All-American Road · California

Big Sur Coast Highway

72 miles of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast: cliffs, coastal canyons and redwoods, with Bixby Creek Bridge and McWay Falls along the way.

Also known as Route 1 - Big Sur Coast Highway; California Highway 1 through Big Sur

Big Sur Coast Highway: Big Sur Coast Highway - Distant View of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source

  • Length72 miles[1]
  • Drive timeAbout 1.5 hours of driving, or five hours with stops[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
  • RoadsCalifornia State Route 1[1]
  • Start and endNot verified
  • Fees and passesNone for the highway[1]State parks along the road charge day-use fees.
  • Best seasonNot verified
  • SurfaceNot verified
  • Vehicle notesNot verified
  • Seasonal closuresLandslides have closed parts of Highway 1 in Big Sur for long periods; Caltrans reported it reopened in 2026. Check Caltrans conditions before you go.[2]

Before you go

Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.

About the drive

The Big Sur Coast Highway is the stretch of California Highway 1 that follows the Big Sur coast south of Carmel. FHWA describes windswept cypress, fog-wrapped cliffs, redwood canyons and sea lions along the way.

You can drive it in about an hour and a half, but most people take most of a day, with stops at Bixby Creek Bridge, Point Sur, the redwoods of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

This road has a long history of landslide closures, and repairs and slope work can bring one-way traffic or short closures. Check Caltrans conditions on the day you go.

Stops along the way

  1. Garrapata State Park

    Coastal bluffs and beach at the north end.

    Official information · 36.47359, -121.90559 · about 1.4 mi from the route line

  2. Bixby Creek Bridge

    Landmark bridge over Bixby Creek.

    Official information · 36.37159, -121.90193 · about 0.0 mi from the route line

  3. Point Sur State Historic Park

    Historic light station on Point Sur.

    Official information · 36.30637, -121.90172 · about 0.8 mi from the route line

  4. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

    Redwoods along the Big Sur River.

    Official information · 36.25331, -121.7833 · about 0.2 mi from the route line

  5. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

    Home of McWay Falls.

    Official information · 36.16997, -121.66539 · about 0.7 mi from the route line

Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

Food along the way

Farmers markets within about 25 miles

  • Carmel Certified Farmers' MarketCarmel, CA · about 0.1 mi from the route
  • Del Monte Farmers' MarketMonterey, CA · about 1.1 mi from the route
  • Old Monterey Farmers' MarketMonterey, CA · about 2.0 mi from the route
  • Monterey Farmers' Market at MPCMonterey, CA · about 2.0 mi from the route
  • Pacific Grove Farmers' MarketPacific Grove, CA · about 3.3 mi from the route · listed as year-round

Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.

Sources

  1. America's Byways: Route 1 - Big Sur Coast Highway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
  2. Tourism on Big Sur is Surging Since Reopening of Highway 1 (Caltrans District 5, May 15 2026) (checked 2026-10-22)
  3. Point Sur State Historic Park (California State Parks) (checked 2026-10-22)
  4. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (California State Parks) (checked 2026-10-22)
  5. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (California State Parks) (checked 2026-10-22)
  6. Garrapata State Park (California State Parks) (checked 2026-10-22)
  7. Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.

Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).

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