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California Vacations Scenic DrivesCalifornia is home to some of the nations most spectacular natural attractions, ranging from the grandeur of the rugged northern coastlines, the majestic redwood and sequoia forests, the spectacular cliff faces and waterfalls at Yosemite, the harsh beauty of the Mojave desert and Death Valley... and that's just scratching the surface of what this incredible state offers. Visitors will find an excellent network of roads that provide access to nearly all of these attractions. These roads are renowned as being some of the best scenic drives to be found anywhere in the USA. Some of the routes are as short as a few miles and others cover hundreds of miles. Many of the scenic drives pass through towns and communities that provide accommodation, eateries and road side amenities but some the destinations are in relatively remote locations so anyone planning to travel to these remote locations needs to plan their trip in advance. Nearly all scenic drives throughout California can be driven in a family sedan type vehicle, but the terrain in some of the remote locations in places like Death Valley and the Mojave require a 4WD vehicle to get the best experience from these locations. |
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Journey for 213 miles through the land of the giant redwoods and take in the spectacular ocean views along the northern California coast. Make the most of all the stops as you pass through the Avenue Of The Giants. The route follows US Highways 101 and 199 and extends from the Oregon border in the north to the town of Leggett in the south. The trip will usually take around 4 hours.
Located just north of Carmel, this toll road is one of the most famous of all the California scenic drives yet it's all over in just a few minutes. This piece of road connects the affluent, gated coastal community of Pebble Beach with their neighbors in Pacific Grove and is flanked by luxury mansions and magnificent, ocean side golf courses.
This 137 mile route is world renowned as one the great scenic ocean drives. It starts in Carmel and runs south to the San Luis Obispo County line, following every twist and turn of the rugged and picturesque California coastline. The route connects visitors with some of California's most scenic locations. The Big Sur country is an area of rugged cliffs, redwood forests and an unspoiled coastline. The route passes through several national and state parks and many places of historic interest.
This 130 mile route provides visitors with a unique opportunity for exploring the daunting Death Valley National Park, a region of sand dunes, multi-colored volcanic rocks, canyons and dry salt flats. The park has several viewing spots and hiking trails with numerous park trails for 4WD exploring. Due to the extreme temperatures that occur in the park, travel in summer is not recommended.
This 55 mile drive passes through untouched wilderness in the Sierra Nevada as it winds it way towards Lake Tahoe. It climbs from an elevation of 3000 to over 8700 feet, passing by alpine meadows, towering peaks, crystal lakes, pine forests and offers exceptional panoramic views on the descent from the summit. The drive passes through the Stanislaus National Forest and several designated wilderness areas and state parks. Being a high altitude location, the area is snow bound in winter so travel is limited to spring, summer and fall.
Take a drive through California’s deepest canyon (deeper than the Grand Canyon) and see some of nature at its best. The drive is only 50 miles long and takes about an hour (and the same again to get out) but it should be on every Californian itinerary that involves scenic drives. The drive starts a few miles east of Fresno and quickly enters the Sequoia National Forest, site of the world’s largest tree. Then drive on to Kings Canyon which is situated between Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.
A drive of 344 miles through the Plumas National Forest that has the only pass across the Sierra Nevada range of mountains that remains open in winter. Mountain tunnels and bridges across steep ravines are the hallmarks of this route. The spring and fall colors are magnificent and the vertical granite cliffs with thousand-foot drops to the river below are awe inspiring. The drive has spectacular scenery on both sides of the twists and turns with several road side look-out points.
A comprehensive introduction to driving all
the
Californian scenic drives |
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The
Redwood Highway
