San Francisco to Phoenix Road Trip Guide

As you arrive in Coalinga, California, you should stop for a meal at Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant, a popular destination for tantalizing delicacies and internationally recognized homegrown beef, fruits, vegetables, and nut crops. This restaurant ranks among the first and largest dining destinations in the city and welcomes lots of tourists and locals alike.

Depending on what your preference is, you’ll find casual and fine dining spaces, as well as good banquet facilities where you can have get-togethers with your family and friends.

What’s most peculiar about Harris Ranch is its juicy beef, which you may choose to order online from your camping area nearby or have right there in the restaurant.

The restaurant’s online chef teaches how to make some beef recipes, so you can take that away as you move on from this restaurant and make your way to Phoenix. Don’t worry, you’ll find good parking spaces for your vehicle when you stop to refuel your stomach here.

Before hitting the desert, experience the agricultural heartland that feeds America. The Central Valley between San Francisco and Bakersfield showcases California's farming legacy—endless orchards, vineyards, and fields creating geometric patterns across the landscape. This isn't a traditional tourist stop, but it's quintessentially Californian and provides excellent highway rest areas for RV travelers.

Consider an overnight stop at Jackson Rancheria RV Park near Fresno, which offers full hookups and easy access to both the capital region and Bay Area attractions. Alternatively, Lemon Cove Village RV Park near Visalia puts you close to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks if you want to add mountain scenery to your desert-bound journey.

Pro tip: Stop at a roadside fruit stand for fresh produce—the Valley grows incredible citrus, stone fruits, and nuts. These stands also offer clean restrooms and often have RV-friendly parking.

From CALM, your next stop should be the famous Griffith Observatory, located 123 miles away on the south face of Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles. The drive is about two hours. Here, you can register your name amongst the more than 7 million people that have looked the iconic 12-inch Zeiss refractor in the Observatory. There’s a chance you may have even seen the refractor in a movie.

You won’t have to worry about an admission fee into the Observatory, as it’s free. If you, however, wish to enjoy Planetarium shows that are available every day of the week, you’ll be required to pay a nominal fee. Some other things you should look forward to seeing here include a solar telescope, and a caricature of the moon’s north pole.

A small parking lot is available near the Observatory, with more room for paid-parking nearby. If you visit in summer, feel free to camp at Camp Hollywoodland.

Another wonderful attraction you’ll see as you gradually come closer to Phoenix is Palm Springs Air Museum, located two hours away from Griffith Observatory in Palm Springs. This museum was established by Bob Pond and Pete Madison and is most notable for the WWII and Korea-era and Vietnam-era combat aircraft that are on display there.

Not only will you be able to see the vintage pieces here, you’ll also be able to enjoy flights aboard the C-47 Skytrain and P-51 Mustang with veterans that will offer fascinating accounts of these airplanes and the pilots that flew them. Note that these flights can be quite expensive, so have enough money for it.

The museum is open all year round and welcomes all kinds of tourists. For guests that wish to camp overnight, Palm Springs / Joshua Tree KOA is perfect!

Hidden Beaches Resort lies in the city of Blythe, 124 miles away from Palm Springs Air Museum, and is perfect for some relaxation, after enjoying plenty of sightseeing adventures and history lessons, and nature observation exercises. Rest assured, your drive to this park will be easy and smooth, owing to the fact that the roads that lead there are well-marked. Besides, the park is also accessible by boat, even though that’s probably going to be handy for another vacation.

What’s good about this park is that there are plenty of RV camping opportunities and amenities here, so you’ll be able to enjoy the use of electric hookups within the pull-thru sites available. As the resort sits on the edge of the Colorado River, you’ll be able to enjoy waterfront views too. What a nice place to relax and recharge before finally moving on to Phoenix!

While slightly off the direct route, Joshua Tree National Park sits about 90 miles south of I-10 and offers one of California's most unique desert experiences. If you have extra time in your 3-5 day itinerary, this detour rewards you with otherworldly rock formations, those famous twisted Joshua trees, and stunning stargazing opportunities.

The park has RV length restrictions (many roads prohibit rigs over 25 feet), so this works best for smaller campervans or if you're towing and can unhitch. For RV camping options near the park, explore campgrounds in the Yucca Valley area.

About 60 miles before Phoenix, Gila Bend offers an excellent overnight stopping point with authentic desert character. The small town sits in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by dramatic mountain ranges and classic saguaro cactus landscapes. The Gila Bend KOA provides comfortable full-hookup sites with a pool—perfect for cooling off after a day of desert driving.

The Sonoran Desert scenery between Gila Bend and Phoenix showcases why people fall in love with Arizona. Massive saguaro cacti stand like sentinels against mountain backdrops, while spring (March-April) brings wildflower displays that transform the desert into a garden of gold poppies, purple lupines, and pink hedgehog cactus blooms.

Your destination delivers big-city amenities wrapped in dramatic desert landscapes. Phoenix proper blends with surrounding communities—Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa—creating a sprawling metro area of 4.5 million people. The city sits in a flat valley surrounded by mountains on all sides, creating those famous postcard-worthy sunsets where the sun drops behind jagged peaks.

Phoenix offers endless activities: world-class golf courses, the Desert Botanical Garden showcasing desert plant life, South Mountain Park's hiking trails providing panoramic city views, and Old Town Scottsdale's galleries and dining scene. The city's excellent Mexican food scene reflects its proximity to the border and rich cultural heritage.

RV Parking Reality: Phoenix's sprawling layout makes having your RV as a base camp ideal. Stay at campgrounds in Mesa, Apache Junction, or Maricopa, then use your rig or tow vehicle for exploring different neighborhoods. The Mesa / Apache Junction KOA positions you perfectly for exploring the Valley while offering views of the Superstition Mountains.