U.S. Pacific Coast Photos

Oregon's Highway 101
Photograph by Phil Schermeister
Headlights weave a path along Highway 101 south of Gold Beach, Oregon, in this time exposure. The historic highway was commissioned in the 1920s and runs along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Santa Ynez Valley, California
Photograph by Rich Reid
A path winds through a vineyard in California's Santa Ynez Valley. The Santa Ynez Mountains parallel the Pacific Ocean coastline, a long stretch of rugged cliffs, windswept beaches, and sometimes lonesome beauty.
Santa Barbara, California
Photograph by Rich Reid
Five friends ride horseback along Sands Beach in Santa Barbara, California. Santa Barbara beaches, most of which face south and not west, are part of the 18,000 acres (7,000 hectares) of park space created by the city.
Pebble Beach, California
Photograph by Norbert Wu, Minden Pictures
Thought to be around 250 years old, Lone Cypress Tree springs out of rock along the coast in Pebble Beach, California. The tree is visible from 17-Mile Drive, a route that winds through Pacific Grove, Del Monte Forest, and Pebble Beach.
Santa Cruz, California, Boardwalk
Photograph by Catherine Karnow
The Giant Dipper roller coaster is the star of the show at California's Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This classic wooden thrill ride, a designated National Historic Landmark, was built in 1924, making it the sixth oldest continuously operating roller coaster in the United States.
Surfers in Bolinas, California
Photograph by Ed Kashi
On a quiet beach near Bolinas, California, a group of beginning surfers enters the water. Marin County, just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, is surrounded by water on three sides, allowing for a variety of beaches, tidal pools, and lagoons.
Cape Arago State Park, Oregon
Photograph by Tyrone Turner
Pieces of driftwood lie washed up on the sandy beaches of Cape Arago State Park in Oregon. Cape Arago, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean, was first sighted by one of Sir Francis Drake's expeditions in the late 1500s.
Olympic Mountains, Washington
Photograph by Sam Abell
A heavy fog fills a valley in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. Created from ancient seafloor, the mountains are not very high—Mount Olympus is only 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level—but they include more than 200 glaciers.
Coastline Near Crescent City, California
Photograph by James P. Blair
An aerial view of the Pacific shoreline shows the majesty of the cliffs near Crescent City, which is also home to the famous redwoods of northern California.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Photograph by Rich Reid
Headlights illuminate the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun sets on San Francisco. The bridge took four years to build, and since opening in 1937, some two billion cars have traveled its length.