United States to United States
Redwoods, the whole Oregon coast and the Columbia Gorge to finish, on the quiet half of the west coast.
Direct
1015 km
630.7 mi
Scenic route
1250 km
776.7 mi
Days
4
about 10.7 hr direct
Tolls
£6
one way, per car
The drive
Everyone drives Big Sur. Far fewer drive the northern half, which has bigger trees, emptier roads and a coastline that runs unbroken for 590 km.
Take the Avenue of the Giants through the redwoods, then hold US 101 all the way up Oregon. Every headland has a pull in and most of them are yours alone.
Finish inland on the Historic Columbia River Highway, hand built in 1913 and still the prettiest way into Portland.
July to September, when the coastal fog lifts earliest.
Worth the detour
Where to break the drive
Mendocino
Clifftop village and the tightest coast curves in California.
Bandon
Sea stacks and links golf on the southern Oregon coast.
Cannon Beach
Haystack Rock and an hour from Portland.
Questions
About 1015 km, roughly 630.7 miles, by the most direct route. The scenic version described here runs closer to 1250 km.
Around 10.7 hours of driving on the direct route, which most people split over two days. The scenic route takes 4 days without rushing.
Budget about £6 one way per car in tolls, vignettes and crossings, before fuel and hotels.
July to September, when the coastal fog lifts earliest.
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