Big Sur Coast Highway
Coastal Drive · Big Sur, California
The Big Sur Coast Highway is California Highway 1 between Carmel and San Simeon, about 90 miles of two-lane road clinging to the cliffs where the Santa Lucia Mountains meet the Pacific. Opened in 1937, it passes Bixby Creek Bridge, McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur and the purple-tinged sand of Pfeiffer Beach. Nearby Point Lobos is a separate place near Carmel. The drive is slow and rewarding, with no guardrails in places, frequent fog, little cell signal and scarce, expensive fuel. Landslides have closed parts of the road for long periods in recent years, so confirm current status before you go, and carry water and a full tank because help is far away. Most visitors should treat it as a long day, not a quick detour, and stop only where there is a proper pullout. Driving north to south puts you on the ocean side with the pullouts on your right. Allow a full day or two, and elephant seals wait at the south end near San Simeon.
Highway 1, Big Sur, California, 93920, United States
The highway is a public road open around the clock, but sections have repeatedly closed for landslides, storm damage and construction, sometimes for weeks or months. Always check the state road conditions service the morning you drive, and again at the nearest town, because a closure can leave you with a very long detour inland. Fog and darkness make driving slower. State parks along the route keep daylight hours, with day-use areas often closing at sunset and some parking lots small and full by mid-morning. Fuel, food and lodging are limited and seasonal. Plan to be at your destination by dusk and confirm the status of every stop in advance.
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