During this itinerary we are going to take you on a 6 day roadtrip to visit some of the most beautiful areas in Northern California. Countless National Parks, beautiful coastal cities, and all the hiking you can imagine, this is one of our all time favorite roadtrips! Before diving in, we recommend everyone read how to travel responsibly when visiting California! https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/how-travel-responsibly-california/
Day One (Travel day, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park)
Fly into Arcata Eureka Airport
For the first day of our roadtrip, we flew into Arcata Eureka airport, this is a smaller airport but made the most sense for the route of this trip!
Lunch at Murphys Market
This was the perfect place to stop and fuel up, located in Trinidad California.
Hiking Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Hikes we recommend here
•Foothill Loop Trail (2.4 miles roundtrip)
•Brown Creek Trail (2.3 miles roundtrip)
•Big Tree Circle Trail (.3 miles)
•Fern Canyon (Reservation required)
Dinner in Trinidad California
Restaurant options in town
•Lighthouse Grill
•Headies Pizza and Pour
•Murphys Markets
Check into Roosevelt Basecamp
This lodging was perfectly located in the small town of Orick California, we had everything we needed here for a great night of sleep and to recharge after a busy day one!
Day Two (Redwoods National and State Parks)
Day two features some of the tallest trees in the world, and some amazing scenic hikes! We recommend starting for sunrise to beat some crowds here. Here is the order we’d recommend hiking these trails!
Redwoods National and State Parks hikes
•Lady Bird Johnson Grove
•Trillium Falls
•Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park
•Jedidiah Smith State Park (about 1 hour from hotel, could be swapped instead of Del Norte Coast)
Drive to Benbow Inn
This will be one of the longer drives of your trip, so be sure to pack snacks and fuel up and enjoy the views along the way to your next home base of the roadtrip!
Lunch options along the way
•SeaQuake Brewing (Crescent City)
•Lighthouse Grill (Trinidad)
Check in/Dinner at Benbow Inn
This beautiful historic Inn is the perfect place to grab a delicious dinner and enjoy the peacefulness of the property! We recommend making reservations for dinner here!
Day Three (Avenue of The Giants, Presidio)
Day three was one of our favorites of the entire trip, starting the morning off with one of the most scenic roads in the country, and ending the day in San Francisco was the perfect way to cap off this day!
•Sunrise at Avenue of Giants Scenic Drive
Take your time here as there as plenty of pull outs and short trails that start from this road. Or just drive the hour long road and take in the beautiful winding Redwoods! We recommend grabbing some lunch before heading to Presidio.
Explore Presidio National Recreational Area
One of the gems of San Francisco, the Presidio is the perfect place to spend a day. Food trucks are here until 3pm daily with a huge area to eat while taking in views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Some other activities to do here at the Presidio
•Bike Rentals
•Sunset at Baker Beach
•Walt Disney Museum
•Hike one of the many trails
•See the largest Military Cemetery on the West Coast
•Golf
•Andy Goldsworthy works of Art
•Views of the Golden Gate Bridge and SF Bay
•Bowling
•Crissy Field
Check into Lodge at the Presidio
Day Four (Monterey California, Sanctuary Beach)
Day four consists of more coastal driving and exploring one of our favorite California towns, Monterey!
Monterey Activities
While in Monterey we highly recommend taking the Monterey Bay Eco Tour and learning all about the wildlife and environment in the area. Once you’re done with that, Cannery Row is one of the best shopping and dining areas in town. Also home to the Monterey Aquarium, which is the crown jewel of the town!
Check into Sanctuary Beach Resort, Marina CA
This was our absolute favorite place we stayed during this roadtrip and a must do! Nestled on 19 acres of pristine Pacific shoreline, The Sanctuary Beach Resort invites you to escape and enjoy the best of the California Coast.
Day Five (Pinnacles National Park)
Day five will take you to your second National Park of the trip, and one of the most underrated and least visited in all of California!
Breakfast at Winston’s Brunch Place
After breakfast we recommend stopping for grab and go lunch for your day at Pinnacles at Alta Bakery.
Pinnacles National Park hike recommendations
•Moses Spring Trail to Bear Gulch (1.2 miles)
•Condor Gulch to High Peaks (5.2 miles)
•Balconies Cave Trail (2.6 miles)
•Bear Gulch Trail (2.6 miles)
Condors/Birding. One of the few spots in the states with a dedicated viewing area for condors, avian life at Pinnacles National Park is astoundingly diverse, affording the avid birder a chance to see species they are unlikely to spot elsewhere. Raptors, owls, wrens, warblers, jays, woodpeckers and many other species reside at Pinnacles National Park
Overnight stay and dinner at Salt Wood Kitchen (Sanctuary Resort)
Day six (Point Lobos State Marine Reserve/Flight home)
For your final day of the trip, we recommend grabbing breakfast at Stationary in Carmel California, followed by some Tide Pooling at Point Lobos State Marine Reserve before your flight home! We chose Monterey Airport as our departing airport for this trip!
That wraps up one of the most incredible road-trips in the country and one of our all time favorites! The different landscapes, cities, and scenery you will pass along this 6 day roadtrip is unlike anything in the country and an absolute must do!