Road trips continue to be one of the most popular vacations for US travelers. With so many famous routes, America is the perfect place to plan your road trip adventure. Historic routes, scenic side streets, and busy highways all offer unique access to some of the country’s most intriguing natural and man-made wonders, making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for road-trippers. It should definitely be on your must-visit list.

California is a truly unique state with a wide variety of natural mountain wonders, thriving metropolises and cool coastal towns. Those looking to make the most of their trip to California can take one of the state’s many scenic routes. From 30-mile afternoon drives to week-long excursions, a California road trip is an unforgettable experience.

Related: California Destinations: Take a Scenic Road Trip Through the State (with Itinerary)

Ten Pacific Coast Highway: Highway 1 Road Trip

The Pacific Coast Highway is probably California’s most popular road trip, and for good reason. Highway 1, known as the Pacific Coast Highway, meanders along the California coastline, running from San Francisco to San Diego, passing through the major cities of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles along the way.

Road trippers can enjoy some of California’s best beaches in between exploring the big city, traveling through Big Sur, Morro Bay State Park and Carmel-by-the-Sea.

One of California’s best road trips, the Pacific Coast Highway is a week-long adventure worth doing again and again, especially for those who want to see all of California’s attractions.

• distance:
  656 miles

• highlight:
  San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Morro Bay, Hearst Castle, Monterey

There is an admission fee of $8 per vehicle to travel on the Pacific Coast Highway.

RELATED: California’s Highway 1 is one of the best when it comes to solo road trips

9 Southern Desert: Joshua Tree and Death Valley Road Trip

California has a very unique shape due to its size and the variety of landscapes it contains. For those who want to explore Southern California’s national parks and desert landscapes, a road trip through Joshua His Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park is perfect.

This road trip starts in Palm Springs and continues to Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Tree National Park is worth a few days exploring on its own. Loaded from Joshua Tree, his trippers can drive, with Instagram-worthy desert photos in hand, through the Mojave Conservation Reserve to Death Valley National Park and back to Palm Springs or Los Angeles.

• distance:
  450 miles

• highlight:
  San Diego, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park

The desert regions of Southern California are notorious for erratic cell phone service. Bring a physical map to maximize your chances of success on this road trip, especially when traveling between Joshua His Tree and Death Valley.

8 Volcanoes and Geysers: Road Trip from Redding to Lassen National Park

A road trip to Lassen National Park, California’s least-visited national park, is not only a scenic drive, but also a chance to explore one of California’s hidden natural wonders.

This road trip map starts in Redding, another hidden gem of California and worth exploring, and follows Interstate 5 to Lake Shasta. Visitors can enjoy swimming and water sports, as well as the majestic views of Mount Shasta.

Turning onto Highway 89, the route passes part of the Volcanic Legacy Byway and ends at Lassen National Park itself.

• distance:
  198 miles

• highlight:
  Redding, Lake Shasta, Mount Shasta, Lassen National Park, Castle Crags State Park, Burnie Falls

7 Wine Country: Napa’s Silverado Trail Road Trip

Away from the beaches and mountains of the California border, Napa Valley offers beautiful adventures through the state’s wine country. The Silverado Trail was built in 1852 to connect Napa and Calistoga and continues to offer a scenic drive through the countryside today.

The route starts in Napa and winds through some of California’s finest wineries, including Reynolds Family Winery, Stags Sleep District and Mumm Napa. The short distances give you plenty of time to really explore each stop on this California wine country road trip.

• distance:
  49 miles

• highlight:
  Napa, Reynolds Family Winery, Stags Leap District, Mumm Napa, Calistoga

6 Natural Wonders: Road Trip from Lake Tahoe to Lone Pine

A road trip from Lake Tahoe to Lone Pine is a must for anyone looking to visit some of California’s most popular natural attractions in one go. Departing from South Lake Tahoe, one of the most popular tourist destinations around the Border Lakes, visitors can immediately enjoy the natural beauty of one of the clearest lakes in the United States. increase.

From there, travelers follow Highway 395 to Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve and Mammoth Lakes. Both lakes offer hiking, mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, depending on the season.

Those staying on Hwy 395 end their road trip at Lone Pine, but those wishing to extend their adventure can also detour to Hwy 120 to connect to the Tioga Pass Road Trip.

• distance:
  334 miles

• highlight:
  South Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay State Park, Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Mammoth Lakes, Bishop, Lone Pine, Moebius Arch

RELATED: 10 Surprising Facts About Lake Tahoe You Probably Didn’t Know

Five Land of Giants: Giant Sequoia Road Trip

All road trips are a great way to hit multiple sights in a single vacation, but the best routes also include many interesting sights in between. For those traveling between the national parks that protect California’s giant redwoods, the drive itself is just as scenic as the surrounding hiking trails.

Explore both the towering sequoias along the coast and the giant giant sequoias inland on this Giant Sequoias road trip that starts and ends in San Francisco. This road trip runs from San Francisco to Arnold and then on to iconic Yosemite National Park.

Enjoy a drive from Yosemite along Shaver Lake and start exploring Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks before returning to San Francisco.

• distance:
  888 miles

• highlight:
  San Francisco, Arnold, Calaveras Big Tree State Park, Yosemite National Park, Shaver Lake, Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, General Sherman Tree

Related Article: Driving Through Redwood Forest on Narrow Old Stagecoach Roads in Northern California

Four Beachtown: Orange County Road Trip

One of the most popular activities on California’s beaches is surfing, and Orange County has some of the best surfing spots in the state. This road trip departs from the coastal town of Dana Point along Highway 1. Dana Point not only has great surf spots, but also great vantage points for whale watching in the right season.

Beach views continue north to Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove State Park, arriving at Newport Beach, with its yacht-filled harbor. The grand finale is Huntington Beach, also known as Surf City USA. Road trip travelers can surf the waves themselves or simply enjoy the coastal scenery at the end of this surf-focused California road trip.

• distance:
  30 miles

• highlight:
  Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach

RELATED: From the beach to the bay: Discover the 10 most beautiful ocean trips in the US

3 Sierra Nevada Mountains: Tioga Pass Road Trip

One of the most scenic drives through the Sierra Nevada, the Tioga Pass, also known as California State Route 120, is a trail like no other.

The route itself is just over 90 miles and takes just two hours, giving travelers plenty of time to get out of the car and explore the waterfalls, hiking trails, and giant sequoias along the way.

The Tioga Pass ends on the east side of Yosemite National Park, offering even more opportunities to explore California’s natural wonders.

• distance:
  64 miles

• highlight:
  Tuolumne Grove, Olmsted Point White Rocks, Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Meadows, Mono Lake, Yosemite National Park

Tioga Pass is only open from late May or late June through mid-November. Before planning your Tioga road trip, make sure the roads are clear and open.

2 Classic Route: California Route 66 Road Trip

Route 66 is perhaps America’s most classic road trip, spanning about 2,500 miles across eight states. Those who want to stay within the California border can enjoy his 300-mile stretch of this iconic route.

Route 66 begins at the California-Arizona border and Needles City and continues to Santa Monica and the California coast. Along the way, travelers pass through unique Route 66 locations such as ghost towns, unique desert landscapes, major cities such as Barstow, Los Angeles and Pasadena, and the birthplace of McDonald’s.

• distance:
  315 miles

• highlight:
  Needles City, Goffs Ghost Town, Essex Ghost Town, Amboy Crater, Daggett, Calico Town, Barstow, Pasadena, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Birthplace of McDonald’s, Santa Monica Pier

1 Rim of the World Scenic Byway: San Bernardino Mountains Road Trip

For those looking for a beautiful vantage point, the San Bernardino Cliffs are the perfect place. Those wanting a scenic road trip along the cliffs can follow the rim of the 160-mile World Scenic Byway. This scenic route departs from San Diego, Orange County, or Los Angeles and follows his two-hour route to Lake Arrowhead.

The short drive makes it easy to stop and kayak at the lakes before heading to Big Bear Mountain and Big Bear Lake, a haven for winter activities like bobsledding and snowboarding, and summer outings like hiking and kayaking. have enough time to

The rest of the route has multiple stops where road trippers can hike through the beautiful mountainous nature or simply take pictures of the green waters.

• distance:
  117 miles

• highlight:
  San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Lake Arrowhead, Pacific Crest Trail, Big Bear Mountain, Big Bear Lake, Castle Rock Trail