Big Sur: Driving the California Coast

Between Carmel and Cambria, a narrow road winds past some of the state's most dramatic scenery. Mile after mile, towering coastal mountains drop away to meet the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Waterfalls and secluded coves lie around nearly every hairpin turn along the area's one highway.

Inland, stands of coastal redwoods tower and impress, while elephant seals congregate on the beaches to the south of Big Sur.

When to Visit Big Sur

The best time visit is in the late winter or early spring when the mountains turn a dazzling green and waterfalls come to life.

Visitors in other seasons will see a starker landscape with mostly dry, straw-colored hillsides.

• In the winter, come prepared for rain. In the summer, be aware of wildfires. Expect morning and evening fog throughout the year.

Big Sur lies along a relatively hard-to-reach stretch of California's central coast. Exploring the scenic Pacific Coast Highway between Carmel and Cambria is half the pleasure of naming Big Sur as a destination.

From San Francisco

• Take 101 south past San Juan Bautista, then take 156 toward Castroville, where the road meets Highway 1. Stay on 1 heading south past Monterey.
• Distance: 150 miles, one way

From Los Angeles

• Take 101 north to San Luis Obispo, then take Highway 1 toward Morro Bay. Stay on 1 heading north.
• Distance: 300 miles, one way

Winding and narrow, with vertigo-inducing lookouts, Highway 1 through Big Sur is not the easiest drive. But the views along that narrow ribbon of road are spectacular.

More about Highway 1

• See "California's Pacific Coast Highway" by Rickie Longfellow. It's one of a series of road stories found at the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration's Highway History page.

High, arched bridges such as this one have carried traffic along the jagged Pacific coastline since the 1930s.

They've become an important part of the scenery. The bridges are photographed as often as the gorges they span.

Soaring Big Sur bridges include Rocky Creek Bridge and Bixby Creek Bridge.

McWay Falls, an unusual cliff-to-beach cascade, is one of the highlights of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

There's no trail down to the beach, but that emptiness makes this scene all the more stunning to see.

McWay Falls is not the only waterfall worth seeing near Big Sur.

• Salmon Creek Falls: Round a bend in the highway and two shoots of water join in an impressive "V."
• Limekiln Falls: Wildfire damage has left Limekiln State Park closed for now, but when open, the falls and trails in the park are beautiful.

The mountains fade as you pass San Simeon, but the real scenery is on the ocean side: elephant seals.

According to the Cambria-based group Friends of the Elephant Seal, about 15,000 seals call the coast here home. Stop and have a look over the beaches of Pierdas Blancas, just north of Cambria.

How Include Big Sur in a California Road Trip

• "Driving California's coast in 10 days," By Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, January 28, 2009.

Hiking near Big Sur

• Hikinginbigsur.com, trail maps, photos and current conditions.

Camping near Big Sur

• Andrew Molera State Park
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
• Limekiln State Park, currently closed (Summer 2009)

• Hearst San Simeon State Park, includes Washburn and San Simeon Creek campgrounds

Gas Stations along Highway 1

• Big Sur, near Andrew Molera State Park
• Gorda