In my opinion, the best way to experience the wide variety of stunning scenery that California has to offer is on a Highway 1 road trip. There are honestly hundreds of places you could stop to explore, everything from untouched beaches to staggering cliff sides to towering redwood forests. This guide will help you narrow down which stops are most worthwhile as you customize the perfect California itinerary to your schedule and interests.
Here are 18 beautiful stops on a Highway 1 road trip.
Beautiful Stops on Highway 1
These first 16 stops begin in the San Francisco Bay area and end at Huntington Beach almost at the very end of Highway 1. You can add or subtract as many stops as you want to customize your trip, but these were our favorites!
1. Muir Woods
Starting with the northernmost point on this route, we have to kick things off with enchanting Muir Woods. This incredible national park is filled with hundreds of ancient California redwood trees and definitely deserves a spot on any San Francisco trip or California road trip itinerary. You can get all the details about how to reserve your tickets and tips to know before you go here.
2. The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge: she’s an icon, she’s a legend and she IS the moment (as TikTok would say). You can’t miss this iconic stop on your Highway 1 roadtrip! Not only can you view the golden gate bridge from several beautiful beaches along the San Francisco Bay, you’ll drive right over it on your way to and from Muir Woods on Highway 1.
3. Golden Gate Park
Just south of the Golden Gate Bridge is a natural area embedded in the city that rivals NYC’s Central Park any day. You could honestly spend an entire day exploring all the unique nooks and crannies of Golden Gate Park, but if you have to prioritize one area I recommend the Conservatory of Flowers. We visited the Dahlia Dell and were blown away by the wide variety of blooms!
4. The Mosaic Steps
Just a couple blocks over from Highway 1 you’ll find a staircase that is as dramatically steep as it is stunningly beautiful. The Mosaic Steps depict a mural of the water, land, and sky that stretches between 16th Ave and Moraga St. Walk the staircase and enjoy the artistry before you continue further on your Highway 1 road trip journey!
5. Pigeon Point Lighthouse
About an hour south of San Francisco, a stark white lighthouse awaits you on a rugged cliffside above deep blue water that crashes against the coast in huge waves. Pigeon Point Lighthouse was hands down one of my favorite beautiful stops on Highway 1. It is completely free to visit, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can stay at an BnB inside the lighthouse!
6. Carmel-by-the-Sea
Known for its storybook cottage style buildings, art scene, and bougie locals, Carmel-by-the-Sea makes a great pit stop to stretch your legs and feast on some excellent food. We took a nice long lunch break here, followed by a quick drive around town to investigate some of the local shops and famous local residence cottages designed by Hugh Comstock. A few of our favorite spots were the Pilgrim’s Way Bookstore and Cottage of Sweets.
7. Point Lobos
Just a few minutes south of Carmel-by-the-Sea is Point Lobos State Preserve. There is so much to explore here, but I personally recommend the short hike past Bird Island that leads you past a seal beach, a stunning cove, and an island covered in birds.
8. China Cove
This specific spot inside Point Lobos State Preserve is a big part of what makes it worth the stop to me. The incredible natural archway in the rocks and the bright turquoise waters make China Cove utterly breathtaking.
9. Bixby Bridge
As you keep moving south towards the mountainous region, you’ll come across the famous Bixby Bridge as a sort of gateway to Big Sur. Built all the way back in 1932, the iconic landmark rises 260 feet above the bottom of a steep canyon carved by Bixby Creek as it becomes an estuary to the Pacific Ocean.
10. Big Sur
There are dozens of vista points to choose from along the rugged mountain coastline of Big Sur, but make sure you do stop for at least a couple of them to snap some photos and take in the amazing views of mountains to the left and ocean cliffs to the right. We didn’t have much time to hike in this area due to the nature of our itinerary, but I would love to explore it further someday!
11. McWay Waterfall Trail
If you can only pick one stop in the entire Big Sur area, make it McWay Waterfall Trail. This protected beach area isn’t accessible at the ground level, but you can take a short walk through the woods to a platform along the coast and look out below at the view of a long, slender waterfall cascading onto a beach. It’s a view like no other! It looks like something out of a movie.
12. Elephant Seal Vista Point
We almost skipped this stop on our Highway 1 road trip to save time, and as it turned out I was SO glad we didn’t! We saw dozens and dozens of elephant seals sunning themselves along the shore and snorting air out of their unusual long noses. We didn’t know this before our trip, but elephant seals are actually the largest carnivores in the world and can weigh over 7,000 pounds! It was remarkable to see so many of them in person.
13. Morro Bay
This fun little pit stop supplies views of the volcanic plug Morro Rock – a huge round mountain jutting out from the sea. But it’s also a great place for spotting wild sea otters popping up around the finishing boats along the boardwalk! You can also grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant and shop for souvenirs at The Shell Shop and Carousel Taffy.
14. Santa Barbara
This lovely mountain town offers lovely views and architecture alike. We spent a night here on our way down to the LA area and loved it.
15. Santa Monica Pier
While we weren’t too interested in Rodeo Drive or the Hollywood Sign (read as: we couldn’t stomach LA traffic), we did make one important stop near Los Angeles. Pacific Park at Santa Monica Pier was on Austin’s travel bucket list, so we stopped for a few hours to explore and ride a ferris wheel with sweeping views of the ocean. It was epic.
16. Huntington Beach
After our half day at Santa Monica Pier, we watched our favorite sunset of the whole trip at Huntington Beach. Here you’ll find pale sand, bright blue water, and surfers everywhere!
BONUS Stops
While Highway 1 technically ends at Dana Point about an hour south of LA, it’s definitely worth it to keep driving down the California coast on Highway 5 to reach San Diego. Some of the most amazing experiences we had on our California road trip were here! I’m sharing two of my absolute favorites as bonus stops.
17. La Jolla Beach
Saving one of the best for last, I can’t even tell you how much I adore La Jolla. We visited twice in the same trip because it was such a beautiful place. And we saw SO. MANY. SEALIONS! On our first visit, we stumbled upon a sea lion napping on the beach. We were careful not to touch him or scare him, but he did let us quietly come close enough to snap some amazing pictures of him. On our second visit, there was a huge colony of sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks just off the coast and jumping and playing in the water! There were lots of babies, and they were all so precious and beautiful. Make this stop one of the highest priorities on your California trip!
18. Coronado
While in San Diego, we also journeyed out to the island of Coronado, where there’s an iconic white hotel and a beautiful beach to enjoy. We found this to be such a peaceful spot, and we wanted to stay the night on the island next time we visit the area!
Plan You Highway 1 Road Trip
We absolutely loved our time exploring California from North to South, and I know we will treasure the memories forever. If you’re inspired to plan your own Highway 1 road trip, check out the blog posts below for more guides and details.
Our One-Week California Road Trip
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