California鈥檚 Highway 1 is a perennial favorite for adventurous听road-trippers鈥攁nd for good reason. You can visit the sunny beaches of San Diego, the wine country of the central coast, the rugged cliffs of Big Sur, and the towering redwoods of Mendocino without ever leaving the road.听Sections of the iconic highway were closed听due to wildfire and mudslides for over a year, but these听reopened in July 2018 and the route听is听eager for visitors. Along the way, score dreamy campsites overlooking the Pacific Ocean or post up at the many revamped retro hotels that dot the route. Tackle the whole thing, or take it on piecemeal by planning a trip for one of the sections below.
Leg One
San Diego to Santa Barbara
Start from the southern end of Highway 1 in San Diego, where you鈥檒l find a thriving craft-beer scene, friendly surf breaks, and 65 miles of trails in the city鈥檚 1,200-acre听. Stay in 听(from $323), a听historic guesthouse on Coronado Island in the heart of San Diego Bay, and don鈥檛 miss the ever changing collection of small plates, like pork shoulder with bacon-braised lentils and black trumpet mushrooms, at the听award-winning restaurant 听in the city鈥檚 Harbor View neighborhood.
, near Newport Beach (south of Los Angeles), has oceanfront cottages and private rooms for rent starting at just $37 a night, or continue north and听hit听听in Huntington Beach听for mahi-mahi tacos, beer, and a surf session before checking into Malibu鈥檚听听(from $369), a revamped 1950s-era motel with wetsuits and surfboards for rent and a rooftop deck.听Near Santa Barbara, 听(from $179) is another renovated motel, this one with outdoor showers overlooking wine country and loaner mountain bikes for exploring the area鈥檚 miles of quality singletrack.
Leg Two
The Central Coast
Camp, sandboard, or drive ATVs on more than five miles of sand dunes in ,听and check out the history of skateboarding at the .听Then be sure to grab听a scoop of Harmony Valley Creamery ice cream at the legendary Thursday-night 听in San Luis Obispo. The (from $445) opens in June, or check out the town鈥檚 eccentric 听(from $109), where you can stay in a rock-lined room designed to mimic the granite walls of Yosemite.
Instead of continuing north on Highway 1, make a听short detour inland听to visit the wineries that surround听Paso Robles听in addition to a new multi-acre听installation听from artist Bruce Munro called , where you can wander听among 58,800 solar-powered spheres that light up the night. Back on route, spot elephant seals on the beach in the seaside听village of听Cambria, and book a tour of 听in San Simeon to take in the art, gardens, and free-roaming zebras that were once part of William Randolph Hearst鈥檚 private zoo.
Leg Three
Big Sur to San Francisco
Stop off in听听and you鈥檒l find a secluded beach and views of the Big Sur coast.听Then hike the trails and pitch a tent in , which should reopen听sometime this summer after a storm damaged it in early February. From there, it鈥檚 just an hour north to Big Sur proper and the surf breaks at Sand Dollar Beach. If you鈥檙e in search of some luxe accommodations, opt for a safari-style tent nestled in a redwood forest at 听(from $450), which overlooks the ocean and has Japanese-inspired hot baths and a gallery featuring the works of local artists. Can鈥檛-miss听eats in the area include the cookies at 听and the听Ambrosia burger on the outdoor patio at听.
On your way north toward San Francisco, , in the charming one-square-mile town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, has espresso and surprisingly good ramen bowls, and there鈥檚 quality mountain biking in Santa Cruz鈥檚 , just south of San Francisco. Don鈥檛 miss the freshly baked artichoke bread at 听in the old fishing town of Pescadero, just off Highway 1, and the sunset from听.
Leg Four
Mill Valley to Mendocino
Once Highway 1 crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, you鈥檒l be treated to vast stretches of empty, jagged coastline and little towns worth long听pit stops. Start with a mountain-bike ride or a trail run with ocean views in ,听north of Muir Beach, where mountain biking first got its start. There鈥檚 a well-loved surf break in Bolinas鈥攁nd good beta and gear at the town鈥檚 , which rents boards and offers lessons鈥攊f you can find the turnoff for this . Fuel up with tasty tacos in an old lifeguard tower at听听in Stinson Beach.
In Guerneville, 听(from $190) rents decked-out Airstreams for a night along the Russian River and provides canoes for a mellow paddle. Or book yourself into the 听(from $189), which has recently renovated rooms on a rocky bluff above the sea. In Mendocino, 听rents paddleboards and bikes and offers guided boat tours on outrigger canoes up the Big River, which flows into Mendocino Bay. From there the highway continues along the coast for a few dozen miles before turning inland to join Highway 101.