Books

Books About the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Oregon and Washington including travel guidebooks, route guides, restaurant guides, and many more.

The cover of Moon's West Coast RV Camping Guidebook

Don't just take our word for what's good, as there are plenty of books to help you with your research into any Pacific Coast Highway trip, or any vacation anywhere along the way. There are several good guides that cover the entire route, for both drivers and cyclists, and you should pack at least one of these in your luggage.

There are also general guidebooks on the Pacific Coast, and on the individual states of California, Oregon and Washington. There are books about the wildlife, and the kinds of guides we most enjoy reading – restaurant guides.



Accommodation Guides

California Camping (Moon)

California Bed and Breakfast Inns


Camping

See under RV Parks and Campgrounds below



City Guides

San Francisco: 101 Free Things to Do in San Francisco (Kindle Guide)

San Francisco: Your Insider's Guide to San Francisco

Los Angeles: 111 Places in Hollywood That You Must Not Miss

Los Angeles: Soul of Los Angeles

Fodors-Los-Angeles-Disneyland-travel-guide.png

Check out this Fodor's guide to Los Angeles, which also covers Santa Monica, Malibu, and Disneyland



Cycling Guides

Bicycling the Pacific Coast

Cycling the USA West Coast

Downhills Don't Come Free: One Man's Bike Ride from Alaska to Mexico

Two Wheels North: Bicycling the West Coast in 1909



Driving Guides

Backroads of the California Coast

The Best Coast: A Road Trip Atlas

Epic Drives of the World

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip (Moon Handbooks)

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips (Lonely Planet)

Road Trip USA: Pacific Coast Highway

The Best PCH Guide

Moon-PCH_road-trip-guide-cover-new-edition.jpg

Our recommended guide for
driving the Pacific coast is
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
(Moon Handbooks).

Click on the cover image to see the latest edition for sale on Amazon.



Food, Drink, and Restaurant Guides

California Living and Eating

Good Beer Guide to the West Coast USA

Moon Handbooks’ Napa and Sonoma Guidebook

Northwest Wine Country: Wine's New Frontier



General Guides

Culture Trails: 52 Perfect Weekends

Greetings from California

A Journey into John Steinbeck's California

Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast

The Pacific Coast Highway in California (Images of America)



State, Regional, and USA Guides

California Coastal Access Guide

Coastal California (Lonely Planet)

Frommer's Guide to Oregon

Frommer's Washington State Travel Guide

Los Angeles, San Diego and Southern California (Lonely Planet)

Michelin Green Guide: California

Michelin Green Guide: USA West

Moon Handbooks: Santa Barbara and the Central Coast

Moon Spotlight Guide to the Olympic Peninsula



RV Parks and Campgrounds Guides

California Camping (Moon)

West Coast RV Camping (Moon Outdoors series)


Other books pages

  • Soul of Los Angeles from French publishers Jonglez is a travel guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences in California's largest city.

    Soul of Los Angeles

    Soul of Los Angeles from French publishers Jonglez is a travel guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences in California's largest city.

  • Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast, published by Voyageur Press, is a guide in words and pictures to historic lighthouses along the Pacific Coast Highway.

    Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast

    Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast, published by Voyageur Press, is a guide in words and pictures to historic lighthouses along the Pacific Coast Highway.

  • Greetings from California is a beautiful coffee-table book which describes the legends, landmarks and lore of California, including the Pacific Coast Highway.

    Greetings from California

    Greetings from California is a beautiful coffee-table book which describes the legends, landmarks and lore of California, including the Pacific Coast Highway.

  • Moon's Spotlight Guide to the Olympic Peninsula covers hotels, restaurants, and sights, including Forks, the Olympic National Park and other places.

    Guide to the Olympic Peninsula

    Moon's Spotlight Guide to the Olympic Peninsula covers hotels, restaurants, and sights, including Forks, the Olympic National Park and other places.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.

    Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.

  • Some of the best California Backroads are included in Backroads of the California Coast, with 24 highly recommended driving tours off the Pacific Coast Highway.

    California Backroads

    Some of the best California Backroads are included in Backroads of the California Coast, with 24 highly recommended driving tours off the Pacific Coast Highway.

  • One of the best California coast guides is the California Coastal Access Guide, describing the coast’s beaches, National Parks, State Parks, with many maps.

    California Coast Guide

    One of the best California coast guides is the California Coastal Access Guide, describing the coast’s beaches, National Parks, State Parks, with many maps.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the book Culture Trails by Lonely Planet, which has a section on Vintage Hollywood alongside 51 other perfect weekends.

    Culture Trails

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the book Culture Trails by Lonely Planet, which has a section on Vintage Hollywood alongside 51 other perfect weekends.

  • Brewpubs and good beer are at the heart of the Good Beer Guide to the West Coast USA which lists the best bars and breweries from Seattle to San Diego.

    Brewpubs and Good Beer on the West Coast USA

    Brewpubs and good beer are at the heart of the Good Beer Guide to the West Coast USA which lists the best bars and breweries from Seattle to San Diego.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel's California Camping book review rates the 20th anniversary edition of Moon's complete guide to over 1400 tent and RV campgrounds.

    California Camping Book Review

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel's California Camping book review rates the 20th anniversary edition of Moon's complete guide to over 1400 tent and RV campgrounds.

  • 101 free San Francisco attractions and things to do are in the Kindle guide, 101 Free Things to Do in San Francisco, in the Travel Free eGuidebooks series.

    Free San Francisco Kindle Guide to Free Attractions

    101 free San Francisco attractions and things to do are in the Kindle guide, 101 Free Things to Do in San Francisco, in the Travel Free eGuidebooks series.

  • Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.

    Epic Drives of the World

    Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.

  • The guide to California Bed and Breakfast Inns lists over 250 boutique hotels, wine country cottages and more.

    California Bed and Breakfast Inns

    The guide to California Bed and Breakfast Inns lists over 250 boutique hotels, wine country cottages and more.

  • West Coast Road Eats is a road food guide covering the Pacific Coast from California through Oregon to Washington, giving the best road trip food stops.

    Road Food Guide

    West Coast Road Eats is a road food guide covering the Pacific Coast from California through Oregon to Washington, giving the best road trip food stops.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide from Moon covering California, Oregon and Washington

    Pacific Coast Highway Moon Guide

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide from Moon covering California, Oregon and Washington

  • This John Steinbeck California Guide, A Journey into Steinbeck's California, shows readers how towns like Monterey, Carmel and Salinas influenced the author.

    John Steinbeck California Guide

    This John Steinbeck California Guide, A Journey into Steinbeck's California, shows readers how towns like Monterey, Carmel and Salinas influenced the author.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Guides. Book and ebook hotel guides to PCH

    Pacific Coast Highway guides include our own printed book and ebook guides to the best hotels along the PCH, available in paperback, PDF and Kindle formats.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel's book review of Insider's Guide to San Francisco guidebook by Jill Loeffler, publisher of the San Francisco Tourism Tips website.

    Your Insider's Guide to San Francisco

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel's book review of Insider's Guide to San Francisco guidebook by Jill Loeffler, publisher of the San Francisco Tourism Tips website.

  • The Los Angeles travel guide book from Lonely Planet also covers San Diego and Southern California, including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Disneyland.

    Los Angeles Travel Guide

    The Los Angeles travel guide book from Lonely Planet also covers San Diego and Southern California, including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Disneyland.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews an Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide published by the Beautiful Pacific Northwest website.

    Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews an Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide published by the Beautiful Pacific Northwest website.

  • The Santa Barbara Guidebook from Moon Handbooks also covers California’s Central Coast with Ventura, San Luis Obispo, wine country, and Hearst Castle.

    Santa Barbara Guidebook

    The Santa Barbara Guidebook from Moon Handbooks also covers California’s Central Coast with Ventura, San Luis Obispo, wine country, and Hearst Castle.

  • California Living and Eating by Eleanor Maidment is a handsome coffee table book celebrating the food and lifestyle of the Golden State with 80 tasty recipes.

    California Living and Eating

    California Living and Eating by Eleanor Maidment is a handsome coffee table book celebrating the food and lifestyle of the Golden State with 80 tasty recipes.

  • Lonely Planet's Guide to Cycling the USA West Coast is a bicycling guidebook for anyone touring California, Oregon and Washington by bike.

    Cycling the USA West Coast

    Lonely Planet's Guide to Cycling the USA West Coast is a bicycling guidebook for anyone touring California, Oregon and Washington by bike.

  • Plant lovers can visit hundreds of gardens along or near the Pacific Coast Highway,ranging from lush gardens in the Pacific North-West to southern California.

    Gardens Of the Pacific Coast Highway

    Plant lovers can visit hundreds of gardens along or near the Pacific Coast Highway,ranging from lush gardens in the Pacific North-West to southern California.

  • Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.

    Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips: Lonely Planet Guidebook Review

    Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.



Recent Articles

  1. Governor Newsom announces Pacific Coast Highway will reopen in time for summer as California’s all-in fire response continues ahead of schedule

    Apr 14, 25 11:22 AM

    What you need to know: The Pacific Coast Highway, which was closed following the Palisades Fire, will reopen to public travel by the end of May – months ahead of schedule.

    Read More

  2. Central Coast city finally tops list for best beach town of the year

    Apr 11, 25 10:39 AM

    A Central Coast beach town offering a quick escape from the Bay Area or Los Angeles (and famously name-dropped in an iconic 1990s movie) was just crowned the coastal small town of the year.

    Read More

  3. L.A. County fire-affected beaches are safe for swimming, health officials say

    Apr 10, 25 11:25 AM

    Just in time for a mini heat wave going into the weekend, local public health authorities have lifted ocean water advisories placed on Malibu- and Santa Monica-area beaches affected by January’s Palis…

    Read More