Big Sur stops, north to south

Where should I stop in Big Sur?

Point Lobos, Garrapata, Bixby Bridge, Pfeiffer Big Sur, Pfeiffer Beach and McWay Falls, in that order. Add Point Sur if your visit lands on a tour day.

Here is the full list in driving order, with what each costs and how long it deserves.

What is the most beautiful part of Big Sur?

The 25 miles from Bixby Bridge to McWay Falls. It has the biggest cliffs, the bridge, the redwoods and the waterfall, and it is the part most day trips can reach.

For raw scale, the stretch from Bixby Bridge past Hurricane Point to Point Sur is hard to beat: the road hangs on the mountainside and the lightstation sits alone on its volcanic rock below. For the postcard, Julia Pfeiffer Burns, where an 80-foot fall drops onto a beach nobody may walk on.

The south coast past Lucia is wilder and emptier. Lovely, but it costs two more hours of curves, and in 2026 much of its backcountry is closed after the Plaskett Fire.

What to see between Carmel and Big Sur?

Point Lobos, the Garrapata bluffs, Rocky Point, Bixby Bridge, Hurricane Point and Point Sur. The first 20 miles are dense with stops.

• Point Lobos (3 mi): cypress groves, coves and sea otters. $10 per car, open 8 a.m. with seasonal closing times; dogs are banned even in parked cars. See Point Lobos.
• Garrapata (5 to 9 mi): roadside gates with paths to the bluffs. Free, but parking is on the highway shoulder. State Parks warns that people have been swept off the rocks here; stay well back from the water (Garrapata State Park).
• Rocky Point (10 mi): a restaurant site with views. Its small beach is private.
• Bixby Bridge (13 mi) and Hurricane Point just south: the classic view, then the windy high point.
• Point Sur (19 mi): docent tours Saturday 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m., Wednesday 1 p.m.; first come, first served, arrive 30 minutes early.

How do you see Bixby Bridge in 2026?

From a legal pullout outside the new no-parking zone. Since August 2026 you cannot park on Highway 1 for about 900 feet north and 700 feet south of the bridge.

Monterey County approved the no-parking zone in June 2026 as a 12-month pilot, and signs went up on 4 August. Violators risk a ticket or a tow. Parking at the north entrance of the Old Coast Road has been banned since September 2024. Use a turnout further away, walk carefully on the shoulder side, and never stop in the lane.

The bridge itself: finished in 1932, 714 feet long, about 280 feet high, built for $199,861. The deck is 24 feet wide with no walkway, so do not try to walk across it. There are no restrooms for miles in either direction.

Which stops are in the Big Sur Valley?

Andrew Molera, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Pfeiffer Beach, Nepenthe and the Henry Miller Library, all within 8 miles of each other.

• Andrew Molera (21 mi): beach walks and Cooper Cabin. Trails east of the highway are closed after the Timber Fire (Andrew Molera page).
• Pfeiffer Big Sur (26 mi): reopened on 16 October 2026 with the Redwood Grove boardwalk, River Path, Nature Trail and Buzzards Roost open. Pfeiffer Falls, Valley View, Mt. Manuel and the River Gorge stay closed; entering them can earn a citation (State Parks reopening notice).
• Pfeiffer Beach (27 mi): turn west on the unmarked Sycamore Canyon Road for 2.2 single-lane miles. $15 per car, 65 spaces, no trailers or RVs. Under a Forest Service order you may only travel that road inside a vehicle: no walking or cycling in, fines up to $5,000.
• Nepenthe (29 mi): the terrace restaurant 800 feet above the sea, opened in 1949. Check it is serving before you plan lunch.
• Henry Miller Library (29 mi): books, art and concerts in the woods. Check the hours on its site.

Want Bixby, the valley and McWay Falls in one day from San Francisco without driving? This private tour goes as far as Julia Pfeiffer Burns, for up to five people.

★ 4.9 · 12 hours · from $890

Explore the private McWay Falls tour → Tour details

Can you get down to McWay Falls?

No. The beach and the cliffs around the falls are closed, and trespassing can mean a citation or arrest. You see it from the overlook trail, about half a mile from the lot.

McWay Falls drops 80 feet onto its cove and, at high tide, straight into the ocean. The beach formed after a 1983 mudslide. From the east-side parking lot at Julia Pfeiffer Burns ($10 per car), the trail runs through a short tunnel under Highway 1 to the overlook. Restrooms and the Partington Cove trail are open; see Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

Partington Cove, 2 miles north, is the one place nearby where you can walk down to the water. The trail is short and steep, with a tunnel near the bottom.

Is the south coast worth the drive?

On a one-way trip or a second day, yes. As a there-and-back from Carmel, no: Lucia is 49 miles in and the seals at Piedras Blancas about 82.

• Limekiln (51 mi): a short trail to 19th-century lime kilns. The waterfall trail is closed in 2026; day use is $10, cash only (Limekiln State Park).
• Sand Dollar Beach (59 mi): about half a mile of sand, one of the longest public beaches on this coast.
• Gorda (62 mi): the fuel stop with the famous price board.
• Ragged Point (about 74 mi): inn, restaurant, coffee bar and mini mart just over the county line.
• Piedras Blancas (about 82 mi): free elephant seal viewing every day. Births peak in late January; juveniles haul out in October (Friends of the Elephant Seal).

Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, the paved shortcut from Kirk Creek to US 101, is closed until at least 31 January 2027 by a Forest Service closure order.

What should you not miss in Big Sur?

Point Lobos, one Garrapata bluff and the McWay overlook. They are the three stops where a short walk gives the most coast for the least time.

What you can skip, without regret: the Bixby shoulder (illegal now), the closed waterfall trails, a drop-in visit to Esalen (reservation only) and Point Sur on a day without a tour. A noon visit to Pfeiffer Beach in summer is a queue, not a beach.

Planning the timing? Our one-day itinerary puts these stops on a clock.

Frequently asked questions