Santa Monica Pier & Route 66 End Sign

The question of Route 66's true western terminus is more complicated than the End of the Trail sign suggests. When Route 66 was officially commissioned in 1926, the route ended in downtown Los Angeles at Seventh and Broadway. In 1936, Route 66 was extended west on Olympic and Lincoln Boulevards to its final terminus at the intersection of Olympic and Lincoln in Santa Monica — still inland, not at the ocean. The pier itself was never technically part of the official Route 66 alignment.

But the symbolic terminus has always been the ocean. Travelers who had driven 2,000+ miles from Chicago did not stop at an inland intersection — they continued the last mile or two to the Pacific and ended their journey at the water's edge. Santa Monica Pier became the de facto endpoint because it is where Route 66 emotionally ends: where the continent runs out, where the Mother Road meets the Mother Ocean, where the journey's meaning is completed by water that prevents further westward travel.

The 2009 installation of the End of the Trail sign at the pier formalized what had been informal for decades. The sign is positioned on the pier's main deck, easily accessible to all visitors, and has become the universally recognized terminus photograph. Whether or not historic-purists accept the pier as the official end, the cultural consensus is settled: Route 66 ends at Santa Monica Pier.

Santa Monica Pier began in 1909 as the Municipal Pier — a utilitarian structure built to carry sewer pipes out beyond the breaking waves. The city quickly recognized the pier's recreational potential, and in 1916 the adjacent Pleasure Pier opened with the Looff Hippodrome — the wooden carousel building that still anchors the pier today. The Hippodrome was designed by Charles Looff, one of America's most celebrated carousel builders, and houses a carousel that has spun in some form since the pier's early years.

The pier survived a series of near-disasters across the 20th century — major storm damage, periodic neglect, and a 1973 attempt by city officials to demolish the pier entirely for redevelopment. Community activists organized to save the pier, and the demolition plan was defeated. Subsequent decades brought substantial restoration work, the National Historic Landmark designation for the Hippodrome carousel building (1987), and ongoing reinvestment in the pier's structure and attractions.

Today the pier is one of Southern California's most visited destinations — receiving millions of visitors annually, hosting free concerts on the deck during summer months, and serving as the unmistakable visual signature of Santa Monica that appears in countless films, television shows, and advertisements. The pier's combination of authentic early-20th-century structure (the carousel building), accessible amusement-park rides (Pacific Park), ocean fishing, restaurants, and the Route 66 End sign makes it one of the most concentrated visitor experiences in California.

The Route 66 End of the Trail sign is located on the pier's main deck, on the south side, near the entrance to Pacific Park and the carousel building. The sign is mounted on a simple metal pole and features the classic Route 66 shield with white lettering on a black background reading END OF THE TRAIL above the Route 66 shield and SANTA MONICA below. The sign is unmistakable and easy to find — there is usually a small line of photographers waiting their turn during daylight hours.

Etiquette at the sign is informal but real. Travelers wait their turn, and the line moves quickly because most photos take only 30 seconds. Motorcycle riders often pose next to the sign with their bikes; Corvette and vintage-car owners back up to the sign for the classic ride-and-sign composition; families queue up for group photos; solo riders ask strangers to take their portrait. The shared understanding is that everyone has earned the photograph by driving the road, and the brief queue is part of the experience.

The best photography light hits the sign in late afternoon as the sun moves toward the Pacific — the warm golden light, the ocean as background, and the iconic shield combine for the photograph that completes the journey. Travelers who arrive at dawn or early morning often have the sign to themselves and can take their time with the composition. Travelers who arrive at sunset experience the pier at its most cinematic but with the largest crowds.

The pier offers substantial activities beyond the End of the Trail sign photograph. Pacific Park, the small amusement park on the pier's deck, includes the iconic Pacific Wheel solar-powered Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and a dozen rides accessible by individual ticket or unlimited day pass. The Looff Hippodrome carousel offers rides on the historic carousel for a small fee, and the building itself is worth examining as the pier's most architecturally significant structure.

Fishing from the pier requires no license (California exempts public-pier fishing) and tackle can be rented at the pier's bait shop. The Pacific Park aquarium under the pier (Heal the Bay's Santa Monica Pier Aquarium) is a small, family-friendly facility focused on local marine life. The pier's restaurants range from casual carousel-building taquerias to the upscale Lobster at the pier's entrance, and street performers, buskers, and informal entertainment fill the pier deck throughout the day.

The walk from the pier south along the boardwalk to Venice Beach (about 1.5 miles) is one of California's iconic coastal walks — beach on one side, the famous bike path on the other, and the unmistakable Venice scene at the far end with its boardwalk performers, Muscle Beach, and the canals. Travelers completing Route 66 frequently extend their final day with the Santa Monica-to-Venice walk as a kind of victory lap along the Pacific.