State Scenic Highway 68 68
State Scenic Highway 68 is a State Scenic Byway in California. Within California it covers roughly 21 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along State Scenic Highway 68 with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
State Scenic Highway 68, the Monterey-Salinas Highway, has been officially designated a California scenic highway since June 1968. The designation covers 14 miles between State Route 1 in Monterey and the Salinas River. Caltrans credits the chaparral hillsides and springtime lupine blooms along this stretch for the honor. The western end runs as the W.R. Holman Highway near the terminus of the famed 17-Mile Drive, while the route passes WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Toro Park, and the farm town of Spreckels on its way to Salinas. The corridor has been a travel route for far longer than cars have existed: Esselen ancestors first wore the path along deer trails and creek beds, later used by Spanish missionaries, the Juan de Anza Expedition, and eventually the ranchers and racegoers who use it today.
- Monterey-Salinas Highway
- officially designated June 1968
- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
- chaparral & spring lupine views
- ancestral Esselen trail corridor
- near the 17-Mile Drive
Plan a drive on State Scenic Highway 68 →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along State Scenic Highway 68
No campgrounds are listed close to State Scenic Highway 68 yet, but there are rooms near the route.
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