Driving along the Coast of Big Sur

Big Sur is located along the water allowing you to take in views even from your car driving between places of interest. Normally this cluster of parks is crowded during the warmer months so I took the opportunity to visit in November when it was less crowded and it would be easier to car camp.

Car camping in Big Sur is legal as long as you follow the rules of where you are allowed to park your car. During the off months you won't find any issue in getting a more secluded spot off the main road. On the first night I car camped at Ragged Point which is a scenic spot.

There is a large pull off area with the view of the coast. My drive was about seven hours to get to this point so this was a good stopping point for the night.

The area is big enough that I could set up for breakfast and enjoy the area before moving on for the day.

At this point you are still well outside of the area considered to be Big Sur but the drive along the coast is gorgeous and there are a few areas to stop for a small hike to explore.

Salmon Creek Falls and Cruickshank Trail are two places to get out of your car and have a look around. I love having a morning hike to wake up for the day.

Cruickshank Trail

As you drive along the water there are dozens of places to pull off to the side and go off on a trailhead or unmarked path to get to new heights and see the coast. The weather in November was a bit chilly but light layers throughout the day are plenty especially if you keep active.

Tip: There are a lot of on and off showers that last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Bring a raincoat and water repellent clothing so it doesn't slow your day down.

Camping Tip: Los Burros Rd/ Willow creek Trailhead are past these few places I just mentioned - mark it on your map. These are great places to set up a tent or car camp off the main road and more in the wilderness. I arrived too late at night to navigate the dirt roads.

Jade Cove is the next stop I got out and explored. You can walk through the vegetation to get to the water and then find small paths that allow you to get close to the water.

There are a handful of alcoves surrounded by rocks with succulents growing on them that are incredibly beautiful. This coast is unique because the further you travel north the scenery changes in various locations.

Sand Dollar Beach is just right around the corner from Jade Cove. The tide runs high at this beach so depending on when you go visit you may not be able to go to close to the beach because the water is running all the way up to the rocks. This is a huge reason why you should never camp on the beach. I was able to walk to the edge and see the beach but the rough waters were coming up too close to the rocks that it wasn't safe to go down.

The best part about Big Sur is being able to pull off to the side of the road and and just wander towards the coast line. It is a jungle gym of rocks for adults.

You can be walking for ten or fifteen minutes on flat ground with just water in sight. Then you get close enough to the edge to see the giant rocks spewing out in various directions making the water form giant pools of waves.

The weather in Big Sur adds to the drama of the scenery. I could be walking through bright rays of sunshine and then have it change to be moody overcast skies with a slight amount of fog roll in.

Tip: Regardless of the weather bring sunscreen because the weather can change quickly on you and become warm and sunny. Bring a pack to carry your layers whether its to pull them out and wear or shed them off.

There is one hot spring in Big Sur that requires a seven mile hike to get to. The struggle with this gem is that the hiking path is closed a large percentage of the time because of the weather. The path gets flooded most of the time making it near impossible to get out there. It remains on my list as a place to get to during one of the warmer months.

Within Big Sur there are other state parks that can be visited. Limekiln is one of them. There are also camping spots for rent at this location if you want to plan your nights ahead of time.

McWay Falls

Just outside of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park you will find McWay Falls. This is probably the most iconic spot in Big Sur. You can't actually walk down onto the beach but there is a look out point and a small path that will take you lower by the beach but you lose sight of the water fall from this angle.

Just past McWay Falls is Parington Cove with a trailhead that takes you down to a small beach covered in rocks - this is a great place for sunset. There are usually more people pulled off to the side of the road at the top not willing to hike the mile or so down to the bottom but it was worth it to be able to relax and watch the sunset.

There are two places within Big Sur where you can stop for gas and find something to eat or pick up postcards, etc. Big Sur station is the better one to stop at because they have a convenient store, a bakery, and a few other places to restock or buy gas midway through the park.

Right past the rest area there is a trailhead called Pfeiffer Falls. The scenery here is a drastic difference from the succulent covered rocks you just saw along the coastline. You can wander through the lush forest that allows you to go to a valley view point or the the falls themselves.

Just across the road you also have the option of going down to explore Pfeiffer Beach. There is an official parking lot for this beach but also plenty of places to pull off to the side.

A lot of fishermen come here to sit down by the tide pools or in the shallower water. This area has a lot of places to explore and if you are like me, could spend hours walking along the water and climbing down the rocks. Most of my trip I settled for exploring unmarked areas rather than hitting all the trailheads. I found this to be more fun and allowed me to just take my time and not feel rushed to see everything in the park. There is so much coastline that it can't all be seen within a few days.

I love climbing, trying to explore places I know not everyone will attempt because then you get to be alone in experiencing that place. I always recommend going the less traveled places as long as you're careful and not harming the vegetation to the area.

I only wish I had my fishing gear with me when climbing down to the tide pools and shallow waters so I could have a reason to stay there and enjoy the spots longer.

Another park within Big Sur is Andrew Molera State Park. A lot of these parks have camping spots that can be reserved. Some are harder to get reservations in because of the limited number of places, so book way in advance if you know when you want to go to Big Sur. There are regular hotels all the way to treehouse hotel rooms you can rent if you are looking for a place to stay. I always prefer camping whether it is in my tent or my car depending on the weather.

Garrapata State Park

On one of the nights I decided to just park along the road next to the Garrapata State Park because I had watched the sunset from here and didn't want to move. I wanted to go explore down by the water in the morning. Best decision because I ate breakfast under a double rainbow after a quick drizzle passed through. You never know what is going to happen in this park.

If you have time to make it all the way north through the park I would recommend stopping at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. This park offers a place to put your kayak or paddle board in the water, a handful of beaches and places for picnics. There are a handful of hiking trails around the area that will show you the coastline and if you're lucky the seals laying on the beach catching some rays. There are paths that take you through the forest area which is completely different from the woods back in Pfeiffer.

Your trip to Big Sur will vary based on the time of year you go but that's the best part. You can always go back and you will have a different experience. I know I skipped mentioning the Bixby Bridge which is a big spot for tourists to stop. I found that it was overcrowded and to be honest most people are stopping off further down the road for a picture. That is it. I didn't find any reason to hit this spot. I was more focused on enjoying the beaches and hikes.