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Highway 1: Fort Bragg to Leggett, Mendocino Coast, California
Photo: Ellin Beltz · Public domain

Drives California The North Coast

Highway 1: Fort Bragg to Leggett

CA 1, Shoreline Highway · Fort Bragg → Leggett

Twisty42 mi1 hr 20 min4,800 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,900 ftOne way
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The drive

This is the far north end of Highway 1, where the coast road gives up the coast. From Pudding Creek in Fort Bragg it runs north past MacKerricher State Park, with its beaches and dunes reaching to the Ten Mile River, and on along the bluffs above the surf to Westport, an old logging and fishing village, and Westport-Union Landing State Beach just beyond.

Past Rockport the highway turns inland and climbs over the coastal mountains to US 101 at Leggett. This last part is the twisty one: a narrow road, partly through redwoods, with curve after tight curve and hardly a straight in sight.

It's driven northbound from Fort Bragg, so the open coast comes first and the mountain climb finishes the day. At Leggett, US 101 leads north toward the Avenue of the Giants.

Along the way

  1. Fort Bragg (Pudding Creek)
  2. Westport
  3. Leggett (US-101)
Elevation
4,800 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,900 ft
Fort BraggLeggett
Curves
Mostly moderate, with three twisty stretches
Fort BraggLeggett
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The climb from Rockport to Leggett is very tight and slow, and long RVs and trailers struggle on its hairpins.
  • Westport is the only village on the way, and services are thin until Leggett.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Caltrans: Highway 1 conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 1 from Fort Bragg to Leggett take?

Highway 1 from Fort Bragg to US 101 at Leggett is 42 miles and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes without stops.

How twisty is Highway 1 between Rockport and Leggett?

Very. Once Highway 1 leaves the coast at Rockport it climbs over the mountains to Leggett on narrow, tight curves, the twistiest part of the whole drive.

Can you drive an RV on Highway 1 from Fort Bragg to Leggett?

It's legal, but the inland stretch of Highway 1 to Leggett is narrow with tight hairpins, and long RVs and trailers often have trouble staying in their lane.

Is there roadwork on Highway 1 at Westport?

It can. Caltrans has used one-way traffic control on Highway 1 in Westport, between Westport Cemetery and Wages Creek Road, with delays of up to 10 minutes, so check Caltrans before driving.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 1: Fort Bragg to Leggett, from Fort Bragg to Leggett