Riding PCH This Summer
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
Really suggest you re-plan and ride North to South.
otherwise everytime you want to look at something you are looking at all the Southbound traffic...everytime you want to pull over, you are on the wrong side of the road.
It makes a huge difference.
Camping in malibu at Leo Carillo State park is cool.
About 6 Miles North of Kanan Dume road, South of Zuma. PCH at Mulholland Hwy.
campsites on the east side of PCH
There is also camping for trailers etc. on the North beach.
It'll look familiar as many many movies, tv and commercials shot there.
We camp there at least once a year
continuing up the PCH, it does go inland, then it heads from San Luis Obispo to Pismo Beach and you are back on the coast.
Hearst Castle is nearby
as far as LA and orange county's...traffic can be a bear.
plan for weekend through this area- or early afternoon.
avoid morning and evening rush hours ( 7 to 10 am, 3 to 7 pm).
if southbound..
PCH at Santa Monica is Lincoln Blvd...continue down past Bartel's HD and you'll pick up Sepulveda and follow South.
If the stop and go through the beach towns of LA drive you nuts, go East to I-405 which merges with I-5 in orange county
There are a couple of campgrounds/ parks in the San Clemente area which are ok, just get as far away from I-5 as you can...noisy.
I-5 is really the only way to get through Camp Pendleton
Mike
otherwise everytime you want to look at something you are looking at all the Southbound traffic...everytime you want to pull over, you are on the wrong side of the road.
It makes a huge difference.
Camping in malibu at Leo Carillo State park is cool.
About 6 Miles North of Kanan Dume road, South of Zuma. PCH at Mulholland Hwy.
campsites on the east side of PCH
There is also camping for trailers etc. on the North beach.
It'll look familiar as many many movies, tv and commercials shot there.
We camp there at least once a year
continuing up the PCH, it does go inland, then it heads from San Luis Obispo to Pismo Beach and you are back on the coast.
Hearst Castle is nearby
as far as LA and orange county's...traffic can be a bear.
plan for weekend through this area- or early afternoon.
avoid morning and evening rush hours ( 7 to 10 am, 3 to 7 pm).
if southbound..
PCH at Santa Monica is Lincoln Blvd...continue down past Bartel's HD and you'll pick up Sepulveda and follow South.
If the stop and go through the beach towns of LA drive you nuts, go East to I-405 which merges with I-5 in orange county
There are a couple of campgrounds/ parks in the San Clemente area which are ok, just get as far away from I-5 as you can...noisy.
I-5 is really the only way to get through Camp Pendleton
Mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Jun 19, 2013 at 11:19 AM.
Novice
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth, Texas
I've only driven the PCH from Newport up to SF. It was a miserable experience for the most part. It's very slow due to lots of tourists in rented rv's - speed limits are reduced in the beautiful parts.
The first 4-5 hours north of Los Angeles are mostly in-land and barren. The PCH you're thinking of only starts up near Big Sur and Monterrey/Carmel.
Given the chance to do it again, I'd have taken the interstate up to Monterrey area. Then find the coast and go North. The Southern part was absolutely not worth it to me.
The first 4-5 hours north of Los Angeles are mostly in-land and barren. The PCH you're thinking of only starts up near Big Sur and Monterrey/Carmel.
Given the chance to do it again, I'd have taken the interstate up to Monterrey area. Then find the coast and go North. The Southern part was absolutely not worth it to me.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: central ca.
[quote=mkguitar;11428511]Really suggest you re-plan and ride North to South.
otherwise everytime you want to look at something you are looking at all the Southbound traffic...everytime you want to pull over, you are on the wrong side of the road.
It makes a huge difference.
Camping in malibu at Leo Carillo State park is cool.
About 6 Miles North of Kanan Dume road, South of Zuma. PCH at Mulholland Hwy.
campsites on the east side of PCH
There is also camping for trailers etc. on the North beach.
It'll look familiar as many many movies, tv and commercials shot there.
We camp there at least once a year
continuing up the PCH, it does go inland, then it heads from San Luis Obispo to Pismo Beach and you are back on the coast.
Hearst Castle is nearby
Mike[/quote/
This is good advise, next time I do this ride it will be from the north to the south.
otherwise everytime you want to look at something you are looking at all the Southbound traffic...everytime you want to pull over, you are on the wrong side of the road.
It makes a huge difference.
Camping in malibu at Leo Carillo State park is cool.
About 6 Miles North of Kanan Dume road, South of Zuma. PCH at Mulholland Hwy.
campsites on the east side of PCH
There is also camping for trailers etc. on the North beach.
It'll look familiar as many many movies, tv and commercials shot there.
We camp there at least once a year
continuing up the PCH, it does go inland, then it heads from San Luis Obispo to Pismo Beach and you are back on the coast.
Hearst Castle is nearby
Mike[/quote/
This is good advise, next time I do this ride it will be from the north to the south.
Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 239
Likes: 7
From: KCK
Good luck in traffic...if it's one thing we have and plenty of its traffic. Enjoy the rat races...and its all one big rat race here.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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I've done this ride numerous times. It is one of my favorites. I'll be doing it again in a few weeks. PCH from Santa Monica ll the way to the very tip of California this time. I am riding up to Point Reyes (north of SF) the first day. It seems it will probably be about a 12 hour day depending on traffic on PCH. The best part is San Simeon to Monterey. The second day I am heading from point Reyes to Jedediah Smith Redwoods park which is about 450 miles. I have never ridden PCH past San Francisco so it should be great. From SD I would just go straight up PCH all the way. Plan for it to take some extra time vs riding the freeway. If you like twisty canyons you could detour on to HWY 33 through Ojai to Hwy 58 back to the coast. That is how I usually go.
Gas gets pricey in big sur. I think I payed over $5 a gallon last year.
Gas gets pricey in big sur. I think I payed over $5 a gallon last year.
