The Pacific Coast Highway - America's Best Free Attraction

There will never be a more satisfying five hour drive that will exhilarate, titillate and captivate your senses more than the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). From Dana Point to Oxnard in the southern area of California this is Highway 1. One hundred and twenty-three miles is the official Pacific Coast Highway as designated by the California Legislature. 

Of course, there are many that will tell you the real Pacific Coast Highway is more like 1800 miles long and consists of many roads that run the west coast from the Canadian border to the border of Mexico. The length of the road doesn't matter. It is the sights you will see and the enjoyment of this unique area that will entice you to drive the Pacific Coast Highway. 

The road is at times twisting and turning and hugging the cliffs, but if you take the time to enjoy all the sights that are offered along this stretch of Americana, you will find the most scenic and picturesque sights that you will not soon forget. 

There are sections of Highway 1 that are also called Shoreline Highway and Cabrillo Highway. The route that includes this entire highway from Dana Point on the South end to Leggett on the north end has been named Blue Star Memorial Highway as an honor to U.S. armed forces. 

In downtown Dana Point, the Pacific Coastal Highway going northbound continues the regular route while the southbound traffic is routed onto Del Pado. Merging into PCH once again after this one mile diversion the road meanders along the coast and into Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove State Park. As the Pacific Coast Highway enters Newport Beach the signs simply say Coast Highway. This is the more affluent area with neighborhoods such as Corona Del Mar and Newport Coast. Route 1 once again becomes the PCH when it enters Huntington Beach. As it continues along the coast the last city in Orange County is Seal Beach. 

All of the cities along the PCH are worth the time to stop and experience the sights they offer. The second largest wooden pier in California is located at Seal Beach and is a terrific sightseeing and fishing spot. After leaving Orange County and entering Los Angeles County, the PCH will use several names as it makes its way through the cities such as Signal Hill, Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach. Entering Ventura County as the road leaves Malibu, you will find there are beautiful coastal views through Point Mugu State Park. This is where you will find the Mugu Rock which is quite a large formation of rock, another site well worth capturing in a photo. Although according to the California legislature as you leave the coast at this point and head towards Wooley Road in Oxnard, this is the end of the Pacific Coast Highway, the trip is not over yet.

Continuing to travel north you will cross the Bixby Creek Bridge and the view of the Pacific from this vantage point is breath-taking. Although it cannot be seen from the ground, the rocks projecting from the area around this bridge resemble a dinosaur. This bridge due to the location along this section of scenic California coast is one of the "most photographed features on the West Coast." 

Passing through the historic areas of Monterey and Carmel, a wonderful art community, and then taking on the Big Sur where the mountains plummet into the Pacific Ocean, you will need to be on your toes. This section of road with the magnificent view as it passes Hearst Castle has many drop-offs and narrow shoulders. 

Sections of the Pacific Coast Highway can be quite treacherous if you are not paying attention. This is especially true of the area after you cross Salinas Road, which is near the Monterey/Santa Cruz County line. Just before you reach Pacifica, there is a section called Devil's Slide. The road here has threatened to slide into the Pacific Ocean on many occasions and has been closed several times, so it is recommended to travel this area in the daylight hours and be very alert. While the beauty of the area calls, it never hurts to be very vigilant when traveling here.   

As the PCH enters Pacifica it joins Interstate 280. The road used to be nearer the coast but in 1957, a 5.3 earthquake damaged this section. Just before you reach San Francisco, the road will become Junipero Serra Boulevard. Passing through Golden Gate Park and the Presidio of San Francisco, the road goes through the General Douglas MacArthur Tunnel on the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge.

When traveling the Pacific Coast Highway taking this route from the north to the south you will find there are more coastal views to enjoy. Your road trip will be one of the most satisfying times you have spent seeing the sights and stopping at the many small towns along the way.

One is Point Reyes Station in Marin County. About three miles from here is the small town of Olema, gateway to the seashore and the coastline here is quite similar to South Africa's Cape Point. With coastal beaches in their natural state, uplands and rivers that meet the sea; this is one of the spots you will enjoy for the wild, untamed aspect it projects. The oddity of being in such close proximity to the more developed areas is what makes it such a unique place to visit. 

You will find there are many areas along the Pacific Coast Highway that will leave you speechless with the natural beauty they cast for the traveler. Wandering this highway, stopping here and there for the pure enjoyment that is found virtually all around you will make your tour of this highway one of the most memorable trips you will ever experience.