Pacific Coast Hwy north of San Francisco

[Mike Morrison]

We are planning a trip down the California coast next August and are considering doing the Pacific Coast Hwy from Leggett to Bodega Bay. I am wondering if anyone has any information on the what the road is like and if they have any campsite recommendations. I appreciate any information you can provide.

[jimcapon]

Why start in California? Start in Oregon(on 101) and go thru the redwoods. Beautiful road and views.

[Bob Miller]

PCH north of San Francisco is beautiful and there are lots of camping opportunities along the way. However you will be driving it at peak season and in many cases reservations, often weeks in advance are recomended.

Also know, PHC is almost all 2 lanes from Leggitt to San Luis Obispo and can get a little twisty at times. Plan to take at least twice as much time as you think it should take. Better yet, try to make the trip in May or September...

[Dave Fish]

We took 101 through Oregon and as far south as Santa Monica in 2009. We were not in a hurry and only covered about 200 miles per day. We tend to stay in KOA or another commercial park at least every other night. The ony one we did not like was a CA SP called Elk Grove or Creek near the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. It was overpriced with no ammenities. Since we did it in Sept/Oct, we seldom had reservations. When we did they were made only a day in advance.

BTW: You cannot take an RV up to the LBJ Grove. It is too narrow and maybe has limitted parking. Not knowing thet inadvance, we had to ass on it.

A little further south, we left 101 and took 1 to Fort Bragg. This is a very mountainous, narrow and windy road. We did OK with the Casita but it seemed like we were meeting ourselves on some of the turns. Also, make sure you have lots of gas. I would not recommend it if you are short on power or are concered at all about breaking.

Have fun. It is a beautiful trip with lots to see and do along the way (can you spell lighthouse?) Lots of them to stop at.

[Francesca Knowles]

When you say "Pacific Coast Highway", are you talking about "1" or "101"?

Leggett is at the intersection of both but in that area only Hwy 1 runs alongside the ocean, if that's your interest.

Francesca

[Gilda]

Much to the surprise of people who live elsewhere, summer is the foggiest time on the Northern California coast. The best weather tends to be during our "Indian Summer", late September/October. The coast is incredibly beautiful and special. You should also know that the ocean is cold and has treacherous undertows. Enjoy it with great respect and care.

We have only camped at Bodega Dunes State Park Campground with a tent but loved it! The spots are unique in that you are nestled among the sand dunes and are walking distance to the ocean beach. This is a very different experience from camping in the forest. When I looked at their reservation website I noticed that RVs are allowed.

Because we live in Marin County (20 miles north of San Francisco) we take staycations to Bodega Bay occasionally. We love to drive the curvy roads in our Mazda Miata with the roof down. I would definitely take it easy with an RV, though. Among our favorite places to eat are the Boat House in Bodega Bay, known for freshly fried seafood to perfection! It is "no frills" and has no view but has much better food than the waterfront restaurants in town serve. We like Tony's Seafood Restaurant in Marshall (opens at noon). They are known for freshly barbequed oysters among other dishes. They have waterfront views and all their food is fresh and reasonably priced. Both restaurants are right off of Highway 1. Parking may be difficult for an RV, but possible with some creativity.

Further south, Point Reyes National Seashore is one of our favorite places to explore by car and hiking. The Bear Valley Trail (Yes, bears live in this area, but we've never seen one.) and the Tule Elk trails are among our favorites. You can also see a lighthouse, go whalewatching from shore, see sea elephants and sea lions. It is truly an amazing and diverse place! You might want to camp at Olema RV Resort and Camping. You can leave your trailer there and take your car to tour PRNS. We have only driven by this campground. It looks like your standard RV campground with lots of open space and only a few trees. It's nothing special but it's proximity to PRNS is great.

I will be glad to discuss exploring these areas with you. Just send me a private message.

[Ken Jr]

DW & I took the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles then drove 101 all the way
to San Fran, its a great drive lots to see and plenty of camp grounds. Take your time and enjoy. Ken

[Mike Morrison]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. Our plans are to travel south on 101 out of Oregon, then head to the coast on Hwy 1 at Leggett. We'll likely go south to Bodega Bay then head east on Hwy 116 or the Bodega Hwy. I would prefer to do this trip in Sept or Oct but our traveling companions have a preference for Aug. We are doing our planning now because we'll be traveling in "prime time".

[Francesca Knowles]

I drove the stretch of Hwy 1 from Leggett to Fort Bragg both last August and the August before- it's a bit twisty but no real problems, towing-wise. Certainly no more difficult than 101 in Oregon.

Per campgrounds:
As others have said, August is high season and spots in popular Parks are hard to come by without reservations.

There are some first-come-first served campgrounds right on the ocean along that stretch of road- primitive, but nice view. There's also a KOA about 10-15 miles north of Fort Bragg that's right down near the beach.

I spent almost two weeks each time in the area, and as noted, fog on the coast is the order of the day in August...HOWEVER

A few miles inland it's a different story!

There are some little-known campgrounds managed by the State DNR between Fort Bragg and Willits. The first group of these is reached by a road no more than five miles off the coast, but just far enough to be out of the fog belt. My experience for two years running was that it was sunny and warm every day in those campgrounds, and foggy/moist/cool when we went down to Fort Bragg to play in the ocean. Kinda funny that we went back up to "the mountains" to get warm...

Anyway, those campgrounds used to be free, but just last year DNR started charging. They're first come, first served, and there are no amenities other than tables/fire rings/privies.

Francesca

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Dave Fish

. This is a very mountainous, narrow and windy road. We did OK with the Casita but it seemed like we were meeting ourselves on some of the turns. .

Love that road, also the one out to the coast higher up from Grants Pass.

It's almost like the trailer is on the last curve you went around while you're already going around the next corner. No problem doing the curves while towing but much more fun on a bike

Ron

[jimcapon]

Any of the routes from I5 over to the coast are out of this world. They include 38,42S & 199 from Grants Pass, Oregon. Enjoy

[DFM]

Just curious, has anyone driven the PCH from Oregon to the San Francisco area in December or January?

[Francesca Knowles]

I've done the full length of 101 in Oregon in January: Rain, rain, and rain. Except when it rains!

Francesca

[Roger C H]

Originally Posted by DFM

Just curious, has anyone driven the PCH from Oregon to the San Francisco area in December or January?

We did this in 2010 on our return from Arizona:
February.
26 We stayed in a Denny's parking lot in Newbury Park, CA.
27 Flying Flags RV Resort, Buellton, CA.
28 After visiting Hearst Castle, we took hwy 46 to Walmart Parking lot in Paso Robles.
March
1 Then we stayed on 101 to: Saratoga Springs RV Park after visiting the Winchester House.
2 Crossed the Golden Gate, we got back on Hwy 1 - Caspar Beach RV Park, signing up after hours for a site whose power wasn't on, so we stayed at a pull-through site after backing into the original site in the dark.
3 We went to Leggett, the Chandelier Tree - Riverwalk RV Park in Fortuna.
4-6 We stayed with my cousin in Eureka.
7 Grant's Pass, OR - Rogue Valley Overnighters RV Park,.
8 Rochester, WA - Outback Rv Park
9-13 North Whidbey RV Park our Good Sam Chapter outing,

[jimcapon]

Don,t knock the rain, it,s the only way we can keep those beautiful trees.

[Jane SC]

Sister and I camped at Giant Redwood RV Camp Destination in Myers Flat this fall. Lots of giant Sequias, a fairy ring and right on Eel river.

[Weinel, Alan]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

A few miles inland it's a different story!

Francesca

Francesca is VERY right. Coast can be mid 60's foggy & o/cast. 5 miles inland it can be 100 [LITERALLY] sunny and dry.

Remember what Mark Twain said - the worst winter of his life was a summer in San Francisco.

BUT you will have a GREAT time.

Dunno if you like Corny Roadside Attractions (I personally am a SUCKER for them), but in Leggett there is the Drive Thru Tree.

[ericw]

I'll second a couple of comments. We did pieces of your trip in June/July of this year and had some notable fog, but it was still worthwhile and a nice drive. We had some alternate options inland and did less of the drive than we initially anticipated.

The roads we were on were 2 lane and curvy along the ocean. I've been on much worse numerous times, but it is a fair warning to be comfortable in such situations.

Enjoy the trip!