san francisco road trip ideas

Coastal Redwoods Road Trip. Suggested Days: 4-6. Suggested Overnights: Crescent City, Eureka, Benbow, Mendocino, Santa Rosa. I recently published an extended guide to planning Redwoods road trips that includes this itinerary in greater detail. (And the next one on this list about visiting the Giant Redwoods too).

Weekend Trips from San Francisco. 1. Point Reyes. Distance from San Francisco: 37.4 miles, 1 hours 12 minutes. Why I Love It. Point Reyes National Seashore is a beautiful cape in Marin County, California and one of my favorite Bay Area road trips due to its wide variety of landscapes and activities. It also makes a great romantic getaway in the ...

If you're into craft beer be sure to take a look at the Mendocino Beer Trail. Distance from SF: ∼3 hours by car. 6. Lake Tahoe. Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash. Lake Tahoe is one of the most popular destinations to visit from the Bay Area, whether you're going for a winter ski trip or a summer lake trip.

New Brighton State Beach ($) Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park ($) (no water fill or dump station) 2. Bodega Bay And Point Reyes. Take a coastal getaway up north to soak up beach dunes and serenity in Bodega Bay. It is a little over 2 hours from San Francisco and the road trip alone is stunning.

Crater Lake National Park. 🚗 400 miles ⏱️ 6 hours, 30 minutes. The Crater Lake National Park surrounds a beautiful deep blue lake that sits in a volcano that erupted in 5,700 B.C. At 1,900 feet deep, this is the deepest lake in the United States, which gives it a gorgeous color.

Here are some San Francisco road trip ideas based on how long you have for travel. Weekend road trips from San Francisco. Some of your best memories can be made on a 2-day road trip from San Francisco. There are some amazing sites, cities, and areas not far from the heart of the city and you can see them without having to tolerate long, boring ...

Northern California Road Trip Itinerary Overview. Start: San Francisco. Stop #1: Yosemite National Park. Stop #2: Lake Tahoe. Stop #3: Sacramento. Stop #4: Lassen Volcanic National Park + Burney Falls. Stop #5: Redding/Mount Shasta. Stop #6: Eureka/Trinidad. Stop #7: Redwood National and State Parks.

Distance: 30 miles | Duration: 45 minutes. Poplar Beach. Located very close to San Francisco is the beautiful coastal city of Half Moon Bay. It is known for its sandy beaches including the quaint Half Moon Bay State Beach and the Poplar Beach. The Poplar Beach brings visitors for picnics, day hikes and nature walks.

2. Lake Tahoe. Photo: Shutterstock. Lake Tahoe is a popular escape for Bay Area residents. In spring and fall, it's the go-to road trip from San Francisco for anyone who wants to camp, hike, mountain bike, backpack, or otherwise enjoy the Sierra Nevada.

Day 1: San Francisco to Santa Cruz. Start your road trip from San Francisco by heading south on Highway 1 towards Santa Cruz. Along the way, you'll pass through Half Moon Bay, a charming coastal town with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.Stop by the Half Moon Bay State Beach for a picnic lunch, and take in the stunning scenery.

If you want to see a giant Sequoia and explore a little-visited corner of California in half the time it takes to get to Yosemite or Sequoia, Calaveras Big Tree State Park is the perfect weekend road trip from San Francisco. South Lake Tahoe. Driving Time from San Francisco: 3 hours, 30 minutes.

Russian Gulch State Park. Distance: 157 miles, 5 hours 45 mins. Best things to See: Hike the Headlands trail to the sea caves and views of the arch bridge. 3.5 hours from San Francisco in northern California's Mendocino County lies Russian Gulch State Park, one of California's most underrated state parks.

BEST SAN FRANCISCO ROAD TRIP IDEAS: NAPA COUNTY 16. Napa Valley. Shortest distance from San Francisco: 51-73 miles (depends on destination) Where to stay: Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa, Cedar Gables Inn, Carneros Resort and Spa (luxury), Hotel Napa Valley, Andaz Napa (luxury), Lavender (A Four Sisters Inn), Napa Valley Lodge

Taking the free tour of the Shasta Dam. Admiring the 6,000-feet tall crags in Castle Crags State Park. Exploring limestone caves in Shasta Caverns. Other recommended road trips from San Francisco: Travertine Hot Springs (high up on my California bucket list), Jenner, June Lake, Gold Country, and Livermore Valley.

Groveland. Distance from SF: 3 hours and 30 minutes. If you love Yosemite Valley, check out the lesser-visited Hetch Hetchy Valley and Wapama Falls. These were John Muir's favorite parts of the ...

Fort Hunter Liggett. Travel time 3.5 Hours 174 miles. Fort Hunter Liggett is located about 25 miles southwest of King City, CA. Surrounded by national forests, mountains, and valleys, Salinas is to the north, and San Luis Obispo County is to the south. This San Francisco road trip destination can be accessed from Highway 101 in King City or ...

TL:DR: Make the best of your LA to San Francisco Road Trip with scenic views along Highway 101, stopping in famous beach towns, driving the Bixby bridge, and exploring the food scenes along the way. Here are a few key takaways: The two most direct routes from LA to San Francisco are Highway 101 (9-10 hours) and I-5 (6-7 hours).

Below are 13 amazing stops to enjoy between Los Angeles and San Francisco along Highway 1 and the Pacific Ocean. 1. Santa Monica. Even though Santa Monica is still a part of Los Angeles, it makes for a fantastic first stop when on a California road trip. Home to the iconic Santa Monica Pier, there are a number of great coffee shops and cafes ...

On the return trip, you can take the faster route, Highway 101, and pass through Sonoma County, one of the best wine regions in the United States. Start: San Francisco. Stop #1: Marin Headlands & Mount Tamalpais State Park. Stop #2: Point Reyes National Seashore. Stop #3: Bodega Bay. Stop #4: Jenner.

2. SAN FRANCISCO TO NAPA VALLEY. Start: San Francisco, CA. End: Calistoga, CA. Distance: Approximately 75 miles / 1.5-hour drive without stops. Napa Valley is the ultimate destination for wining and dining. The region is a popular day trip from the San Francisco Bay Area, and for good reason.

14. Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa is a 117-mile drive (2 hours and 30 minutes) from Fort Bragg and is one of the liveliest stops on your epic Seattle to San Francisco road trip. While the city is a bubbling pot of everything California offers, its access to the best Sonoma Valley wineries is second to none.

Day 3: Grab coffee at either Dart Coffee or Dune Coffee Roasters and spend the morning exploring the coast around Santa Barbara. Finish your road trip by heading down the coast to Malibu, getting out at Zuma Beach and Point Dume, before continuing down highway 1 and hitting the western edge of Santa Monica.

635 miles; ~10 hours of driving. Route 2: San Francisco to Portland via 101 N and I-5 N - 12-hour drive time. Featuring some of the best road trip attractions in Northern California, including Humboldt County, wine country, beaches, and redwoods, as well as Eugene, OR. 680 miles; ~12 hours of driving.

Road trippers can choose between two main routes from San Francisco to Seattle, each with its own advantages and unique views. The more direct route follows I-5 and takes approximately 12 hours ...

Staycation doesn't officially start without postcard-perfect oysters, french fries, and a glass of bubbles, slurped right by the water. Down a dozen Sweetwaters at the one and only Hog Island (1 ...