Redwoods & Wine Country loop
Giant trees and great glasses.
Four days north of San Francisco — Sonoma and Anderson Valley tastings, the Avenue of the Giants' ancient redwoods and Mendocino's headland village.
4 days, 370 mi, roughly 9h 54m of driving spread across them — San Francisco, CA to San Francisco, CA.
Each day below is paced around a realistic amount of time in the car, with stops, timings and somewhere to sleep already worked out. Swap anything you don't like, or rebuild a whole day.
Redwoods at dawn, cheese and cliffs by noon, and you sleep among the river towns of Sonoma by night.
Muir Woods National Monument · Mill Valley
Ancient old-growth coast redwoods just outside the city, an easy flat loop through giants.
💡 Parking and shuttle reservations are mandatory — book online days ahead.
Mill Valley
Cowgirl Creamery · Petaluma
Beloved local creamery and cheese shop in a converted hay barn — a Point Reyes institution.
💡 Grab a cheese plate to go and eat outside on the picnic benches.
1490 Cader Ln, Petaluma
The peninsula's rural road leads out to the point itself, the peninsula's dramatic end.
Point Reyes Lighthouse · Inverness
Dramatic cliff-top lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula with whale-watching in season.
💡 300 steps down to the lighthouse itself — the platform view is enough if you skip them.
Point Reyes Lighthouse, Inverness
boon eat + drink
Farm-to-table Sonoma cooking in a relaxed Guerneville storefront — a local favorite.
💡 Small dining room — reserve ahead on weekends.
16248 Main St, Guerneville
Overnight in Guerneville, CA
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Guerneville, CA · $$
Booking happens on the partner's site.
- Muir Woods requires a timed parking/shuttle reservation booked online in advance
- Point Reyes roads are narrow and slow — budget extra time, not just distance
- Guerneville has free street parking; no restricted zones to worry about
- Stinson Beach+5 mi
Wide sandy beach just past Muir Woods, a nice stretch-the-legs stop.
- Tomales Bay Oyster Company+9 mi
Fresh oysters straight from the bay, popular with locals on weekends.
Redwoods give way to cliffs: you trace Highway 1's edge north, lunching in Point Arena before dusk on Mendocino's headlands.
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve · Guerneville
Quieter than Muir Woods, with towering redwoods and easy, flat forest paths.
💡 Free to walk in; parking fee applies at the reserve lot.
17000 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville
Jenner Headlands Preserve · Jenner
Sweeping view where the Russian River meets the ocean, with harbor seals often visible below.
💡 Pull off at the marked vista point — no hiking needed for the view.
12001 CA-1, Jenner
Point Arena Lighthouse · Point Arena
Tallest lighthouse on the West Coast, with a small museum and coastal views.
💡 Climbing the tower is optional — the grounds view is free.
California Coastal National Monument - Point Arena-Stornetta Unit, 45500 Lighthouse Rd, Point Arena
Back into town from the lighthouse for a proper midday break before continuing north.
Franny's Cup & Saucer · Point Arena
Tiny beloved bakery-cafe in Point Arena, known for pastries and simple, well-made lunches.
💡 Cash-friendly, small seating — good for a midday lunch stop after the lighthouse.
213 Main St, Point Arena
The village sits right on the headlands — an easy stroll from the center.
Mendocino Headlands State Park
Dramatic bluff-top trails circling the village, with sea arches and blowholes below.
💡 Best walked near sunset when the light hits the cliffs.
Mendocino
Café Beaujolais
Mendocino's classic destination restaurant, elegant California-French cooking in a historic house.
💡 Reserve well ahead — it's the area's signature dinner.
961 Ukiah St, Mendocino
Overnight in Mendocino, CA
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Mendocino, CA · $$
Booking happens on the partner's site.
- Highway 1 north of Jenner is winding — plan for slower average speeds than the map suggests
- Mendocino has limited parking; leave the car once settled and walk the compact village
- Café Beaujolais books up — reserve dinner before you leave Guerneville
- Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve+7 mi
Peaceful reserve with rhododendrons blooming in a redwood understory, quiet detour off Hwy 1.
- Salt Point State Park+3 mi
Tafoni sandstone formations and tide pools right along the coastal drive.
You trade coastal cliffs for vineyard valleys, lunching in Boonville at midday and dining well in Healdsburg by dark.
A short drive from the village opens the day with one last Mendocino coast view.
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park · Mendocino
A gentle bluff-top lighthouse walk just outside town, quieter than the headlands trail.
💡 Easy flat walk, good for an early morning start before the drive south.
13800 Point Cabrillo Dr, Mendocino
Arriving into Boonville around midday, this is the natural lunch stop.
The Boonville Hotel and Restaurant · Boonville
Anderson Valley farm-driven cooking in a historic small-town hotel — a well-regarded local table.
💡 Time the drive to arrive by midday for the lunch seating, roughly 12:00–2pm.
14050 CA-128, Boonville
By mid-afternoon you roll into Healdsburg with time to spare before dinner.
Healdsburg Plaza
Charming central square ringed with tasting rooms, shops and shaded lawns — the town's social heart.
💡 Good spot for an easy afternoon stroll after the drive.
Healdsburg Ave & Matheson St, Healdsburg
Barndiva
Acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant in a converted barn, a Healdsburg dining landmark.
💡 Book a few days ahead — it's the top table in town.
237 Center St, Healdsburg
Overnight in Healdsburg, CA
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Healdsburg, CA · $$
Booking happens on the partner's site.
- Highway 128 through Anderson Valley is scenic but slow — no shortcuts, budget the time
- Healdsburg's plaza area has metered street parking; arrive early evening for easier spots
- Reserve Barndiva ahead — weekend tables go fast
- Hendy Woods State Park+4 mi
Old-growth redwood grove near Philo, an easy quiet walk off Highway 128.
- Dry Creek Valley wineries+6 mi
Small-production zinfandel producers along a scenic backroad north of Healdsburg.
One last valley lunch on Sonoma's historic plaza before the drive back across the Golden Gate.
Arrive in Sonoma and head straight to the plaza for lunch while the morning light is still soft.
the girl & the fig · Sonoma
Well-loved Sonoma bistro with French-inflected wine-country cooking right on the plaza.
💡 Reserve ahead for a midday table — this is the wine-country lunch worth timing the morning around.
110 W Spain St, Sonoma
After lunch, walk off the meal with a loop of the plaza and its old adobe storefronts.
Sonoma Plaza · Sonoma
California's largest historic town square, ringed by the old Mission and adobe buildings.
💡 Easy to park near the plaza and walk the perimeter in under an hour after lunch.
453 1st St E, Sonoma
Overnight in San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA · $$
Booking happens on the partner's site.
- Sonoma Plaza gets busy on weekends — arrive before 11am for easier parking
- Highway 101 south into SF can be slow on Sunday afternoons — leave buffer time
- No stops planned inside San Francisco itself — the day's sights stay in Sonoma
- Jack London State Historic Park+6 mi
Author's former ranch with easy walking trails through oak woodland, near Glen Ellen.
- Cornerstone Sonoma+3 mi
Rotating garden installations and artisan shops just south of Sonoma on Highway 121.
Make this trip your own
Plan your own road trip →This route was drafted with AI. Please double-check roads, opening hours and local conditions before you go.
Made with Roadanza
What will the fuel cost?
This route covers 370 mi. Put your own car's consumption and local fuel price in and you'll have the number in a few seconds.
Work it out for this route →Questions, answered
- How long does this route take?
- 4 days as planned here, covering 370 mi — an average of 93 mi a day and about 9h 54m of driving in total. You can stretch it by adding days, which spreads the same distance more thinly rather than adding new ground.
- Can I drive it in fewer days?
- You can, but the driving days get longer rather than the trip getting shorter: the distance doesn't change. Cutting one day from a 4-day plan adds roughly 93 mi to whichever days absorb it. If you're short on time, it's usually better to cut the far end of the route than to compress every day.
- Is this a loop?
- Yes, this one returns to where it starts, so a hire car goes back to the same desk and you don't pay a one-way fee.
- Can I change this itinerary?
- Yes. Open it in the planner and every stop can be swapped for one of three alternatives, any day can be rebuilt, and you can add or remove days. The drive times and the budget recalculate around whatever you change.
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