The most spectacular stretch of coastline on the west coast. Highway 1 winds for more than 30 miles along beautiful scenery. Many secluded beaches & coves along rocky the seashore. Discover waterfalls, cedar pine forest canyons, hot springs, oak shaded ravines by means of hiking trails.

 

• Beaches & Scenic Seashore
• BackRoads
• Partington Cove
• Hearst Castle
• Pfeiffer State Beach
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
• Prewitt Ridge
• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
• Andrew Molera State Park
• Los Padres National Forest

For overnight stays near Big Sur, check out Lodging

Itinerary Ideas:

Drive partially north up the coast & stay overnight at one of many

interesting & beautiful towns along the Pacific Coastline:

 

Cambria Morro Bay Pismo Beach San Luis Obispo Santa Barbara	Lodging Lodging Lodging Lodging Lodging
Area activities include: Back Packing Camping Hiking Hot Springs Los Padres NF Mountain Biking Ridge Rd. Pfeiffer Big Sur SP Shops & Restaurants Sightseeing &Tours Scenic drives & views Tidepools	Poison Oak  is abundant in this area Be Careful ! wear pants when hiking overgrown trails
CLICK TO ENLARGE   map credit Thomas Bros.	map credit NFS: Los Padres - Mont. Distr.

from:	directions:	driving time:	mileage:
Los Angeles	Hwy.101 N, Hwy.1 N	3-5 hrs.	300

Tips for Big Sur:

• Camping can get expensive in this region & hard top come by, so think of pairing up a few people in a cozy cabin instead.
• Reservations for campgrounds usually must be made well in advance. Try the remote campgrounds of Ponderosa & Nacimiento instead. Or the primitive style at Prewitt Ridge.
• Avoid the crowds - Explore the unmarked areas: Pull over (well off the highway) & park you car for a few hours to discover new waterfalls & trails to the oceanfront.

 

A detailed map (NFS) of the Big Sur coast is advised for these visits below.

Partington Canyon

Salmon Creek Falls

This is another great waterfall close to the highway. A short hike will bring you top the base, but make sure to wear pants - due to poison oak all over the trail. Located 8-10 mi. south of the town of Gorda in a huge hair-pin canyon turn .

 

Pfeiffer Beach

afterhours - The beach located at the end of a turn off just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on a residental street. Daily the attendant collects parking fees. You can avoid these fees by arriving in late afternoon.

 

Off Roading / Back Roads

Many dirt roads in the Central Coast region are private driveways. Be careful to check for 'no trespassing' signage & respect other peoples property. The best area for back country exploration is up off Nacimiento Rd. Big Sur Backroads page has some deatils on specif routes. A Los Padres NF map would be handy and advisable. The ridge areas offer great view from an even high elevation. A few roads lead to backpackers trail heads / park spots.

The Nacimiento Rd. is a narrow long & winding way to eventually get from Hwy.1 to Hwy.101 (via Fort Hunter Leggett military base) The drive includes ocean view spots & creekside lined oaks canyons.

Camping

There are a number of campgrounds along the coast and a few inland. Some are private canpgrounds, located in beautiful redwood canyons, which charge expensive fees. The two Big Sur State Parks require reservations well in advance. The Parks Managment Company in this region over see a several good campgrounds. Most are first come first serve, but double check to make sure.

Parks Managment Co. PO Box 1853 Morro Bay CA 93443 805/995-1976

Bottchers Gap Kirk Creek Plaskett Creek

Nacimiento Ponderosa Cerro Alto

Primitive car camping & backpacking options can be found in the Los Padres NF

 

Hot Springs

for the night owl - The Esalen Institute, located on the coast, has their beautiful hot tubs open to the public after hours (midnight - 3am). Call ahead to verify.

Primitive Sykes Hot Springs can be accessed only by backpacking. Tasajara Hot Springs is a retreat center & is located on the eastern slopes of the coastal mountains & may not open to the public for day use.

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