Santa Cruz to Pescadero | Unique Stops on Highway 1

If you feel like getting out of town for the day, why not drive from Santa Cruz to San Francisco along California’s famous Highway 1? This is part 1, Santa Cruz to Pescadero.

Come and explore this fantastic stretch of land from Santa Cruz to San Francisco via Highway 1, the California Coast’s most famous roadway. There are beaches, farms, forests, and more! This post is part 1 of the Santa Cruz to San Francisco series (Santa Cruz to Pescadero).

While I didn’t grow up in California, I was born in Santa Cruz,l CA. Because my extended family stayed in the area after my family moved to Colorado, I spent nearly every Christmas returning to Santa Cruz during my entire childhood. At the start of this year, I moved back for good and have spent a lot of time exploring.

This blog post will help you figure out where to find all the best stops along the stretch of Highway 1 from Santa Cruz to Pescadero (or vice versa), including where to stay, what to do, and tips along the way.

Short on time? Here are the main stops!

Santa Cruz to Pescadero Tips

1. It gets very windy along the coast, bring a jacket.
2. Bring SPF and sunglasses.
3. There are not a ton of restaurants along the way. Bring snacks and water.
4. Several of the stops have public toilets.
5. Service along the coast is very poor. Download offline maps before you go.

Santa Cruz to Pescadero Drive

If you don’t have your own car to drive the coast, then you’ll likely be renting. The two main airports in the area are in San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC). This is most likely where you would pick up your rental car.

I suggest using a rental car aggregator to find the best rental prices in the area for the dates and times you’re looking for. I usually use RentalCars.com and DiscoverCars.

Santa Cruz to Pescadero Stops

Here is a Santa Cruz to Pescadero map with all of the stops:

Santa Cruz to Pescadero

I love the Santa Cruz to San Francisco section of Northern California with its rocky cliffs, giant trees, and stunning forests. Exploring this area over the past several months has been a highlight along my journey of coming back to my California roots. Here are my favorite places to stop along Highway 1.

I did this mini road trip from Santa Cruz to Pescadero on a Friday in early April. My trip started in Santa Cruz around 9:30 in the morning after getting a cappuccino at the 11th Hour Coffee Shop. I made all the stops mentioned below and finished the day in Pescadero at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Stop 1: Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is a laid-back surfer town with two distinct areas: downtown (Pacific Garden Mall) and the beach boardwalk & wharf area. You will feel stress leave your body in Santa Cruz as you stroll along the beach with an ice cream in your hand, and the sounds of seagulls above you.

It’s always fun to drop the trivia fact that both Lost Boys and Us were filmed on the Santa Cruz beach and boardwalk.

It’s important to keep in mind that the unhoused population in Santa Cruz has increased in the past several years, particularly in the Pacific Garden Mall area.

Where to eat in Santa Cruz

Here are a few of my favorite places to eat in Santa Cruz:

• Riva’s Fish House (on the wharf, great views)
• The 11th Hour Coffee Shop
• Vim Dining & Deserts
• Santa Adairius – Santa Cruz portal (brewery)
• Home (Soquel)

What to see in Santa Cruz

The best things to see in Santa Cruz are:

• The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
• The Santa Cruz Wharf (where you can see the sea lions)
• “To Honor” Surfing Statue
• Santa Cruz Surfing Museum & Lighthouse

Where to stay in Santa Cruz

Check out these places to stay:

• Dream Inn Santa Cruz
• West Cliff Inn, A Four Sisters Inn
• Marea Sol Hotel

Stop 2: Natural Bridges State Park

I grew up coming here every winter as a kid to see the monarch butterfly migration. Unfortunately, as the years go by there have been fewer and fewer butterflies. While the monarch season goes from mid-October to mid-February, you have the best shot to see the butterflies from late October to the end of November.

Even if you don’t catch the Monarchs, you can still enjoy spending time at the Natural Bridges State Park. There is a great beach there with some big rocks in the water. You can also check out all the ocean critters who get stuck in the tide pools along the rocky cliffs. Check the CA State Park website for details about the park and pools.

Where to Park at the Natural Bridges State Park

There is a small parking lot when you enter the park which costs $10/day. Pay at the toll booth. If you don’t mind walking, you can also find street parking outside of the park and walk in. There is also a free 20-minute parking lot just before the toll booth if you just want the view without spending much time in the park.

What to see in the Natural Bridges State Park

The main things to see in the Natural Bridges State Park are:

• Tide Pools
• Beach
• Monarch Butterfly path

Stop 3: Bonny Doon Beach

The Bonny Doon Beach is a cute little bay surrounded by the rocky cliffs that accentuate the northern California coast. The sand is soft and there is a small river passing through the beach depending on the time of low tide. If you plan to spend the day here, make sure to bring lunch and water.

Where to park at Bonny Doon Beach

There is a long parking lot along the west side of the road next to a small hill. Once you park, you can follow the small path to the top of the hill. Cross over the railroad tracks and continue on the narrow path that leads down to the beach. It might be overgrown a bit, but it is still obvious where the path is meant to be.

Stop 4: Sharktooth Beach

I adore this beach. I was so excited the first time I saw it from up above. You need to follow the steep footpath downhill for a couple of minutes. But once you reach the beach at Shark Fin Cove, it is full of soft white sand. To the left is a small cave that has a passageway to the water. The main rock is shaped like what the cove is named for, a shark fin.

I went on a Friday morning and there was nobody there. I had the whole beach to myself to play around in the water and the cave.

Where to park at Sharktooth Beach

The parking for Shark Fin Cove is just a few minutes down the road from Bonny Doon Beach. You can pull over to the dirt lot on the west side of the road to park. Once you park, follow the path down into a small dip, over the train tracks, and then in the direction of the beach entrance. You’ll have to hike down to the beach.

Stop 5: The Davenport Pier Swing

A local friend of mine told me about this swing, and one week later, I went. I was so excited. When I first got there, the swing was broken. But while I was down there, a couple from Sacramento arrived and fixed it, so we all got a chance to ride the swing over the water.

The swing is part of the frame of the old Davenport pier. You can see the other part of the structure further out in the water. In order to reach the swing, you need to be comfortable with a little bit of adventure. The path to descend to the beach from the cliffs is pretty steep, but there is a helpful rope you can use to climb down.

Where to park at The Davenport Pier Swing

There is a dirt parking lot on the west side of the road, across the street from what looked like a factory. When I was there, there were a ton of RVs and campers parked here. Once you park your car, cross the railroad tracks and up a small hill. Then you’ll see the swing down below the cliffs, and walk a little north to find the rope path.

Stop 6: Davenport Landing Beach

This is a great beach for kids and families. The beach is wide with soft white sand. There are also areas with picnic tables, benches, and even a swing set. You can find public bathrooms here as well. You can also walk on the rocks on the north side of the beach and look in the tide pools.

Where to park at the Davenport Landing Beach

You need to turn off Highway 1 and drive down a smaller road (Davenport Landing Road) for a minute to reach this beach. You can park on either side of this one-way loop that goes to the beach, and then back to Highway 1.

Where to eat in Davenport

Davenport is one of those towns that you tend to stop in whenever you’re along Highway 1, since it is right off the road and has a ton of great eateries. Here are a few of my favorites:

Whale City

Whale City is a cozy little restaurant with classic American fare, a nice patio with views of the ocean, and good beer. It is a laid-back restaurant with decent prices.

Davenport Roadhouse

The Davenport Roadhouse is slightly more upscale than Whale City and has a beautiful side patio with great views of the ocean. On the weekends, they have an old-timey band play, which is great fun to listen to.

Stop 7: Cotoni Coast Dairies Trails

If you’re into mountain biking or hiking, then make sure to make a stop at the Cotoni Coast. The land was given to the BLM in 2014, and since then, they have developed several hiking and mountain biking loops. The trails finally opened in mid-2025. These are some of my favorite mountain biking trails in the area.

Stop 8: Greyhound Rock

Even if you’re not in the mood to have a beach day here, it’s worth a stop just to see the views. This is one of the larger beaches along this coastline that forms a small bay. To the left you can see rocky cliffs and to the right you can see rocks jutting into the water with tide pools. There is a downhill path you can follow all the way to the beach.

Where to park at the Greyhound Rock

This area has quite a large defined parking lot, split into two sections. In the center of the two sections, you can find the path that leads you down to the beach. There are also benches along the edge of the parking lot where you can sit and enjoy the view.

Stop 9: Pie Ranch

Stopping here was an impulse that I’m glad I listened to. It is so charming. Inside you can find books about social justice and farming. They sell a ton of local handmade goods, foods, and vegetables. I bought the sourdough bread and key lime pie and can highly recommend both of them. The view from outside is also amazing.

Where to park at the Pie Ranch

There are about 5 spots available to park right in front of the ranch. It is obvious when you are approaching the Pie Ranch because they have many signs out advertising pies and sweets.

Stop 10: Highway 1 Brewing Company

You can find the Highway 1 Brewing Company on the east side of Highway 1 just before reaching the Gazos Creek State Beach. I stopped in for lunch and to try a couple craft beers, and I was not disappointed with either. The brussel sprouts were some of the best I’ve ever had. The people working here were very nice.

Where to park at the Highway 1 Brewing Company

The Highway 1 Brewing Company is next to a gas station and has several parking spots out front.

Stop 11: Pigeon Point Lighthouse

The Pigeon Point Lighthouse sits out on top some cliffs and is the site of several boat wrecks over the years. There is a picnic area, a museum, and several small footpaths that lead you over the cliffs in the area. You can even look down and see some sea lions lounging on the rocks.

If you want a unique experience, you can even spend the night at the HI Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel right on site.

Where to park at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse

There is a small parking lot at the entrance to the lighthouse. If it’s full you can park along the street. To reach the lighthouse, you need to take the small Pigeon Point Road to the left and turn off Highway 1.

Stop 12: Bean Hollow State Beach

Bean Hollow State Beach is such a cute little area and a great place to spend the day. There are picnic tables, BBQ grills, and public bathrooms. On both sides of the picnic area, you can find a small beach in the cove with soft sand.

Where to park at the Bean Hollow State Beach

There is a small parking lot right next to the beach. There are not a ton of parking spots. It was easy to find a spot on a Friday morning, but I imagine it gets very crowded on weekends.

Stop 13: Pebble Beach at Bean Hollow

Pebble Beach is just a few minutes down the road from Bean Hollow. This beach is full of tiny, soft pebbles all over the place. You should not take these pebbles from the beach and there are signs explaining this. This is not an ideal beach for laying in the sun due to the pebbles, but it is very cute to explore.

Where to park at Pebble Beach

When you pull off Highway 1, you’ll go down a small dirt road until a loop where you can turn around. You can park anywhere along this road or the loop.

Stop 14: Pescadero State Beach

This is a wide beach with a ton of rocks along its edges. You can also walk out onto the rocks that go into the ocean. There are lots of opportunities to investigate the critters in the tide pools. There are also benches and picnic tables.

Where to park at Pescadero Beach

There is a fairly large parking lot here with lots of spaces. It may get busy on the weekends.

Stop 15: Pescadero

In order to reach the small town of Pescadero, you need to turn right onto Pescadero Creek Road. After a few minutes, you’ll reach the small town center. Pescadero is famous for artichoke bread, so try to find some if you can.

If you are looking for a town with similar vibes but more infrastructure and more beaches, consider Half Moon Bay, which is just a little further up the coast. Even further up the coast, you’ll find Pacifica Beach.

Where to eat in Pescadero

• Mercado & Taqueria De Amigos
• Duarte’s Tavern
• Downtown Local (Coffee shop)

What to see in Pescadero

• Go thrift shopping
• Walk around

Where to stay in Pescadero

• Pescadero Creek Inn

Stop 16: Harley Farms Goat Dairy

This is a great dairy farm in Pescadero that has a shop with homemade goods like lotions, soaps, cheeses, etc. There is a wine tasting upstairs. If you go in the spring you can see the kids (baby goats, not human children) and play with them. The tour guide will tell you the history of the farm and the area.

The farm is open every day from 11 am to 4 pm.

Santa Cruz to Pescadero FAQs

Here are a few more answers to your burning questions about the mini road trip from Santa Cruz to Pescadero.

Is San Francisco close to Santa Cruz?

San Francisco and Santa Cruz are 80 miles apart. It takes just under 1.5 hours to drive between the two cities on faster highways (17, 280, 101). If you take Highway 1 along the coast, it takes about 2 hours without stops.

How far is Pescadero from Santa Cruz?

Pescadero is 35 miles north of Santa Cruz. It takes 45 minutes to drive to Pescadero from Santa Cruz along Highway 1 without stopping. But as proved by this blog post, you should absolutely make a few stops.

Is Santa Cruz warmer than San Francisco?

Yes, Santa Cruz is usually slightly warmer than San Francisco. Because of its location along the bay, there tends to be more fog and cloudy days than in Santa Cruz. San Francisco gets so much fog that they have even named it. Hello, Carl!

Is Santa Cruz safer than San Francisco?

The idea of safety when traveling is often very subjective and depends on the person who is asking, and their level of comfort in certain situations. Both cities have populations of unhoused people in certain neighborhoods (Tenderloin in SF, downtown in SC). It is possible to be robbed in any city, but I haven’t felt afraid in either.

San Francisco is a much bigger city, therefore the possibilities of danger increase. Santa Cruz feels like a much smaller town.

Can you walk or bike along Highway 1?

There are bike lines all along Highway 1, and I saw dozens of cyclists taking this route when I drove it. There are several walking and hiking trails along Highway 1 as well. But if you wanted to walk the path of Highway 1, there are lots of places where you would be walking along a highway, and not a footpath.

Final Thoughts on Santa Cruz to San Francisco via Highway 1

I had an amazing day driving from Santa Cruz to Pescadero. It was an ideal day trip and a great way to get to know the area further. The sun was out, and even though the coast was pretty windy, the weather was great. It was really cool to explore the coast and find all of the hidden gems between Santa Cruz and Pescadero.

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