San Francisco To Joshua Tree - The Ultimate One Week Road Trip
Although I am firmly rooted in the Canadian Rockies, from 2019-2022 I spent the majority of my time in San Francisco (or, SF as anyone who has spent time knows to refer to it as). And, as we all know, this was also a time of sticking a little close to home (wherever you were calling home those days). As the world began to open up, so did the radius in which you were exploring. Cue me becoming a (self proclaimed) expert on this drive. With my partner living in SF and my parents in Phoenix, the drive between the two became a relatively common occurrence. Taking new roads, stopping in small towns and checking out all of the best coffee.
In the winter I would argue that this is one of the best road trips you can take in North America. Unless you are very unlucky (or lucky depending on your tolerance for the cold) it is unlikely that you will run into any snow along the route and in this one week you will be able to experience so much of what California has to offer - from one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world to the coastline, the thick redwood forest and into the high desert.
Thank you to Kelsey Williamson, Mitchel Jones and Shannon Christerson for helping with the images featured in this blog post.
As a note: I have done this trip several times in a Tesla and included notes regarding charging in the more remote areas of this road trip.
itinerary:
I built this with all of my favourite places in mind, longer driving days reserved for the less interesting parts of the drive and a little but of extra time in the places I love most. I tried to include all of my favourite coffee and food along the way and all of the hiking, relaxing and roadside stops that made me fall in love with this drive.
San Francisco - Santa Cruz - Big Sur - Pismo Beach - New Cuyama - Joshua Tree
San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Where to watch sunrise in San Francisco:
Hawk Hill / Battery Spencer - it is hard to argue that these are not the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise. Hawk Hill is closed to motor vehicles until after sunrise but you can park along the road (there are several parking lots) and walk the short distance up the hill. Otherwise, Battery Spencer is the quintessential Golden gate viewpoint. Be mindful to not leave valuables any for vehicle as this is a high break-in parking lot.
Mount Tam - check the sunrise time before you head out as the gate up to Mount Tam does not open until 7am and closes again at sunset (don’t quote me on this but in my experience you can watch sunset and still make it down before they lock the gates if you are quick)
The intersection of California Street and Stockton Street has an incredible view of the Bay Bridge and in springtime if you catch the light just right it is the most beautiful spot in the city to watch sunrise (a photo of that is near the bottom of this blog)
One of my favourite views of SF at sunrise isn’t even in the city, but a short bridge drive away in Treasure Island looking back at the Bay Bridge and the city skyline (below)
Where to get coffee in San Francisco:
The Coffee Movement - this one will be tricky to drive to as parking is a pain but it is my favourite coffee shop in the bay.
Phil Coffee - Marina Green - ample parking - great coffee - closed on Mondays.
Soul Grind Coffee Roasters - Pacifica (if you’re already on your way out of the city)
The original Bluebottle Coffee location - San Jose (if not taking costal route)
Where to get breakfast in San Francisco:
Kitchen Sunnyside in Mill Valley of you are looking for something more robust.
Golden Gate Market - if you are already on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge this little market and coffee shop has some of my favourite breakfast burritos in the Bay as well as great coffee and road trip supplies (aka snacks).
Where to stop along the way:
Stop at the Pacifica Taco Bell
Hike to Pedro Point
Greyhound Rock
Shark Fin Cove
Panther/Hole in the Wall Beach
Scott Creek Beach
If you want to stick closer to Santa Cruz you can not go wring with taking in the sunset from the warf.
Where to sleep in Santa Cruz:
I car camped here and would highly recommend it. It is 25 minutes from the Santa Cruz board walk and they offer car camping (bring your own tent) as well as a variety of yurts, tiny houses and glamping tents. The property is located up in the mountains and feels extremely secluded - just you and the redwood trees. You can read more about my favourite glamping/camping trips in California including more information and photos of this property below.
And if you are new to HipCamp you can Click Here to save $10 on your first booking.
Santa Cruz to Big Sur
What do do when you wake up:
Enjoy a slow morning at camp. Unless you feel like making the trek down into Santa Cruz, make yourself a cup of coffee - you can check out a little video I made from my morning coffee here.
Where to get coffee and breakfast in Santa Cruz:
The Point Market - Santa Cruz - Breakfast burritos (cash only) - do not skip this
Verve Coffee
Where to eat in Big Sur:
I typically opt for making my own food when camping - but if that is not your speed check out Nepthene, Sierra Mar, Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn or any of the hotels in the area.
Where to sleep in Big Sur:
While there is no shortage of incredible (and extremely expensive) places to stay in Big Sur, that is not typically how I travel. These are a few really cool and relatively inexpensive places to stay - I would recommend booking out in advance and they fill up fast!
Ventana Glamping Tents
Ventana Camping
Kirk Creek Campground
Treebones Resort Glamping
Note: there is a Tesla Supercharger on the Ventana property but it is the only supercharger in Big Sur.
About Big Sur
The most popular time to go is from April to October. The weather is the nicest but it’s also the most crowded.
In the winter you can go on whale watching tours (I believe weekends only).
The highway is only closed one day of every year, in April, for the Big Sur Marathon. I ran it in 2018 and it was one of the hardest (SO much elevation gain) and most beautiful races of my life.
There is no service in Big Sur, so plan ahead aside from in the small town and most places do not have wifi.
Check current road conditions since there are landslides and fires that can close the roads.
Everything in the area is very expensive from food to lodging. If you want to save money, you can pack your own meals and snacks.
Big Sur
When you wake up in Big Sur:
Stay at camp, relax, make a cup of coffee and watch the sun trickle in the redwoods if at Ventana, or head to the beach. With the way Big Sur sits, it is normally a few hours after sunrise that the sun will peak over the mountains. As well, there are frequent cloud inversions in the area so I like to keep my mornings in Big Sur a little quieter with low expectations.
Stop by Big Sur Bakery for breakfast and coffee (on weekends there will be a very long line, just a heads up)
What to do in Big Sur :
The best thing to do (in my opinion) is to just drive, stop at every pull out. Take photos, be a tourist, have fun. Some of my favourite stops are:
McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer State Park
Pfeiffer beach
Point Sur Lighthouse
Bixby Bridge
Henry Miller Memorial Library
Limekin Falls
Sand Dollar Beach – the largest beach in Big Sur
Cone Peak Summit Trail - 3.5 mile hike, out and back, the tallest peak in Big Sur.
Jade Cove Trail – 1.5 mile loop, moderate difficulty.
Andrew Molera State Park
Big Sur to Pismo Beach
Drive : Approximately 115 miles
Where to get breakfast and coffee in south Big Sur:
Aside from heading back to the Big Sur Bakery (which is never a bad option but may be in the opposite direction) you might be on your own here. I just make some coffee at camp and as I do not typically eat until around lunchtime anyways, I will wait until I am in San Louis Obispo to eat.
Note: do not stop in San Simeon - just keep driving. I always want to have a great experience here but have had nothing but overpriced terrible coffee and even worse breakfast burritos. Make the drive to SLO and stop at Scout coffee.
Where to stop on your drive:
Continue your drive south, think about stopping at any or all of these spots along the way:
Ragged Point
San Carpoforo Creek Beach
Piedras Blancas Light Station
Hike Boucher Trail - there are so many seals here!
Hearst Castle (see the Zebras!)
Where to eat in Pismo Beach:
Some great spots in San Louis Obispo, Pismo Beach and Morro Bay that you can’t go wrong with:
The Neighborhood Juice Bar
Papas Thai Cafe
Luna Red
The Rooftop bar at the SLO Hotel
Papi’s Grill - Pismo Beach - get the fish tacos and if they have ceviche as their nightly special, also pick that up.
Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant in Morro Bay
What to do in Pismo Beach:
Go to Morro Bay Beach for sunset
Check out Pismo Beach for sunrise or hang out on the pier with a drink for sunset.
Where to spend the night in Pismo:
Kon Tiki Inn - Pismo Beach
We stayed at the Morro Strand SB Campgrounds and would not recommend it. It is effectively a (rather expensive) parking lot filled with RVs and if you can not sleep in your vehicle there are very few places to set up a tent.
Pismo Beach to New Cuyama
Drive : Approximately 69 miles
Where to get coffee in San Louis Obsipo:
Scout Coffee - San Luis Obispo - this is possibly my favourite coffee in California and I have been known on occasion to drive from SF to SLO just to have a cup of coffee and pick up some beans. Do not skip this stop.
Where to eat in New Cuyama:
Cuyama Buckhorn restaurant - get the burgers and tacos - you will not be disappointed. There are not a lot of options in town, but thankfully they have an amazing restaurant and bar.
What to do in New Cuyama:
To be fair most of what I do when I am in New Cuyama is hang out in town. Make food, grab coffee. If staying at the Cuyama Buckhorn you have access to all of their amenities including a heated swimming pool, sauna, several indoor and outdoor lounge areas and enough activities to fill several trips. But a few more adventurous things to do are:
Hike Caliente Mountain
Visit Carrizo Plain National Monument to explore salt flats, grasslands, see the San Andreas Fault, hike to cave paintings, and see some of California’s best wildflowers (in April/May)
Stargaze at Mt. Pinos
Go for a hike in Los Padres national Forest - check out McPherson trail
Where to sleep in New Cuyama:
Big Sky Resort - this was what originally brought me to the area. In 2020 I was in San Francisco for (American) Thanksgiving and as my partner and I did not have friends or family in the city I decided to surprise him with a little road trip south. I found Big Sky Resort via HipCamp and fell in love with it. I mention this in the below blog - but if you are going in the winter months I would recommend bringing extra bedding or sleeping bags with you. And if you are new to HipCamp you can Click Here to save $10 on your first booking.
Cuyama Buckhorn was where we stayed our second trip in 2022. In 2020 we spent a lot of time in their restaurant (the food is amazing but also, Big Sky Resort did not have heat and I was freezing).
Camp at Reyes Creek or Aliso Park Campgrounds
Note: Cuyama Buckhorn does offer Tesla (and non Tesla EV) charging for its guests at no cost (as of April 2022)
New Cuyama to Joshua Tree
Drive: Approximately 250 miles - there are a few routes to make this drive, in all honesty none are terribly scenic. The faster goes south near LA which allows more opportunity to pick up groceries (I love to detour into Palm Springs for a quick Trader Joes run) the second route I ahem taken is slightly more north through Victorville which, in the late spring will give you the most incredible poppy fields imaginable.
Where to get coffee in Joshua Tree:
Joshua Tree Coffee Roasters is an amazing local coffee shop, I pop by every time I am passing by - grab a latte and a bag of beans.
Where to eat in Joshua Tree:
Red Dog Saloon (Pioneertown) - go for dinner, get a Paloma and some tacos and enjoy the live music on the patio
Pappy + Harriet's (Pioneertown) - maybe the most famous restaurant in the area, I personally prefer Red Dog Saloon but if you are a big smoked meat eater - this is a great option for you and often has really impressive live music lineups on weekends
Crossroads Cafe is a great very traditional American breakfast restaurant that I pop into at least once every trip
Joshua Tree Country Kitchen is another great American breakfast restaurant. I will not say it is healthy but - we both know that does not matter on a road trip!
Where to sleep in Joshua Tree:
There are a ton of really cool Airbnbs in Joshua Tree, my personal favourite and where I always stay (when it is available) is The Ox House
Camp in Joshua Tree National Park - but book in advance it fills up SO fast!
Note: the Ox House does have a Tesla Charger at its property for guest use and since we were last there they have a small guise suite and hot tub!!
Joshua Tree National Park
I love Joshua Tree. And have written a more in-depth guide to visiting this park (it is the only US national Park I have done this for… so far) which should tell you show much there is to do and see here. You can find that here.
If you are heading back to SF, it is approximately 500 miles direct, 600 miles along the coast or a short 1h25 minute flight from Palm Springs to SF.
This is a long day of driving so download your favourite podcast or a new audiobook. You can obviously break this up with any of the stops listed above or anywhere that your eyelids feel heavy.
road trip packing list
As this was a mix between hotels, camping, glamping and car camping this list is a little messy. I try my best to pack only the essentials (yes I realize the irony of writing that as I suggest bringing a full coffee setup) while also having everything I want or need with me.
Clothing and personal items:
I have dozens of packing lists for nearly every occasion but a few seem to make their way on (nearly) every list. These are my five items I always have on hand. My go to down jacket, cozy sweater, the most butter soft leggings that stay up really well and footwear for both hiking and lounging at camp.
Cooking supplies:
REI Co-op Cool Haul 24 Soft Cooler - I packed this with frozen water bottles and all of my perishable food, and three days later, a drive from Phoenix in 100°F to Big Sur and two nights camping and the ice was still mostly frozen when we got back to San Francisco.
Snow Peak Charcuterie Plate (double duty as a cutting board)
Hydro Flask Flatware Set (a little heavy for backpacking)
Coffee supplies:
Fellow Stagg Pour-Over Kettle (note that the fog grey colour is a Fellow x Blue Bottle collaboration that can be found here but is often out of stock)
Car camping set up:
I have two blogs on this! One if you are looking to car camp in a tent, and the other for if you happen to have a Tesla and want to check out camp mode. They both have full packing guides and a few tip and tricks for making things more comfortable.
Glamping set up:
You can check out my glamping packing guide below and see a little video of how it all packs together here.
*Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission on any purchase made - at no additional cost to you. As always, all ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Thank you for your support!
