Modern-Day Prospectors

Road trippers from all over the world make their way to California year-round to explore the Golden State’s vast and diverse landscape. From the classic route down Highway 1, known to locals as PCH, to lesser-known roads like these toward the untamed northern border, vacationers have nearly 400,000 miles of road to choose from across approximately 156,000 square miles.

Beautiful coves and high ocean bluffs line the edge of the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California between San Francisco and the Oregon border. Big Salmon Creek Beach on Whitesboro Cove is visible from the PCH as a bridge lifts it up and over the hill to Albion.

This abandoned roadside motel sits along Route 96 high in the Klamath Mountains. The area is home to the Bigfoot Trail which traverses 400 miles of the densely wooded forest. It is also home to a large swath of the legendary Pacific Crest Trail as it transitions into the Cascades.

Alpacas graze at a farm along Route 128 in California, a road that connects the 101 to the beach and takes drivers past scores of vineyards and winery tasting rooms. Sometimes called the, ‘wine road less traveled,’ the scenic route is a dramatic overview of the California landscape cutting through heavy redwoods and rolling hills until it connects with PCH, abutting ocean bluffs and wide seascapes.

The Marin Headlands are famous for their breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. But they're known for more than the view; the Headlands are a fascinating geologic formation that even creates its own clouds.

The Klamath National Forest in Northern California and Southern Oregon is one of the largest collections of conifers in the world including some of America's most legendary and recognizable species like Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and coast redwood.