Things to do / Travel Guide
Most visitors to the Northern California coast destinations north of San Francisco are likely driving north from the Bay Area or from Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. Others may be heading south from the Oregon Coast. Either way, the best way to get to the northern coastal area of California is by car. There is no rail service and only one airport, in Eureka, has commercial service.
Other than the fact that there is not much choice, driving the Northern California Coast is one of the great drives in the United States. Many prefer this stretch of the coast to the much more popular (crowded) and famous PCH from Monterrey south to Santa Barbara.
Flying to Northern California
If the 300 mile drive from San Francisco or the 400 miles to Portland is a bit much for a weekend among the redwoods, it is possible to fly to the area. Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV) has a few scheduled daily flights – mainly to San Francisco and Sacramento. Further north, the Del Norte County Airport in Crescent City has very limited service to San Francisco. Take a few more days off and drive.
Driving to Eureka, Mendocino and Bodega Bay
Coming from the South, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the town of Bodega Bay can be considered the gateway to the 350 northern miles of California's coastline. The quickest way to get started on the road trip is crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and continuing north on US-101. Head in the direction of the coast after Petaluma. A more scenic route, costing an extra half hour branches off to the coast on California Highway 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway) a few miles past the Golden Gate Bridge past Marin City. Unless you stop at Muir Woods or Point Reyes on the way north (you should), the trip will take about 2 hours.
Coming from Napa or Sonoma, just head west to the coast via Petaluma. Trip should take about an hour. If you would like to combine some time on the coast with some time with Volcanoes, bear in mind that the east-west roads in this part of the state are generally secondary roads. The best place to cross to the coast is at I-5 at Redding via State Road 299. The trip will take almost 3 hours but is quite scenic as it crosses Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Coming from Oregon – if you are already on the coast just keep on going south on US-101. If you are coming on I-5, the best place to head over to the coast is at Grants Pass, Oregon via US-199. That's a two hour drive partly through redwood forests.
Airports Serving Northern California Coast from Bodega Bay to Mendocino to Eureka
Getting-There
Oakland Metropolitan Intl Airport (OAK)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
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