5 Great Ways To Experience California’s Highway 1

With its redwood forests, towering cliffs, and incomparable coastal views, the legendary Highway 1 through Big Sur ranks among the world’s most spectacular stretches of road. Better yet, the broad range of its points of interest offers the perfect mix: rugged, posh, and historic. So gas up your car—or treat yourself to a sporty rental so you can better handle Highway 1’s serpentine course—and follow this guide to the experiences that await along the stretch from Cambria through Big Sur.

Editor’s Note: Those who travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before traveling.

1. Go Hiking and Camping
Just off the highway, you’ll find your pick of trails—ones that wend through redwoods and those that lead to hidden coves along the coastline. While most people stop at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to grab a picture of McWay Falls, which plunges 80 feet from the cliffs above to the beach below, consider taking the one-mile round-trip Partington Cove Trail down the cliffs and through a historic tunnel. You’ll emerge in a secluded spot once used to ship tan oak and moonshine. At Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Buzzard’s Roost Trail comes out from the redwoods onto a high ridge that overlooks the Pacific. Or go camping: Kirk Creek Campground in the Los Padres National Forest is renowned for its bluff-top, coastal-view campsites and nothing beats a night under a canopy of stars. Or sleep among 40 acres of redwoods in Ventana Campground. If you decide to skip cooking one night, the campground’s SurStream, a snack bar in an Airstream trailer, serves up wraps and barbecue. Before you go, check all trails and campgrounds to make sure they are open. Some may have experienced some damage due to weather or wildfires.

2. Taste Big Sur’s Big Eats
At Ventana Big Sur resort, The Sur House pairs panoramic coastal views with chef Paul Corsentino’s fine-dining menu, which emphasizes locally sourced ingredients. Then, for yet another stunning vantage point, don’t miss the Sierra Mar restaurant at Post Ranch Inn. Atop the cliffs, with floor-to-ceiling windows, the restaurant seems to float over the Pacific. The menu ranges from such lunch favorites as the Sierra Mar burger, topped with smoked sun-dried tomato and Monterey Jack cheese, to a four-course prix fixe dinner menu that includes a succulent seared king salmon. Set among the redwoods, the intimate Big Sur Bakery is as much loved for its ginger scones and cinnamon bloom pastry as its inventive wood-fired pizzas. For many Big Sur visitors, no trip to the region is complete without an Ambrosia Burger at Nepenthe restaurant, where a seat along the patio rail delivers an unforgettable view from 800 feet over the ocean.

3. Explore the Creative Side of the Coast
Big Sur’s blend of beauty and solitude has long drawn writers, painters, and other artists looking for inspiration. Honoring the legacy of its namesake writer and artist, the Henry Miller Memorial Library is a cultural hub for Big Sur thanks to an eclectic summer music program and the Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series. Built from reclaimed redwood water tanks, the architecturally distinctive Big Sur Coast Gallery showcases the works of leading sculptors, painters, and photographers. Find exquisite jewelry and gaze at the contemporary Big Sur–themed art of Erin Lee Gafill (a member of the family that founded Nepenthe) at The Phoenix, the shop located below Nepenthe Restaurant. And south of Big Sur, the coastal village of Cambria’s Main Street is lined with galleries, including Ephraim Pottery and The Vault Gallery, a prime spot to discover California Plein air painters.

4. Bring the Whole Family
With hundreds of massive elephant seals barking at Piedras Blancas near San Simeon, as well as sea otters riding the surf, kids will love looking for wildlife along Highway 1. Starting from Andrew Molera State Park, the Ventana Wildlife Society conducts two-hour tours that scan the skies for California condors—the largest flying land bird in North America. Treat your crew with a stay in a two-family yurt at Treebones Resort, a glamping destination with a swimming pool and a sushi bar. For a family-friendly hike, try Limekiln Trail in Limekiln State Park; you’ll cross three bridges before your reach the remnants of four enormous furnaces once used to process lime for mortar.

5. Discover Amazing Architecture
While Highway 1 celebrates natural beauty, be sure to check out its landmark structures as you go. Although Hearst Castle is temporarily closed, keep tabs on when they reopen for regularly scheduled tours or you can arrange a private tour. No Highway 1 trip is complete without a stop there. The Big Sur coast has always been a treacherous stretch for ships, and two historic lighthouses that have helped guide mariners are open for tours. Just minutes from Hearst Castle, Piedras Blancas Light Station dates to 1875. Farther north, Point Sur Lighthouse commands a volcanic outcrop that offers one of the most amazing panoramas along this stretch of coast. And don’t forget the showstopper: 15 miles from Carmel, you simply must pull over at one of the turnouts to grab a selfie at Bixby Bridge, the epic arched span, opened in 1932, that crosses over a 260-foot-deep chasm.