United States · CA
The deepest set of great roads in the country, from Big Sur cliffs to Sierra passes and canyon roads that start inside Los Angeles.
Scored roads
6
Combined length
303.9 mi
Driving time
14 hr 5 min
Best season
May to October for the Sierra passes, all year on the coast
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. Scores combine driving quality and scenery, checked against current closure notices for California. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 14 April 2026
Ranked
01 · California
The Pacific coast at its most theatrical, cliff curves above the open ocean.
90.1 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10 · 4 hr 32 min
Landslide closures are frequent, check before setting out
02 · California
Yosemite high country, granite domes and meadows, then a drop to Mono Lake.
62.1 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · 2 hr 30 min
Closed from November to late May or June
03 · California
The steepest Sierra crossing, narrow and demanding with barely a car on it midweek.
47.8 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10 · 2 hr 24 min
Closed in winter, 26 percent gradients
04 · California
Los Angeles's mountain playground, hours of clean sweepers above the basin.
65.9 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · 3 hr 19 min
Snow closures on the high sections in winter
05 · California
The Santa Monica Mountains run every Los Angeles driver knows, ending at the Pacific.
21.1 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10 · 51 min
Heavily policed at weekends
06 · California
Cypress trees, crashing surf and Pebble Beach, best taken slowly at first light.
16.8 mi · Rating 8.5 / 10 · 29 min
Toll road, no motorbikes permitted
Planning
San Francisco for the north, Los Angeles for the canyons
May to October for the Sierra passes, all year on the coast
Allow roughly 3 days to drive all of these without rushing, plus transit time to reach the state.