California’s Highway 1 is one of the most iconic road trip routes in the world, offering breathtaking views of the Pacific coastline. This article explores the top ten most scenic coastal drives along this legendary highway, stretching from Southern California all the way to the northern coast. Each stretch of Highway 1 promises an unforgettable experience, featuring dramatic ocean cliffs, charming beach towns, towering redwoods, and historic landmarks. From the winding turns of Big Sur to the postcard perfect shores near Santa Barbara and the rugged beauty of Mendocino County, this list guides travelers through the very best stops and drives that define California’s coastal allure.
Whether you are planning a weekend getaway or an extended road trip, these scenic drives offer a blend of natural beauty and cultural charm. Expect to pass through places like Malibu, Monterey, Cambria, and Half Moon Bay. Discover hidden beaches, coastal trails, and scenic viewpoints perfect for photography, surfing, hiking, or simply soaking in the ocean breeze. Each destination on this list is carefully chosen to highlight the most visually stunning and memorable parts of Highway 1. This guide is your essential companion for experiencing the ultimate California coastal road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Top Ten Most Scenic Coastal Drives In California’s Highway 1 2025
10. The Monterey Peninsula via 17 Mile Drive
Running through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove off Highway 1, the 17 Mile Drive serves as a scenic coastal loop renowned for dramatic coastline, forested hills, iconic trees and wildlife. This toll road features stops like Spanish Bay Beach with dunes and boardwalk views, the turbulent waters at Point Joe known as the Restless Sea, and Bird Rock and Seal Rock where sea lions and seabirds gather. The Lone Cypress dominates the skyline atop a rocky promontory and is one of the most photographed trees in the world, over 250 years old. Crocker Grove houses some of the oldest and largest Monterey cypress trees, rare globally and cherished for their age and silhouette. This drive offers seamless pull outs, interpretive chapters, and panoramic vantage points over the Del Monte Forest and coastal waters. Travelers may spot sea otters or seals below, deer grazing above and sweeping views over Stillwater Cove. Covering just 17 miles, the drive remains one of the most visited and iconic stops on a road trip through coastal California.
9. Point Lobos and Carmel Highlands to Monterey
Directly off Highway 1, the stretch between Carmel Highlands and Monterey includes access to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Coastline here blends craggy limestone cliffs, kelp beds, tide pools and seal rookeries. Trails loop through cypress groves and rocky coves, ideal for hikers, photographers and nature lovers. As the road descends toward Carmel, views open over lush forest and blue Pacific waters. Truth is, this drive is compact yet rich with wildflowers in spring, migrating whales offshore, and rocky headlands framed by fog or sunlit haze. It links with the 17 Mile Drive loop and transitions into the larger Big Sur corridor. This coastal segment is celebrated for cinematic panoramas and dramatic land and sea contrasts. The route aligns seamlessly with Highway 1’s reputation as a premier coastal road trip route, delivering layered scenery, easy services in Carmel by the Sea, and unbroken ocean views just minutes from downtown Monterey.
8. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and McWay Falls
Located 12 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park presents a landmark waterfall that drops eighty feet onto the sandy coast at McWay Cove. This section of Highway 1 threads through ancient redwood groves with trees over two thousand five hundred years old. Park trails wind above the shoreline. A short paved trail leads to a viewpoint of McWay Falls, while longer hikes like the Tanbark Trail ascend into forest and ridgelines. The mix of towering redwoods, sheer cliffs, and the fall meeting the sea makes this drive a coastal highlight. The road itself hugs dramatic bluffs, dips through narrow cuttings and reveals sudden ocean panoramas. Scenic pull outs offer space for photography and contemplation. The setting is symbolic of Big Sur’s unique meeting of land and sea. Rich history, quiet ambiance and carefully preserved landscape all reinforce the park’s status as one of California’s most memorable coastal experiences.
7. Bixby Creek Bridge and Garrapata State Park
This segment centers on the Bixby Creek Bridge, a slender concrete span soaring roughly 260 feet above the canyon. That bridge is one of the most photographed landmarks on Highway 1 and was dedicated as part of the California Scenic Highway designation in 1966. Scenic turn outs on both sides provide breathtaking views of the bridge against cliffs and crashing surf below. Nearby, Garrapata State Park offers wild coastal trails along sea to hills, with rocky outcrops and moss covered headlands that frame crashing waves. Trailheads from Highway 1 lead to secluded beaches and bluff paths that zigzag through coastal scrub. The drive is dramatic for its interplay of engineering and rugged natural coast. Visitors often pause to view seals hauling out on rocks, birds circling sea stacks and wildflowers along the roadside. Though traffic builds during summer, the expanse of ocean and quiet pull outs let travelers experience the rugged beauty without disruption.
6. Big Sur Coastal Stretch from Cambria to Carmel Highlands
The full Big Sur Coast Highway runs for nearly 71 miles from San Carpoforo Creek to Malpaso Creek and is widely acclaimed as a world class scenic drive. This entire stretch was the first California scenic highway and one of the earliest National Scenic Byways. Big Sur’s road hugs cliffs, weaves through redwoods, crosses sparkling rivers and overlooks hidden beaches. Architectural features like Bixby Creek Bridge and Point Sur Lighthouse punctuate views. The natural settings range from fern filled canyons to open coastal bluffs with sprawling Pacific vistas. Speed limits along much of this route were reduced in 2025 to 40 to 45 mph to protect safety and preserve the aesthetic experience. The drive invites frequent stops at vista points, short walks to tide pools, or scenic hikes inland. It reflects the essence of the Pacific Coast Highway, a timeless coastal road trip through dense forest and ocean sheer cliffs framed by fog or sunlight.
5. Ragged Point to Hearst Castle Area
Starting near Ragged Point, roughly 60 miles south of Big Sur, this coastal stretch delivers expansive sweeping views and dramatic cliff top curves. Ragged Point provides panoramic platforms looking north and south along rugged shore. A trail down to a hidden waterfall flowing toward the sea enhances the appeal. Continuing south toward Hearst Castle at San Simeon, the road skirts quiet beaches and coastal dunes. Wildlife spotting is common with elephant seals hauling out at Piedras Blancas just north of Cambria, and gray whales passing offshore during migration season. Cambria itself adds charm for a coastal road trip with Victorian architecture, seaside gardens and galleries. Scenic turn outs reveal tide pools and wildlife clusters. The contrast between the wild, windswept landscape near Ragged Point and the historic grandeur of Hearst Castle delivers a memorable blend of natural drama and architectural history along Highway 1.
4. Elephant Seal Rookery and Cambria Shoreline
Just north of San Simeon, the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery provides a rare wildlife focal point directly from roadside platforms. Thousands of elephant seals congregate on the beach, particularly between winter and spring, creating an accessible wildlife experience on a coastal road trip. The road then continues through Cambria, offering scenic access to Moonstone Beach, sea lit tide pools and tree lined bluff walks. Coastal gardens and seaside inns enhance the small town mood. Wildlife viewing and photography opportunities abound, while the drive itself is calm and picturesque. This section marries the natural spectacle of marine mammals with local charm and easy stops, all while traveling along the celebrated Pacific Coast Highway.
3. Point Reyes to Mendocino Coastal Drive
North of San Francisco, this coastal segment includes Point Reyes National Seashore and the Sonoma Mendocino coastline beyond. The drive travels bluff top roads past historic lighthouses at Point Reyes and Point Arena. Coastal trails wind above beaches, sea stacks and headlands where elephant seals and migrating whales appear offshore. The Mendocino Headlands near the town of Mendocino offer dramatic cliffs, forests and seaside parks. Vineyards inland contrast with seaside winds. This less crowded road trip segment is rich in wildlife, historic sites and varied terrain from tidal estuaries to redwood forests. It extends the Highway 1 narrative into Northern California, offering scenic coastal drive views and cultural resonance.
2. Monterey to San Francisco via Coastal Headlands
This stretch runs from Monterey north through Carmel and onto the coast above Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. Starting in Monterey, drivers pass through the high vantage points at Carmel Highlands and descend toward coastal oak woodlands. The route hugs the shoreline above hidden coves and scenic state parks such as Ano Nuevo or Waddell. Sea stacks, waterfalls, sand dunes and coastal bluff trails lie within easy pull off range. Towns like Half Moon Bay allow access to beaches and coastal farms. Views of waves breaking on rocky shores and fog lit hills define this coastal drive. It combines accessible beach stops, hike in viewpoints and photographic opportunities in a manageable stretch along the Pacific Coast Highway.
1. Full Big Sur Scenic Drive from Carmel Highlands to San Carpoforo Creek
At the top ranking is the entire Big Sur coastal corridor, the classic highway drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. Stretching roughly 71 miles through one of California’s most iconic scenic systems, this segment weaves forested slopes, ocean cliffs, sandy coves, redwood groves and architectural landmarks like Bixby Creek Bridge and Point Sur Lighthouse. The route is an official National Scenic Byway and California Scenic Highway. The landscape feels untouched, with no billboards, minimal signage and steep hillsides plunging into deep blue sea. Every mile offers a vista turn out, hidden beach access or trail head. Roadside pull outs reveal seals, whales offshore, dramatic waves, old growth forests and panoramic horizons. Its reputation as one of the world’s greatest coastal road trips is earned. Even speed limit reductions now emphasize enjoying the route at a pace that matches its natural rhythm. This drive captures the essence of a coastal road trip California travelers seek, with timeless views, solitude and unforgettable terrain.
