Posted in Northern California
April 01, 2022
This Northern California Road Trip Takes You From The Redwood Trees To The Most Famous Prison On Earth
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 in Northern California, but it’s a good selection of some of our top sights next time you’ve got a few days to spare.
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.
Founders Grove, California 95569, USA
Your first stop will be at Founders' Grove, one of the best areas of Redwood National Park. The redwood trees here are among the tallest trees in the world. The main trail here is only about a half-mile long. Visit in the morning to avoid the crowds.
Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA
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.
When you look closer, you'll see that the "sand" here is largely made up of glass. 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.
Pine Mountain Lookout, California 95469, USA
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.
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.
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 several great vantage points throughout the city where you'll be able to get a great view of it, so check them out!
Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA, USA
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!).
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!
Address: Founders Grove, California 95569, USA
Address: Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, CA 95437, USA
Address: Pine Mountain Lookout, California 95469, USA
Address: Petrified Forest Road, Petrified Forest Rd, Calistoga, CA, USA
Address: Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
Address: Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA, USA
