18 Amazing Day Trips From Monterey You Can Reach in Under 3 Hours
Monterey has enough beauty to keep you busy for days, but once you’ve walked Cannery Row, watched the sea otters, and hit the usual coastal stops, the question becomes: where to next? The truth is, Monterey makes a perfect base to launch into some of California’s most overlooked corners.
During my van life years, I spent time bouncing up and down the Central Coast. From there, I started pushing outward and realized just how much variety was packed within a few hours’ drive. These are the best day trips from Monterey, all under three hours and organized by distance, so you can easily plan your route. Coastal cliffs, hidden valleys, low-key wine towns, and quiet hiking trails are all right there.
Easy Day Trips from Monterey: Less than 1 Hour
1. Pacific Grove & 17 Mile Drive
Distance: 2.4 miles / 10 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Fall for monarch butterfly migration
Pacific Grove has the highest number of Victorian houses per capita in the US. Start in the town itself, where the old-school atmosphere comes with colorful houses, a walkable lighthouse trail, and the standout Point Pinos Lighthouse.
The 17 Mile Drive is a technically private but open-to-the-public route with a small toll and runs through some of the most dramatic coastline in the region. Pull-offs like the Lone Cypress and Spanish Bay are worth the stops.
2. Carmel-by-the-Sea
Distance: 4 miles / 10 minutes
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go to Carmel: Year-round
This town banned street numbers and chain restaurants, and the result is a small California coastal place with colorful characters. Start with a stroll down Ocean Avenue, the main drag lined with galleries and boutiques that lead to hidden courtyards, where you’ll find more art and architecture than you’d expect from a town this small.
The beach sits at the end of the street, flat and wide with soft sand. The town’s size makes it perfect for exploring on foot, and there’s a quiet buzz that draws weekenders from all over the Bay Area.
3. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Distance: 6.7 miles / 15 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to Point Lobos: Fall for sea otter sightings
Point Lobos has been called “the crown jewel” of California’s state park system, and it lives up to its nickname. You go here to be reminded why people romanticize the Pacific coast.
The hiking trails loop around cinematic coves and cliffs. Whalers Cove and China Cove are especially worth the detour, both giving access to turquoise water and pocket beaches where lounging harbor seals bellow. For short hikes with payoff views, try the Cypress Grove Trail or South Shore Trail.
4. Garrapata State Park
Distance: 11.2 miles / 20 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Spring for wildflowers
Often missed by first-timers, Garrapata State Park doesn’t even have a main entrance, so watch the numbered trailheads as you drive. Trail 19 gets you to Soberanes Canyon, a short but steep climb through coastal redwoods and into open hills with wide Pacific views.
On the ocean side of the highway, there are blufftop trails where you can watch waves slam against the rocks or descend down to pocket beaches at low tide. Garrapata Beach is long and open, though the surf is rough and not for swimming.
5. Moss Landing / Elkhorn Slough
Distance: 19 miles / 28 minutes
Type: Wildlife
Best Time to Go: Fall for calm water paddling
Moss Landing has one of the largest tidal wetlands on the West Coast and so many animal encounters with cute sea otters. Elkhorn Slough is best seen by kayak or paddleboard, where you’re eye-level with harbor seals and sea otters bobbing between the eelgrass. In town, the working harbor gives the area a gritty edge, with fishing boats and seafood shacks.
6. Andrew Molera State Park
Distance: 25 miles / 45 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Fall for fewer crowds
This park has the largest beach in Big Sur and far fewer visitors than it should. It takes some walking to get there, which weeds out the casual crowd. From the parking area, cross a footbridge and follow the trail through a meadow, oak woodland, and eventually out to the sand. If the Big Sur River is up, you might even have to wade through it.
Bluff trails like the Ridge Trail give huge views of the coastline and connect to other loops that run through redwoods and high grasslands. This is one of those places where the scale of Big Sur really hits you. It’s also a prime spot for spotting California condors.
7. Big Sur
Distance: 28.5 miles / 45 minutes
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to Big Sur: Spring for green hills and waterfalls
Big Sur extends for nearly 90 miles, but the north entrance is the easiest access point from Monterrey. A short drive here gives you tall cliffs, crashing waves, and mountain drop-offs within minutes.
Start around Bixby Creek Bridge, one of the most photographed spots in California. From there, you can drive further south for turnouts with coastline drop-offs or stop to hike at places like Andrew Molera or Garrapata.
8. San Juan Bautista Missions
Distance: 37 miles / 45 minutes
Type: Historical & Cultural
Best Time to Go: Spring for garden blooms
The San Juan Bautista Mission was founded in 1797 and still holds weekly mass. It’s one of the few original California missions that hasn’t been heavily reconstructed.
The mission complex includes the church, plaza, and museum, and it backs right up to the San Andreas Fault line. Around the plaza, you’ll find preserved adobes, a stagecoach stop, and a working blacksmith shop. The town itself is small but active, with antique stores and secondhand shops filling the old storefronts.
9. Capitola
Distance: 38.7 miles / 55 minutes
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go to Capitola: Summer for beach weather
Capitola is California’s oldest seaside resort town and probably the most colorful. The village is compact, set right along the beach, with shops and bars clustered tightly together. Venetian Court, a row of pastel buildings facing the sand, is one of the most photographed spots. Surfers take a small break near the jetty while families hang out on the main beach.
10. Santa Cruz
Distance: 43.4 miles / 1 hour
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go to Santa Cruz: Summer for boardwalk energy
Santa Cruz has one of the oldest seaside amusement parks in the country, with an old wooden rollercoaster rattling since 1924. The boardwalk is the most famous part, but you’ll find more local neighborhoods in Seabright and Westside.
Surfers carve the breaks at Steamer Lane while you walk along the cliffs at Lighthouse Field State Beach. The Mystery Spot may be a classic tourist trap, but it’s quirky and entertaining. And no end to the beautiful California beaches to explore.
11. Felton (Henry Cowell Redwoods)
Distance: 52 miles / 1 hour
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Spring for wildflowers
Some of the redwoods in Felton are over 1,500 years old and still growing. The park has multiple trail loops, but the Redwood Grove Trail is the easiest way to stand beneath trees that rise over 250 feet.
There’s also a narrow-gauge railroad that runs through the forest during certain months and a visitor center with exhibits on the local ecosystem. Felton itself is small, but you’ll find coffee shops and general stores nearby. It’s a low-key alternative to the bigger redwood parks further north.
Best Day Trips from Monterey: Less than 2 Hours
12. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (McWay Falls)
Distance: 39.0 miles / 1 hr 15 min
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go: Spring for the best water flow
McWay Falls is one of the most photographed places in Big Sur, and it’s exactly what it looks like in the photos: a narrow waterfall dropping onto a beach you can’t access. The Waterfall Overlook Trail is short and flat, more of a walk than a hike, and gets you right above the cove.
If you want more than just a photo stop, the nearby Ewoldsen Trail loops through redwoods and up into canyon views. Parking is tight, and Highway 1 backups are real, so this is best paired with other Big Sur stops to make the drive worth it.
13. Pinnacles National Park
Distance: 51.6 miles / 1 hr 15 min
Type: Nature & Outdoors
Best Time to Go to Pinnacles: Spring or fall for cooler hiking weather
Pinnacles National Park is one of California’s lesser-known national park gems, and it’s just over an hour from Monterey, making it one of the easiest inland day trips from the coast. It’s also one of the few places in the country where you might spot a California condor soaring overhead.
The park is split into east and west sides (no road connects them). The west entrance is the more direct route from Monterey, which gives access to dramatic rock formations, caves, and several popular hiking trails without having to loop around the entire park.
14. Half Moon Bay
Distance: 91.2 miles / 2 hr
Type: Coastal / Urban
Best Time to Go to Half Moon Bay: Fall for fewer crowds and clear skies
Half Moon Bay is a coastal town that feels worlds away from the Central Coast. The drive north takes you along scenic stretches of Highway 1, with ocean views almost the entire way.
Start at Half Moon Bay State Beach, which then connects to the Coastside Trail for walking or biking above the waterline. The surf here is consistent, with breaks like “The Hook” and “Mavericks” drawing surfers year-round. The town itself is famous for its halloween pumpkin farms, especially in October when giant heirloom pumpkins take center stage at U‑pick patches and baking stands.
Monterey Day Trips: Around or Less than 3 Hours
15. San Francisco
Distance: 113 miles / 2 hr 30 min
Type: Urban
Best Time to Go to SF: Fall for clear skies and fewer tourists
If you’re up early and don’t mind a long day, San Francisco is doable from Monterey. Just know traffic through San Jose can add time. Once you’re there, skip trying to do everything. Focus on a few neighborhoods or landmarks and leave the rest for another trip.
Start with the Mission or Inner Sunset if you want walkable streets and solid food. The Ferry Building is a good first stop for breakfast or coffee with a view, and nearby neighborhoods like North Beach or Chinatown give you plenty within a few blocks. For a more outdoors-focused route, head to Crissy Field or Land’s End Trail.
Parking is a pain almost everywhere, so public transit or ride-shares are worth considering if you park once and move on foot.
16. Muir Woods National Monument
Distance: 129 miles / 2 hr 40 min
Type: Nature
Best Time to Go to Muir Woods: Spring or fall for light crowds
Muir Woods has some of the most accessible old-growth redwoods in Northern California, which means it’s also one of the most crowded. You’ll need to reserve parking or a shuttle ticket ahead of time or get a tour ticket from San Francisco. No walk-ins are allowed without it.
The main trail is flat and easy, running along Redwood Creek with boardwalks and shaded paths. If you want to avoid the biggest crowds, take one of the side loops like the Bootjack or Ben Johnson trails. It’s quiet and feels removed from the Bay Area, even though it’s less than an hour from the Golden Gate Bridge.
17. San Simeon & Hearst Castle
Distance: 150 miles / 2 hr 30 min
Type: Historical & Coastal
Best Time to Go to San Simeon: Spring for green hills, fall for fewer crowds
Hearst Castle is the reason most people make the trip to San Simeon. Built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the impressive estate feels like it was dropped onto a California hilltop from another country and time. Tours run daily, and all of them show parts of the main house, pools, and guest wings. It’s over the top in every way.
Afterward, you can check out the elephant seal rookery just north of the visitor center, where hundreds of seals gather on the beach year-round. The drive from Monterey includes a scenic stretch of Highway 1, one of the most iconic road trips in the US.
18. Yosemite National Park
Distance: ~160 miles / 3 hr 30 min
Type: Nature
Best Time to Go to Yosemite: Spring for waterfalls, fall for lighter traffic
This is a long day trip, but if you’re starting early and don’t mind clocking miles, Yosemite is possible from Monterey. The Groveland entrance (via Highway 120) is the quickest way into the park from this direction.
Once inside, you can head straight to Yosemite Valley for the classic views: El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls. Lower Yosemite Falls Trail is short and flat, and the paved trail to Bridalveil Falls is often open depending on conditions. The Mist Trail to Vernal Fall has solid views and a workout without needing a full-day commitment. Crowds peak in summer, and traffic in the valley can crawl. If you’re doing it as a day trip, pick a few goals, and don’t try to see it all.
Catherine, a seasoned travel writer, has lived in 4 different states and explored 36 states and 28 national parks. After spending two years embracing van life, she's now dedicated to sharing her vast knowledge of day trips across America. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.
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