Second only to New York, Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S., so it’s obviously a major hub of commerce and travel. If you live there or are visiting for an extended period, you’ll want to know where to go when you need an escape from this always-busy city.
Following are some great places you can reach in a day’s drive or less. To help with planning and organization, I’ve arranged them roughly clockwise, starting with heading north up the coast.
Santa Monica Pier
This legendary establishment was/is the western terminus of the iconic U.S. Route 66 (the other end is in Chicago). It’s more than just a pier; it has rides, an aquarium, restaurants, shops, and a lot more.
Los Padres and Angeles National Forests
People tend to think of L.A. as a coastal city, and it certainly is one, but it also has a backdrop of mountains. In these national forests, you’ll find plenty of outdoor recreation and a reprieve from summer heat.
Pismo Beach
Pismo Beach is a beautiful place any time of year, but winter is especially nice. That’s because each winter, thousands of monarch butterflies migrate to a eucalyptus grove here. The grove is open from late October through February, and admission is free.
Morro Bay
At this coastal town, you get something extra: Morro Rock. It’s a gigantic volcanic plug just offshore. The area around the base is open to the public, but for safety reasons, climbing Morro Rock is prohibited.
Pfeiffer Beach
Pfeiffer Beach is in the Big Sur region, a spectacular stretch of coast that many count as among the world’s most beautiful. At Pfeiffer Beach, waves crash against rock outcrops, including one that has a hole through it. The sand here is purple due to manganese that washes down from nearby mountains.
McWay Falls
Also a Big Sur favorite, McWay Falls is in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. A waterfall drops about 80’ over a cliff to the beach below, landing just feet from the Pacific Ocean.
Hearst Castle
Famed newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst built this huge castle in Big Sur country. The grounds and interior are fascinating, and guided tours are available.
Paso Robles
The countryside around this city has gained a reputation as one of the best wine-making regions in the country. Oenophiles will enjoy touring the area and visiting some of its many wineries.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is one of the crown jewels of our national park system. The centerpiece is Yosemite Valley, where you’ll see some of the world’s tallest sheer rock faces and waterfalls. Late spring is when the waterfalls are at peak flow.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Not far south of Yosemite but a long drive from it due to twisting mountain roads are these two other Sierra Nevada national parks. On the west side, you can see groves of giant sequoias, the world’s largest trees. It’s a long hike to reach the high country, so if that’s what you’re after, try the next location on this list.
Owens Valley
The Owens Valley runs north to south for dozens of miles beneath the impressive face of the Eastern Sierra. The four towns in it are scenic places to live or stay, and they are gateways to trailheads that provide access to the High Sierra.
White Mountains
Bishop is the northernmost town in the Owens Valley, and as you drive north from it to the Tioga Pass area of Yosemite, take notice of the high mountains to the east. In the White Mountains, where you can hike to the top of White Mountain Peak, one of the highest in the state, you will see groves of bristlecone pines.
These trees grow only in a handful of harsh mountain environments, and their twisted, polished forms result from those conditions. Bristlecones are the world’s oldest organisms, and somewhere in Methuselah Grove is one that, at over 6,500 years old, is the world’s oldest living thing. To protect it, rangers don’t identify it to the public.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley actually has a great variety of landscapes and animal and plant life. Much of it has an otherworldly appearance that seems like something from a fantasy movie. If you visit after a good spring rain, you’ll see an explosion of wildflowers that colorfully contradict the area’s name.
Las Vegas
Going from the City of Angels over to Sin City in Nevada is a pretty easy trip since it’s all on interstate highways. Even if you’re not interested in gambling, you should go to Vegas at least once to experience the sights and sounds of the Vegas Strip.
Mojave National Preserve
On the way to Vegas, you’ll pass through this desert landscape that gets far less visitation than California’s other big desert parks do. In it, you’ll find desert mountains, Joshua trees, sand dunes, and more. It’s also a critical habitat for endangered desert tortoises.
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree is a wonderland of its namesake trees, granite outcrops and boulders, and palm-filled oases. Spring is a beautiful time because of wildflowers, but winter is great as well for the lovely contrast that fallen snow creates.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
This state park is bigger than a lot of national parks. Rugged badlands and peaks, narrow canyons, oases, and more are waiting for you to explore them, and miles and miles of dirt roads truly let you get away from it all.
Tijuana
Like going to Vegas, everyone should experience a Mexican border town at least once. Tijuana is one of the most famous, and it’s safer and more visitor-friendly than many people claim.
Laguna Beach
The area’s hilliness means there’s not much road access, which means there’s a lot to explore and many opportunities to get away from the crowds. The area is known for its beaches, canyons, and rugged bluffs, which have inspired countless tourists and artists.
Channel Islands National Park
These beautiful islands are home to an extensive diversity of wildlife and abundant scenery. They are offshore L.A. almost due east, and the only way to get to them is by boat.
19 Incredible Places To Visit Within a Few Hours of Denver
There’s a lot to do in the Denver region, and much of it is within 3-4 hours of the city. Whether you’re hiking in secluded mountains or exploring historical towns, these destinations provide memorable experiences just a drive away. Here are 19 of them—note they’re not all in Colorado!
19 Incredible Places To Visit Within a Few Hours of Denver
20 Incredible Places To Visit Within a Few Hours of Austin
These destinations provide a perfect getaway for travelers looking to uncover the authentic adventures that lie just outside Austin’s city buzz. Let’s look at some you won’t want to miss.
20 Incredible Places To Visit Within a Few Hours of Austin
Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.