EV Charging on a Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

The Route

The Pacific Coast Highway runs from San Diego to the Olympic Peninsula, hugging the coastline through some of the most photographed scenery in the country. Big Sur, the Redwoods, the Oregon coast, the San Juan Islands. It is the road trip that makes people buy cars in the first place.

We track 15 RV parks and campgrounds across California, Oregon, and Washington along this corridor. Nine are EV-friendly (stations or campsite charging allowed). Six prohibit EV charging entirely. The distribution is not even. California carries the load, Oregon barely registers, and Washington is a mixed bag with most parks saying no.

California: The Best EV Campground Corridor in the Country

Six of California's nine parks in our directory support EV charging. Two in San Diego alone have multi-charger setups. The Central Coast and Bay Area are covered. Even Yosemite, which is not technically coastal but draws the same road trip crowd, has charging stations.

California Parks That Do Not Allow Charging

Three California parks in our directory prohibit EV charging. Worth knowing so you can plan around them.

Oregon: One Park, One Bright Spot

Oregon is a gap in our campground data, but not in public charging infrastructure. The state's West Coast Electric Highway network, now operated by EVCS, has 47 charging locations along I-5, Highway 101, and other routes. EVCS has been upgrading every Oregon station with new CCS and CHAdeMO connectors.

The one Oregon park in our directory is a good one: Rivers Edge RV Resort & Camping in Clatskanie allows EV charging at campsites. Clatskanie is on the Columbia River near the Washington border, about 60 miles northwest of Portland. Not the Oregon coast proper, but a practical overnight stop between Portland and Astoria.

If you are driving the Oregon coast, you will be relying on public DC fast chargers rather than campground charging. EVCS and Energy Northwest are installing 40 DC fast chargers across 12 locations along Highway 101 in western Washington and coastal Oregon, which will significantly improve the situation.

Washington: Mostly No, But Not Entirely

Washington has five parks in our directory. Three prohibit EV charging. Two support it. The friendly ones are not on the coast, so if your route follows the Pacific coast through Washington, campground charging will be limited.

DC Fast Charging Along the Coast

The West Coast Electric Highway spans 1,300 miles from the Mexican border through British Columbia. It is one of the oldest and most developed EV charging corridors in the country.

In California, DC fast charging is abundant along Highway 1 and Highway 101. San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Francisco, and Eureka all have multiple fast charging options from Tesla Supercharger, Electrify America, ChargePoint, EVgo, and EVCS. You are rarely more than 50 miles from a fast charger on the California coast.

Oregon's Highway 101 has been thinner historically, but EVCS is actively filling gaps. Major coast towns like Astoria, Tillamook, Newport, Florence, and Coos Bay have DC fast charging, though options are more limited than California.

Washington is improving quickly. EVCS completed a major expansion in 2025, adding 41 DC fast chargers across 24 locations statewide, including ultra-fast 350 kW chargers. The Highway 101 corridor through western Washington is getting 40 new chargers across 12 locations through a federal CFI grant.

Planning Your PCH Trip

• Start in San Diego. Mission Bay RV Resort has 12 EV chargers, the most of any campground in our directory. Top up before heading north.
• Big Sur has no campground charging and limited cell service. Charge fully in Monterey or Marina before entering. The stretch from Big Sur to San Simeon is about 90 miles with no reliable charging.
• The Redwood coast is a charging desert for campgrounds. Giant Redwoods RV & Camp will fine you $75. Use DC fast chargers in Arcata, Eureka, or Fortuna instead.
• In Oregon, plan around public chargers, not campgrounds. Our directory has only one Oregon park. EVCS stations along Highway 101 are your best bet.
• The Winthrop area in Washington (North Cascades) has two campgrounds that both prohibit charging. Make sure you arrive with enough range to leave, or use a Level 2 charger in Winthrop town.
• For campsite charging basics, see our outlet guide. For what adapters to bring, see our adapter guide.