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1h · Admission ticket not included
Often called the crown jewel of California's state parks, Point Lobos is where Big Sur begins to show off. Its name comes from the sea lions early Spanish sailors called "sea wolves," and you can still hear them barking offshore. Walk the Cypress Grove Trail through one of only two native Monterey cypress groves on Earth, look for sea otters in Whalers Cove, and learn about the Chinese fishing village and whaling station that once worked these shores. Arrive early: parking inside fills fast on weekends.
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Just south of Point Lobos, houses cling to granite cliffs above the surf. This small community drew some of America's greatest photographers. Edward Weston made many of his famous images from his cabin on Wildcat Hill, and Ansel Adams lived and worked here for the last two decades of his life. As you drive, the story explains what drew artists to this coast and how the light here shaped modern landscape photography. Look out for the historic Highlands Inn on the hill to your left.
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This quiet residential loop above Yankee Point is a glimpse of what life on the Big Sur coast looks like for the few who live here. Homes are tucked into the cypress and pines, built to stand up to winter storms and salt wind. The story covers how this land was divided, who settled it, and the fights over development that ended with some of the strictest building rules on the California coast. Those rules are the reason the view ahead still looks almost untouched.
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Malpaso means "bad step" in Spanish, a name left by travelers who struggled to cross this steep creek before the highway existed. Today the creek is widely considered the northern gateway to Big Sur, the start of roughly 90 miles of coastline with no towns of any size. As you cross the bridge, the story explains how a region with almost no roads, no electricity and few residents until the 1930s became one of the most famous drives in the world.
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Garrapata State Park
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Garrapata is one of Big Sur's best-kept secrets, with no entrance booth and no fee. Pull into one of the roadside turnouts to walk the Soberanes Point trail, a short loop with sweeping ocean views and one of the best spots on this coast to see migrating gray whales from December to April. In late winter and spring, the Calla Lily Valley near Garrapata Beach fills with wild white lilies. The story points out the best turnout for each, so you won't drive past them.
OPTION STOP: 20 to 40 mins
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Garrapata Creek Bridge
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Built in 1931, this graceful concrete arch was one of the first bridges completed on the new coast road. Engineers had to design structures that could span deep canyons, survive earthquakes and still look good against the landscape. The story describes how the bridges were built from concrete poured on site, with materials hauled in over rough dirt tracks, and why Caltrans still protects them as historic landmarks today. Watch for the view of the arch as you round the bend.
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Notley's Landing viewpoint
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In the late 1800s, this small headland at the mouth of Palo Colorado Canyon was a busy shipping point. Workers stripped bark from tanoak trees in the canyons, used for tanning leather, and lowered it by cable to schooners waiting offshore. Hardly a trace remains, but the viewpoint is one of the best places to see the coastline ahead. The story brings the landing back to life and explains how the tanbark boom shaped Big Sur's early settlers.
Optional stop: 5 to 10 minutes (free)
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Rocky Creek Bridge
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Rocky Creek Bridge, finished in 1932, is the quieter neighbor of Bixby Bridge, just a minute's drive further south. Many travelers don't notice it, but its open-spandrel arch is just as elegant and the canyon below is just as dramatic. The story uses it to set up what comes next: how the coast road was finally completed, the hundreds of workers who built it, and the San Quentin prisoners who were paid to help blast the route out of solid cliffs.
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Bixby Bridge
15m
This is the shot you came for. Completed in 1932, Bixby Bridge was one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world, rising about 260 feet above the creek. It appears in countless car ads and in the opening credits of Big Little Lies. Park at the pullout on the north side for the classic view, but take care crossing the road. The story tells how the bridge was built, why it saved travelers an 11-mile detour inland, and what lies up the Old Coast Road.
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As you climb south from Bixby, the road reaches Hurricane Point, one of the highest and windiest spots on this stretch. Hold on to your hat. On a clear day the view stretches back north over Bixby Bridge and ahead to the Point Sur headland, and on foggy days you may find yourself driving above the clouds. The story explains the coastal fog that rolls in most summer mornings, why it's so important to the redwoods, and how to read the weather here.
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That huge volcanic rock rising from the sand flats is Point Sur, crowned by a lighthouse that has guided ships since 1889. Before it was built, this coast was a graveyard for ships lost in fog. The keepers and their families lived out here in near-total isolation. The story covers the shipwrecks, the lighthouse keepers' lives, and the Navy airship Macon that crashed offshore in 1935. Docent-led tours of the lightstation run on select days; check the schedule before your trip.
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Andrew Molera State Park
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Andrew Molera is Big Sur at its wildest, with trails that wander through meadows to a wide beach where the Big Sur River meets the ocean. Near the parking lot stands the Cooper Cabin, built in 1861 and the oldest surviving building on the Big Sur coast. The story explains how this land passed from Spanish land grants to ranching families, and how the Molera family gave it to the state. It's a great stop if you want a longer, quieter walk.
OPTIONAL STOP: 1 hour (park free)
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Here the road turns inland into the shelter of the Big Sur River valley, and the ocean gives way to towering coast redwoods. This is the heart of Big Sur's small community, with a lodge, restaurants, a campground and a general store. The story introduces the Pfeiffer family, who homesteaded here in 1869, and recommends short walks among the redwoods. Many visitors stop here for lunch or coffee before continuing south.
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This bridge looks ordinary, but it has a dramatic story. In 2017, winter storms caused a landslide that cracked the old bridge so badly it had to be demolished, cutting Big Sur in two. Residents hiked a steep trail across the canyon to get to work and school, and some businesses survived by bringing in supplies by helicopter. The story describes how the community coped, and how the new steel bridge was built and opened in record time.
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Perched about 800 feet above the ocean, Nepenthe is Big Sur's most famous restaurant and a favorite stop for lunch with a view. Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth bought the land in the 1940s, and in 1949 the Fassett family opened Nepenthe. It became a gathering place for artists, writers and Hollywood stars. The story tells how it got its name and its legends. Try the terrace for the view, or the more casual Café Kevah on the level below.
Optional Stop: Food and drinks at own cost
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Henry Miller Memorial Library
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Novelist Henry Miller lived in Big Sur from 1944 to 1962 and wrote about it in Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch. His friend Emil White turned his home into this quirky library and arts center, with books, art and a shaded garden that hosts concerts and readings. The story explains why Miller came, the writers and free spirits he attracted, and how Big Sur became a symbol of the bohemian life. It's a relaxed place to stretch your legs.
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South of the Henry Miller Library, the highway runs high above the sea, cutting across steep canyons like Grimes Canyon. This is some of the most rugged terrain on the drive, and it shows why building the road was so hard. Landslides are a constant threat, and crews work year-round to keep the highway open. Nearby is the Esalen Institute, the retreat founded in the 1960s that helped launch the human potential movement. The story explains both.
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Partington Cove
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Look for the unmarked pullout at the hairpin bend. A steep trail leads down through the canyon, across a footbridge and through a tunnel blasted through the rock in the 1880s, ending at a tiny, hidden cove. John Partington used it to load tanbark onto ships, and local legend says rum runners landed liquor here during Prohibition. The story points out the pullout and explains the cove's history. Wear good shoes, as the climb back up is steep.
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15m
The tour ends at one of the most photographed views in California: McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall that pours from a granite cliff onto the beach of a turquoise cove. It sits in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, named after a pioneer woman remembered for her love of this land. The story explains the cove's history, from the Waterfall House that once stood above it to how a landslide created its beach.
CHECK ACCESS - Access to the McWay Falls Overlook Trail has been limited by repair work; if it's closed, you can still see the falls from the roadside viewpoint on Highway 1.
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Pacific Coast Highway
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CHECK ROAD CONDITIONS
Highway 1 through Big Sur is prone to landslides and temporary closures, especially in winter. Check Caltrans QuickMap or call 1-800-427-7623 before you set out. Access to the McWay Falls Overlook Trail has been limited by repair work; if it's closed, you can still see the falls from the roadside viewpoint on Highway 1. Fill up on fuel in Carmel, as stations in Big Sur are few and expensive.
