The Pacific Coast Highway has been on our bucket list since for years. And if I had to guess, I would say that it’s a line item that you would likely find on most bucket lists. California is a huge state, and there’s so much to see and explore. It can be kind of intimidating. Where do you even start?
We honestly hadn’t planned on traveling this way at first. We left Idaho in route to Florida. So why did we travel so far the wrong way? That answer is in our last post.
One thing became evidently clear as soon as we reached the coast…you should NOT be pulling a trailer or traveling in an RV of any kind, unless it’s a Class B (camper van). The road is extremely tight and very winding. Sharp turns are not your best friend when you’re an RVer. We measure in at over 50ft long when we’re hooked up to our fifth wheel. Our camper, itself, is 35ft long. So when we saw a sign that said Motorhomes longer than 35ft cannot be on this road, we figured we could sneak by.
Let me just say, THANK GOODNESS it wasn’t tourist season! In the 40+ miles we spent driving the very north portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, we only passed a handful of other cars. We spent the majority of our time crossing the middle line in order to make the tight turns. Hindsight is always 20/20, and we should never have been on that road.
BUT, it was a gorgeous drive! The views are unbelievable, even though we never saw the most popular portions of the Pacific Coast Highway. There are plenty of scenic overlooks to quickly stop off and snap some pictures. And believe me, you’ll be taking a ton of pictures.
By the time we got to our campground in Fort Bragg, we were pretty road weary. Staying alert on roads like that takes its toll, and I wish we would have had the time to do it differently. Regardless, it was wonderful and beautiful, and I’m so glad we were able to even see the portion that we did.
But RVers beware! Especially if you’re pulling a trailer or fifth wheel, don’t try to attempt driving the road. I would highly recommend planning another route to your campground, then unhook or rent a small vehicle to go exploring with.
We suggest taking Highway 20 to get to Fort Bragg, then go exploring either north or south on the Pacific Coast Highway in a proper vehicle.
