Riding PCH This Summer
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 895
Likes: 27
From: Outside Dover, OH
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
Former Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,968
Likes: 54
405 for out of towners is not recommended. I ride the 405 twice daily. There is a carpool lane going south that you can ride in on a motorcycle which is nice but I'd rather take PCH to Lincoln, etc if on vacation. We call the 405 the four o slow.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 86
From: Centeral Coast, California
I have to respectfully disagree with those that think the ride is easier and more beautiful going from the north and driving south. As a central coast resident, I ride PCH almost every weekend, and I think it's more beautiful driving from the south and heading north. Here's why...
When you're driving from the north and heading south, you're right along the edge of the cliff, and the tendency is to look down at the water. After many years of riding this road both ways, I still tend to do it. While it's gorgeous to look down, there's so much scenery that's missed by doing so. That being said, traffic SEEMS to be slower headed north than it seems to be while driving south. I can't figure that out other than to say that the scenery really is more striking while driving north on PCH.
As far as pulling over goes, it's only slightly more difficult to pull over while driving north. The difference is negligible by virtue of the fact that drivers are constantly pulling over, and people are pretty cautious while driving that road.
OP, the best time to ride it is mid-week for avoiding the more ugly traffic conditions. If you're driving it mid-week, you'll make better time than you would on the weekend. The entire road offers incredible scenery from Cambria to Monterey. Pack for cold weather. Even in the dead of summer you never know what kind of weather you'll hit along the PCH in northern California. The wind coming off the coast in that section can be brutal, and it's biting cold even in the summer.
Enjoy! Even as a nearby resident I can't get enough of that beauty.
When you're driving from the north and heading south, you're right along the edge of the cliff, and the tendency is to look down at the water. After many years of riding this road both ways, I still tend to do it. While it's gorgeous to look down, there's so much scenery that's missed by doing so. That being said, traffic SEEMS to be slower headed north than it seems to be while driving south. I can't figure that out other than to say that the scenery really is more striking while driving north on PCH.
As far as pulling over goes, it's only slightly more difficult to pull over while driving north. The difference is negligible by virtue of the fact that drivers are constantly pulling over, and people are pretty cautious while driving that road.
OP, the best time to ride it is mid-week for avoiding the more ugly traffic conditions. If you're driving it mid-week, you'll make better time than you would on the weekend. The entire road offers incredible scenery from Cambria to Monterey. Pack for cold weather. Even in the dead of summer you never know what kind of weather you'll hit along the PCH in northern California. The wind coming off the coast in that section can be brutal, and it's biting cold even in the summer.
Enjoy! Even as a nearby resident I can't get enough of that beauty.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 86
From: Centeral Coast, California
AND..... I completely agree with the poster that mentioned the redwoods north of Monterey. I recommend spending a couple of days to do some of the incredible rides through the redwoods around Santa Cruz, and further north. They're incredible.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 329
Likes: 1
From: Northern Calif ( Sacramento Area )
If you happen to go north of SF and want a great place to camp, try Gualala. About 2 hour ride from San Fran. Right on the ocean. Gualala Redwood River Park is a great camp ground. Old growth redwoods, a river right at the park, super nice. They have a small store that has anything you might need. I highly recommend it. Just beautiful up there.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 345
Likes: 10
From: Monrovia, Ca
Be sure to stop by Solvang very nice sleepy town. Santa Barbara is great also. Being that I live here in Socal I'll ride up north for a couple of hours and eat lunch and turn around. Great ride all together....
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 309
Likes: 3
From: West Sacramento CA
great bakery's in Solvang with european pastries, also a great motorcycle museum in Solvang. I agree with the south to north ride. if you go north of San Fran, don't forget the Lost Coast hiway.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 444
Likes: 6
From: Baa Haaba, Maine
While I'm not local, we just did that exact trip last spring.
We left LA late morning (11am), went to see the Hollywood sign, and overnighted in Solvang, where they have a sweet MC museum.
We also spent a few days in San Luis Obispo, checking out Morro Bay and the area. We did a special night tour of Hearst Castle, which covers most of the areas, albeit quickly, and is better than a regular tour, imo. You MUST pre-order your tickets online or you won't get them, and they book quick.
Once you leave Santa Monica, depending on time, try to hit Cold Spring Tavern, an old stage coach stop for lunch, http://www.coldspringtavern.com/
On your way up to SF, run up (and down) the Naciemiento Highway for some incredible views of the PCH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacimiento-Fergusson_Road
Once you hit Carmel/Pacific Grove area, you can take a detour over to the coast (can't ride 17 Mile drive, sorry) where you can ride Ocean Dr in Pacific Grove, which is almost as nice. 1 north from there is a little nicer than 101, but if you want to make time, take 101.
Once in SF you can go across the bridge and hit Muir Woods National Park http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm and see the redwoods if you like.
You will spend WAY more time from San Simeon to SF looking at things. We took all day from San Luis Obispo to get to Pacific Grove with all the picture stops!
A stop at the stop at the Rock Store http://www.rock-store.com/ for lunch is pretty cool and you get to ride in the Mulholland Drive Canyons as well.
We had a BLAST doing this trip, and we had 13 days and still didn't have enough time!
We left LA late morning (11am), went to see the Hollywood sign, and overnighted in Solvang, where they have a sweet MC museum.
We also spent a few days in San Luis Obispo, checking out Morro Bay and the area. We did a special night tour of Hearst Castle, which covers most of the areas, albeit quickly, and is better than a regular tour, imo. You MUST pre-order your tickets online or you won't get them, and they book quick.
Once you leave Santa Monica, depending on time, try to hit Cold Spring Tavern, an old stage coach stop for lunch, http://www.coldspringtavern.com/
On your way up to SF, run up (and down) the Naciemiento Highway for some incredible views of the PCH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacimiento-Fergusson_Road
Once you hit Carmel/Pacific Grove area, you can take a detour over to the coast (can't ride 17 Mile drive, sorry) where you can ride Ocean Dr in Pacific Grove, which is almost as nice. 1 north from there is a little nicer than 101, but if you want to make time, take 101.
Once in SF you can go across the bridge and hit Muir Woods National Park http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm and see the redwoods if you like.
You will spend WAY more time from San Simeon to SF looking at things. We took all day from San Luis Obispo to get to Pacific Grove with all the picture stops!
A stop at the stop at the Rock Store http://www.rock-store.com/ for lunch is pretty cool and you get to ride in the Mulholland Drive Canyons as well.
We had a BLAST doing this trip, and we had 13 days and still didn't have enough time!