How Scary is the PCH?
 

We're heading to California next month and will be driving from SF to Monterey. A friend of my husband's (just back from the same trip) told him that drive is terrifying--no guard rails, driving right on edge of cliff...
Is it really that scary? I can't imagine a US highway being that unsafe. We are thinking of driving down to Carmel via another route and then driving UP on Hwy 1 so we are on the safer inside lane! Any omments?

It's not that bad--but remember--you cannot drive Hwy 1 north of Half Moon Bay (landslide). The section from Santa Cruz to Monterrey is mostly divided hwy. It's below Monterrey that the road is narrower and more twisting, but traffic keeps the speed down. It's a truly beautiful view.

Depends on your level of fear. High narrow roads never really bothered me beyond the thrill I get driving on them. I live in Colorado and my neighbor cant drive on some of our mountain roads because she just has such fear surrounding high places. We drove the PCH last summer from LA up to SF. So we were on the inside lane. But there was a lot of fog so we couldnt really see the death defying drops in a lot of places. I just think the drive is spectacular not unsafe but that is only my opinion. Have fun!

I guess it is all relative. If your driving experience is limited to say Kansas, then yeah PCH may be a bit scary.

If you have any experience driving on winding roads then it is not that bad.

Two options to get to PCH from SF (to avoid the road closure)

- From SF Take 280 South to 92 East. This will dump you out on CA-1 at Half Moon Bay

- Take 280 South to San Jose and then take Hwy 17 to Santa Cruz where you can pick up CA-1.

Opps...make that 92 West

Travelmaven, excuse my ignorance but I don't have a map handy--is Half Moon Bay located between SF and Monterey?

Yes, there are spots where if you drive off the side of the road, there's a decent chance you'll die. But in the grand scheme of things, the drive is safe, statistically much safer than probably any metropolitan area interstate. I've done it a few times and never really considered that I might drive off the road. The best part of that road is actually south of Monterey at Big Sur, you should make the trip down.

SAPS--we're from the NY area. Not a sissy area for driving, but not a whole lot of winding roads. We drove up and down Mt. Washington in New Hampshire last year and I was terrified (my brother in law was driving but his driving was not why I was afraid; it was just a very narrow and very HIGH road with no room between road and a several thousand foot (9,000?) drop!!!

Half Moon Bay is about 25 miles south of San Francisco on CA-1.

NY driving??? This should be a breeze.

My biggest problem when I drive something like PCH is I want to see the views too. Make sure the driver keeps his/her eyes on the road, slow down into turns, hands at 10-2 and you will be fine.

I drove it on the inside lane. I'm in the minority, but that drive scared me. I was gripping the wheel and went pretty slow. I was alone; if someone else had been with me, I would have asked them to drive it. I could not have driven it on the outside lane. (A little background- I am not afraid of heights generally, but I do not like driving over bridges. Other steep drives with two lanes and w/drop offs, like portions of 89A in Oak Creek Canyon, do not bother me like the PCH did.)

sorry, but anyone who describes that drive as terrifying, i hope is never on the road around me anywhere. it is a windy coastal road that requires attenton but absolutely beautiful. driven it many times, in both directions and never felt nervous at all

Don't forget, kids-- it's only called "PCH" (not "the PCH") in the southern part of California. CA-1 or "Highway 1" is most proper when referring to the whole wonderful road.

Keep the speeds reasonable and this is a great, not particularly scary drive.

Take Highway 1. No one is going fast; everyone is sightseeing. Don't miss out on a world class experience.

As others have noted, the scariest part of Hwy 1 between SF and Monterey is the Devil's Slide area - even sounds scary ;) But, it is closed due to a big rock slide over the winter. The rest is not bad at all - fairly straight, good bit of land between the highway and the cliffs. You don't really get the sheer drop offs and twisty curves again until you get south of Carmel.

I would definitely recommend coming over to Hwy 1 on 92 at Half Moon Bay and heading south from there. It is a nice drive - beaches and coastline on one side of the highway, hills on the other, plenty of farmland. The San Mateo county coast is one of my favorite areas.

Then you will go through Santa Cruz - the highway actually leads you straight through town for a little while, then you have freeway until you get south of Watsonville.

This is an old thread, but in case anyone is still searching for this information: one user makes the claim that this road is probably "statistically safer" but in fact, statistically, it is one of the most deadly.

Most of what people say is true: Remain alert, don't drive over the speed limit (in fact most of the hairpin turns will have you slowed to 10-20 mph) and use the pull outs to take in the view and let drivers pass. Take your time, and try to enjoy it while being safe.

That being said, when I was a teenager, I had the best trip along this road. Again in my 30s, I enjoyed the drive. Something happened when I got older, because the last time I drove this road (and I was taking the South to North route, the "tamer" version, on the inside) I was so terrified my palms were sweating. I drove carefully and, I like to believe, wisely (not holding up traffic) but when I arrived at my destination, I could not eat dinner and had night sweats and nightmares all night from the residual terror! I will probably never go on it again.

Despite the breathtaking scenery, people do die on this road often. Life is precious. If you're afraid of heights and sheer cliffs, either skip the experience or go with someone you trust who can talk you through the worst panicky span.

Weaving in and out of traffic because you think your time is so much more valuable than everyone else's in New York is hardly the same as driving on a so-called mountain road.

When I have driven Rte 1 the scariest thing about it was the other drivers

<i>statistically, it is one of the most deadly.</i>

Source please.

Michael, thank you for asking.

Ellis - This thread is about the portion of Hwy 1 between SF and Monterey. There aren't any hairpin turns and absolutely no 10-20 mph sections. You can easily drive 55-70 mph on most of this section of the road. Some of it is even a 6 lane freeway. I think you are talking about the drive through Big Sur, SOUTH of Monterey. And if the drive through Big Sur caused you night sweats, then good call on not wanting to do the drive again. Anybody who gets panicky on a curvy road shouldn't do it.