American Dream Trip

Road trips through

California

57 road-trip plans across 24 cities.

Plan a California road trip →
Driving through California means you can wake up in the desert, eat lunch by the ocean, and fall asleep under redwoods — all in the same state, sometimes in the same day. The geography here is genuinely hard to wrap your head around until you're in it. Los Angeles is sprawling and sunny, built around freeways and neighborhoods that each feel like their own small city — you could spend a week there and barely scratch the surface. San Francisco is a completely different animal: compact, foggy half the year, with hills steep enough to make you think twice about parking. Then there's Big Sur, which sits between the two and feels like neither — it's mostly just cliffs, highway, and the Pacific, with very little in between. With 56 trips already planned through California on this app, there's a solid base of routes, stops, and timing tips to help you figure out what kind of drive actually fits your family — whether you're doing a quick coastal run or trying to work in Yosemite Valley and Joshua Tree on the same trip.
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Cities travelers visit in California

Sorted by how often they show up in road-trip plans.

Trips through California

Southwest Loop: LA → Vegas → Zion → Bryce → Grand Canyon → Sedona → White Sands → Guadalupe Mountains → Carlsbad Caverns

10 Days of Desert Epics, Canyon Hikes & Off-Road Glory for 4 Friends

Route 66 Family Road Trip: Costa Mesa to Monett, MO

Cowboys, Craters & Cadillacs — 10 Days on the I-40 Corridor with Toddlers & a Tiny Traveler

Route 66 Family Road Trip: Costa Mesa, CA → Monett, MO

Cowboys, Dinosaurs & Classic Roadside America with Toddlers & a Baby

Route 66 Family Road Trip: Costa Mesa, CA → Monett, MO

Cowboys, Craters & Cadillacs — 10 Days on America's Mother Road with Littles in Tow

California & Southwest USA Epic Loop 2025

Los Angeles · Disneyland · San Diego · Las Vegas · Grand Canyon · Yosemite · San Francisco · Redwood National Park · Monterey · Big Sur · San Luis Obispo

Southwest USA Icons: A Classic Road Trip Loop

Las Vegas · Zion · Bryce · Capitol Reef · Arches · Canyonlands · Monument Valley · Sedona · Grand Canyon · Route 66

Route 66 End-to-End: Chicago to Santa Monica on Two Harleys

2,400 Miles of Asphalt, Americana, and a Las Vegas Detour

Sierra Nevada & Wine Country: SFO to Carson City and Back

Yosemite valleys, Tahoe shores, Great Basin sunsets, and Napa harvests — all at a gloriously unhurried pace

Southwest USA Road Trip: Los Angeles → Las Vegas → Zion → Bryce → Salt Lake City → Monument Valley → Grand Canyon → Sedona → Phoenix → Dallas

10 Days of Iconic Scenery, Desert Drives & American Landmarks for Two Australians Doing It Right

California Showcase: Santa Ana to San Jose via PCH & Highway 1

A 3-day coastal California drive designed to wow a first-time visitor — Big Sur, Carmel, wine country, and the best bites along the way

LA to Las Vegas to Grand Canyon to San Francisco — A Honeymoon Road Trip

10 Days of Desert Highways, Canyon Rims, Neon Nights & Pacific Sunsets

Sierra & Wine Country Road Trip: SFO → Yosemite → Lake Tahoe → Carson City → Napa Valley

A slow, scenic 10-day drive through California's greatest hits and Nevada's high desert — for two people who know how to travel well

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