This Northern California Road Trip Takes You From The Redwood Trees To The Most Famous Prison On Earth
By Lisa Sammons|Updated on December 04, 2022(Originally published November 30, 2022)
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Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
To explore Northern California could take an entire lifetime. We’ve got waterfalls, amazing cities, so many delicious restaurants, and natural wonders like Yosemite National Park; with so much to see and do, it can feel impossible to narrow it all down. With that in mind, we’ve created an epic road trip for you that will take you down the shoreline of Northern California to see some of the best attractions in the region. It may not include everything worth seeing, but it’s a good selection of some of our top sights next time you’ve got a few days to spare! It’s easily one of the best road trips in NorCal we’ve put together, and we think you’ll love it, too.
The entire trip will take just over eight hours of driving time, so you will be in the car for a while, but following along the coastline is one of the most scenic drives in Northern California. The drive is so pretty that you won't regret your time in the car! For a customizable itinerary, check out Google Maps.
Your first stop will be at Founders' Grove, one of the best areas of Humboldt Redwoods State Park. This absolutely incredible grove in Northern California is one of the most famous in the entire country, and for good reason: it's otherworldly in its sheer awesomeness. The main trail here is only about a half-mile long, so it's appropriate for most. Visit in the morning and/or during the week to avoid the crowds.
At first glance, Glass Beach may look like a normal beach. It's beautiful, with the rocky shoreline that's common to many beaches in Northern California. Let's be real: NorCal is an amazing place, and this beach lines up.
When you look closer, you'll see that the "sand" here is a little unusual. This is an amazing glass beach in Northern California unlike anything else in the world. The site was once a dump, and the waves rolling in over the ground have worn down the glass bottles and debris here so much that it now resembles colorful rounded pebbles. Talk about nature transforming something for the better!
If you'd like to stop overnight at this point in your journey, the Pine Mountain Lookout is a great option. This little cottage has served as a place to monitor fires and also as a World War II aircraft defense monitoring location. The lookout is now available as an overnight rental. It does not have water or electricity, so this is a great opportunity to have a rustic overnight getaway. The Lookout is open seasonally, and you can get more information on the Recreation.gov website.
4. Petrified Forest: Calistoga, CA
Petrified Forest Road, Petrified Forest Rd, Calistoga, CA, USA
The Petrified Forest is one of the most underrated wonders in Northern California. The trees here are thought to be millions of years old! They were turned into stone at some point in the past, likely due to the eruption of Mt. St. Helena. If trees could talk, what kind of stories do you think these ones would have to tell?
5. Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco, CA 94129
Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
The Golden Gate Bridge is considered one of the architectural wonders of the modern world and certainly belongs on any Northern California bucket list. There are numerous vantage points from which to view the bridge in all its splendor, and you can't go wrong with any of them.
Alcatraz Island is the infamous maximum-security prison that once held notorious criminals like Al Capone. This place is truly spooky, and it's considered to be one of the most haunted places in Northern California. It's the perfect ending for your road trip through Northern California (and thankfully, you'll get to go home after visiting!). Good times.
We wish we could’ve included even more places on our road trip through Northern California, but we know everyone has limited time! Feel free to share your suggested stops in the comments, we’d love to hear more ideas!
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More to Explore
Road Trips in NorCal
Tori Jane|December 03, 2022
Which road trips in NorCal are worth doing?
There are seemingly endless options when it comes to road trips in NorCal, and we can’t even cover them all in one or two (or ten) paragraphs! Some of the best road trips in NorCal are definitely worth doing, like:
2. Which hidden gems in NorCal should I add to my bucket list?
Northern California is filled head to tail with amazing hidden gems, each of which are worthy of some exploration. The best hidden gems in NorCal include:
3. What are some of the most famous places in NorCal?
Northern California is filled with amazing places that are famous, quite literally, for their otherworldly beauty. Some of the most beautiful, famous places in NorCal are:
