Angeles like we did, there is so much to see before you begin your road trip! Los Angeles can be overwhelming with things to do, but there’s some must see spots that make the visit worth it. I love Griffith Park Observatory. The views from here are incredible and the observatory is so much fun to explore! You can even see the Hollywood sign from here. It’s one of my favorite spots in Los Angeles. Venice Beach is also a great spot to check out. Walk the boardwalk, watch the skateboarders drop in, or simply hang out at the beach. I could write a whole blog about LA, so more to come!

Santa Monica

While you’re in the LA area, make a trip to Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Pier is where all the action is at. Grab some food, play some games at the amusement park, and hang out on the beach. On our trip, we had drinks and nachos with my sister at Blue Plate Taco right by the pier. We loved it! There are plenty of other great restaurants and shopping close by. Santa Monica is a lovely city to stay in near the beach as well as the airport. Here’s some highly rated vacation rentals for your Santa Monica stay.

Morro Bay

Once you’re out of the metro area, the vibe changes drastically. The roads are less busy and you start to drive through smaller coastal beach towns. Our first stop outside the metro was Morro Bay, about 3.5 hours from Santa Monica. We spent a night in Morro Bay at Rockview Inn & Suites. It’s a budget friendly motel and it was exactly what we were looking for to save some money and have a clean room to sleep in for the night. It’s close to the beach, so I could hear the seals barking and the waves crashing in the distance at night. It made me excited to wake up and head to the beach! So we made a stop at Morro Rock Beach before heading out on the road the next morning. This beach was pretty with a lot of little sand dollars in the sand and surfers everywhere. You can’t miss it, because it’s marked with a huge rock!

Seals laying on the beach along the Pacific Coast Highway with the blue ocean and sky in the background — Seals at Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery near Ragged Point

Ragged Point & Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

Just north of Morro Bay we stopped at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery to see all the seals! This was a fun, quick spot and there’s also a cute little lighthouse you can visit in the same area. Just north of this, is another great stop, Ragged Point. This area has a snack bar, coffee, and restrooms. Ragged Point even has a resort, Ragged Point Inn & Resort, if you’re looking for a place to stay.

Man and woman sitting on a rock smiling at each other along the Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean in the background — Cape San Martin

Cape San Martin

Right off the highway, Cape San Martin is one of the most beautiful overlooks along the coast. This viewpoint is underrated as this was one of my favorite little stops. There were wildflowers along the cliffs and 360 views.

Vivid blue ocean coastline from above along the Pacific Coast Highway — Big Sur coastline

Big Sur

Big Sur is not a town or city, rather it’s the stunning stretch of land between San Simeon and Carmel. This area is mountainous and rugged, with limited cell service and internet. Be prepared to drive on winding roads right along the coast. It’s beautiful, but also could be daunting for some. There are state parks, gorgeous hiking trails, and unlimited views. Around Big Sur, you’ll see redwoods, wildflowers, and vivid blue water off the coast. You’ll make plenty of stops while visiting this area, so I recommend spending a night or two to take in the scenery. Here are some of the best hotels to stay at during your visit.

Orange and green grass in the front of the frame with McWay waterfall in the distance flowing into the blue ocean — McWay Falls

McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

McWay Falls is gorgeous! Have you even seen a waterfall flow directly into the ocean? Make sure you check out this spot in Big Sur. You’ll get to view the waterfall from above. It’s a great spot for photos and one of the most iconic on the Pacific Coast Highway. You can either park along the highway for free or enter into the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park parking lot for $10. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers a few hiking trails and beautiful scenery. Expect crowds during the spring and summer at this popular spot.

Purple flowers in the front of the frame with a shot of Bixby Bridge and fog rolling in — Bixby Creek Bridge

Bixby Creek Bridge

Another lovely photography spot is at Bixby Creek Bridge. This bridge is huge and the views of the ocean are so beautiful. For the best photos, arrive around sunset. Again, you should expect crowds in the spring and summer since this is a very popular spot. Parking lots are very small, and you’ll likely have to park along the road where it’s allowed.

White calla lilies near the foggy beach — Calla Lily Valley

Calla Lily Valley & Garrapata Trail

North of Bixby Creek Bridge near Carmel-by-the-Sea, don’t miss the Calla Lily Valley! This spot is right off Highway 1 along the Garrapata Trail. These calla lilies bloom in the spring and are so pretty! They lead you right down to the ocean. Please be careful to not step on the lilies and follow the path. You’ll see wildflowers all along the Pacific Coast Highway and it’s important to stay on the path and not trample over the flowers so they can bloom beautifully year after year.

Garrapata Beach in Garrapata State Park

Don’t just see the wildflowers and calla lilies, make sure to go all the way down to Garrapata Beach! It’s such a peaceful spot. It was a nice change of pace from the bustling highway. Ross and I relaxed and watched a couple of dogs play in the water, as this is a dog friendly beach.

San Francisco

Since we were already so far north, we decided to go all the way to San Francisco. It’s another 2 hours from Carmel, California but worth a visit. There are so many things to do here, like watching the sunrise at the Golden Gate Bridge, hanging out at Golden Gate Park, and seeing the famous Painted Ladies houses. You can either end the road trip here and fly out of San Francisco, or do what we did and spend a day in San Francisco before heading to Yosemite National Park. I wrote a whole blog about Yosemite National Park if you’re planning on spending time there!

If you’re planning on visiting San Francisco, make sure you’re careful with your belongings in your car. Do not leave anything in your car or even your trunk. Unfortunately, we thought we’d be fine by leaving our backpacks in our trunk while at a tourist stop to take photos. Someone broke into our locked car and stole our belongings in the 5 minutes we were away from it. Since our backpacks were full of clothes, we ended up getting most everything back, but it was an unpleasant experience. I want to add this to let you know to make smarter decisions than we did, so you don’t experience the same thing. There are signs everywhere near tourist stops, so really take this seriously. Unfortunately, there are people watching and waiting to break into your car once you leave. If it wasn’t for the break in, we would have loved our San Francisco experience much more. I hope this doesn’t scare you away from visiting! The city was lovely and right before this incident, Ross and I were gushing about how pretty it was.

At a Glance: Stops to make along the California Coast

LA
Santa Monica
Morro Bay
Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery
Ragged Point
Cape San Martin
McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Bixby Creek Bridge
Calla Lily Valley & Garrapata Trail
Garrapata Beach
San Francisco

There are so many amazing stops along the Pacific Coast Highway. I created a map of all the stops we made, but I’d also consider stopping in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey. I’ve heard great things!

Overall Thoughts on the Pacific Coast Highway & Big Sur

Overall, the areas along the Pacific Coast Highway and Big Sur were absolutely amazing. The views were stunning and I loved seeing all the flowers blooming in the spring. My favorite spots were all around the mountainous coastline. Although Big Sur is less populated than the cities, it’s still a popular spot, so don’t be surprised if view points are crowded, especially at McWay Falls and Bixby Creek Bridge. California can also be pricey, so keep that in mind when booking your vacation. Although there are some drawbacks, I had such a wonderful time driving on the Pacific Coast highway. We saw so much of California in only a few days and it was one of our most memorable trips.

Camera used to document my travels: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 35mm lens and iPhone