Highway 101historic and scenic highway

Coastal Highway 101 is perhaps the most historic and scenic highway in California. It follows the route of the Spanish explorer Juan Gaspar de Portola back in 1769, which later became El Camino Real or the King’s Highway. This historic road connected the 21 missions of California and served as the main thoroughfare for north-south traffic in California until the 1920’s.

South of Los Angeles, US 101 has been almost completely changed, decommissioned, and surpassed by I-5. Now the true Highway 101 begins in downtown LA and continues up the Central California coast, heading straight through the middle of San Francisco. It passes through the middle of wine country and meanders through North Coast redwood forests before passing into Oregon and continuing up the Pacific coastline. This whole stretch of the highway, through Oregon and Washington, follows the same route it always had, the only difference being improved integrity and an expansion in places from a two to four-lane highway.

North of San Francisco, Highway 101 is still known as the “Redwood Highway”, going by some of the tallest trees in the world in the Redwood State Park and Redwood National Park. From Highway 101 you can have a picnic at the coast or pause at dozens of world-famous California wineries. Or, for a real treat, take a detour through a giant Redwood tree (smaller vehicles can drive through the tree, but you might have to park a larger RV and walk through). Much of this highway is still very windy and almost half is still at expressway status with at-grade cross streets. If you are trying to speed north from California, I-5 is a straighter, faster shot, but if you want to experience the beauty and history of Northern California forests and coasts, Highway 101 is the way to go.