Sometimes you want to take a drive, which helps if the route you are driving has spectacular views. San Diego is a city with some of the most incredible and awe-inspiring drives in the country.
The city is full of breathtaking beaches, snow-capped mountains, and extensive forests that make for very scenic driving.
There are many picturesque drives to take in the amazing Southern California city. You will find a scenic drive if you only want to drive for an hour or take a long road trip with friends or family. The following are the most awe-inspiring scenic drives in San Diego:
Pacific Coast Highway
The Pacific Coast Highway, also known as Highway 1, covers a large extent of the California highway from Mendocino to Dana Point. Driving along the road is one of the most fun things to do in San Diego.
You will often find both tourists and locals driving along the highway and enjoying the view from their vehicles. The road is full of captivating destinations which could take you a day to a week to explore.
You will get excellent views of the California coastline while driving along the Pacific Coast Highway.
You will also get to see some of the most picturesque golf courses in the country while driving along the highway. With so many attractions to witness along the road, you will undoubtedly have an exciting drive along the route.
North County Backcountry Ride
North County has some of San Diego’s most breathtaking landscapes. A drive through the backcountry route of North County will offer you a unique view of San Diego’s beauty.
It may not be the best route for luxury cars as it is better to have a larger car on the highway. However, you are treated to a collection of old-fashioned views of San Diego that most people do not see.
You will start your North County Backcountry ride in Escondido and drive along Highway 78. If you take the road up to highway 79, it will take you up to Palomar Mountain. You can extend your journey and make a road trip out of it. Escaping the bustling city of San Diego and taking a long picturesque road trip is an excellent idea.
San Diego’s 59 Mile Scenic Drive
The most popular awe-inspiring and scenic drive in San Diego is its famed 59 mile stretch along the city’s beach. The drive will loop through the city’s neighborhoods, revealing their breathtaking attractions and natural wonders.
You will experience spectacular panoramic views of the coastline, downtown’s skyline, Mexico, and the surrounding mountains on the drive. To call the drive beautiful would be a massive understatement.
You can enjoy the entire trip in one adventure-filled ride, but it will take you about three hours. It would be better to plan the road trip for several days, touring parts of it every day. It will give you the chance to make stops at various places making the drive more enjoyable.
There are few sights as good as those you will see on this drive.
Sunrise Scenic Byway
As you can tell from the name, the drive on the 24-mile road from East San Diego to Laguna Mountain is one of the most beautiful drives San Diego has to offer.
The ride will take you through the Cleveland National Forest, next to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which is spectacular. Your drive will start at the junction of I-8 and Country Road S-1 and end at Laguna Mountain.
The end of your drive will be just as beautiful as the drive itself, as the Laguna Mountain recreational park is mesmerizing. The drive is filled with expansive green meadows, mountain summits surrounded by great forests and exceptional desert views. It is a drive like no other, one only San Diego can offer.
To conclude, there are many places in the country where you can take scenic drives but not quite like San Diego. The above are some of the most scenic drives you can take in the city, but they are not the only ones. Start with them, and you will soon find yourself taking drives for the pleasure of it.