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HomeTopics...Us Vacation SpotsCalifornia Scenic Drives
California Scenic Drives: Discovering California's Diverse LandscapeOne of the best ways to see California is by taking scenic drives through California. California's diverse landscapes, from desert to mountain and coastal to forest, offer considerable opportunities for beautiful drives. In fact, photographers from every part of the world capture views from the Pacific Coast Highway.
One of my favorite California scenic drives, originates in Grants Pass, Oregon and ends at the Pacific Coast Highway. Route 199 unfolds like a careful plot over creeks and gulches with a series of twists and turns to keep you alert. It pushes through the breathtaking views of the Siskiyou National Forest and continues through another series of creeks and twists. Sunlight disappears as the road meanders through Jedediah Smith Redwood Forest where massive redwoods and dense foliage follow the road. The peak action comes upon exiting this magnificent forest, where a wide view of the Pacific Ocean emerges.
California's Pacific Coast HighwayTraveling the entire Pacific Coast Highway from Crescent City in the north to San Diego in the south is a wonderful way to see the California coastline. Steep cliffs are responsible for winding roads and switchbacks that force travelers to take in the spectacular views of rocky beaches, coastline vegetation, and the endless Pacific, disappearing off on the horizon.
One of the most popular of California's scenic drives is the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway known as the 17-mile drive. The 17-mile drive begins at the north in Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula and winds through Seal Rock, Cypress Point and the Lone Cypress. It travels through the affluent Pebble Beach and ends at Carmel, California. The drive takes about an hour, but it's well worth it as you catch glimpses of secluded coves, empty beaches, and the vast Pacific. Further south on Pacific Coast Highway, coastal redwoods pocket a small gem known as Big Sur. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park offers beautiful forest views and habitats for sea otters on the coast. Pacific Coast Highway then travels to the sand dunes at Pismo Beach, the town of Santa Barbara, the eclectic beaches of Los Angeles, and further south into Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and San Diego.
Discovering Mountain Ridge BywaysBut Pacific Coast Highway is not the only way to enjoy California scenic views. Mountain ridge highways like Route 2 in Angeles National Forest offer views of the Mojave Desert and the Los Angeles Basin. Route S1 in Cleveland National Forest is a twenty-four mile drive around Mount Laguna. At its 6000-foot elevation this byway offers scenic views of the Anza-Borrego desert.
For a longer scenic drive, try King's Canyon scenic byway. Route 180 in the Sequoia National Forest is a four-hour show of giant sequoias and King's Canyon, the deepest canyon in North America. If you're looking for fall color in the heart of California, look for scenic drives in the San Bernardino National Forest. Home to Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, this drive offers dense forests and radiant color in the fall.
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