i drove from sanrta cruz to san fran a few years ago on the coast highway and want to do it again stopping to visit hike and stay in some of the hostels along the way. please send me some of the names of the quieter places whihc i might fnd along that stretch of coast and tips for reasonable places to stay.
thanks
dohuc
1
carracar
Hostels are in Santa Cruz, Monterey,Cambria & SL. Obispo...Pfeiffer-Burns SP., might be the best mid-point With hiking available...carracar
2
Windy
Between Santa Cruz and San Francisco (not LA, which is what Carracar has posted), the hostels are at Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero and Montara State Park, also a lighthouse. The distance isn't far--it's under 100 miles.
Lots of great hiking at all the state parks nearby with many groves of old growth redwoods--Big Basin and Portola State Park (better starting inland though, on the San Jose side), Butano State Park, etc.
3
nutraxfornerves
Are you sure you mean Santa Cruz and not Santa Barbara? As windy notes, it's only a two hour drive from Santa Cruz to SF. Assuming you do mean Santa Cruz:
Pigeon Point & Pt. Montara hostels
Fitzgerald Marine Reseve is a realtively unknown county park where the attraction is hiking around tide pools. Other hiking trails in the area
Lot of hikes between Santa Cruz and SF
Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero. Have the artichoke soup & the ollalieberry pie.
Año Nuevo Home of the elephant seals. Can be very crowded some times of year and all but deserted other times. Dec-March is hhigh season.
4
barnkeeper
Next time you find yourself in the Pescadero area, drop into Harley Farms. Only working dairy in San Mateo County. She is a goat farmer from England and makes truly world class goat cheese. Has the awards to prove it too. Her dairy includes tours and a great tasting room. It's on North St. just N.E. of town.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner
trusted partner