Where to Stop on the Pacific Coast Highway

Driving Pacific Coast Highway 1 was on our bucket list for a long time. Once we drove it, we loved it so much we wanted to do it again… so we did the very next year! We researched for months on where to stop trying to plan in some scenic bathroom and lunch stops. Obviously some spur of the moment stops happened and probably will for your trip but since we did the research, we might as well share with you as you plan your trip. Just check out the list below and save where to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway!

If you also want to check out what we did while we were in LA, you can read our blog post on how to spend 2-4 days in LA here.

Let’s get started! One of the big things for us was actually the things no one mentioned about the Pacific Coast Highway. So before we even dive in and chat stops, here’s what you should know about your drive.

Things to Know:

Cell phone reception would be minimal so we recommend printing out a map from Google Maps.
Gas stations were not as common so make sure to pay attention to your milage.
Some of the roads were terrifying but take it slow if needed.
There could also be traffic on a one lane highway. We didn’t plan traffic into our itinerary and had a game to get to that night.

BUT no matter where you stop along the Pacific Coast Highway, you’re going to have amazing views!

Here’s a quick list of the places (in no particular order) we stopped on our drive from Los Angeles to San Fransisco.