Free Things to Do on
the Pacific Coast Highway
There are lots of free things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway and
here's our list of ten of them including wildlife, the best free views, and
free museums.
We're not including obvious free things like going to the beach, visiting the Point Reyes National Seashore, driving the coast of Big Sur, or stopping to look at Bixby Bridge, as you'll be doing those anyway. But here are ten things you can do that are all free of charge.
Visit Balboa Park in
San Diego
The Cactus Garden Is One of Balboa Park's Many Free Attractions
There's lots of free stuff to enjoy in Balboa Park in San Diego. The
Timken Museum is always free, and you can see some free outdoor displays at the
Mingei Museum, and other places.
There are several gardens to stroll around, playgrounds for kids, and other free attractions. See this page on the San Diego website, and see our own page on Visiting Balboa Park.
Our Pick of San Diego Guides
Get the Best Free
View of Los Angeles
Go to Griffith Park and head for the Griffith Observatory.
Here you get a sweeping panorama of Los Angeles that is the best free view in
the city. It's also free to visit the Griffith
Observatory itself, though donations are welcomed.
Our Pick of the LA Guides
Walk on Santa Monica
Pier
Santa Monica Pier - It's Free!
There's no charge to go on Santa Monica Pier and walk
around, to get good views out to sea from the end. See our full page on
historic Santa Monica Pier.
Elephant Seal Beach
Elephant Seals on Piedras Blancas Beach along the Pacific Coast Highway
A five-minute drive north of the entrance to Hearst Castle
is Piedras Blancas Beach, better-known as Elephant Seal Beach. We always stop
here when driving the Pacific Coast Highway to see the amazing sight of
hundreds, sometimes thousands, of elephant seals on the beach. See our full
page about Elephant Seal Beach.
Whale Watching
A Whale Breaching
Of course you can pay to take a whale-watching trip, which
we've done several times, and they're always good value for money. However, it
costs nothing to watch for whales from the coast. See our page on
Whale-Watching in California for the best times and places, and our page on Whale-Watching from the San Diego Shoreline.
See Thousands of Butterflies
Monarch Butterflies
Visit the free Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove
where thousands of monarch butterflies take their annual winter vacation from about November to February. You can look but you'd better not touch as disturbing the butterflies
can turn your free visit into one with a fine of $1,000!
Stroll Cannery Row
It costs nothing to stroll along Monterey's Cannery Row,
made famous by writer John Steinbeck, who was born about twenty miles (32 kms) away
in Salinas. Fisherman's Wharf is also free and it's fun to watch the sea-lions
that gather there.
Our Pick of the California Guides
See Free Museums in
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz may be best known for its boardwalk and amusement
park, but there's a cultural side to the city too. What's more, many of its
museums are free including the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, the San Lorenzo
Valley Historical Museum, the Capitola History Museum, and the Aptos History Museum.
Take a Free Tour of
San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
Whether you want to see the Golden Gate Bridge or Chinatown,
or any of the other 80 free tours they offer, check out the website of San Francisco City Guides for the full
list of the free city tours they offer.
Best Free
View of San Francisco
In Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum is only free to
everyone on the first Tuesday of each month, but access to its Hamon
Observation Tower is free. Just take the elevator from the lobby and you'll be
whisked to one of the best free views of San Francisco that you'll find.
Other California Coast pages
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through Laguna Beach, a relaxed artsy beach resort whose attractions include shopping, galleries, dining, and beaches.
PCH Travel picks the best time to visit Mendocino, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.
The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino on the California coast is an eco-resort with yoga classes and the award-winning Ravens Restaurant.
One of the best California coast guides is the California Coastal Access Guide, describing the coast’s beaches, National Parks, State Parks, with many maps.
This Visiting Hearst Castle page gives all the practicalities including location, types of tour, length of tours, how long to allow, and much more information.
Monterey in California is off the Pacific Coast Highway and home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey State Historic Park.
Santa Catalina Island, or Catalina Island, is off the shore of Southern California and reachable from Long Beach, San Pedro, Newport Beach, and Dana Point.
The Point Reyes National Seashore is an hour’s drive northwest of San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway and is maintained by the National Park Service.
San Simeon is a tiny town of a few hundred people close to Hearst Castle on the California coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.
The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.
Santa Monica Pier is just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica near Los Angeles, with an amusement park, an aquarium and many other attractions.
Pacific Grove is a small city on the California coast, next to Monterey and close to Carmel, with attractions including its historic Victorian houses.
Standing on the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Santa Barbara is an attractive resort with a historic downtown, sandy beaches, a mission, and good museums.
Mendocino in Mendocino County is a small but pretty California coastal town, popular with artists and with travelers. It has featured in many songs and movies.
Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.
Bodega Bay is a small California coastal town on the borders of Marin County and Sonoma County, and the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds.
San Luis Obispo in California is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on the Pacific Coast Highway and with lots of things to do and see.
There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.
Dana Point in California is the official start or end of the Pacific Coast Highway, and its attractions include whale watching, and Doheny State Beach.
Carlsbad is a beach city north of San Diego in southern California famous for its flower fields, LEGOLAND resort and water park, surfing and SEA LIFE Aquarium.
The Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on California's Central Coast has oceanfront views, swimming pool, gardens, and is right on the beach near Hearst Castle.
Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
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