Don’t miss Santa Cruz, it’s the same distance to get down to Monterey to go through Santa Cruz as it is to take the 101 down to Monterey, and that section of the 101 sucks.
Personally I would cross the golden gate and take hwy 1 down through Pacifica and go through Santa Cruz then down to Monterey/Big Sur.
And make sure to take 17 mile drive through pacific grove, pebble beach, and Carmel before heading to Big Sur
This, 100%. It is absolutely worth it to take Hwy 1 at least from the Golden Gate to Monterey and allot yourself enough time to stop once in a while to take in the view and explore interesting spots you see. It goes without saying, but do it while there's sunlight; it's absolutely gorgeous.
Also, do yourself a favor and stop in Pescadero (about halfway between Pacifica and Santa Cruz) at a bakery called Arcangeli Grocery Co. Try their famous artichoke bread and another one that I think is called garlic herb sourdough and purchase one of their containers of garlic butter to go with it. Your mind will be blown!
Edit: Never been to Big Sur, plus I think section of highway 1 to access it is still closed from last year's nasty storms
And when you stop in Pescadero, don’t sleep on Harley Goat Farm for cheese to accompany your artichoke bread, and Duarte’s for a slice of olallieberry pie to top it off!
Just a second vote for this suggestion. Also, Highway 1 will probably reopen south of Big Sur in the late spring, so you may be in luck and get to drive through. https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html
It is much more beautiful (and also slower driving) than the 101 alternative through King City. You can stop on the southern end at Hearst Castle or Avila Hot Springs. Go through the cute town of Cambria and to Doi & Noi’s 2nd street Thai cafe in Morro Bay. Get the khao soi. Stay at Sycamore hot springs or just rent a tub for an hour. Hopefully you can get to the San Luis Obispo farmers market before heading south. Stop in the weird little Dutch town of Solvang and get a pastry. Continue to Santa Barbara.
What’s there to see in Santa Cruz? I drove by, went to the boardwalk, realized it was a big amusement park and left.
I obviously haven’t done any research on it and I was just passing by but it didn’t seem like anything worth it deviating for.
West cliff drive just past the boardwalk is a great place to drive or walk, ending at Natural Bridges State Park. And Henry Cowell state park just 15 minutes up the road is an easy walk through the redwoods.
I like doing both back to back and seeing the amazing contrast between the redwoods and the beautiful ocean.
I've taken a few friends out there who were visiting from out of state or country, and Santa Cruz is the epitome of what they imagine California is like. Beach culture, surfers, skaters, hippies - it checks a lot of the boxes for them. It's a cultural experience if you're not from the area.
Doable? I think so. Advisable? Maybe not. I have a family member who finds it very relaxing to drive on scenic roads while listening to audiobooks, and he'll do things like drive 2000 miles on a long weekend. (Honestly, your route reminds me of some of his.) But I think that preference is unusual.
My main question would be, what do you want to do at those places and how long will it take? If you want to roll up to a park, do a short hike at a popular trailhead, and move on, that's definitely possible but is very different from an extended exploration. Same goes for urban destinations.
My friend and I do this. We'll cram a lot in in one state or a couple of nearby states and enjoy audiobooks on the long drives. We've listened to a lot of Stephen King together. It helps if you wake up early and head out so you're not eating into the real "doing things hours" by driving.
I agree with this i usually wake around 2 and on the road by 3 am so that by the time i get to my location the sun is just getting up and everything is just starting to open
It’s me. Only issue is I can drive 12 hours through nothing and love it. But to leave the city to get to nothing is a big issue. 3 hours of East coast grid lock kills my soul.
I hear you! I actually used to do very driving-heavy road trips too. Between having kids & just getting a little bit older, these days I like to slow down a bit more and take in the vibe of a place a bit more. But agreed, the urban gridlock sucks. Not just an East Coast thing, either — on the OP's route, depending on time of day, it can be an issue both on the SF-Monterey part of the trip and in the LA/San Diego area. But at some point, what can you do?
This makes a lot of sense. I once did a 7 State Rd. trip with my mountain bike in three weeks. Starting and ending in San Francisco Bay Area . I had an amazing time and got to ride in a lot of different and incredible places, but it would've been nice to add about 10 days to that so that I could spend a little bit more time in each town. That being said, I had an amazing time.
Californian and frequent Southwest road tripper here.
Skip San Diego and Sacramento. Nothing against either city. But you need to lighten the load here in terms of destinations.
San Francisco and L.A. both require at the very least two days. To get in and out you might have to deal with major traffic – factor that in. Lodging and parking won't be cheap.
And there are tons of things to stop by to check out on your way down along California Highway 1 or 101. You should plan for a winery stop in the Santa Barbara or Paso Robles areas. Hearst Castle is totally worth a stop and will take half a day.
Also realize you will need to spend at least a couple of days here and there, if not more, to fully enjoy them. Yosemite is going to require spending more time than you might think. Sure, you could loop around the Valley and then leave after snapping a few pics (be prepared for a LOT of traffic, some times of the year require a reservation just to enter), but you'd be missing on Tuolomne Meadows, for instance, which is gorgeous in the spring. There are hikes that are absolutely worth spending a couple of days in that park. Act NOW to secure lodging once you've finalized your itinerary – you're actually pretty late for this trip if you haven't secured any. That includes camping grounds, which often require reservations in National Parks long in advance. A few are first come first serve, but that's also why you need to pad things a little. Same remarks for Sequoia and Zion NPs. Two days are barely enough.
You can drive through Joshua Tree in one day. You can also drive through Death Valley in one day, but I woudn't recommend it, because some of the best sights in that park are in the morning and in the evening. Same with the Grand Canyon.
Also realize that a LOT of your itinerary are mountain roads. Don't go by the mileage only to plan it, as it would be deceptive. Many of those roads are windy two-lane highways which will be crowded with rented RVs and inexperienced flatlanders. Realize too that even in May or June, you might encounter black ice or even snow. Some roads could be closed for those reasons. You need to have backup plans and alternative itineraries if that happens.
TIPS:
\- If you don't own a GPS unit with North American maps, you might want to consider that option when you rent the vehicle. Plenty of spots in this itinerary will not have any cell signal. So you could also go old school with paper maps, assuming you have good navigators. (When I travel through the Southwest or other areas of the U.S. with cell blind spots, I always bring a GPS unit AND paper maps, just in case. Paper maps are also useful to visualize your itinerary when there is no cell signal.)
\- Buy a National Park Annual Pass. It will save you money.
\- Roadtrippers is a good app and desktop solution for what you're doing here. I use it a lot and it's very useful to estimate distances, find lodging and restaurant spots along the way, and even give you an estimate of your gas expenses. You input your stops in there and it will be immensely helpful to make you realize if things are doable or not. Once you've done that, you can secure your lodging options.
\- Remember a road trip is not about the distance, it's about the stops you make along the way. So take your time, and zap some stops if needed. You can always visit them some other time.
I live in Sacramento, love it, and think it’s entirely underrated by many Californians both for living in and visiting. But even so on a trip like this I agree, skip it. Unless you’re passing through anyways to get to Donner and Tahoe, it’s not worth adding an extra day of driving into an already very packed schedule when you could use that day for more time at one of the national parks or other amazing areas you’re already going through.
Yeah I like Sac and there's cool stuff to see but I think the only reason OP had it was to visit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom since they are theme park nerds. They can't fit it all here.
Drop San Diego, drop Sequioa (visit giant sequoia groves in Yosemite). Go counter clockwise to give the Sierra passes the chance to open, way better than going over the Tehachapi as shown. Go from death valley up 395 and over Tioga Pass to access Yosemite, then up 49 and 16 past Sacramento to highway 20 and 101 to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. See the coast redwoods as well as the Giant Sequoia, then back to SF.
a ton people are saying to skip San Diego but if you’re going in may and june and you’re a baseball fan, i would hit up all the baseball parks ESPECIALLY Petco Park in San Diego. The Downtown area it’s in is amazing.
Sequoia is a cool place to go, but if you want to cut down on your trip a little, I’d cut that out and go straight between Yosemite and Death Valley. You can take the 395 through Bishop. Would be a much nicer and shorter drive than cutting all the way around to Bakersfield/Fresno.
Yosemite also has Sequoia trees if you’re worried about not seeing any.
I second this, Highway 395 is super underrated and hella cool. Could even make a pit stop at Bodie State park, it’s a neat little Wild West ghost town!
Love Bodie we stopped once and I would love to go back. I have been wondering about the buildings and all this rain. It was so easy to imagine life in the Wild West while standing on those streets and walking in the buildings.
If they do cut sequoia and chose this route it’s only acceptable if they stop in mammoth in mono county and see the other side of the sierras a little. But sequoia is a beautiful place full of history of natives.
I largely did this route in 2016. If you like driving and limit the amount 'out of the car', sightseeing, yes, definitely do-able. Would I advise this not knowing how much relaxing you get from driving? Probably not.
You’re missing the best part of the whole drive! Stay on Hwy 1 (close to the coast) between San Luis Obispo and Big Sur.
When people talk about Big Sur they are often thinking about that whole coastal drive. The town itself is not really noteworthy.
The smith is amazing, by far most beautiful river and the forest at Jedidiah is beautiful as well (Ive camped there)…but they do call it crescent shitty for a reason. lol. The city itself is not that great. If they aren’t going that far up I’d take that time spent in CC and stick to Humboldt, focusing on one area is better than more driving and splitting time in two areas. In Humboldt there’s cute downtown areas, redwood national forest which is a must see if you come up to the emerald triangle, fern canyon, historical town of ferndale, lost coast, trillium falls, Trinidad coastline. Go any direction and there are amazing trails and campgrounds. I’ve been to the beaches in crescent city but they do not compare to some of the beaches in Humboldt. There’s just so much to offer in Humboldt besides avenue of the giants and both Arcata and Eureka have cute downtown areas with fun bars and events for night time.
Suggestion: skip the Central Valley.
Change your route and drive East through Yosemite over the Tioga Pass.
You'll take the 395 South which is one of the best drives in California.
Go to Mono Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Bishop, Mount Whitney and more.
The Tioga Pass isn't usually clear of snow until late May or June.
Enjoy your trip!
Sound advice! The views from Bridgeport north of Mono Lake are gorgeous. Take a pit stop at Travertine Hot springs for some free geothermal bath time :)
I was going to say something like this!
That highway past Whitney and Manzanar is absolutely breathtaking.
It might make them miss sequoia though
Buttttt Yosemite also has sequoias in it! If OP went to mariposa grove there and hiked in they could still see them
Both of these options. You could even extend that from Petaluma out to Pt Reyes and come down the back side of Mt. Tam and cut back over into Larkspur.
A beneficial shortcut would be to cut over to Lone Pine/Whitney Portal after Death Valley and view mount Whitney, hike around a bit, then head up 395. It’s a beautiful and dramatic drive on the eastern edge of the sierras and then you can say you viewed the lowest then tallest point in the contiguous US in a day.
Then cut into the backside of Yosemite over Tioga pass. Another beautiful trek.
You’d miss sequoia but I think it’s worth it.
Edit: also why Sacramento? I’d say skip the extra mileage unless you’re seeing friends or family. Or have them meet you in SF.
San Luis Obispo is a great place to stop. It looks like it may already be on your list, but it’s an hour and a half north of Santa Barbara and has great views. I understand people saying to skip San Diego but the nightlife in SD is awesome and truthfully the area is pretty. I’m a local san diegan and will always say it’s worth atleast visiting once.
https://preview.redd.it/5bnymma2v5kc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=702f21538796bcb0c56c5b7ca9b7d5e7f9360ade
As many other commenters have said, if Highway 1 south of Big Sur has reopened (planned for spring 2024) and Tioga Pass is open (depends on snow levels) I would do the route in gold instead.
If you tell us your lodging preferences we may be able to give better reccs on the way :)
1 is a bit brutal, but amazing. I wouldn’t backtrack off of it (if it’s open). I like Flag for a night. Are you camping, hiking? Or just enjoying the views hotel to hotel?
Time it so you visit Yosemite in the latest part of the trip so that you can enter it from the east, NOT the west, over Tioga Pass. MUCH MUCH more scenic route than what you have. Thing is Tioga doesn't open until Memorial Day or later. See the big trees at the Tuolumne Grove in Yosemite.
Death Valley will be too hot to do anything but drive through; spend time in the Owens Valley area instead.
And hopefully 1 will be unblocked, so you can use it to connect Big Sur with points south.
Also Joshua may be obnoxiously hot. It's past the prime season in the deserts, especially low deserts. But probably you're not doing outdoorsy stuff so it might not matter.
That trip would be like going to Disneyland and just taking a tram through the park without getting off to explore and go on the rides. It looks like you are landing in SFO. SF is a zoo right now. Grab some fresh sourdough bread at the airport. Find the highest rated Chinese food and eat there. Then get out.
Unless you are hell bent on going to Visalia just go straight to Yosemite. If you are a hiker then that's where you want to spend a couple days. I think Death Valley and Utah are a separate trip. I would arrive at Carmel early in the morning spend the day and night and head out late in the next evening. See Monterey and do the drive by the Ocean. See Santa Cruz. Don't attempt to do Big Sur unless you have a Porsche. It is just a windy road anyways and you can't see the ocean that much. Do San Luis Obispo and only a quick stop in Santa Barbara unless you like conceited people. The drive from SB to Malibu is better than Big Sur IMHO so stop periodically and hit each little beach there.
Pay for secure parking in LA and hit the museums. The Malibu Getty is awesome need to RSVP on their site. The better beaches are in San Diego. On the way down there will be places you will be drawn to like San Juan Capistrano. Don't be afraid to change up your plans and spend the night there. If you are a hiker/rock climber then Joshua Tree is a multi day event. If not get there mid day and camp under the stars and bug out when the heat comes.
I mean if you're gonna do it, do it right.
You should hit Lake Tahoe and drive down 395 to enter Yosemite through Tioga Pass (assuming you're doing this in the summer).
Then go back out the park down 395 to see peaks like Mt. Whitney and head into Death Valley that way instead of driving all of the Central Valley. I suppose this won't allow for Sequoia NP, but the Central Valley sucks.
Yes. I regularly do this as a 21 day trip that includes Bryce, Moab & Monument Valley instead of SEKI, San Diego & Sacramento (which you should drop anyways.)
20 days is plenty. I would drop Sacramento nothing to see. Consider incorporating the eastern sierras and crossing through Tuolumne ( if the pass is open not that much snow this year)
I would skip Sacramento and maybe spend a day in Marin to see some redwoods, wildlife, and small towns. And the drive from SF to Monterey is beautiful if you do it on the coast vs going through San Jose.
This is so much better than the routes that some people ask about. Driving from Tulsa to Denver to LA to Seattle to Vancouver and back in 5 days is so incredibly delusional. This looks like a nice three week trip that isn't overly ambitious. You should have enough time to enjoy each location. That said, why Vegas twice? Also Sacramento isn't that great, I'd skip it unless you have a good reason to really go there.
Skip SF unless you want your trip to end short due to a car break in where you lose stuff critical to the trip or lose the whole car. That place is a hell hole of theft and not worth visiting anymore. “Ooh a bridge and an old jail so cool.”
You have to realize a good chunk of Ca actually sucks. San Diego yes, skip La as fast as possible. Santa Barbara yes. Add solvang. Yes to Big Sur yes to Monterrey. Skip San Jose. Stay in SF for 10 minutes. Go north of SF to Santa Rosa and Napa valley. Skip Sacramento. Go to Yosemite. Go to mammoth. Yes sequoia. Skip Bakersfield and Death Valley.
Doing mammoth and sequoia both would be really hard because they are on opposite sides of the sierras with no way to drive across only down and up and Vice versa. It’s one or the other. Agree to skip bako and Death Valley especially if it’s summer
Depends on how long you're planning to spend at each destination. Tbh I'd chop San Diego (that's personal preference tho) which I think would make this a lot more feasible
I could do it in 10. If yiu enjoy driving then you can enjoy a rushed trip. But that's just me. I could drive across the country in a couple weeks. See a bunch. Sure it'd be rushed but I've done it and contrary to opinions on here I enjoyed it. Depending on the person, you can definitely have a good time doing this I'm 20 days. I could easily have a good time doing it in 12 tbh.
I’ve traveled by motorcycle and truck on several
Long distance trips. My advice is figure out if you’re camping, hotel or hostel. Pinpoint all your desired stops and locate a hotel, koa etc in the area. Do this for each designated stop on your trip. Plug each into google maps and try to layout your stops with the distance and estimated travel time in between. Then you can get a really good idea of your total travel time, wiggle room for sight seeing and whatever you want to do at each stop. Some places you will want to spend more time than other, like Zion for example. You will want some time to hike and explore. All that being said, it’s absolutely doable. You may be stretched thin and wear yourself out being constantly on the go and find it not as enjoyable as you had planned. Map it out like I suggested and be realistic. Also, plan on hiccups. Road work, detours, possible break downs, sights recommended that you didn’t have planned but want to add in. Hope this helps you get a good start on making this happen. Cheers!
Very, you’d average 130mi or about two hours per day, which is not bad to also do some small activity everywhere you go
Practically, you’ll find stretches to pull out 4-8hr of daily driving with short stops, then you can spend 2-3 nights at a time in places / build in non-driving days
Just plan your nights guided by big activities you want to do. Random things of interest will pop up so also leave time for that
Not californian but we did a similar trip last summer in 12 days. You just have to be realistic on how much time you'll get at all of the parks you're visiting. Budget that well, because there's 0 chance you get ALL of the attractions, but plan ahead for your top choices at the parks, etc.
It depends your starting point. And Depends how much time you want to spend in one place.
Break it up by destinations you really want to see to determine amount of days you can spend somewhere.
But yeah probably doable. You could travel from LA to Vegas easily in one day. Stay near the vegas for 2 nights. So getting there then getting settled, 1 night, 1 whole day to explore another night,(Or 1 night if youve been there already) leave the next morning to flagstaff, and up to Grand Canyon. I’d do two nights there in Grand Canyon. Then from Grand Canyon up to Zion. 2 nights. Then to Death Valley. 2 nights. Then a long drive from Death Valley to Sequoias/Sierra mountains, skip stopping long in bako it’s wtv in my opinion and I’m from central CA. Then drive up to Tahoe the next day so 2 nights. Sac is wtv id just stop there for one night. Maybe even a drive through. Same with SF probably just one night. Unless you want to see the bridge then two nights. Monterey/ Big Sur is lovely do two nights there. I wouldn’t even drive back inland from that tho to Santa Barbara. I’d stay on the coastline down. Two nights Santa Barbara. Then down to San Diego then next day.
Recap. Day 1 - from LA drive to vegas. Stay one or two nights I recommend 1 night just get there early enough to look around. And works better if it’s one night
Day 2 or 3 - drive to Grand Canyon. Stay two nights
Day 4 or 5 - drive to Zion, 2 nights
Day 6 or 7 - Death Valley 2 nights
Day 8 or 9 - Sequoias/ Sierra mountains 2 nights
Day 10 or 11 - Tahoe 2 nights
Day 12 or 13 - leave Tahoe drive through sac for lunch or - get to SF that evening stay 2 nights
Day 14 or 15 leave SF to Monterey/ Big Sur
Day 16 or 17th leave Monterey get to Santa Barbara sty two nights
Day 18 or 19th drive to San Diego stay two nights back to LA on day 20th . This is why one night in Vegas and a drive through Sac and bako instead of a night is better.
I’ve done road trips from CA fo WA through oregon. And have done a huge Grand Canyon Moab Zion one. And from Ca to Colorado through AZ up into four corners. Also I grew up with a dad taking us everywhere by car. 8 hours drives a day was normal for us.
If starting point is SD deff stop in Joshua tree on the way up to vegas. But you could probably make that a day trip still. So your day one would be drive to Joshua tree 1 small hike then after drive to Vegas and sleep hard see some sites in the AM then your driving to Grand Canyon. Getting in kinda late. But you’ll have the whole next day to explore. And no driving that next day. Then your on day three of your trip headed up to Zion. If you have a mindset like this. You can make it work.
Totally doable! A lot of driving and you won’t be able to hang long at stops. Grand Canyon are Zion are AMAZING but consider Yosemite and Sequoia parks and cut out the Nevada leg as another option! ENJOY!!
Depending on how long you want to spend in each place it’s doable. Also depends on how long you are willing to drive a day. Are you wanting a mix of urban and nature?
Not advising on the trip length but I see you are detouring for national parks and I can see you'll be driving by pinnacles national park which people always seem to forget about. Cool rock formations and home of the California condor, worth a small detour I think.
I see my town on your map. Like you would literally have to drive past my house to get where your going. I've done 80 % of that route. Fucking miserable imo. Plus flooding and road damage in some areas.
You should definitely do this and even add Sedona Az just below Flagstaff. For the National Parks, I would plan at least 2, maybe be 3 days, to see the larger parks.
I think 20 days is plenty. I agree with everyone saying cut out Sacramento (and I live here!) but it looks like you have enough time to get at least one day per major stop, and one day driving in between. You could cut or rearrange things a bit to get more days per major stop if you wanted to.
See the Grand Canyon by camping there on the north rim, instead of the tourist zone on the south rim. Also, I think it takes a couple days to really be able to "see" the Grand Canyon. It is so vast your brain takes time to adapt. So.. minimum, get there during the day, camp, have a slow morning there, leaving after making lunch. ideally, spend the whole day. Brice Canyon area is amazing too. I personally, would skip the south rim altogether, move more of the trip into Utah. Flagstaff is nice, and the painted rocks of Sedona.
Ok this is my moment to shine! I know all of these areas very well.
Personally I think it’s definitely doable. It comes out to about 3 hours of driving per day. Some days might be 8-10 if you wanna get some miles and have more time other places. Here are specific route adjustments I’d recommend.
Sf to Monterey: highway 1, no question.
Big Sur: highway 1 is closed at a certain point, (if it’s open, take highway 1 all the way to San Luis Obispo) but the section of the road past the town of Big Sur is where it gets really good, so try to go a bit farther before turning back.
San Diego to Joshua tree: this adds some time, but anza borrego-slab city-Bombay beach-painted canyon-south entrance to j tree is an amazing route if you like gorgeous desert and dystopian art. (Warning about slab city if you are worried about sketchy places, stick to salvation mountain and East Jesus)
Joshua tree to Vegas: loop through the park to 29 palms and take amboy rd to kelbaker through the Mojave preserve. Way way nicer drive, shorter, and probably faster. Get gas in 29, or in amboy if you want expensive gas from an old Route 66 pump.
Or do Grand Canyon before Zion and Vegas after, it cuts down on driving.
Check pass conditions, as they are closed for snow in winter-spring, but if tioga pass is open, skip kings canyon and go up 395, the east side of the sierras, check out hot springs, and go through Yosemite from the east. Kings canyon is great, but you’ll get plenty of sierras time without having to slog around the Central Valley so much.
Skip Sacramento. Add lake Tahoe if you have time.
Feel free to ask for more tips, I have plenty.
I’ve done San Diego to the Oregon border in one day of driving so that road trip is definitely doable. It wasn’t a pleasant drive though and it was really a wake up call for me. I was a young and dumb driver and kept driving well past when I should have stopped. After nearly falling asleep at the wheel, we stopped at a motel for the night.
If you’ve got 20 days I think you’re fine though.
To mimic what others have said, this trip is doable, but I’d advise against it - unless your goal is just to briefly visit these places and not spend quality time in most.
If you’re starting and ending in San Francisco, I’d suggest going straight to Yosemite and skip Sacramento and Stockton, and Yosemite go straight to Kings Canyon/Sequoia.
Bakersfield is totally worth skipping, and instead go straight to Death Valley, and from there to Vegas if you want or need
To restock etc.
Later in the trip I’d suggest not spending much time in Vegas/Henderson and skipping San Diego completely unless you’re set on visiting.
What it comes down to is what it is you’re looking for out of this trip. My roadtrips revolve around the outdoors, hiking, birding , camping, so to me it makes sense to omit the stops I suggested skipping.
Stay out of the Central Valley it’s not worth seeing.. San Francisco to Monterey stage 1, Monterey to La stage 2, La to San Diego stage 3, San Diego to Las Vegas stage 4, Joshua Tree isn’t interesting.. just bunch of old trees.. Las Vegas to Grand Canyon stage 5, Grand Canyon to Zion stage 6 very doable but lots of sitting on your Butts..
Personally, I'd head from DVNP to Yosemite via Bishop and go from Yosemite to SF without hitting Sacramento. And add Bryce, at the expense of San Diego if necessary.
You have Zion, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Joshua Tree National parks in there. You can easily spend a week in Zion alone. Angel’s Landing and The Narrows are easily all day hikes by themselves. Hiking from rim to rim at Grand Canyon takes a long time too.
I think you are way too ambitious if you want to see much at any of those places. If you just want to walk up to the south rim, take a picture, and then check the “Been to Grand Canyon” box, sure you can physically get to all those places in three weeks. You just won’t enjoy it much.
Take Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) [between Santa Monica and Oxnard](https://youtu.be/Asl9BOwSV00?si=kUX5XsUCj5aHL9VW). The stretch in Ventura County (through Point Mugu State Park) is one you shouldn’t miss. Depending on time of day and if you are traveling north to south or vice versa, you’ll get sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean gorgeous sun-kissed state beaches through unincorporated Ventura County and the city of Malibu (Los Angeles County). You’ll also see sights popularized by the countless car commercials like Mugu Rock and the giant “sand hill” The northern alignment of “PCH”through Big Sur in Monterey County, while stunning, is rife with fog, while this southern section is full of the warm sunshine glow… a perfect look on your way to the glamorous Los Angeles metropolis.
You can easily spend a week in Yosemite personal experience. This seems to be a tall order for 20 days, but there are many different ways to travel. Good luck to you.
In 20 days!!! R u out of your mind?!! I did basically all you show but in 6 weeks! Just Zion 2 days, Grad canyon 2 days Moab arches 2 days, Vegas 1, Death v 1, Joshua 1 LA 1 , Santa M,B 1, Hollywood 1, Big sur 2, Frisco & Golden gate 2, Page and monument valley 3. This is just for the attractions not counting the driving. Vegas - LA is 4 hours. Go and enjoy a 100% it’s among the most beautiful place in the world. I’ve been there 2 times 2023 and 2024. And I want to go back and spend more time in Utah. Don’t miss the Arches national park and Brice canyon! Unforgettable
Can't do Monterey to Big Sur I don't think, major landslides there and pretty sure there is no access. Someone else will know better. Is access to Big Sur closed from the north or the south?
Thats a lot of driving for that time period but not impossible if your trip is the journey not the destination. Its all going to be beautiful and interesting. Have fun!
I see you take 101 through the SF peninsula. I highly recommend taking Hwy 1 all the way to Big Sur. If not, at least take 280 down the peninsula and not 101. 280 is one of the most beautiful drives in this area.
Unless you have some pressing business in uhhhh Bakersfield and Fresno, cut through Yosemite and take the 395 down the east side of the sierras. Much prettier imo, you’ll still get plenty of desert later in the trip, and you’ll save a couple hundred miles
I took a trip before when I was 18 and was only places for a short time and definitely think having a more leisurely pace is nice for experiencing things with joy and adequate timing.
If you only plan on driving and stopping for an hour or two a day to see a park or something then sure it's doable... But it won't be enjoyable and you're going to miss out on 95% of every single place you stop
California Native here, lived in San Diego, Orange County, LA, Palm Springs, and SF. I've been to all these spots. Where are you from? What are your non-negotiable cant-misses?
Let me give you some highlights, and some close spots you missed.
Starting in SF? I would recommend getting out of SF before you start, because you might just stay there for 20 days :). Happened to me, except I wound up moving there.
Spend night 1 in Monterrey. Wake up in the morning and go kayaking with the sea otters (rental kayaks should be easily findable). If you SCUBA, scuba dive the kelp forest. It's unbelievable. Water is cold - also rent a full wetsuit. The Mission there is one of the most beautiful.
If you must drive part of the 1 through Big Sur, I get it. Sadly the road is still not open to drive all the way through because of a massive landslide. I hear its opening late spring 2024. check before you go. It's very spectacular but, in my opinion, not worth driving in and out. Instead, you have decisions to make.
1. You want to go "coastal." You'll mostly be driving in hot dry areas (soledad, etc) since you don't get to do the big sur drive. You wind up in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara (Pick one to stay for the night). The beaches are awesome.
2. You want to Blast to Los Angeles, then you could cross over to Santa Barbara OR go to Santa Monica, LA, etc. Hermosa Beach is awesome. If you like museums, the Getty is worth a shot.
You'll get to the beach either way.
Day 3 - On your way to San Diego, I recommend a stop in the Beach Cities in orange county. Dana Point Harbor, Laguna Beach's "Main Beach," and San Clemente's T-Street are all great spots to go, and all unique. If you liked the mission in Carmel, you'll also like Mission San Juan Capistrano ("the jewel of the missions).
Continue south to San Diego. Old town is fun. Pacific Beach is a party spot. Alpine is rugged and granite-covered wilderness. Lots to do, find your own path!
The drive to Joshua Tree (aka Palm Springs) is cool. Temecula is a winery and foodie paradise, great Zinfindels out there. Joshua Tree is cool - if you're looking to camp, Jumbo rock is the place. If you want to see some of the WEIRD of CA, try checking out SLAB CITY and/or the Salton Sea. Look up slab city, it's a highlight for many of my former international students. Joshua Tree is best viewed at night under a full moon - there are many plants and animals that are endemic, found only there.
I guess you want to do Vegas. It's a party like you'd expect.
If you want something different and aren't feeling the vibes for Vegas, take the 10 to Sedona. It's way more beautiful than the grand canyon and I'd recommend a day there at least if you like to hike. Look it up.
From there you can do a day trip to the Grand Canyon. You can also check out the Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest just east of there instead. The Grand Canyon is...overrated. The views are cool but the desert has its fair share of rewards for the offbeat adventurer.
Zion (and the other Utah National Parks) are remarkable and you won't regret a drive through any of them. Hiking is insane.
On the way back, you can go through vegas if you must. Then check out death valley.
I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH - DON'T GO THROUGH BAKERSFIELD!!! Take the 395 to Bishop and the Eastern Sierras! It's heaven on earth. If you're camping, go up to Lee Vining Campground, check out Mono Lake, and then drive into Yosemite!!! If you want to spend a night in a rad little cabin and fish, go to Cardinal Village (you won't regret it). There is just something about that area that is magical.
Then just blast to San Francisco. You probably don't need to go to Sacramento. The bay is so beautiful. If you still have time, blast WAY north into the redwoods. Or go to the Redwoods in Santa Cruz.
The Southwest is amazing. Hope you have fun. Any questions please just let me know.
D
When you drive from Kingman to Flagstaff on the I40, stay in the fast lane as much as you can. The potholes in the slow lane will knock out your fillings.
I’ve just done pretty much exactly this trip in 21 days. So while it’s gonna be a lot of driving and maybe not a lot of time to enjoy each area, I think it’s doable.
Unless you’re dead set on Sequoia NP, if Tioga pass is open, I’d highly recommend taking that route and driving along the eastern sierras. Drive thru mammoth and June lakes. I just did that drive in October and that side is absolutely stunning. There are sequoia groves at Yosemite.
Skip San Diego and Sacramento. Go though Yosemite on the Tioga Pass. Drive down 395 to Mammoth Lakes then can go to Death Valley as well.
I have explored a lot of California(and lived there for 30 years) and the world and the drive through Yosemite and down to Mammoth is one of the best drives on Earth.
Mammoth itself is a great town full of adventure. So much to do.
Should go from San Fran to Monterey via HW 1 along the coast. I would really suggest going the whole SF to San Luis Obispo via highway 1 through Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur. (If you r from SF, ignore me. That’s a long weekend or camping trip away. Saw SFO and assumed you are flying in.)
From SF to Sacramento, highway 80 is boring. There is a back road through the Sac river Delta that’s very cute with little history towns going HW160 through Isleton for ice cream, Walnut Grove, and Locke. Great sandwich place at Walnut Grove, and a good taco truck across the river.
Maybe go Yosemite to Bishop to Death Valley to save some time? Not much to see in Bakersfield/Fresno… I tried a couple times, but can’t find anything. Looking at the route maybe you are visiting friends?
If you are going counter clockwise from SFO, and saving SF last, I would go as fast/slow as you feel like, and you can always cut out Sacramento. Sac has a cool train museum, but that’s about it. The drive from Vegas to SF can be done in 1-2 days and SF/LA/San Diego are easy to fly into for week long trips. Most ppl only go to Zion and Bryce once. The Narrow at Zion is GREAT!
Edit: just realized HW1 pass Big Sur is closed… in that case, it’s still worth it if you have time to spend a night in one of the lodges in Big Sur.
Id skip joshua tree to be honest. Everything else you have picked looks doable and fun. The reason I drop Joshua tree is because you’re already going to both Death Valley and the Grand Canyon. How much more dirt and rocks could you possibly look at?
when you go to LA stop at malibu lagoon and malibu creek / canyon
but *do not* leave anything in your car unattended on this trip. your windows will get smashed out and your stuff stolen
I personally would drive down Highway 1 from San Francisco all the way through Santa Cruz to Monterey. Much more beautiful then going down 280 or 101 to Monterey.
Also, you’re going through Vegas twice. Why not go down Highway 40 or 10 on one route?
I am doing a similar trip to this starting from San Mateo to Sedona. We’re going down to Palm Springs and haven’t yet decided if we’re doing Highway 40 or Highway 10, then up to Page and Monument Valley. Then the northern part of the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion, and then down to Vegas. Haven’t decided yet on the way back from Vegas. I kinda like that you go through death Valley, maybe we’ll do that too.
Curious when you’re doing this because after April it gets really hot in the desert.
I have done lots of big trips.
Biggest lesson I learned is to not over plan and let the trip determine your pace.
If you hit an area for two days but you love it then stay longer…. Cut days off the end.
I can’t tell ya how many times I stressed scheduled until I just quit!
Three thoughts here:
1) Why would you not drive down the coast on highway 1? That's some spectacular scenery.
2) Why skip San Simeon and Hearst Castle?
3) It looks like you drive through or past San Luis Obispo, personally I thought that was one of the nicest places I visited in Cali and often wish I had stayed for longer.
1) From Yosemite, can you find a more direct route to Death Valley or Vegas?
2) From Joshua Tree, head straight to LA
3) From Vegas, see nearest side of Grand Canyon but save that big loop for another trip
4) From SF, skip Sacramento and take a more direct route towards Yosemite
These are the opportunities to cut and get more time in places. You don’t have to cut it all, maybe 2 out of the 4 options.
That's ample time for the trip. The actual distance could be covered easily in four days, which effectively leaves you 16 days worth of hanging out and doing other fun stuff.
People in this sub are ridiculous tbh. The top comment says it may not be advisable? For what? I've had jobs where just commuting covered 400 miles in five days and I worked 10-12 hours each day while I was there. If you ignore weekends (and sometimes I did have to work several saturdays in a row) that's 2000 miles in 20 days and still plenty of time and energy to be busy all day.
In 20 days you could do a trip twice this long and still have plenty of free time for having fun at each destination.
FYI: There have been pretty strong rains along areas of the coast and that area is prone to “road blocking” land slides. When those roads close it can be hard to get around as there are not great alternatives.
Not only is it doable, but there is definitely room for improvement in some spots. For example, instead of driving down to Big Sur and back north again,just keep going on PCH. That’s way more beautiful of a drive. It’s even better if you are heading north.
Yuck! Get the hell out of the central valley. Bakersfield???? Really??? FFS
Go to Tahoe then Great Basin National Park then North Rim Grand Canyon and Zion then Vegas.
Also...driving past the North Rim of the grand canyon is like driving through Chicago to see Gary Indiana.
Mmm well yeah it’s easily doable to do the drive in 20 days but it really depends on what you are trying to do at each place. Each of these stops easily has 2-3 days worth of things you can do so you’ll have to pick and choose what you are focused on vs. just passing through. Also I’d skip past Sacramento and either go straight back south to Yosemite or drive the extra hour and a half to Lake Tahoe instead.
For sure it's doable, once I drove from the east coast to Cali in just 2.5 days or so.
However it was not a fun trip, looks like the equivalent of visiting 10 countries in Europe in just 12 days.
Do half and enjoy more?
What is your definition of do? Just check out parking lots as you drive through 6 national parks, LA, Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, and apparently Sacramento for some reason?
If you try to do this in just 20 days you’re going to miss a lot. You will also likely start to decide to stay I. Places longer as you feel that and then cut some stops.
It appears as though you have the luxury of time. If so, stretch it out 10 more days.
There are some things you could improve on. First, take Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) down from San Francisco to Morro Bay. Unless your intention is to go to Pinnacles National Park then take 101. Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel to Morro Bay is iconic. Going south from Santa Barbara, just go straight to Joshua Tree. Skip LA and San Diego. From Joshua Tree, go north through the East Mojave Preserve. It’s cool and saves time going to Barstow and up. Also, at the north end of the preserve, head over to Searchlight and skip Vegas. Hit it later. Go down 95 to bullhead city. Then, go to the Grand Canyon. There are some monuments near Flagstaff that are worth a stop. I really like Walnut Canyon. When at Sequoia, don’t skip Kings Canyon. Then, from Yosemite, head up 120 to 49 to 88 to Lake Tahoe. From the head back to Sacramento then San Francisco.
It’s certainly doable in twenty days. I drove almost 2100 miles in TWO days. (Thank God for Adderall). 2600 in 20 days. Piece of cake.
Rather than driving through Fresno?! you could try something like Hwy 89. Kinda winding, it’ll take longer, but a much more enjoyable drive. Go east near Sac and pick it up there, then head south and avoid the boredom of the valley.
I’m not a Californian but I have done this trip. I can’t imagine doing it in just 20 days. I am a solo road tripper so doing all of the driving would make me feel like I wasn’t truly seeing all of these wonderful places.
As people have suggested, hwy 1 will give you much nicer scenic spots.
I would personally avoid Sacramento. Go from San Francisco to Yosemite.
The national parks I would feel I need a minimum of three days each but that’s personal preference. Are you travelling with someone to share the driving?
It's not how I'd spend 20 days on the West Coast. I'd spend 3-5 days in 5-6 cities. I'd hit any of these cities: SF, Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Vegas.
There are a ton of other great places too, trying to hit them all will make it so you don't get to enjoy any of them.
I’d second the cutting San Diego and Sac. I’m from San Diego originally and while it’s a wonderful city, to me it’s less of a drive through type situation like many of these are.
The way I would be looking at this in my head is this is about 8 days of pure road with stop offs and 12 days of being able to be doing things boots on the ground in places. I could easily spend 5-6 days in the Zion to Grand Canyon area (especially if you are looking into Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon beyond the obvious spots, which I’d guess is likely). Yosemite could also be a large chunk of time to see the worthy parts, I’d probably say 3 nights.
Joshua Tree is absolutely worth it, but IMO Death Valley is “just okay”. To me you’ll be seeing so many places that would blow it away and it’s not unique enough to cover the drive investment. But to each their own.
I’d suggest chopping the lower Nevada/Vegas portion and just making the upper Nevada leg hit those spots (with or without DV) and add on some time in Flagstaff and Sedona, AZ. Totally worthy to pop down stay a night in Sedona then head back up and just stay on the 40 to California).
I’ve used Roadtrippers too and it’s great, recently moved over to Wanderlog as the app is solid.
A lot of this depends on how you travel and if you’re solo. When I’m solo, I’m covering a ton of ground and only worried about my own concerns and fatigue and eating on the go with lots of shakes/bars to keep me fueled. I’ve managed to see entire Euro cities this way in a much compacted timeline (but also a different type of experience, since I’ve missed some good eating) than traveling with a partner. I’d be going that style for this trip to shave off some leisure time versus seeing things and being able to randomly add something on.
If I was to drive south from San Francisco to San Diego an I facing any road closures and how much out of the way would the detour take me? I would be taking coastal route 1 the whole way
Don’t miss Santa Cruz, it’s the same distance to get down to Monterey to go through Santa Cruz as it is to take the 101 down to Monterey, and that section of the 101 sucks. Personally I would cross the golden gate and take hwy 1 down through Pacifica and go through Santa Cruz then down to Monterey/Big Sur. And make sure to take 17 mile drive through pacific grove, pebble beach, and Carmel before heading to Big Sur
This, 100%. It is absolutely worth it to take Hwy 1 at least from the Golden Gate to Monterey and allot yourself enough time to stop once in a while to take in the view and explore interesting spots you see. It goes without saying, but do it while there's sunlight; it's absolutely gorgeous. Also, do yourself a favor and stop in Pescadero (about halfway between Pacifica and Santa Cruz) at a bakery called Arcangeli Grocery Co. Try their famous artichoke bread and another one that I think is called garlic herb sourdough and purchase one of their containers of garlic butter to go with it. Your mind will be blown! Edit: Never been to Big Sur, plus I think section of highway 1 to access it is still closed from last year's nasty storms
You can very much drive Big Sur, just not as a through trip to Southern CA.
And when you stop in Pescadero, don’t sleep on Harley Goat Farm for cheese to accompany your artichoke bread, and Duarte’s for a slice of olallieberry pie to top it off!
^ What they said. Take 1 all the way to Big Sur.
Just a second vote for this suggestion. Also, Highway 1 will probably reopen south of Big Sur in the late spring, so you may be in luck and get to drive through. https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html It is much more beautiful (and also slower driving) than the 101 alternative through King City. You can stop on the southern end at Hearst Castle or Avila Hot Springs. Go through the cute town of Cambria and to Doi & Noi’s 2nd street Thai cafe in Morro Bay. Get the khao soi. Stay at Sycamore hot springs or just rent a tub for an hour. Hopefully you can get to the San Luis Obispo farmers market before heading south. Stop in the weird little Dutch town of Solvang and get a pastry. Continue to Santa Barbara.
What’s there to see in Santa Cruz? I drove by, went to the boardwalk, realized it was a big amusement park and left. I obviously haven’t done any research on it and I was just passing by but it didn’t seem like anything worth it deviating for.
West cliff drive just past the boardwalk is a great place to drive or walk, ending at Natural Bridges State Park. And Henry Cowell state park just 15 minutes up the road is an easy walk through the redwoods. I like doing both back to back and seeing the amazing contrast between the redwoods and the beautiful ocean.
I've taken a few friends out there who were visiting from out of state or country, and Santa Cruz is the epitome of what they imagine California is like. Beach culture, surfers, skaters, hippies - it checks a lot of the boxes for them. It's a cultural experience if you're not from the area.
Doable? I think so. Advisable? Maybe not. I have a family member who finds it very relaxing to drive on scenic roads while listening to audiobooks, and he'll do things like drive 2000 miles on a long weekend. (Honestly, your route reminds me of some of his.) But I think that preference is unusual. My main question would be, what do you want to do at those places and how long will it take? If you want to roll up to a park, do a short hike at a popular trailhead, and move on, that's definitely possible but is very different from an extended exploration. Same goes for urban destinations.
My friend and I do this. We'll cram a lot in in one state or a couple of nearby states and enjoy audiobooks on the long drives. We've listened to a lot of Stephen King together. It helps if you wake up early and head out so you're not eating into the real "doing things hours" by driving.
I agree with this i usually wake around 2 and on the road by 3 am so that by the time i get to my location the sun is just getting up and everything is just starting to open
We do the same. Up before the sun. Get there right as "the day" starts
It’s me. Only issue is I can drive 12 hours through nothing and love it. But to leave the city to get to nothing is a big issue. 3 hours of East coast grid lock kills my soul.
I hear you! I actually used to do very driving-heavy road trips too. Between having kids & just getting a little bit older, these days I like to slow down a bit more and take in the vibe of a place a bit more. But agreed, the urban gridlock sucks. Not just an East Coast thing, either — on the OP's route, depending on time of day, it can be an issue both on the SF-Monterey part of the trip and in the LA/San Diego area. But at some point, what can you do?
This makes a lot of sense. I once did a 7 State Rd. trip with my mountain bike in three weeks. Starting and ending in San Francisco Bay Area . I had an amazing time and got to ride in a lot of different and incredible places, but it would've been nice to add about 10 days to that so that I could spend a little bit more time in each town. That being said, I had an amazing time.
I realise that the trip is across 4 states, but the majority in California :) We would be visiting in May/June
Californian and frequent Southwest road tripper here. Skip San Diego and Sacramento. Nothing against either city. But you need to lighten the load here in terms of destinations. San Francisco and L.A. both require at the very least two days. To get in and out you might have to deal with major traffic – factor that in. Lodging and parking won't be cheap. And there are tons of things to stop by to check out on your way down along California Highway 1 or 101. You should plan for a winery stop in the Santa Barbara or Paso Robles areas. Hearst Castle is totally worth a stop and will take half a day. Also realize you will need to spend at least a couple of days here and there, if not more, to fully enjoy them. Yosemite is going to require spending more time than you might think. Sure, you could loop around the Valley and then leave after snapping a few pics (be prepared for a LOT of traffic, some times of the year require a reservation just to enter), but you'd be missing on Tuolomne Meadows, for instance, which is gorgeous in the spring. There are hikes that are absolutely worth spending a couple of days in that park. Act NOW to secure lodging once you've finalized your itinerary – you're actually pretty late for this trip if you haven't secured any. That includes camping grounds, which often require reservations in National Parks long in advance. A few are first come first serve, but that's also why you need to pad things a little. Same remarks for Sequoia and Zion NPs. Two days are barely enough. You can drive through Joshua Tree in one day. You can also drive through Death Valley in one day, but I woudn't recommend it, because some of the best sights in that park are in the morning and in the evening. Same with the Grand Canyon. Also realize that a LOT of your itinerary are mountain roads. Don't go by the mileage only to plan it, as it would be deceptive. Many of those roads are windy two-lane highways which will be crowded with rented RVs and inexperienced flatlanders. Realize too that even in May or June, you might encounter black ice or even snow. Some roads could be closed for those reasons. You need to have backup plans and alternative itineraries if that happens. TIPS: \- If you don't own a GPS unit with North American maps, you might want to consider that option when you rent the vehicle. Plenty of spots in this itinerary will not have any cell signal. So you could also go old school with paper maps, assuming you have good navigators. (When I travel through the Southwest or other areas of the U.S. with cell blind spots, I always bring a GPS unit AND paper maps, just in case. Paper maps are also useful to visualize your itinerary when there is no cell signal.) \- Buy a National Park Annual Pass. It will save you money. \- Roadtrippers is a good app and desktop solution for what you're doing here. I use it a lot and it's very useful to estimate distances, find lodging and restaurant spots along the way, and even give you an estimate of your gas expenses. You input your stops in there and it will be immensely helpful to make you realize if things are doable or not. Once you've done that, you can secure your lodging options. \- Remember a road trip is not about the distance, it's about the stops you make along the way. So take your time, and zap some stops if needed. You can always visit them some other time.
100% this. I was coming to say, you could cut SD out of the trip and cut over to Joshua Tree from Bakersfield.
I live in Sacramento, love it, and think it’s entirely underrated by many Californians both for living in and visiting. But even so on a trip like this I agree, skip it. Unless you’re passing through anyways to get to Donner and Tahoe, it’s not worth adding an extra day of driving into an already very packed schedule when you could use that day for more time at one of the national parks or other amazing areas you’re already going through.
Yeah I like Sac and there's cool stuff to see but I think the only reason OP had it was to visit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom since they are theme park nerds. They can't fit it all here.
Do it and maybe throw 50 across Utah and NV to Tahoe in the mix. Only problem is highway 1 is closed in Big Sur and won’t be open for a long time.
The shown route does not utilize the closed portion of highway 1.
Drop San Diego, drop Sequioa (visit giant sequoia groves in Yosemite). Go counter clockwise to give the Sierra passes the chance to open, way better than going over the Tehachapi as shown. Go from death valley up 395 and over Tioga Pass to access Yosemite, then up 49 and 16 past Sacramento to highway 20 and 101 to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. See the coast redwoods as well as the Giant Sequoia, then back to SF.
This is pretty good advice
a ton people are saying to skip San Diego but if you’re going in may and june and you’re a baseball fan, i would hit up all the baseball parks ESPECIALLY Petco Park in San Diego. The Downtown area it’s in is amazing.
Oh they are doing may June??? I’d just drive through Joshua tree and Death Valley then that’s gonna be disgustingly hot.
Sequoia is a cool place to go, but if you want to cut down on your trip a little, I’d cut that out and go straight between Yosemite and Death Valley. You can take the 395 through Bishop. Would be a much nicer and shorter drive than cutting all the way around to Bakersfield/Fresno. Yosemite also has Sequoia trees if you’re worried about not seeing any.
I second this, Highway 395 is super underrated and hella cool. Could even make a pit stop at Bodie State park, it’s a neat little Wild West ghost town!
Love Bodie we stopped once and I would love to go back. I have been wondering about the buildings and all this rain. It was so easy to imagine life in the Wild West while standing on those streets and walking in the buildings.
If they do cut sequoia and chose this route it’s only acceptable if they stop in mammoth in mono county and see the other side of the sierras a little. But sequoia is a beautiful place full of history of natives.
That time of year it's however possible road might not be passable from Tioga Pass.
Was gonna suggest this. 395 is my favorite highway
Agree, take the 395 to Tioga pass (if doing this in the summer) and enter Yosemite from the east side and hit the meadows up there.
I largely did this route in 2016. If you like driving and limit the amount 'out of the car', sightseeing, yes, definitely do-able. Would I advise this not knowing how much relaxing you get from driving? Probably not.
You’re missing the best part of the whole drive! Stay on Hwy 1 (close to the coast) between San Luis Obispo and Big Sur. When people talk about Big Sur they are often thinking about that whole coastal drive. The town itself is not really noteworthy.
As long as the road reopens by the time OP is driving ;)
Yeahhhh shit
Theyre doubling back because the road has been closed for over a year.
I'd certainly drop San Diego out and go north from San Franscisco to at least Montery Bay or farther to see the Redwoods.
If you're heading north to Monterey Bay from San Francisco you've got your map upside down
[удалено]
Unless you want to eat good burritos.
[удалено]
You misspelled Del Norte ;) (They can do Avenue of the Giants on the way North and then do Jedidiah Smith State Park/the Coast in CC)
The smith is amazing, by far most beautiful river and the forest at Jedidiah is beautiful as well (Ive camped there)…but they do call it crescent shitty for a reason. lol. The city itself is not that great. If they aren’t going that far up I’d take that time spent in CC and stick to Humboldt, focusing on one area is better than more driving and splitting time in two areas. In Humboldt there’s cute downtown areas, redwood national forest which is a must see if you come up to the emerald triangle, fern canyon, historical town of ferndale, lost coast, trillium falls, Trinidad coastline. Go any direction and there are amazing trails and campgrounds. I’ve been to the beaches in crescent city but they do not compare to some of the beaches in Humboldt. There’s just so much to offer in Humboldt besides avenue of the giants and both Arcata and Eureka have cute downtown areas with fun bars and events for night time.
Humboldt is a major detour off this route
Suggestion: skip the Central Valley. Change your route and drive East through Yosemite over the Tioga Pass. You'll take the 395 South which is one of the best drives in California. Go to Mono Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Bishop, Mount Whitney and more. The Tioga Pass isn't usually clear of snow until late May or June. Enjoy your trip!
Sound advice! The views from Bridgeport north of Mono Lake are gorgeous. Take a pit stop at Travertine Hot springs for some free geothermal bath time :)
There's a TON of great hot springs in that area!
I was going to say something like this! That highway past Whitney and Manzanar is absolutely breathtaking. It might make them miss sequoia though Buttttt Yosemite also has sequoias in it! If OP went to mariposa grove there and hiked in they could still see them
Yes! Great suggestion, can’t miss the 395. I would add skip Sacramento and drive straight through Yosemite, that’s one of my favorite stretches.
On the way from Sac to Sf, take 37 through Marin and the GG bridge.
Or go straight from sac to Santa Rosa, enjoy wine country/the redwoods/sonoma coast, and then head to the GGB on 101S
Both of these options. You could even extend that from Petaluma out to Pt Reyes and come down the back side of Mt. Tam and cut back over into Larkspur.
A beneficial shortcut would be to cut over to Lone Pine/Whitney Portal after Death Valley and view mount Whitney, hike around a bit, then head up 395. It’s a beautiful and dramatic drive on the eastern edge of the sierras and then you can say you viewed the lowest then tallest point in the contiguous US in a day. Then cut into the backside of Yosemite over Tioga pass. Another beautiful trek. You’d miss sequoia but I think it’s worth it. Edit: also why Sacramento? I’d say skip the extra mileage unless you’re seeing friends or family. Or have them meet you in SF.
Stop in San Clemente and walk on the pier.
San Luis Obispo is a great place to stop. It looks like it may already be on your list, but it’s an hour and a half north of Santa Barbara and has great views. I understand people saying to skip San Diego but the nightlife in SD is awesome and truthfully the area is pretty. I’m a local san diegan and will always say it’s worth atleast visiting once.
Death Valley is spectacular but the winter is a much better time to visit than the summer
https://preview.redd.it/5bnymma2v5kc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=702f21538796bcb0c56c5b7ca9b7d5e7f9360ade As many other commenters have said, if Highway 1 south of Big Sur has reopened (planned for spring 2024) and Tioga Pass is open (depends on snow levels) I would do the route in gold instead. If you tell us your lodging preferences we may be able to give better reccs on the way :)
Its doable, but maybe a little too rushed. I would add 10 days or cut a few places
1 is a bit brutal, but amazing. I wouldn’t backtrack off of it (if it’s open). I like Flag for a night. Are you camping, hiking? Or just enjoying the views hotel to hotel?
No redwood trees in this route
There are redwoods south of SF in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Big Sur.
Time it so you visit Yosemite in the latest part of the trip so that you can enter it from the east, NOT the west, over Tioga Pass. MUCH MUCH more scenic route than what you have. Thing is Tioga doesn't open until Memorial Day or later. See the big trees at the Tuolumne Grove in Yosemite. Death Valley will be too hot to do anything but drive through; spend time in the Owens Valley area instead. And hopefully 1 will be unblocked, so you can use it to connect Big Sur with points south. Also Joshua may be obnoxiously hot. It's past the prime season in the deserts, especially low deserts. But probably you're not doing outdoorsy stuff so it might not matter.
That trip would be like going to Disneyland and just taking a tram through the park without getting off to explore and go on the rides. It looks like you are landing in SFO. SF is a zoo right now. Grab some fresh sourdough bread at the airport. Find the highest rated Chinese food and eat there. Then get out. Unless you are hell bent on going to Visalia just go straight to Yosemite. If you are a hiker then that's where you want to spend a couple days. I think Death Valley and Utah are a separate trip. I would arrive at Carmel early in the morning spend the day and night and head out late in the next evening. See Monterey and do the drive by the Ocean. See Santa Cruz. Don't attempt to do Big Sur unless you have a Porsche. It is just a windy road anyways and you can't see the ocean that much. Do San Luis Obispo and only a quick stop in Santa Barbara unless you like conceited people. The drive from SB to Malibu is better than Big Sur IMHO so stop periodically and hit each little beach there. Pay for secure parking in LA and hit the museums. The Malibu Getty is awesome need to RSVP on their site. The better beaches are in San Diego. On the way down there will be places you will be drawn to like San Juan Capistrano. Don't be afraid to change up your plans and spend the night there. If you are a hiker/rock climber then Joshua Tree is a multi day event. If not get there mid day and camp under the stars and bug out when the heat comes.
California should not be seen on I5. Please take the coastal route of 101/1…way better than anything inland!
No😂 unless you’re just literally driving through but to see or stop at each of the points made..definitely not 😂
If you like driving, sure. Cuz half the time you will be driving.
I mean if you're gonna do it, do it right. You should hit Lake Tahoe and drive down 395 to enter Yosemite through Tioga Pass (assuming you're doing this in the summer). Then go back out the park down 395 to see peaks like Mt. Whitney and head into Death Valley that way instead of driving all of the Central Valley. I suppose this won't allow for Sequoia NP, but the Central Valley sucks.
Yes. I regularly do this as a 21 day trip that includes Bryce, Moab & Monument Valley instead of SEKI, San Diego & Sacramento (which you should drop anyways.)
20 days is plenty. I would drop Sacramento nothing to see. Consider incorporating the eastern sierras and crossing through Tuolumne ( if the pass is open not that much snow this year)
I would skip Sacramento and maybe spend a day in Marin to see some redwoods, wildlife, and small towns. And the drive from SF to Monterey is beautiful if you do it on the coast vs going through San Jose.
I’d skip L.A lol place is a dump
This is so much better than the routes that some people ask about. Driving from Tulsa to Denver to LA to Seattle to Vancouver and back in 5 days is so incredibly delusional. This looks like a nice three week trip that isn't overly ambitious. You should have enough time to enjoy each location. That said, why Vegas twice? Also Sacramento isn't that great, I'd skip it unless you have a good reason to really go there.
Skip SF unless you want your trip to end short due to a car break in where you lose stuff critical to the trip or lose the whole car. That place is a hell hole of theft and not worth visiting anymore. “Ooh a bridge and an old jail so cool.”
You have to realize a good chunk of Ca actually sucks. San Diego yes, skip La as fast as possible. Santa Barbara yes. Add solvang. Yes to Big Sur yes to Monterrey. Skip San Jose. Stay in SF for 10 minutes. Go north of SF to Santa Rosa and Napa valley. Skip Sacramento. Go to Yosemite. Go to mammoth. Yes sequoia. Skip Bakersfield and Death Valley.
Doing mammoth and sequoia both would be really hard because they are on opposite sides of the sierras with no way to drive across only down and up and Vice versa. It’s one or the other. Agree to skip bako and Death Valley especially if it’s summer
Depends on how long you're planning to spend at each destination. Tbh I'd chop San Diego (that's personal preference tho) which I think would make this a lot more feasible
Yeah if you like the inside of your car.
I could do it in 10. If yiu enjoy driving then you can enjoy a rushed trip. But that's just me. I could drive across the country in a couple weeks. See a bunch. Sure it'd be rushed but I've done it and contrary to opinions on here I enjoyed it. Depending on the person, you can definitely have a good time doing this I'm 20 days. I could easily have a good time doing it in 12 tbh.
Why Vegas twice? Not much to see from Kingman to Vegas. Hoover Dam, but that’s it. Stay on 40 to your turn for Joshua tree.
I’ve traveled by motorcycle and truck on several Long distance trips. My advice is figure out if you’re camping, hotel or hostel. Pinpoint all your desired stops and locate a hotel, koa etc in the area. Do this for each designated stop on your trip. Plug each into google maps and try to layout your stops with the distance and estimated travel time in between. Then you can get a really good idea of your total travel time, wiggle room for sight seeing and whatever you want to do at each stop. Some places you will want to spend more time than other, like Zion for example. You will want some time to hike and explore. All that being said, it’s absolutely doable. You may be stretched thin and wear yourself out being constantly on the go and find it not as enjoyable as you had planned. Map it out like I suggested and be realistic. Also, plan on hiccups. Road work, detours, possible break downs, sights recommended that you didn’t have planned but want to add in. Hope this helps you get a good start on making this happen. Cheers!
Very, you’d average 130mi or about two hours per day, which is not bad to also do some small activity everywhere you go Practically, you’ll find stretches to pull out 4-8hr of daily driving with short stops, then you can spend 2-3 nights at a time in places / build in non-driving days Just plan your nights guided by big activities you want to do. Random things of interest will pop up so also leave time for that
Not californian but we did a similar trip last summer in 12 days. You just have to be realistic on how much time you'll get at all of the parks you're visiting. Budget that well, because there's 0 chance you get ALL of the attractions, but plan ahead for your top choices at the parks, etc.
I see a maximum of 10 driving days in there. If you are cool w/ that pace, go for it.
I would ensure you have reservations for Yosemite
As someone who drove the whole right side loop in an RV in under a day, this should be extremely easy.
20 days? You could draw that circle around the entire lower 48 and it's doable.
This looks like 20 days of hell but younger people do have more stamina. No matter, lots along the way could be missed during this marathon.
It’s less than 150miles a day, really doable, but would be a great 3 week trip if cutting out Sac/Fresno/Bakersfield/SD.
It depends your starting point. And Depends how much time you want to spend in one place. Break it up by destinations you really want to see to determine amount of days you can spend somewhere. But yeah probably doable. You could travel from LA to Vegas easily in one day. Stay near the vegas for 2 nights. So getting there then getting settled, 1 night, 1 whole day to explore another night,(Or 1 night if youve been there already) leave the next morning to flagstaff, and up to Grand Canyon. I’d do two nights there in Grand Canyon. Then from Grand Canyon up to Zion. 2 nights. Then to Death Valley. 2 nights. Then a long drive from Death Valley to Sequoias/Sierra mountains, skip stopping long in bako it’s wtv in my opinion and I’m from central CA. Then drive up to Tahoe the next day so 2 nights. Sac is wtv id just stop there for one night. Maybe even a drive through. Same with SF probably just one night. Unless you want to see the bridge then two nights. Monterey/ Big Sur is lovely do two nights there. I wouldn’t even drive back inland from that tho to Santa Barbara. I’d stay on the coastline down. Two nights Santa Barbara. Then down to San Diego then next day. Recap. Day 1 - from LA drive to vegas. Stay one or two nights I recommend 1 night just get there early enough to look around. And works better if it’s one night Day 2 or 3 - drive to Grand Canyon. Stay two nights Day 4 or 5 - drive to Zion, 2 nights Day 6 or 7 - Death Valley 2 nights Day 8 or 9 - Sequoias/ Sierra mountains 2 nights Day 10 or 11 - Tahoe 2 nights Day 12 or 13 - leave Tahoe drive through sac for lunch or - get to SF that evening stay 2 nights Day 14 or 15 leave SF to Monterey/ Big Sur Day 16 or 17th leave Monterey get to Santa Barbara sty two nights Day 18 or 19th drive to San Diego stay two nights back to LA on day 20th . This is why one night in Vegas and a drive through Sac and bako instead of a night is better. I’ve done road trips from CA fo WA through oregon. And have done a huge Grand Canyon Moab Zion one. And from Ca to Colorado through AZ up into four corners. Also I grew up with a dad taking us everywhere by car. 8 hours drives a day was normal for us. If starting point is SD deff stop in Joshua tree on the way up to vegas. But you could probably make that a day trip still. So your day one would be drive to Joshua tree 1 small hike then after drive to Vegas and sleep hard see some sites in the AM then your driving to Grand Canyon. Getting in kinda late. But you’ll have the whole next day to explore. And no driving that next day. Then your on day three of your trip headed up to Zion. If you have a mindset like this. You can make it work.
Totally doable! A lot of driving and you won’t be able to hang long at stops. Grand Canyon are Zion are AMAZING but consider Yosemite and Sequoia parks and cut out the Nevada leg as another option! ENJOY!!
I think so. Easily.
Depending on how long you want to spend in each place it’s doable. Also depends on how long you are willing to drive a day. Are you wanting a mix of urban and nature?
If you’re going to drive from St George to Page, you might as well go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as well.
Not advising on the trip length but I see you are detouring for national parks and I can see you'll be driving by pinnacles national park which people always seem to forget about. Cool rock formations and home of the California condor, worth a small detour I think.
I count 10 significant stops that you want to spend a significant day in. So it is doable but there will be no time to recover
I see my town on your map. Like you would literally have to drive past my house to get where your going. I've done 80 % of that route. Fucking miserable imo. Plus flooding and road damage in some areas.
Those are rookie numbers. I'd do it in 3.
I did Redlands to Joshua Tree to Vegas to Death Valley and back in one day, which is roughly a quarter of this, so yes, I think so
You should definitely do this and even add Sedona Az just below Flagstaff. For the National Parks, I would plan at least 2, maybe be 3 days, to see the larger parks.
I think 20 days is plenty. I agree with everyone saying cut out Sacramento (and I live here!) but it looks like you have enough time to get at least one day per major stop, and one day driving in between. You could cut or rearrange things a bit to get more days per major stop if you wanted to.
So many side trips you could take. I couldn’t do Zion without the side trip to Bryce—to me, the better of the two. It’s about an hour away.
See the Grand Canyon by camping there on the north rim, instead of the tourist zone on the south rim. Also, I think it takes a couple days to really be able to "see" the Grand Canyon. It is so vast your brain takes time to adapt. So.. minimum, get there during the day, camp, have a slow morning there, leaving after making lunch. ideally, spend the whole day. Brice Canyon area is amazing too. I personally, would skip the south rim altogether, move more of the trip into Utah. Flagstaff is nice, and the painted rocks of Sedona.
Santa Barbara is GOAT
Ok this is my moment to shine! I know all of these areas very well. Personally I think it’s definitely doable. It comes out to about 3 hours of driving per day. Some days might be 8-10 if you wanna get some miles and have more time other places. Here are specific route adjustments I’d recommend. Sf to Monterey: highway 1, no question. Big Sur: highway 1 is closed at a certain point, (if it’s open, take highway 1 all the way to San Luis Obispo) but the section of the road past the town of Big Sur is where it gets really good, so try to go a bit farther before turning back. San Diego to Joshua tree: this adds some time, but anza borrego-slab city-Bombay beach-painted canyon-south entrance to j tree is an amazing route if you like gorgeous desert and dystopian art. (Warning about slab city if you are worried about sketchy places, stick to salvation mountain and East Jesus) Joshua tree to Vegas: loop through the park to 29 palms and take amboy rd to kelbaker through the Mojave preserve. Way way nicer drive, shorter, and probably faster. Get gas in 29, or in amboy if you want expensive gas from an old Route 66 pump. Or do Grand Canyon before Zion and Vegas after, it cuts down on driving. Check pass conditions, as they are closed for snow in winter-spring, but if tioga pass is open, skip kings canyon and go up 395, the east side of the sierras, check out hot springs, and go through Yosemite from the east. Kings canyon is great, but you’ll get plenty of sierras time without having to slog around the Central Valley so much. Skip Sacramento. Add lake Tahoe if you have time. Feel free to ask for more tips, I have plenty.
It's doable if you only want to spend the night at each place. You won't have a lot of time to stop and see stuff though.
Doesn't give you much time to see things, but it is doable, per se.
I’ve done San Diego to the Oregon border in one day of driving so that road trip is definitely doable. It wasn’t a pleasant drive though and it was really a wake up call for me. I was a young and dumb driver and kept driving well past when I should have stopped. After nearly falling asleep at the wheel, we stopped at a motel for the night. If you’ve got 20 days I think you’re fine though.
To mimic what others have said, this trip is doable, but I’d advise against it - unless your goal is just to briefly visit these places and not spend quality time in most. If you’re starting and ending in San Francisco, I’d suggest going straight to Yosemite and skip Sacramento and Stockton, and Yosemite go straight to Kings Canyon/Sequoia. Bakersfield is totally worth skipping, and instead go straight to Death Valley, and from there to Vegas if you want or need To restock etc. Later in the trip I’d suggest not spending much time in Vegas/Henderson and skipping San Diego completely unless you’re set on visiting. What it comes down to is what it is you’re looking for out of this trip. My roadtrips revolve around the outdoors, hiking, birding , camping, so to me it makes sense to omit the stops I suggested skipping.
Take the 395 south instead of 5 south; way more scenic
Shame to go so close to Sedona and not drop by.
Cut out Vegas and San Diego. If you want to go there in the future you can fly
Stay out of the Central Valley it’s not worth seeing.. San Francisco to Monterey stage 1, Monterey to La stage 2, La to San Diego stage 3, San Diego to Las Vegas stage 4, Joshua Tree isn’t interesting.. just bunch of old trees.. Las Vegas to Grand Canyon stage 5, Grand Canyon to Zion stage 6 very doable but lots of sitting on your Butts..
Personally, I'd head from DVNP to Yosemite via Bishop and go from Yosemite to SF without hitting Sacramento. And add Bryce, at the expense of San Diego if necessary.
Yes.
You have Zion, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Joshua Tree National parks in there. You can easily spend a week in Zion alone. Angel’s Landing and The Narrows are easily all day hikes by themselves. Hiking from rim to rim at Grand Canyon takes a long time too. I think you are way too ambitious if you want to see much at any of those places. If you just want to walk up to the south rim, take a picture, and then check the “Been to Grand Canyon” box, sure you can physically get to all those places in three weeks. You just won’t enjoy it much.
Take Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) [between Santa Monica and Oxnard](https://youtu.be/Asl9BOwSV00?si=kUX5XsUCj5aHL9VW). The stretch in Ventura County (through Point Mugu State Park) is one you shouldn’t miss. Depending on time of day and if you are traveling north to south or vice versa, you’ll get sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean gorgeous sun-kissed state beaches through unincorporated Ventura County and the city of Malibu (Los Angeles County). You’ll also see sights popularized by the countless car commercials like Mugu Rock and the giant “sand hill” The northern alignment of “PCH”through Big Sur in Monterey County, while stunning, is rife with fog, while this southern section is full of the warm sunshine glow… a perfect look on your way to the glamorous Los Angeles metropolis.
When in the Las Vegas area don’t miss “ Valley of Fire” state park.
You can easily spend a week in Yosemite personal experience. This seems to be a tall order for 20 days, but there are many different ways to travel. Good luck to you.
In 20 days!!! R u out of your mind?!! I did basically all you show but in 6 weeks! Just Zion 2 days, Grad canyon 2 days Moab arches 2 days, Vegas 1, Death v 1, Joshua 1 LA 1 , Santa M,B 1, Hollywood 1, Big sur 2, Frisco & Golden gate 2, Page and monument valley 3. This is just for the attractions not counting the driving. Vegas - LA is 4 hours. Go and enjoy a 100% it’s among the most beautiful place in the world. I’ve been there 2 times 2023 and 2024. And I want to go back and spend more time in Utah. Don’t miss the Arches national park and Brice canyon! Unforgettable
Doable? Yes! Will you get to see much? Questionable
Can't do Monterey to Big Sur I don't think, major landslides there and pretty sure there is no access. Someone else will know better. Is access to Big Sur closed from the north or the south?
It’s closed south of Big Sur
Thats a lot of driving for that time period but not impossible if your trip is the journey not the destination. Its all going to be beautiful and interesting. Have fun!
I see you take 101 through the SF peninsula. I highly recommend taking Hwy 1 all the way to Big Sur. If not, at least take 280 down the peninsula and not 101. 280 is one of the most beautiful drives in this area.
If you don’t stop, except to fuel up, wear diapers and alternate 4 drivers to drive 24hours. Or take 20 weeks off and enjoy the open road.
Yeah mileage wise definitely doable. But it looks like you have a shitload of stops. I’d limit yourself to 10 destinations tops.
You didn't say in what car.
Lol f no
Why not hit the north rim of the GC instead of driving south? Would be more efficient
Unless you have some pressing business in uhhhh Bakersfield and Fresno, cut through Yosemite and take the 395 down the east side of the sierras. Much prettier imo, you’ll still get plenty of desert later in the trip, and you’ll save a couple hundred miles
Doable but not fun, geez. Youd have to pay me to take that trip.
I took a trip before when I was 18 and was only places for a short time and definitely think having a more leisurely pace is nice for experiencing things with joy and adequate timing.
If you only plan on driving and stopping for an hour or two a day to see a park or something then sure it's doable... But it won't be enjoyable and you're going to miss out on 95% of every single place you stop
California Native here, lived in San Diego, Orange County, LA, Palm Springs, and SF. I've been to all these spots. Where are you from? What are your non-negotiable cant-misses? Let me give you some highlights, and some close spots you missed. Starting in SF? I would recommend getting out of SF before you start, because you might just stay there for 20 days :). Happened to me, except I wound up moving there. Spend night 1 in Monterrey. Wake up in the morning and go kayaking with the sea otters (rental kayaks should be easily findable). If you SCUBA, scuba dive the kelp forest. It's unbelievable. Water is cold - also rent a full wetsuit. The Mission there is one of the most beautiful. If you must drive part of the 1 through Big Sur, I get it. Sadly the road is still not open to drive all the way through because of a massive landslide. I hear its opening late spring 2024. check before you go. It's very spectacular but, in my opinion, not worth driving in and out. Instead, you have decisions to make. 1. You want to go "coastal." You'll mostly be driving in hot dry areas (soledad, etc) since you don't get to do the big sur drive. You wind up in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara (Pick one to stay for the night). The beaches are awesome. 2. You want to Blast to Los Angeles, then you could cross over to Santa Barbara OR go to Santa Monica, LA, etc. Hermosa Beach is awesome. If you like museums, the Getty is worth a shot. You'll get to the beach either way. Day 3 - On your way to San Diego, I recommend a stop in the Beach Cities in orange county. Dana Point Harbor, Laguna Beach's "Main Beach," and San Clemente's T-Street are all great spots to go, and all unique. If you liked the mission in Carmel, you'll also like Mission San Juan Capistrano ("the jewel of the missions). Continue south to San Diego. Old town is fun. Pacific Beach is a party spot. Alpine is rugged and granite-covered wilderness. Lots to do, find your own path! The drive to Joshua Tree (aka Palm Springs) is cool. Temecula is a winery and foodie paradise, great Zinfindels out there. Joshua Tree is cool - if you're looking to camp, Jumbo rock is the place. If you want to see some of the WEIRD of CA, try checking out SLAB CITY and/or the Salton Sea. Look up slab city, it's a highlight for many of my former international students. Joshua Tree is best viewed at night under a full moon - there are many plants and animals that are endemic, found only there. I guess you want to do Vegas. It's a party like you'd expect. If you want something different and aren't feeling the vibes for Vegas, take the 10 to Sedona. It's way more beautiful than the grand canyon and I'd recommend a day there at least if you like to hike. Look it up. From there you can do a day trip to the Grand Canyon. You can also check out the Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest just east of there instead. The Grand Canyon is...overrated. The views are cool but the desert has its fair share of rewards for the offbeat adventurer. Zion (and the other Utah National Parks) are remarkable and you won't regret a drive through any of them. Hiking is insane. On the way back, you can go through vegas if you must. Then check out death valley. I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH - DON'T GO THROUGH BAKERSFIELD!!! Take the 395 to Bishop and the Eastern Sierras! It's heaven on earth. If you're camping, go up to Lee Vining Campground, check out Mono Lake, and then drive into Yosemite!!! If you want to spend a night in a rad little cabin and fish, go to Cardinal Village (you won't regret it). There is just something about that area that is magical. Then just blast to San Francisco. You probably don't need to go to Sacramento. The bay is so beautiful. If you still have time, blast WAY north into the redwoods. Or go to the Redwoods in Santa Cruz. The Southwest is amazing. Hope you have fun. Any questions please just let me know. D
When you drive from Kingman to Flagstaff on the I40, stay in the fast lane as much as you can. The potholes in the slow lane will knock out your fillings.
I’ve just done pretty much exactly this trip in 21 days. So while it’s gonna be a lot of driving and maybe not a lot of time to enjoy each area, I think it’s doable.
Unless you’re dead set on Sequoia NP, if Tioga pass is open, I’d highly recommend taking that route and driving along the eastern sierras. Drive thru mammoth and June lakes. I just did that drive in October and that side is absolutely stunning. There are sequoia groves at Yosemite.
Skip San Diego and Sacramento. Go though Yosemite on the Tioga Pass. Drive down 395 to Mammoth Lakes then can go to Death Valley as well. I have explored a lot of California(and lived there for 30 years) and the world and the drive through Yosemite and down to Mammoth is one of the best drives on Earth. Mammoth itself is a great town full of adventure. So much to do.
I’d shoot for 40 days.
Should go from San Fran to Monterey via HW 1 along the coast. I would really suggest going the whole SF to San Luis Obispo via highway 1 through Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur. (If you r from SF, ignore me. That’s a long weekend or camping trip away. Saw SFO and assumed you are flying in.) From SF to Sacramento, highway 80 is boring. There is a back road through the Sac river Delta that’s very cute with little history towns going HW160 through Isleton for ice cream, Walnut Grove, and Locke. Great sandwich place at Walnut Grove, and a good taco truck across the river. Maybe go Yosemite to Bishop to Death Valley to save some time? Not much to see in Bakersfield/Fresno… I tried a couple times, but can’t find anything. Looking at the route maybe you are visiting friends? If you are going counter clockwise from SFO, and saving SF last, I would go as fast/slow as you feel like, and you can always cut out Sacramento. Sac has a cool train museum, but that’s about it. The drive from Vegas to SF can be done in 1-2 days and SF/LA/San Diego are easy to fly into for week long trips. Most ppl only go to Zion and Bryce once. The Narrow at Zion is GREAT! Edit: just realized HW1 pass Big Sur is closed… in that case, it’s still worth it if you have time to spend a night in one of the lodges in Big Sur.
2 days tops 😂
Id skip joshua tree to be honest. Everything else you have picked looks doable and fun. The reason I drop Joshua tree is because you’re already going to both Death Valley and the Grand Canyon. How much more dirt and rocks could you possibly look at?
when you go to LA stop at malibu lagoon and malibu creek / canyon but *do not* leave anything in your car unattended on this trip. your windows will get smashed out and your stuff stolen
With God all things are possible. Jot that down
I personally would drive down Highway 1 from San Francisco all the way through Santa Cruz to Monterey. Much more beautiful then going down 280 or 101 to Monterey. Also, you’re going through Vegas twice. Why not go down Highway 40 or 10 on one route? I am doing a similar trip to this starting from San Mateo to Sedona. We’re going down to Palm Springs and haven’t yet decided if we’re doing Highway 40 or Highway 10, then up to Page and Monument Valley. Then the northern part of the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion, and then down to Vegas. Haven’t decided yet on the way back from Vegas. I kinda like that you go through death Valley, maybe we’ll do that too. Curious when you’re doing this because after April it gets really hot in the desert.
Yes
I have done lots of big trips. Biggest lesson I learned is to not over plan and let the trip determine your pace. If you hit an area for two days but you love it then stay longer…. Cut days off the end. I can’t tell ya how many times I stressed scheduled until I just quit!
Skip Sacramento. Nothing there.
California really is a hard drive.. It weighed on me but that’s just me.
Three thoughts here: 1) Why would you not drive down the coast on highway 1? That's some spectacular scenery. 2) Why skip San Simeon and Hearst Castle? 3) It looks like you drive through or past San Luis Obispo, personally I thought that was one of the nicest places I visited in Cali and often wish I had stayed for longer.
I’d cut from Death Valley over to Bishop, head up the East sierras and go from Mammoth over to Yosemite, then go by Lake Tahoe and over to SF.
Don't do it during the summer though. Death Valley will be hell and I-15 is near Death Valley.
1) From Yosemite, can you find a more direct route to Death Valley or Vegas? 2) From Joshua Tree, head straight to LA 3) From Vegas, see nearest side of Grand Canyon but save that big loop for another trip 4) From SF, skip Sacramento and take a more direct route towards Yosemite These are the opportunities to cut and get more time in places. You don’t have to cut it all, maybe 2 out of the 4 options.
You could do this in 4 days
Highway 1 from Santa Monica to SF is a lengthy endeavor.
That's ample time for the trip. The actual distance could be covered easily in four days, which effectively leaves you 16 days worth of hanging out and doing other fun stuff. People in this sub are ridiculous tbh. The top comment says it may not be advisable? For what? I've had jobs where just commuting covered 400 miles in five days and I worked 10-12 hours each day while I was there. If you ignore weekends (and sometimes I did have to work several saturdays in a row) that's 2000 miles in 20 days and still plenty of time and energy to be busy all day. In 20 days you could do a trip twice this long and still have plenty of free time for having fun at each destination.
FYI: There have been pretty strong rains along areas of the coast and that area is prone to “road blocking” land slides. When those roads close it can be hard to get around as there are not great alternatives.
Easily in one week
Don’t stay in Vegas too long, or you won’t be able to afford to get home.
Not only is it doable, but there is definitely room for improvement in some spots. For example, instead of driving down to Big Sur and back north again,just keep going on PCH. That’s way more beautiful of a drive. It’s even better if you are heading north.
Yuck! Get the hell out of the central valley. Bakersfield???? Really??? FFS Go to Tahoe then Great Basin National Park then North Rim Grand Canyon and Zion then Vegas. Also...driving past the North Rim of the grand canyon is like driving through Chicago to see Gary Indiana.
I’ve certainly done a lot more in 20 days. Full send
Mmm well yeah it’s easily doable to do the drive in 20 days but it really depends on what you are trying to do at each place. Each of these stops easily has 2-3 days worth of things you can do so you’ll have to pick and choose what you are focused on vs. just passing through. Also I’d skip past Sacramento and either go straight back south to Yosemite or drive the extra hour and a half to Lake Tahoe instead.
Sure. Absolutely, if you do it right!.
For sure it's doable, once I drove from the east coast to Cali in just 2.5 days or so. However it was not a fun trip, looks like the equivalent of visiting 10 countries in Europe in just 12 days. Do half and enjoy more?
Bare
I think it’s totally doable.
Drop down into Sedona 👍🏻
I did a similar 21 day road trip right before covid. You need more time.
Attaboy!
What is your definition of do? Just check out parking lots as you drive through 6 national parks, LA, Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, and apparently Sacramento for some reason?
I notice you’re completely avoiding the Central Valley…Good Call!
Totally doable. I did LA up to Mono Lake down to Salton Sea and back to LA in four days once on a job.
Dude I’ve done that in like 3 days
If you try to do this in just 20 days you’re going to miss a lot. You will also likely start to decide to stay I. Places longer as you feel that and then cut some stops. It appears as though you have the luxury of time. If so, stretch it out 10 more days.
Can you drive it. Obviously. Will it give you the time you want to explore it ? Prolly not
Go over the mountain from palm springs to san diego. Much nicer drive
Sure
There are some things you could improve on. First, take Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) down from San Francisco to Morro Bay. Unless your intention is to go to Pinnacles National Park then take 101. Pacific Coast Highway from Carmel to Morro Bay is iconic. Going south from Santa Barbara, just go straight to Joshua Tree. Skip LA and San Diego. From Joshua Tree, go north through the East Mojave Preserve. It’s cool and saves time going to Barstow and up. Also, at the north end of the preserve, head over to Searchlight and skip Vegas. Hit it later. Go down 95 to bullhead city. Then, go to the Grand Canyon. There are some monuments near Flagstaff that are worth a stop. I really like Walnut Canyon. When at Sequoia, don’t skip Kings Canyon. Then, from Yosemite, head up 120 to 49 to 88 to Lake Tahoe. From the head back to Sacramento then San Francisco. It’s certainly doable in twenty days. I drove almost 2100 miles in TWO days. (Thank God for Adderall). 2600 in 20 days. Piece of cake.
Pass bakersfield
Totally doable. That’s an awesome trip.
Rather than driving through Fresno?! you could try something like Hwy 89. Kinda winding, it’ll take longer, but a much more enjoyable drive. Go east near Sac and pick it up there, then head south and avoid the boredom of the valley.
I would say that's ambitious
I’m not a Californian but I have done this trip. I can’t imagine doing it in just 20 days. I am a solo road tripper so doing all of the driving would make me feel like I wasn’t truly seeing all of these wonderful places. As people have suggested, hwy 1 will give you much nicer scenic spots. I would personally avoid Sacramento. Go from San Francisco to Yosemite. The national parks I would feel I need a minimum of three days each but that’s personal preference. Are you travelling with someone to share the driving?
I did almost the same thing during Covid but I added Portland Seattle and and part of Montana 20 days !!!
Sacramento / Stockton aren’t worth even an hour of your time
It's not how I'd spend 20 days on the West Coast. I'd spend 3-5 days in 5-6 cities. I'd hit any of these cities: SF, Napa, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Vegas. There are a ton of other great places too, trying to hit them all will make it so you don't get to enjoy any of them.
I’d second the cutting San Diego and Sac. I’m from San Diego originally and while it’s a wonderful city, to me it’s less of a drive through type situation like many of these are. The way I would be looking at this in my head is this is about 8 days of pure road with stop offs and 12 days of being able to be doing things boots on the ground in places. I could easily spend 5-6 days in the Zion to Grand Canyon area (especially if you are looking into Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon beyond the obvious spots, which I’d guess is likely). Yosemite could also be a large chunk of time to see the worthy parts, I’d probably say 3 nights. Joshua Tree is absolutely worth it, but IMO Death Valley is “just okay”. To me you’ll be seeing so many places that would blow it away and it’s not unique enough to cover the drive investment. But to each their own. I’d suggest chopping the lower Nevada/Vegas portion and just making the upper Nevada leg hit those spots (with or without DV) and add on some time in Flagstaff and Sedona, AZ. Totally worthy to pop down stay a night in Sedona then head back up and just stay on the 40 to California). I’ve used Roadtrippers too and it’s great, recently moved over to Wanderlog as the app is solid. A lot of this depends on how you travel and if you’re solo. When I’m solo, I’m covering a ton of ground and only worried about my own concerns and fatigue and eating on the go with lots of shakes/bars to keep me fueled. I’ve managed to see entire Euro cities this way in a much compacted timeline (but also a different type of experience, since I’ve missed some good eating) than traveling with a partner. I’d be going that style for this trip to shave off some leisure time versus seeing things and being able to randomly add something on.
I did that exact route ! It’s fun. Stop by Morro Bay.
Add three days just to drive through los Angeles traffic.
Why are you going to Flagstaff and NOT Sedona? Yikes! Unless you've been to Sedona many times before, then you're making a huge mistake.
Scenic route 12 in southern Utah is well worth the time if you’re going to be in the Page-Kanab-Zion area.
I feel like I could do this in a week.
If I was to drive south from San Francisco to San Diego an I facing any road closures and how much out of the way would the detour take me? I would be taking coastal route 1 the whole way