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Roy's Motel & Café – Amboy (California, USA) -- 2012 -- 4📷 Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0

Road trips in California

40 road trips and 101 hand-picked places in California, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

Trip guides
40
Places
101

Campsites in California 2,904

Trip guides

Road trips through California

Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica© Dariusz Jemielniak ("Pundit") · CC BY-SA 4.0
1
Classic American drives

Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica

448 mi11 stops4 days
Redwood Coast – landscape photography of green grass field and brown treesPhoto by Eddie Suh on Unsplash
101
Coast & island drives

Redwood Coast

175 mi6 stops3 days
Sequoia and Yosemite – the sun shines through the tall trees in the forestPhoto by Taisia Karaseva on Unsplash
198
National park loops

Sequoia and Yosemite

216 mi5 stops4 days
Sonoma, Napa and Point Reyes – a red and white lighthouse sitting on top of a rocky cliffPhoto by Enq 1998 on Unsplash
29
Themed road trips

Sonoma, Napa and Point Reyes

144 mi6 stops3 days
The Lost Coast and Shelter Cove – East Brother Light on an early morning in March© Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 3.0
101
Coast & island drives

The Lost Coast and Shelter Cove

114 mi8 stops3 days
Gold Country on Highway 49 – an old building in the middle of a mountainPhoto by MATHEW RUPP on Unsplash
49
Themed road trips

Gold Country on Highway 49

170 mi7 stops4 days
Anza-Borrego and the Salton Sea – SandDragon© GB11111 · CC BY-SA 4.0
78
Scenic byways

Anza-Borrego and the Salton Sea

150 mi7 stops3 days
Mojave National Preserve: dunes, depot and cinder cones – Kelso Depot - 03© Jarek Tuszyński · CC BY-SA 3.0
40
National park loops

Mojave National Preserve: dunes, depot and cinder cones

229 mi7 stops3 days
Pacific Coast Highway south: Malibu to San Diego – El Matador State Beach (23776434158)© Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0
1
Coast & island drives

Pacific Coast Highway south: Malibu to San Diego

235 mi9 stops4 days
Lassen Volcanic loop: Burney Falls to the mud pots – Burney Falls HDR photograph, McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park, California© JonMallard10 · CC BY 4.0
89
National park loops

Lassen Volcanic loop: Burney Falls to the mud pots

136 mi7 stops3 days
Yosemite end to end: sequoias, Glacier Point and Tioga Road – Yosemite National Park (CA, USA), Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias -- 2022 -- 2746© Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
120
National park loops

Yosemite end to end: sequoias, Glacier Point and Tioga Road

91 mi8 stops3 days
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest – Sequoia Tree (base) in General Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park (July 2023)© Marty Aligata · CC BY-SA 4.0
180
National park loops

Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest

116 mi7 stops3 days
US-395: Alabama Hills, Manzanar and the bristlecones – French Fries at Whitney Portal Store, California (27355421054)© m01229 · CC BY-SA 2.0
395
Scenic byways

US-395: Alabama Hills, Manzanar and the bristlecones

101 mi7 stops3 days
Mammoth Lakes, June Lake Loop and the ghost town of Bodie – Sierra Sunset (25191576992)© Sheila Sund from Salem, United States · CC BY 2.0
395
Scenic byways

Mammoth Lakes, June Lake Loop and the ghost town of Bodie

122 mi8 stops3 days
Highway 1 south: San Francisco to Santa Cruz and Monterey – Pigeon Point Light Station Fresnel Lens© Jeedew · CC BY-SA 3.0
1
Coast & island drives

Highway 1 south: San Francisco to Santa Cruz and Monterey

113 mi7 stops2 days
Sonoma and Mendocino coast on Highway 1 – Muir Woods National Monument 2010 16© FrankBrueck · CC BY-SA 3.0
1
Coast & island drives

Sonoma and Mendocino coast on Highway 1

174 mi9 stops3 days
Santa Ynez Valley: missions, wine and dunes – Mpb47126© silvereye · CC BY 2.0
154
Things to do in…

Santa Ynez Valley: missions, wine and dunes

116 mi9 stops3 days
Fog, cliffs and elephant seals – the Pacific Coast Highway by camper – Bixby Creek Bridge, California, USA - May 2013© Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
1
In-depth road trip guides

Fog, cliffs and elephant seals – the Pacific Coast Highway by camper

434 mi10 stops5 days
Giant trees, fog and the wild Lost Coast – by camper through Northern California’s redwood country – a forest with trees and plantsPhoto by Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash
101
In-depth road trip guides

Giant trees, fog and the wild Lost Coast – by camper through Northern California’s redwood country

191 mi12 stops6 days
Granite, salt lake and ghost town: by camper along the US-395 through the Eastern Sierra – Alabama Hills (51636328079)© Person-with-No Name from USA · CC BY 2.0
395
In-depth road trip guides

Granite, salt lake and ghost town: by camper along the US-395 through the Eastern Sierra

185 mi11 stops5 days
Giant trees, granite walls and the highest pass: by camper through Sequoia, Yosemite and over the Tioga Pass – Giant sequoia tree towers among other treesPhoto by Sebastian Frederik Jacobsen on Unsplash
120
In-depth road trip guides

Giant trees, granite walls and the highest pass: by camper through Sequoia, Yosemite and over the Tioga Pass

344 mi12 stops6 days
Joshua trees, salt lake and palm oases: by camper through the deserts of Southern California – brown wooden fence with brown sandPhoto by Cesar Cid on Unsplash
62
In-depth road trip guides

Joshua trees, salt lake and palm oases: by camper through the deserts of Southern California

319 mi14 stops5 days
Vines, redwoods and fog coast – by camper through Napa, Sonoma and the Anderson Valley to Mendocino – Calistoga near 1277 Lincoln Avenue looking north© Emw · CC BY-SA 3.0
128
In-depth road trip guides

Vines, redwoods and fog coast – by camper through Napa, Sonoma and the Anderson Valley to Mendocino

155 mi10 stops6 days
Gold rush, oak hills and Sierra canyons – by camper along Highway 49 – green grass field near mountain under blue sky during daytimePhoto by DEMETRIO TOMAZIO on Unsplash
49
In-depth road trip guides

Gold rush, oak hills and Sierra canyons – by camper along Highway 49

155 mi11 stops6 days
Tule elk, oysters and fog coast – by camper from Muir Woods via Point Reyes to Fort Ross – Point Reyes Lighthouse in December 2019© Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
1
In-depth road trip guides

Tule elk, oysters and fog coast – by camper from Muir Woods via Point Reyes to Fort Ross

116 mi11 stops5 days
Orange groves, the Pink Moment and island hopping – by camper through Ventura, Ojai and to the Channel Islands – Carpinteria State Beach© Myrna Litt · CC BY 2.0
101
In-depth road trip guides

Orange groves, the Pink Moment and island hopping – by camper through Ventura, Ojai and to the Channel Islands

113 mi9 stops6 days
Redwoods, sea otters and rock spires: by camper through Santa Cruz, Monterey and the Pinnacles – California - Big Basin Redwood State Park - NARA - 543442© Dick Rowan · Public domain
1
In-depth road trip guides

Redwoods, sea otters and rock spires: by camper through Santa Cruz, Monterey and the Pinnacles

215 mi11 stops5 days
Death Valley in depth: Dante’s View to Ubehebe Crater – Dantes Peak and trail Death Valley CA 2026-04-02 12-48-08 1© G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
190
National park loops

Death Valley in depth: Dante’s View to Ubehebe Crater

284 mi8 stops3 days
Death Valley to Yosemite on the Eastern Sierra – Death Valley Bad Water Basin with People 2013© Tuxyso · CC BY-SA 3.0
395
Things to do in…

Death Valley to Yosemite on the Eastern Sierra

370 mi6 stops4 days
Salt, dunes and Joshua trees: by camper from Las Vegas through Death Valley and the Mojave – Dantes Peak and trail Death Valley CA 2026-04-02 12-48-08 1© G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
190
In-depth road trip guides

Salt, dunes and Joshua trees: by camper from Las Vegas through Death Valley and the Mojave

531 mi14 stops6 days
Lake Tahoe loop – green trees near lake and mountain during daytimePhoto by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash
50
Scenic byways

Lake Tahoe loop

90 mi4 stops2 days
Volcanic Legacy Byway: Mount Shasta to Crater Lake – Mt. Shasta (8815257539)© Prayitno / Thank you for (9 millions +) views from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0
89
Scenic byways

Volcanic Legacy Byway: Mount Shasta to Crater Lake

239 mi8 stops4 days
Northern redwoods and the Oregon Caves on US-199 – Yurok-Plank-house© Taken by Scott D. Sullivan This image has been released for use worldwide under the licensing specified below. If you… · CC BY 3.0
199
National park loops

Northern redwoods and the Oregon Caves on US-199

156 mi8 stops3 days
Fire, ice and lava: by camper along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway from Lassen to Crater Lake – Loomis Museum Seismographic Building© DimiTalen · CC BY-SA 3.0
89
In-depth road trip guides

Fire, ice and lava: by camper along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway from Lassen to Crater Lake

531 mi11 stops6 days
Cobalt blue at 1,900 metres – by camper around Lake Tahoe, via Emerald Bay and Truckee – Calm lake at Emerald Bay (Unsplash)© Levi Bare levibare1 · CC0
89
In-depth road trip guides

Cobalt blue at 1,900 metres – by camper around Lake Tahoe, via Emerald Bay and Truckee

93 mi10 stops5 days
Desert art and strange sculpture – Neon Museum - Tim Burton - Stierch - 1© Missvain · CC BY 4.0
15
Themed road trips

Desert art and strange sculpture

393 mi8 stops3 days
Death Valley loop – Zabriskie' point© Arjun R · CC BY-SA 4.0
190
National park loops

Death Valley loop

203 mi5 stops3 days
Route 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific – assorted color plastic toy lotPhoto by Pretty Pink on Unsplash
66
Classic American drives

Route 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific

1,582 mi17 stops8 days
Pyramid Lake, the Comstock and Lake Tahoe’s east shore – Pyramid Lake, Nevada (2) (4134281009)© Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
28
Things to do in…

Pyramid Lake, the Comstock and Lake Tahoe’s east shore

156 mi7 stops3 days
Neon, diners and endless horizons – Route 66 by camper from Chicago to Santa Monica – GeminiGiantMoved© David Quigley · CC BY 4.0
66
In-depth road trip guides

Neon, diners and endless horizons – Route 66 by camper from Chicago to Santa Monica

2,326 mi18 stops21 days
RouteSuggested daysDistanceDrivingStops
Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica4448 mi8 h 00 min11
Redwood Coast3175 mi3 h 07 min6
Sequoia and Yosemite4216 mi3 h 52 min5
Sonoma, Napa and Point Reyes3144 mi2 h 35 min6
The Lost Coast and Shelter Cove3114 mi2 h 02 min8
Gold Country on Highway 494170 mi3 h 02 min7
Anza-Borrego and the Salton Sea3150 mi2 h 41 min7
Mojave National Preserve: dunes, depot and cinder cones3229 mi4 h 06 min7
Pacific Coast Highway south: Malibu to San Diego4235 mi4 h 12 min9
Lassen Volcanic loop: Burney Falls to the mud pots3136 mi2 h 25 min7
Yosemite end to end: sequoias, Glacier Point and Tioga Road391 mi1 h 38 min8
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest3116 mi2 h 04 min7
US-395: Alabama Hills, Manzanar and the bristlecones3101 mi1 h 49 min7
Mammoth Lakes, June Lake Loop and the ghost town of Bodie3122 mi2 h 11 min8
Highway 1 south: San Francisco to Santa Cruz and Monterey2113 mi2 h 01 min7
Sonoma and Mendocino coast on Highway 13174 mi3 h 06 min9
Santa Ynez Valley: missions, wine and dunes3116 mi2 h 04 min9
Fog, cliffs and elephant seals – the Pacific Coast Highway by camper5434 mi7 h 45 min10
Giant trees, fog and the wild Lost Coast – by camper through Northern California’s redwood country6191 mi3 h 25 min12
Granite, salt lake and ghost town: by camper along the US-395 through the Eastern Sierra5185 mi3 h 19 min11
Giant trees, granite walls and the highest pass: by camper through Sequoia, Yosemite and over the Tioga Pass6344 mi6 h 08 min12
Joshua trees, salt lake and palm oases: by camper through the deserts of Southern California5319 mi5 h 42 min14
Vines, redwoods and fog coast – by camper through Napa, Sonoma and the Anderson Valley to Mendocino6155 mi2 h 46 min10
Gold rush, oak hills and Sierra canyons – by camper along Highway 496155 mi2 h 46 min11
Tule elk, oysters and fog coast – by camper from Muir Woods via Point Reyes to Fort Ross5116 mi2 h 04 min11
Orange groves, the Pink Moment and island hopping – by camper through Ventura, Ojai and to the Channel Islands6113 mi2 h 01 min9
Redwoods, sea otters and rock spires: by camper through Santa Cruz, Monterey and the Pinnacles5215 mi3 h 51 min11
Death Valley in depth: Dante’s View to Ubehebe Crater3284 mi5 h 04 min8
Death Valley to Yosemite on the Eastern Sierra4370 mi6 h 36 min6
Salt, dunes and Joshua trees: by camper from Las Vegas through Death Valley and the Mojave6531 mi9 h 29 min14
Lake Tahoe loop290 mi1 h 36 min4
Volcanic Legacy Byway: Mount Shasta to Crater Lake4239 mi4 h 16 min8
Northern redwoods and the Oregon Caves on US-1993156 mi2 h 47 min8
Fire, ice and lava: by camper along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway from Lassen to Crater Lake6531 mi9 h 29 min11
Cobalt blue at 1,900 metres – by camper around Lake Tahoe, via Emerald Bay and Truckee593 mi1 h 39 min10
Desert art and strange sculpture3393 mi7 h 01 min8
Death Valley loop3203 mi3 h 37 min5
Route 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific81,582 mi28 h 15 min17
Pyramid Lake, the Comstock and Lake Tahoe’s east shore3156 mi2 h 47 min7
Neon, diners and endless horizons – Route 66 by camper from Chicago to Santa Monica212,326 mi41 h 33 min18
Editor's picks

Places worth the detour in California

Roy's Motel & Café – Amboy (California, USA) -- 2012 -- 4© Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor's pick
History

Roy's Motel & Café

Amboy, CA
Bixby Creek Bridge, California, USA - May 2013© Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
Editor's pick
Views

Bixby Creek Bridge

Big Sur, CA
McWay Falls (Unsplash)© Joe Caione joeyc · CC0
Editor's pick
Nature

McWay Falls

Big Sur, CA
Madonna Inn - September 2023 - Sarah Stierch 01© Missvain · CC BY 4.0
Editor's pick
Stays

Madonna Inn

San Luis Obispo, CA
Joshua Tree National Park – brown metal fence on brown rocky mountain under blue and white cloudy sky during daytimePhoto by Vladimir Haltakov on Unsplash
Editor's pick
Nature

Joshua Tree National Park

Twentynine Palms, CA
Tunnel View, Yosemite – “Tunnel View” overlook showing famous rock formations in Yosemite Valley 01© EF5 · CC0
Editor's pick
Views

Tunnel View, Yosemite

Yosemite Valley, CA
Badwater Basin – Death Valley Bad Water Basin with People 2013© Tuxyso · CC BY-SA 3.0
Editor's pick
Nature

Badwater Basin

Death Valley, CA
Avenue of the Giants - Redwood National Park (35977909891)© m01229 from USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Editor's pick
Nature

Avenue of the Giants

Weott, CA
Fern Canyon – Giant Log Across the Creek (15303051357)© Kirt Edblom from Kihei, Hi, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Editor's pick
Nature

Fern Canyon

Orick, CA
Badlands seen from Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California© Christian David · CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor's pick
Views

Zabriskie Point

Death Valley, CA
Calm lake at Emerald Bay (Unsplash)© Levi Bare levibare1 · CC0
Editor's pick
Views

Emerald Bay

South Lake Tahoe, CA
General Sherman Tree – Giant sequoia tree towers among other treesPhoto by Sebastian Frederik Jacobsen on Unsplash
Editor's pick
Nature

General Sherman Tree

Three Rivers, CA
Empire Mine State Historic Park – Corrugated iron building© Cullen328 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor's pick
History

Empire Mine State Historic Park

Grass Valley, CA
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park - Aug 2019 - Stierch 07© Missvain · CC BY 4.0
Editor's pick
History

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

Coloma, CA
Galleta Meadows sculptures – Rusty metal dragon sculpture in a desert landscapePhoto by Richard Hedrick on Unsplash
Editor's pick
Oddities

Galleta Meadows sculptures

Borrego Springs, CA
Fonts Point – Fontspoint02262006© No machine-readable author provided. Miskatonic assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY 2.5
Editor's pick
Views

Fonts Point

Borrego Springs, CA
Kelso Dunes – greyscale photo of desertPhoto by Matt Artz on Unsplash
Editor's pick
Nature

Kelso Dunes

Kelso, CA
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve – Pinus torreyana kz08© Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor's pick
Nature

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

La Jolla, CA
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park – Burney Falls HDR photograph, McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park, California© JonMallard10 · CC BY 4.0
Editor's pick
Nature

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park

Burney, CA
360 Bumpass Hell Overlook (52d27a8b-0ceb-453b-a6b8-be2263c24ee6)© Amanda Sweeney · Public domain
Editor's pick
Nature

Bumpass Hell

Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
Lava Beds National Monument in summer 2012 (10)© Chmee2 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Editor's pick
Nature

Lava Beds National Monument

Tulelake, CA
Yosemite National Park (CA, USA), Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias -- 2022 -- 2746© Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor's pick
Nature

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

Wawona, CA
Glacier Point – Pika Fire flames Yosemite CA 2023-07-16 20-01-47 1© G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
Editor's pick
Views

Glacier Point

Yosemite National Park, CA
General Grant Tree – Sequoia Tree (base) in General Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park (July 2023)© Marty Aligata · CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor's pick
Nature

General Grant Tree

Kings Canyon National Park, CA

FAQs

What are the best road trips in California?

Popular routes include Highway 1: San Francisco to Santa Monica, Redwood Coast, Sequoia and Yosemite and Sonoma, Napa and Point Reyes. CampingSpirit has 40 trip guides that pass through California, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map.

Which places in California are worth a detour?

Our editors recommend Roy's Motel & Café, Bixby Creek Bridge, McWay Falls, Madonna Inn, Joshua Tree National Park and Tunnel View, Yosemite.

Nearby

Nevada 16Utah 20Oregon 27Arizona 21Idaho 8Wyoming 15Washington 16Colorado 20