State guide
California road trips
17 routes that start or end in California, and 21 stops worth pulling over for.
Popular starting points: road trips from LA · road trips from San Diego · road trips from San Francisco
Routes
LA to Palm Springs
107 mi · 1 hr 45 min
Under two hours without traffic, swapping the city for mid-century pools and the Aerial Tramway.
Las Vegas to Death Valley
123 mi · 2 hr 15 min
Two hours to the lowest point in North America. Go in winter, fill the tank in Pahrump, and loop back via Beatty and the Rhyolite ghost town.
LA to Joshua Tree
128 mi · 2 hr 15 min
A quick desert getaway past the Cabazon Dinosaurs. Stay in Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms for the stars.
San Diego to Joshua Tree
144 mi · 2 hr 30 min
Up through the Inland Empire or the back way through Julian and Anza-Borrego for wildflowers in spring.
San Francisco to Yosemite
188 mi · 4 hrs
Four hours through the Central Valley and Sierra foothills. Leave before dawn to reach Tunnel View early.
San Francisco to Lake Tahoe
188 mi · 3 hr 15 min
Three and a half hours on US-50 or I-80. Old Sacramento makes a good break, and in winter you'll need chains.
LA to Las Vegas
270 mi · 4 hr 15 min
America's most-driven road trip. The trick is when you leave: Friday afternoons and Sunday returns can double the drive time.
LA to Yosemite
310 mi · 5 hr 30 min
Up I-5 or CA-99 through the Central Valley, then CA-41 via Fresno to the south entrance. Mariposa Grove is your first stop.
Las Vegas to San Diego
331 mi · 5 hr 15 min
The I-15 corridor from Vegas to the coast. Plan stops in Yermo or Barstow, and start early to beat Inland Empire traffic.
San Diego to Phoenix
354 mi · 5 hr 30 min
I-8 east hugs the Mexican border past the Imperial Sand Dunes and Yuma's old territorial prison.
LA to Phoenix
373 mi · 5 hr 45 min
Five-plus hours of I-10 through the Coachella Valley and the open Sonoran Desert. Fuel up at Blythe before Arizona's emptiest stretch.
LA to San Francisco
382 mi · 6 hrs
I-5 is the fastest way north, about six hours with stops. This page covers that inland route.
Las Vegas to Yosemite
406 mi · 7 hr 45 min · 2 days
In summer the best route crosses Tioga Pass past Mono Lake and Bodie. In winter Tioga is closed and the drive is much longer.
LA to Zion
428 mi · 6 hr 45 min · 2 days
Fly-free access to Utah: through Vegas on I-15, with an overnight in St. George or Springdale.
LA to Sedona
478 mi · 7 hr 30 min · 2 days
A long desert day on I-10 or I-40. Break it up in Palm Springs or at the Route 66 towns.
LA to the Grand Canyon
491 mi · 7 hr 30 min · 2 days
I-40 across the Mojave, then Route 66 towns like Seligman and Williams before the South Rim. Most people split this into two days.
San Diego to the Grand Canyon
532 mi · 8 hr 30 min · 2 days
A long but simple drive inland through the desert. Split it at Flagstaff or Williams for a sunrise at the rim.
