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California. A state where you can go from snow-skiing to surfing in a single day. It’s home to the sweltering desert of Death Valley and also the stunning rock formations of Yosemite National Park. But arguably the most stunning landscapes of California can be found right here in this blog post. The rugged coastlines of Big Sur & deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe.
I lived in Los Angeles for several years. One of the perks of living in Los Angeles is its relatively close proximity to A TON of beautiful state parks and outdoor destinations. We made a point to plan as many road trips as possible and camp out under the stars.
Since then we’ve converted a camper van & taken a food-filled road trip across America. But this is a walk-thru of one of the most popular road trips in California. The Lake Tahoe to Big Sur road trip.
Lake Tahoe to Big Sur Road Trip
Best Way to see the National Parks? Van Life.
Okay. I might be biased. But van life has changed the road trip game. It’s made it cheaper. More comfortable & helped me to travel more off-the-beaten-path. & that’s just a few benefits of the van life. But van life isn’t always as glamorous as it’s made out to be. & if you’re on the fence you should test out van/RV travel before you invest in your own rig.
My favorite RV rental company is RVShare. They have rentals all over the U.S. & are a very affordable option. Another perk…they are locally owned RVs which means they are cozier than a generic rental and you’re supporting small businesses.
Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe
From Los Angeles, the drive is around 7 hours straight through. Not bad for a weekend getaway.
We got off work at 6 PM, did a quick final pack of the car, and drove through the night to get to the campground. And we almost made it. About an hour from Tahoe we pulled my little Toyota Camry over and slept in the suburbs (like I said this was before our van life). We woke up bright and early and finished out the drive to D.L. Bliss State Park.
Tips For Lake Tahoe
Get everywhere early.
After 10 AM Emerald bay is packed with people and if you wanted to get a spot on the sand at D. L. Bliss… forget about it.
Camp at Fallen Leaf Campground.
If you want secluded wilderness (well as close as you’re gonna get), you want to stay at Fallen Leaf Campground. Just a 10 min drive from Emerald Bay and D. L. Bliss State Park (The BEST parts of Tahoe, if you haven’t picked up on that by now) and off the main lake giving you a bit more privacy.
You Need Two Different State Park Passes to See All of Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe is HUGE, but it’s still possible to drive around in a few hours.
Lake Tahoe actually sits between California and Nevada. This means you will need two different state parks passes to stop in at all the beaches.
California Side Cost: $10 per day or $50 for annual pass.
Nevada Side Cost: $10 per day or $75 for the annual pass.
I recommend spending most of your time on the California side (I preferred the hiking here anyways) & then paying the $10 to visit the bright turquoise waters on the Nevada side one afternoon.
Keep an Eye Out For Local Wildlife
I love wildlife. Of all kinds. Lake Tahoe has an abundance of fat chipmunks that will come eat straight from your hand (not recommended as they can carry the plague), blue jays jumping around your campsite, and in the summertime… bears. Unfortunately, we didn’t see a single bear while we were in the area but there were 16 sightings! Make sure to not keep any food in your tent and to lock ALL food in the bear safe containers provided at your campsite.
Come Prepared for Lots of Hiking.
All the hikes are well-marked and if you get there bright and early you can have the trails to yourself. We chose to do the shorter Eagle Lake loop (pictured above) and have a day relaxing by the water instead of attempting a 10-mile loop.
But there are so many worthwhile hikes in Lake Tahoe. Cascade Falls Trail. South Maggies Peak. Aloha Lake. Come prepared to tackle a few.
We had planned to visit Yosemite for the third time during this trip. But there were massive fires burning nearby. Instead, we decided to take a tour of the coastline & hoped for clear views on the newly reopened Big Bur Highway 1.
And it was SO worth it.
Driving to Big Sur, California
This is the second time we have driven Hwy 1 but because of the landslides, the scenic section from Monterey through Big Sur was closed for years.
Although the entire route is beyond stunning this is my favorite stretch by far. The highway curves around the cliffs and gives you endless vistas to view the arching bridges and crashing waves.
The drive time from South Lake Tahoe is around 5.5 hours. But the drive is so beautiful it will fly by.
Tips for Big Sur
Reach the Bridge at “Golden Hour”.
If you can time your drive so that you are reaching the bridges of Big Sur (Rocky Creek Bridge) by sunset or ‘golden hour’ you’ll get the most beautiful view of the sun setting over the ocean.
Book Camping Ahead of Time.
After watching the sun start to set by the bridge, we headed to the first tent campsite we could find.
Big Sur campground had 180 sites and lucky for us ONE was vacant.
So unless you want to wander from campground to campground, I would try to book ahead of time. This area is busy year-round but especially in the summertime.
Get on the Road Early if Headed to Los Angeles.
The morning marine layer obscures the coastline but the second part of the drive takes you up to a much higher elevation–& if you’re lucky above the clouds.
& although the GPS estimate of Route 1 from Big Sur to LA is 6 hours, I would count on it taking around 10 hours. We stopped frequently for photos, lunch, and to relax on some pretty beaches so it ended up taking us almost 12.
Take Scenic Breaks.
There are loads of stops to hit as you travel along the California coast.
I’ve always been more of a beach than a mountain kind of person. Naturally drawn to the sand and surf we stumbled upon a great secluded beach just off the highway to take a quick break from our drive.
My favorite stop along the route was at Elephant seal beach. Not quite as cute as sea-lions but still fun to watch wrestle around and wiggle across the sand.
Don’t forget about Rush Hour as You Return to Civilization.
If you didn’t think about city traffic like us, you might be arriving in the Santa Barbara area right around rush hour…we took a break from driving and decided to wait out the traffic for a little bit.
Plan Your Trip to Lake Tahoe & Big Sur.
This entire trip was done in 3 days. If you have the opportunity to spend a week, I highly recommend it. We spent a lot of our time driving and didn’t get to do nearly as much hiking as we would have liked.
But we we’re still able to experience a lot of what Lake Tahoe and Big Sur had to offer.
Even if you work a 9-5, Monday through Friday job, a three-day weekend is more than enough time to get out and explore some national parks near you.
Helpful Road Trip Resources
Stealth Camping Guide: Learn how to save money sleeping in your car (or ideally campervan).
North Cascades National Park Guide: Looking for an easy & scenic Washington State Road trip?
Ultimate Florida Road Trip Itinerary: 21 reasons why Florida is the best state to road trip.
South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary: From the Badlands to the Black Hills, South Dakota has a surprising amount of stunning scenery.
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