Hoping to discover the perfect locations in California and round? Try these wonderful highway journeys from Los Angeles!
There are such a lot of wonderful locations to take a look at on highway journeys from Los Angeles.
Head north to take a look at the charming metropolis of San Francisco, the scenic cliffs of Large Sur, or the majestic peaks of Yosemite.
Or head south or west to discover San Diego, hike within the distant deserts of Joshua Tree Nationwide Park, or try Palm Springs.
You may even tackle longer highway journeys and discover the highlights of Utah and Arizona, each of that are residence to some unimaginable nationwide parks.
Highway journeys round Los Angeles are the most effective methods to understand the wonders of western USA. You may follow the LA space and drive via well-known seashore cities like Santa Monica and Laguna Seashore in your means up or down the coast. Or you’ll be able to tackle a week-long expedition and drive a number of hundred miles to otherworldly deserts, forests, and mountains.
There are such a lot of choices! So when you’re hoping to discover extra of western USA, contemplate a few of these wonderful highway journeys!
16 Finest Highway Journeys From Los Angeles, California
Listed here are among the prime highway journeys from Los Angeles! Whether or not you need a fast highway journey that’s 2 hours or much less, otherwise you need an bold weekend highway journey into one other state, you’ve loads of choices.
On this record, the longest highway journeys are nonetheless below 8 hours. So any of those may be carried out on a weekend highway journey. Some can simply be day journeys from Los Angeles as effectively.
The distances and driving instances listed characterize a straight shot from LA to the vacation spot. If you wish to have a extra leisurely highway journey and cease at some areas alongside the way in which, the distances and driving instances will probably be higher. You may as well select a extra scenic route that will take longer, however will probably be definitely worth the drive.
The easiest way to get round is to hire a automobile and discover by yourself! We advocate Rental Automobiles, which has the most important vary of automobiles for the perfect worth available on the market.
Lake Tahoe
- Distance from Los Angeles: 442 miles
- Driving time: 7 hours and quarter-hour
Lake Tahoe is fairly removed from Los Angeles, but it surely’s the most effective weekend getaways! This beautiful lake straddles the border between California and Nevada and is the most important alpine lake in North America.
Guests flock right here 12 months spherical for outside adventures. You may go mountaineering and boating in the summertime or snowboarding and snowboarding within the winter.
South Lake Tahoe is a very common spot as a result of it’s residence to Emerald Bay State Park. This is without doubt one of the most lovely locations in Lake Tahoe, full with crystal-clear waters and plush forests. A boat tour round South Lake Tahoe is without doubt one of the greatest methods to soak within the pure fantastic thing about the world.
In winter, vacationers head as much as the snowy mountains on the north shore of Lake Tahoe the place you’ll be able to ski and snowboard on the varied resorts. In summer time the north shore of Lake Tahoe can also be wonderful for kayaking or paddleboarding.
San Diego
- Distance from Los Angeles: 120 miles
- Driving time: 2.5 hours
Simply 2.5 hours south of Los Angeles lies the fabulous metropolis of San Diego. For those who’re searching for a fast and straightforward highway journey from Los Angeles, the drive from Los Angeles to San Diego is a beautiful one!
Go the coastal route to take a look at all the perfect seashores and cities in Southern California.
As you head south out of LA, go to Huntington Seashore, Newport Seashore, or Laguna Seashore for some sunshine and browsing.
When you arrive in San Diego, it’s price spending at the least a number of days right here as there are such a lot of issues to do. This sunny metropolis is also known as “America’s Best Metropolis” and boasts an array of points of interest that swimsuit all vacationers!
You may discover the strolling trails and museums of Balboa Park, or go kayaking or snorkeling in La Jolla Cove. You may go bar-hopping within the stylish Gaslamp Quarter, or tackle some unimaginable coastal walks in Torrey Pines State Pure Reserve.
San Diego can also be residence to enjoyable and charming coastal neighborhoods like Pacific Seashore and Ocean Seashore. For those who’re searching for an epic weekend in Southern California, San Diego is the place to be!
Discover extra concepts close by with these day journeys from San Diego.
Joshua Tree Nationwide Park
- Distance from Los Angeles: 131 miles
- Driving time: 2 hours and quarter-hour
One other the most effective highway journeys from Los Angeles is Joshua Tree Nationwide Park. It’s solely a few hours from the town, so it’s a handy day journey or weekend journey.
Joshua Tree is one in all California’s most well-known nationwide parks, and it’s a tremendous place to spend a day or weekend of mountaineering, tenting, backpacking, and stargazing.
Spanning over 790,000 acres, Joshua Tree Nationwide Park encompasses two distinct desert ecosystems: the Mojave Desert, the place the long-lasting Joshua bushes thrive, and the Colorado Desert, characterised by decrease elevations and a distinct array of desert flora.
Guests are drawn to the park’s surreal surroundings, which incorporates huge desert plains, rugged mountains, and intriguing geological formations like Cranium Rock and Arch Rock. You may as well discover the distinctive Joshua tree within the park, therefore the identify. These distinctive bushes star in essentially the most well-known images of Joshua Tree Nationwide Park and are a standout characteristic of the panorama.
Past its pure magnificence, Joshua Tree Nationwide Park is a spot of cultural and historic significance, with a lot of Native American artwork and artifacts scattered across the park.
The hanging nature and engaging historical past make this one of the visited nationwide parks in Southern California.
Las Vegas
- Distance from Los Angeles: 275 miles
- Driving time: 5 hours
Los Angeles is simply a 5 hour drive from one other one of many USA’s most iconic cities: Las Vegas!
Las Vegas, or Sin Metropolis, makes a straightforward weekend highway journey from LA. The route between the 2 cities takes you thru Mojave Nationwide Protect, an enormous desert panorama identified for its numerous ecosystems, towering sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and historic websites.
When you arrive in Las Vegas, there are such a lot of enjoyable issues to do!
Las Vegas is known for its iconic Strip, a 4.2-mile stretch lined with opulent motels, bustling casinos, and dazzling neon lights.
Guests can discover a big selection of themed resorts, from the opulent Bellagio with its mesmerizing fountain reveals to the Venetian, which provides gondola rides alongside recreated Venetian canals.
Town’s leisure choices are limitless, that includes top-tier performances by globally acclaimed artists, Broadway-style reveals, and quite a lot of nightlife venues starting from stylish nightclubs to intimate lounges.
For these in search of a break from the craziness, the character round Las Vegas is nice for exploring. You may try Purple Rock Canyon, Valley of Hearth State Park, and the well-known Hoover Dam.
Santa Barbara
- Distance from Los Angeles: 94 miles
- Driving time: 2 hours
Santa Barbara is an absolute gem of the California coast that’s simply 2 hours from the guts of downtown Los Angeles. It’s a well-liked day journey vacation spot or weekend getaway from the town.
Town is usually referred to as the “American Riviera,” because of its Mediterranean local weather, beautiful seashores, and Spanish colonial structure.
Town’s lovely shoreline, with pristine sandy shores like East Seashore and Butterfly Seashore, provides loads of alternatives for water actions resembling browsing, crusing, and sunbathing.
Stearns Wharf is a well-liked spot in Santa Barbara the place you will discover ocean views and many choices for eating, purchasing, and leisure.
Town can also be residence to quite a few museums and cultural establishments, together with the Santa Barbara Museum of Artwork, the Santa Barbara Historic Museum, and the long-lasting Previous Mission Santa Barbara, often called the “Queen of the Missions.”
Wine lovers may try the close by Santa Ynez Valley wine nation and its beautiful wine tasting rooms. This resort city is the right place to spend a weekend in California!
Discover extra wonderful issues to do in Santa Barbara!
Demise Valley Nationwide Park
- Distance from Los Angeles: 220 miles
- Driving time: 3 hours and quarter-hour
Nature lovers searching for cool highway journeys in California ought to contemplate a visit to Demise Valley Nationwide Park.
As the most popular, driest, and lowest nationwide park in the USA, it contains a numerous array of environments, from the salt flats of Badwater Basin, the bottom level in North America at 282 toes beneath sea degree, to the towering sand dunes of Mesquite Flat.
The park’s dramatic surroundings contains the colourful Artist’s Palette, the rugged canyons of Golden Canyon and Mosaic Canyon, and the panoramic vistas from Dante’s View and Zabriskie Level. These landscapes showcase the uncooked, untamed fantastic thing about the desert.
Regardless of its harsh setting, Demise Valley is residence to a stunning number of life. Cool vegetation resembling creosote bushes, cacti, and wildflowers bloom within the spring after uncommon rainfalls. Wildlife, together with bighorn sheep, coyotes, and quite a lot of birds and reptiles, thrive in Demise Valley as effectively.
A highway journey to Demise Valley is greatest accomplished in spring, autumn, or winter, because the summer time temperatures may be scorching!
The Grand Canyon
- Distance from Los Angeles: 496 miles
- Driving time: 7.5 hours
One of many longer highway journeys from Los Angeles is Grand Canyon Nationwide Park, however you’ll be able to simply full the drive in a day. Then spend a number of days taking up the mountaineering trails and admiring the scenic viewpoints of this pure surprise!
The Grand Canyon is unquestionably one of the unimaginable locations in North America. Situated in northern Arizona, the canyon stretches 277 miles in size, as much as 18 miles in width, and plunges over a mile deep.
Carved by the Colorado River, the distinctive pure shapes and colours of the Grand Canyon are merely jaw-dropping. Helicopter excursions are one of the best ways to see all of the sights of the huge canyon, as are off-road jeep excursions.
The South Rim provides quite a few viewpoints, trails, and customer facilities, making it the most well-liked space for guests within the Grand Canyon. The less-visited North Rim, open seasonally, provides a extra secluded expertise with equally spectacular views and rugged magnificence.
Wherever you select to spend your time, a go to to the Grand Canyon is all the time price it!
Palm Springs
- Distance from Los Angeles: 107 miles
- Driving time: 1 hour and 50 minutes
Palm Springs, nestled within the Coachella Valley of Southern California, is a desert resort metropolis famend for its luxurious spas, sizzling springs, and mid-century fashionable structure.
Town is dotted with iconic palm-lined streets, upscale boutiques, and artwork galleries, creating a classy and relaxed environment.
The higher Palm Springs space is filled with pure magnificence as effectively. The close by San Jacinto Mountains are nice for mountaineering, horseback using, and mountaineering, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway provides breathtaking views because it ascends over the mountains.
Golf fanatics will discover world-class programs in Palm Springs, every with beautiful backdrops of desert vistas. These eager about historical past and tradition can find out about Native American historical past on the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum.
From sizzling springs, to golf, to mountaineering and extra, Palm Springs is a straightforward getaway from LA and has one thing for everybody.
San Francisco
- Distance from Los Angeles: 393 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 hours
Embark on a highway journey up via central California and take a look at San Francisco, one other one of the iconic cities on the West Coast.
You may drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco direct in simply 5.5 hours. Or you’ll be able to take a scenic route alongside the Central Coast and see the wonders of the Pacific Coast Freeway.
Both means, there may be a lot to do in San Francisco and it’s undoubtedly price spending a number of days right here.
Town’s most recognizable image is the Golden Gate Bridge, which is a must-see. Close by, guests can discover Golden Gate Park, a sprawling city oasis that includes gardens, museums just like the California Academy of Sciences, and the serene Japanese Tea Backyard.
San Francisco can also be identified for its tradition, delicacies, and variety. Highlights of the town embrace the bustling Fisherman’s Wharf, the ocean lion colony at Pier 39, the historic landmarks at Alcatraz Island, and the genuine meals in Chinatown.
See extra of the town’s vibrant arts scene on the San Francisco Museum of Trendy Artwork, or within the vibrant Mission District. From its steep streets lined with historic cable vehicles to its panoramic views from Twin Peaks and Alamo Sq., San Francisco has a lot to supply vacationers!
Lengthen your drive with this San Francisco To Seattle Highway Journey!
Yosemite Nationwide Park
- Distance from Los Angeles: 281 miles
- Driving time: 4.5 hours
Not removed from San Francisco lies one in all North America’s most breathtaking nationwide parks: Yosemite. You may highway journey right here from LA and spend a weekend tenting, mountaineering, and exploring on this oasis of pure magnificence.
Yosemite Nationwide Park showcases the towering granite cliffs, majestic waterfalls, historical large sequoias, and numerous ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The granite monoliths of El Capitan and Half Dome are world-famous for his or her difficult rock-climbing routes and beautiful vistas.
Yosemite Valley, carved by glaciers and framed by sheer granite partitions, is the guts of the park and residential to iconic landmarks like Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Falls, and the tranquil Merced River.
The park has limitless trails, starting from simple walks to strenuous backcountry treks, showcasing the park’s pure wonders and numerous wildlife. Guests can get pleasure from actions resembling tenting, fishing, birdwatching, and pictures amidst the park’s pristine wilderness.
Bryce Canyon Nationwide Park
- Distance from Los Angeles: 533 miles
- Driving time: 7 hours and 45 minutes
One other bold nationwide park expedition from Los Angeles is Bryce Canyon Nationwide Park in Utah. Highway journeys into Utah are filled with distinctive pure landmarks and sights. These searching for spectacular desert landscapes might dedicate a full weekend or longer to exploring the wonders of Utah on a highway journey from Los Angeles.
Bryce Canyon is situated in southern Utah, making it one of many closest Utah parks to Los Angeles. Zion Nationwide Park can also be close by, so you could possibly simply mix Zion and Bryce Canyon Nationwide Parks into one highway journey.
Bryce Canyon Nationwide Park is thought for its intricate rock formations referred to as hoodoos. The Bryce Amphitheater options many of those tall, spire-like formations which you’ll be able to view from scenic viewpoints like Bryce Level and Inspiration Level.
For those who go to Zion Nationwide Park on the way in which to Bryce Canyon, you’ll be able to try towering sandstone cliffs, slender slot canyons just like the well-known Zion Narrows, and the verdant Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.
Guests can hike alongside picturesque trails resembling Angels Touchdown and the Emerald Swimming pools, or embark on adventurous actions like canyoneering and mountaineering.
Large Bear Lake
- Distance from Los Angeles: 96 miles
- Driving time: 1 hour and 55 minutes
A preferred highway journey for Californians hoping to flee the warmth is Large Bear Lake. Slightly below 2 hours from LA, Large Bear Lake is ideal for fishing, boating, and water sports activities through the hotter months.
Surrounding the lake, the San Bernardino Nationwide Forest supplies miles of mountaineering and mountain biking trails.
Within the winter, Large Bear transforms right into a snowy wonderland, attracting guests for snowboarding, snowboarding, and tubing on the close by Snow Summit and Bear Mountain resorts.
The city of Large Bear Lake provides a captivating mountain retreat with quite a lot of lodging, eating places, and outlets catering to guests all year long.
The village space, identified for its Bavarian-style structure and comfortable environment, has cute boutiques, artwork galleries, and eating places serving all the pieces from hearty mountain fare to gourmand delicacies. It’s a beloved vacation vacation spot in California!
Learn subsequent: 20 Finest Locations To Go to In California
Kings Canyon Nationwide Park
- Distance from Los Angeles: 242 miles
- Driving time: 3 hours and 50 minutes
Hoping to admire California’s iconic forests with out heading all the way in which as much as the Redwoods of Northern California? It’s below 4 hours from Los Angeles to Kings Canyon Nationwide Park and the close by Sequoia Nationwide Park in Central California.
Kings Canyon Nationwide Park is a pristine wilderness space identified for its deep granite canyons, towering peaks, and historical large sequoias. The park is adjoining to Sequoia Nationwide Park and collectively they kind a UNESCO World Heritage web site.
Kings Canyon options one of many deepest canyons in North America, plunging greater than a mile from its rim to the valley flooring. The spectacular Kings River flows via the canyon, creating beautiful waterfalls like Roaring River Falls and Grizzly Falls.
Guests to Kings Canyon Nationwide Park can discover quite a lot of ecosystems, from the luxurious forests of large sequoias within the Grant Grove space to the alpine meadows and rugged peaks of the excessive Sierra. This is without doubt one of the greatest highway journeys for nature lovers!
Large Sur
- Distance from Los Angeles: 347 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 hours
One of many USA’s most iconic highway journeys is Large Sur, a gem of California’s central coast and a notable cease alongside the Pacific Coast Freeway.
From Los Angeles, head north up the Pacific Coast Freeway and cross fabulous locations like Venice Seashore, Santa Monica, Malibu, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.
When you arrive in Large Sur, you’ll be blown away by the dramatic coastal surroundings right here. Snap some images of the well-known Bixby Creek Bridge, hike to the secluded McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and soak within the solar at Pfeiffer Seashore or Sand Greenback Seashore.
Large Sur is a stunning a part of California and there are many cozy campgrounds and lodges for many who need to lengthen their highway journey.
You would additionally mix Large Sur along with your highway journey as much as San Francisco, or lengthen the journey even additional and drive your complete Pacific Coast Freeway as much as Washington!
Try these 15 Day Journeys From San Francisco for extra locations to discover within the space.
Phoenix
- Distance from Los Angeles: 372 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 hours
Phoenix, the capital metropolis of Arizona, makes an epic weekend highway journey from LA. Surrounded by the magical fantastic thing about the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix is a haven for outside enjoyable.
These hoping to hike can climb the close by Camelback Mountain and South Mountain Park, and Phoenix can also be identified for its world-class golf programs. Go paddling on Canyon Lake or tackle a trek within the close by Tonto Nationwide Forest.
These searching for extra cultural points of interest within the metropolis can try the assorted eating places, markets, museums, and outlets round Phoenix.
Town’s downtown space options the Roosevelt Row Arts District, residence to galleries, boutiques, and vibrant avenue artwork, in addition to the Heard Museum, which reveals Native American artwork and tradition.
With its mix of pure magnificence, cultural richness, and leisure alternatives, Phoenix is filled with enjoyable issues to do!
Napa Valley
- Distance from Los Angeles: 413 miles
- Driving time: 6 hours
Wine lovers seeking to pattern among the USA’s greatest wines ought to contemplate a highway journey to Napa Valley!
Situated in Northern California’s wine nation, Napa Valley is famend worldwide for its picturesque vineyards, advantageous wines, and gourmand delicacies. This fertile area is residence to over 400 wineries, starting from small family-owned estates to massive, well-established vineyards.
Guests to Napa Valley can get pleasure from wine tastings and excursions at world-class wine-tasting rooms, the place they’ll pattern quite a lot of wines together with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot.
Napa Valley additionally has wonderful eating places, cute outlets, and scenic walks within the space’s charming cities like Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga.
Mix wine tasting with sightseeing on the long-lasting Napa Valley Wine Practice, or select wine tasting excursions that mix Napa with the close by Sonoma Valley wineries for a well-rounded wine expertise.
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