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, 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.

Don't forget to consult our awesome Road Trip Essentials Packing List & Guide to figure out exactly what to pack. You can't go wrong!

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.

Get in the car and let's go! There's plenty of fun to be had.

1. Founders' Grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park

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.

2. Glass Beach: Fort Bragg

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!

3. Pine Mountain Lookout

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

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

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.

6. Alcatraz Island: San Francisco, CA

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!