United States, California
Highway 1 south, the Marin headlands north and the wine country roads inland.
First instinct from San Francisco: head north over the Golden Gate.
Scored roads in range
4
Nearest great road
86 mi
Best rated nearby
9.5 / 10
Shortest full loop
4 hr 46 min
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 28 June 2026
60 to 150 km from the centre
Far enough to feel like a proper trip, close enough to be home for dinner.
Roughly 4 hr 46 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
150 to 400 km from the centre
Leave early, take the long way back and make a day of it.
Roughly 14 hr 58 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
112 mi away · California
The Pacific coast at its most theatrical, cliff curves above the open ocean.
145 km · 90.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.5 / 10
156 mi away · California
The steepest Sierra crossing, narrow and demanding with barely a car on it midweek.
77 km · 47.8 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
162 mi away · California
Yosemite high country, granite domes and meadows, then a drop to Mono Lake.
100 km · 62.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
Plan it
Nearby cities