California’s Highway 1 is a perennial favorite for adventurousroad-trippers—and for good reason. You can visit the sunny beaches of San Diego, the wine country of the central coast, the rugged cliffs of Big Sur, and the towering redwoods of Mendocino without ever leaving the road.Sections of the iconic highway were closeddue to wildfire and mudslides for over a year, but thesereopened in July 2018 and the routeiseager for visitors. Along the way, score dreamy campsites overlooking the Pacific Ocean or post up at the many revamped retro hotels that dot the route. Tackle the whole thing, or take it on piecemeal by planning a trip for one of the sections below.
Leg One
San Diego to Santa Barbara
Start from the southern end of Highway 1 in San Diego, where you’ll find a thriving craft-beer scene, friendly surf breaks, and 65 miles of trails in the city’s 1,200-acre. Stay in (from $323), ahistoric guesthouse on Coronado Island in the heart of San Diego Bay, and don’t miss the ever changing collection of small plates, like pork shoulder with bacon-braised lentils and black trumpet mushrooms, at theaward-winning restaurant in the city’s Harbor View neighborhood.
, near Newport Beach (south of Los Angeles), has oceanfront cottages and private rooms for rent starting at just $37 a night, or continue north andhitin Huntington Beachfor mahi-mahi tacos, beer, and a surf session before checking into Malibu’s(from $369), a revamped 1950s-era motel with wetsuits and surfboards for rent and a rooftop deck.Near Santa Barbara, (from $179) is another renovated motel, this one with outdoor showers overlooking wine country and loaner mountain bikes for exploring the area’s miles of quality singletrack.
Leg Two
The Central Coast
Camp, sandboard, or drive ATVs on more than five miles of sand dunes in ,and check out the history of skateboarding at the .Then be sure to graba scoop of Harmony Valley Creamery ice cream at the legendary Thursday-night in San Luis Obispo. The (from $445) opens in June, or check out the town’s eccentric (from $109), where you can stay in a rock-lined room designed to mimic the granite walls of Yosemite.
Instead of continuing north on Highway 1, make ashort detour inlandto visit the wineries that surroundPaso Roblesin addition to a new multi-acreinstallationfrom artist Bruce Munro called , where you can wanderamong 58,800 solar-powered spheres that light up the night. Back on route, spot elephant seals on the beach in the seasidevillage ofCambria, and book a tour of in San Simeon to take in the art, gardens, and free-roaming zebras that were once part of William Randolph Hearst’s private zoo.
Leg Three
Big Sur to San Francisco
Stop off inand you’ll find a secluded beach and views of the Big Sur coast.Then hike the trails and pitch a tent in , which should reopensometime this summer after a storm damaged it in early February. From there, it’s just an hour north to Big Sur proper and the surf breaks at Sand Dollar Beach. If you’re in search of some luxe accommodations, opt for a safari-style tent nestled in a redwood forest at (from $450), which overlooks the ocean and has Japanese-inspired hot baths and a gallery featuring the works of local artists. Can’t-misseats in the area include the cookies at and theAmbrosia burger on the outdoor patio at.
On your way north toward San Francisco, , in the charming one-square-mile town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, has espresso and surprisingly good ramen bowls, and there’s quality mountain biking in Santa Cruz’s , just south of San Francisco. Don’t miss the freshly baked artichoke bread at in the old fishing town of Pescadero, just off Highway 1, and the sunset from.
Leg Four
Mill Valley to Mendocino
Once Highway 1 crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll be treated to vast stretches of empty, jagged coastline and little towns worth longpit stops. Start with a mountain-bike ride or a trail run with ocean views in ,north of Muir Beach, where mountain biking first got its start. There’s a well-loved surf break in Bolinas—and good beta and gear at the town’s , which rents boards and offers lessons—if you can find the turnoff for this . Fuel up with tasty tacos in an old lifeguard tower atin Stinson Beach.
In Guerneville, (from $190) rents decked-out Airstreams for a night along the Russian River and provides canoes for a mellow paddle. Or book yourself into the (from $189), which has recently renovated rooms on a rocky bluff above the sea. In Mendocino, rents paddleboards and bikes and offers guided boat tours on outrigger canoes up the Big River, which flows into Mendocino Bay. From there the highway continues along the coast for a few dozen miles before turning inland to join Highway 101.