US Summer Road Trip Outdoor Adventure Destinations: Southern California

Potato Chip Rock Viewpoint outside of San Diego CA.

We share five US Summer Road Trips that are in and near Southern California in this article. All of these destinations have an Outdoor Adventure flair to them and all are within six hours of driving from San Bernardino California! US Summer Road Trip Outdoor Adventure Destinations: Southern California awaits you.

WE WILL BE BREAKING APART THE US INTO REGIONS, AND FROM THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE LIVED AS NOMADS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND WE WILL SHARE OUR SUMMER ROAD TRIP GUIDES WITHIN SIX HOURS OF THOSE LOCATIONS! IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SUMMER ROAD TRIP DESTINATION IN THE Southern California REGION WITH OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ENERGY THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOU. We technically lived in Joshua tree and thousands oaks so we picked San Bernardino since it’s halfway in between the two!

Our full list will feature the summer road trip guide from these destinations that we have lived in:
1. Columbus Ohio (Midwest)
2. Traverse City Michigan (Great Lakes)
3. Grand Junction Colorado (Mountain West)
4. Seattle Washington (PNW)
5. Malibu/Joshua Tree Halfway = San Bernardino (SoCal)
6. Paso Robles California (Central Cali)
7. Sedona Arizona (American Southwest)
8. Tamarindo Costa Rica (Lower Central America)

Here is your Summer Road Trip Southern California Destinations List!

General Sherman Tree.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.

These parks are 80% wilderness, boast the largest living specimen in the world (pictured above), the highest point in the lower 48 of the US (Mount Whitney), and some of the most epic trails, campgrounds, and experiences you can find in the woods in the US.
Distance from San Bernardino California: 5h 9m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Yosemite National Park, California. (Half Dome?)
Bishop, California.

Holly B takes you on a Day Trip to Channel Islands HERE!

Channel Islands National Park

The day trips to Santa Cruz and visiting this remote area of California made me feel like I was more in Iceland or Ecuador than near LA and Santa Barbara.
A camping, kayaking, photography, hiking, or simply quiet time on an island await you in this protected chain of Islands just off the coast from Ventura and Oxnard.
Assuming you don’t have your own private watercraft you can go with Island Packers.
We saw eagles, rare foxes, sea lions, and more…and that was before we left the visitors center!
Distance from San Bernardino California: 2h 5m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Surfing in Ventura, California or Pismo Beach, California.

Strawberry Peak Trail, Summit.

San Gabriel Mountains, California.

Strawberry Peak, Mount San Antonio (aka Baldy), Cucamonga, Mount Baden-Powell.
I could go on and on with trails in this range and in the Angeles National Forest.
Camping, hiking, climbing, and more. When you are tried of beautiful beach hikes in SoCal (if that’s a thing) then head inland for some of the best mid range peak hiking in the US not in Colorado!
Distance from San Bernardino California: 1h 13m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Santa Monica Mountains, SoCal Six Pack of Peaks.

Enseneda, Mexico.

Year Round Surfing (though Winter storms bring the best swells.)
Baja Vibes.
Beaches.
Hiking.
Food.
Great people.
The oldest Cantina in Baja California.
There are hidden gems and more well known spots up and down Mexico. This is a top notch surfing spot though and one of the first once you cross the border. It’s also in our six hours and under driving range!
Distance from San Bernardino California: 3h 42m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Tijuana, Mexico. Punta Colonet, Mexico.

Ragged Point, California.

Take a cruise (in your car or on your bicycle) up the Central Coast into the Southern end of Big Sur.
The Ragged Point Inn is a great place to set up shop or camping at San Simeon State Park is an option that you can’t go wrong with on the South end of the region.
(Yes the mouthy sea lions will be right down the beach from you.)
From there you can meander your way up and down this iconic stretch of Highway 1 as much or as little as your heart desires.
No list of summer road trips in SoCal is complete without a PCH Road Trip I think.
Road Trips wouldn’t exist without the ability to drive the PCH in the summer.
Distance from San Bernardino California: 5h 14m.
Road Trip Add On’s From Here: Montana de Oro State Park, California. Harmony, Cambria, Carmel, California.

The list of year round road trip spots from this area of the country is stronger than anywhere else if you ask me, at least when it comes to outdoor adventure destinations.

Whether it’s Thousand Oaks, Joshua Tree, or halfway between in San Bernardino your options are endless and you won’t find them all in a lifetime exploring it.

Hopefully you find a new one from this list for a summer road trip in SoCal!

Thanks for reading, add your spots below that you love in the area.

Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R