Mount Diablo
About an hour and a half’s drive east of San Francisco is the scenic drive through Mount Diablo State Park to the top of Mount Diablo, in Contra Costa County. It is a curvy 11-mile drive if you enter through the North Gate entrance on North Gate Road in Walnut Creek, and about 15 miles if you enter through the South Gate Entrance on South Gate Road in Danville. There is a $10 entrance fee.“[Mount Diablo State Park] has something kind of for everyone, whether you just want to drive to the top and enjoy the view, or if you want to go for a long hike, 15–20 miles, or if you’re coming just to learn about the history,” Cameron Morrison, supervising state park peace officer, told The Epoch Times.
He said people visit year-round, but the biggest visitation period is from late winter all the way through to spring.
“A lot of that is because people want to get outside after the winter, and then the wildflowers are a big draw as well,” he said. “And then the temperatures to hike and explore the park are much more accommodating during the winter and spring than they are in the summer.”
The drive shares the road with bicyclists who may be heading to the top or zooming past on their way downhill.
He said safety is paramount, and drivers must only pass bikes when it’s safe and legal to do so.
Along the way, there are campgrounds, hiking trails, and stops with picnic tables to enjoy lunch. Also, multiple stops have bathroom facilities along the drive.
Morrison said the park gets visitors not just from local areas but also from out of state and internationally, too.
“Since there’s several airports nearby—Oakland, San Jose, San Francisco—we tend to get a lot of people that are either first day in the country or last day in the country, and they spend the night to camp, and then they will leave; they drop off their rental car and then fly home or go somewhere else throughout the U.S. on their vacation,” he said.
He said there can be some confusion when you look up directions to drive to the summit; you need to enter through the North Gate (1300 North Gate Road, Walnut Creek) or the South Gate (2675 Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard, Blackhawk) to drive to the top of Mount Diablo.
He noted that if you head to the Mitchell Canyon Staging Area (96 Mitchell Canyon Road, Clayton), you can’t drive to the top from that side, and some visitors have been disappointed on arrival after finding that out.
At the end of the scenic drive, you arrive at the top of the highest peak, which has an elevation of 3,849 feet. There, you will find the Summit Visitor Center and an observation deck with stunning views of the surrounding valleys of the Bay Area.
On the walk up the circular stairway to the observation deck, visitors can see ancient marine fossils embedded in the sandstone walls of the summit building. The sandstone was quarried in the park.
With ideal conditions, you can see almost 200 miles, according to Mount Diablo State Park’s website. The website states that summer days can be hazy, and you often get the best view on the day after a winter storm.
It says views from the summit include the Golden Gate Bridge to the west; Mount Loma Prieta to the south in the Santa Cruz Mountains; Mount Saint Helena to the north; and to the east beyond the Central Valley, the crest of the Sierra Nevada. The view covers more than 8,539 square miles and parts of 40 of California’s 58 counties.
“It’s a pretty incredible park situated in the East Bay, and it’s an hour drive from pretty much all of the Bay Area and some parts of the Sacramento Valley,” Morrison said. “You get an amazing diversity of wildlife, plants. The view from the summit is really unparalleled. Then there’s also quite a bit of cultural history with Mount Diablo, and the Native American history as well.”
The North and South gates open at 8 a.m. and close at sunset. The visitor center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a small gift shop and snacks to purchase at the visitor center, along with a room filled with informational exhibits for those who want to learn more about the natural history of the park.
“It’s an amazing group of volunteers that donate a ton of time and effort to make the park more enjoyable for all visitors,” he said.
Panoramic Highway
About four miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge off Highway 101 is the exit for CA-1 in Mill Valley, Marin County, which will lead you to Panoramic Highway. The scenic drive curves through Mount Tamalpais State Park.
There’s also a short wheelchair-accessible loop, the Verna Dunshee Trail, which provides spectacular views of the surrounding Bay Area.
“We have many visitors who come to Mount Tam from all over the world just to take in the views and sometimes to get a break from the city,” Peter Ostroskie, visitor service manager, told The Epoch Times in an email. “East Peak is just one of the amazing places on Mount Tam. I would also suggest, before heading up, stopping at the Pantoll Ranger Station where you can get more information about the park.”
The Pantoll Ranger Station is located at 3801 Panoramic Highway, Mill Valley.
He said the views from the East Peak on a clear day reach all the way out to the Farallon Islands to the west and Mount Diablo to the east.
“It is an amazing place to have lunch and sit for a bit,” he said.
He said spring is a great time to visit and see the wildflowers.
On the way down from the East Peak, rather than heading back, the scenic drive continues another 12 miles on Panoramic Highway, connecting to CA-1 into Stinson Beach.
Sir Francis Drake Blvd. to Point Reyes Lighthouse
About 42 miles northwest of San Francisco is the town of Point Reyes Station in Marin County. The scenic drive starts there, heading out of Point Reyes Station on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. on a 20-mile drive to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.The drive first heads through the small town of Inverness, providing views of Tomales Bay as the road travels alongside it.
As the drive curves along, you will also catch glimpses of the coastline. Visitors can detour a quarter mile to Point Reyes North Beach to take a walk in the sand.
After arriving at the parking lot at the lighthouse, it’s about a half-mile walk to the visitor center (27000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Inverness, CA 94937), which has information about the lighthouse, whale watching, and more.
“People from all over the world visit Point Reyes National Seashore,” Sierra Frisbie, park ranger at Point Reyes National Seashore, told The Epoch Times in an email.
She said any time of year is a good time to visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse; while summer brings warmer weather inland, the coastal area is often shrouded in a thick, cooling fog, which can provide a nice reprieve from summer temperatures.
She added that winter can bring stretches of heavy rain and wind, but also some of the most beautiful, crystal-clear days.
“January, March, and April are the best months to come to the Lighthouse to spot gray whales during their annual migrations from Alaska to Mexico and back again,” she said, “Humpback whales can be seen feeding offshore in the summer and fall, and other species of whales can be seen year-round.”
From there, it’s another 313 steps down to the actual lighthouse, which can be tough on the way back up.
A sign at the visitor center states that the Point Reyes Lighthouse holds the title of the windiest and foggiest place on the whole west coast. It has an average of 200-plus foggy days per year and is the second foggiest place in North America after Grand Banks, Newfoundland, which has only six more foggy days on average.
“Even in the summer, come prepared with clothing options to layer up appropriately. The weather can change quickly,” said Frisbie.
If the wind hits 40 mph, the steps down to the lighthouse are closed due to safety. In February 2025, there were 11 days in which the wind reached 92–100 mph.
Point Reyes Lighthouse was built in 1870 to warn mariners of headlands that posed a navigational hazard to ships traveling from San Francisco Bay to the north, the lighthouse’s website states. The lighthouse was in service for 105 years.
In addition to stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the California coast, the Point Reyes Lighthouse is an amazing piece of intact maritime history that used state-of-the-art technology for its time and saved many lives over its time in service, said Frisbie.
The Lighthouse was retired from service in 1975, when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light adjacent to and below the historic tower. The Coast Guard then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preservation.
CA-1 From Pacifica to Half Moon Bay
About eight miles south of San Francisco, this scenic drive starts in the town of Pacifica in San Mateo County.Pacifica has many places to stay and eat, serving as a jump-off point for the drive.
This drive hugs the California coast on Highway 1, also called the Pacific Coast Highway, giving stunning views as you drive past sea cliffs and beaches on the 15-mile drive.
