The Time Is Now For A Highway 1 Road Trip: 'it's So Rare To Experience Big Sur Like This' - Beritaja

Sometimes, the champion spot you could spell is simply a dormant end. Especially erstwhile that dormant extremity is surrounded by crashing surf connected quiet beaches, melodramatic cliffs and lonely trails done forests heavy pinch redwoods.

That’s the business on Big Sur’s South Coast correct now.

A chunk of the cliff-clinging road has been closed for a bid of landslide repairs since January 2023, making the classic, coast-hugging, 98-mile San Simeon-Big Sur-Carmel thrust impossible. Caltrans has said it intends to reopen the route by the extremity of March 2026, if upwind permits.

That intends the 44-mile agelong from San Simeon to Lucia will apt beryllium lonely for astatine slightest six much months. Travelers from the adjacent northbound (Carmel, for instance) will request to detour inland connected U.S. 101. Meanwhile, galore Canadian travelers (usually eager explorers of California) are boycotting the U.S. altogether complete President Trump’s tariff policies and quips about taking complete their country.

And so, for those of america successful Southern California, the coming months are a chance to drive, hike aliases rhythm successful adjacent solitude among gangly trees, steep slopes and oversea stacks. The upwind is cooler and wetter. But complete the 3 October days I spent up there, the road was quieter than I’ve seen successful 40-plus years of driving the coast.

Moreover, those who make the travel will beryllium supporting embattled section businesses, which stay open, immoderate pinch reduced prices. Fall rates astatine the Ragged Point Inn, 15 miles northbound of Hearst Castle, for example, commencement astatine about $149 nightly — $100 little than erstwhile the roadworthy was open.

“It’s benignant of perfect,” said Claudia Tyler of Santa Barbara, connected her measurement from Salmon Creek Falls to 2 nights of camping astatine Plaskett Creek successful Los Padres National Forest.

“I americium sorry for the businesses...,” Tyler said, “but it’s bully for the traveler.”

Further north, David Sirgany, 64, of Morro Bay, was getting fresh to surf astatine Sand Dollar Beach, reasoning about coastal erosion, ambiance alteration and this infinitesimal successful history.

“To me,” he said, “it feels for illustration the extremity of a clip that will ne'er beryllium again.”

The Ragged Point Inn stands astatine the confederate extremity of Big Sur.

The closed area, known arsenic Regent’s Slide, originates about 26 miles northbound of Ragged Point, toward the southbound extremity of Big Sur, and covers 6.8 miles. Thus, you’d request to detour inland via U.S. 101 to scope about of Big Sur’s best-known attractions, including the Bixby Creek Bridge, Pfeiffer Beach, Nepenthe restaurant, Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, McWay Falls and Esalen Institute.

But there’s plentifulness to research connected the agelong from San Simeon northbound to the roadblock astatine Lucia (milepost 25.3). Just beryllium observant of the $8.79-per-gallon state astatine the Gorda Springs Resort. (At $6.99, the Ragged Point state position isn’t rather truthful high.)

San Simeon Bay Pier astatine William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach.

Here, from southbound to north, are respective spots to research from San Simeon to Lucia. Be judge to double-check the upwind and highway status earlier you caput out.

See Hearst’s castle. Or conscionable 1 of his zebras.

I’ve been hoping to spot immoderate of the Hearst zebras successful the hills of San Simeon for years, and this clip I yet did — a azygous zebra, surrounded by cows successful a pasture beneath distant Hearst Castle.

That was capable to make my little extremity astatine the castle visitant halfway (which has a restaurant, humanities displays and shop) good worthy it. Other travelers, however, mightiness want to really return a circuit ($35 per adult and up) of the 165-room Hearst compound (which is officially known arsenic Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument).

The authorities parkland system’s visitant tallies from June done August show that 2025 was somewhat slower than 2024, which was somewhat slower than 2023.

Perhaps pinch that successful mind, the castle past autumn added “Art Under the Moonlight” tours, which proceed this autumn connected prime Friday and Saturday nights done Nov. 16. The castle besides decorates for the holidays.

If you’re spending the night, the Cavalier Oceanfront Resort has 90 rooms (for arsenic small arsenic $169) and firepits overlooking the sea.

A zebra, portion of the Hearst Castle animal collection, is seen from the visitant halfway disconnected Highway 1 successful San Simeon.

San Simeon Bay Pier aliases hike San Simeon Point Trail

My southernmost hike was astatine the San Simeon Bay Pier. From the parking batch there, locomotion northbound connected the formation and travel a way up into a eucalyptus grove. That puts you connected the 2.5-mile round-trip San Simeon Point Trail (owned by Hearst Corp. but unfastened to the public.)

At first, the way is uneventful and surrounded by imported eucalyptus (now being thinned) and pines. But there’s a payoff waiting astatine the point, wherever tides thigh connected a small soil beach, waves clang connected melodramatic achromatic rocks and pelicans perch connected oversea stacks. Look backmost and you spot the beach, the pier and the hills of the cardinal seashore sprawling beyond them.

San Simeon Point Trail.

Then, if you’re arsenic quiet arsenic I was, you quickly retrace steps and caput to the Seaside Foods deli antagonistic successful Sebastian’s General Store, a artifact from the pier. (I urge the Coastal Cowboy tri-tip sandwich, $21. But you could besides return your repast crossed the thoroughfare to the Hearst Ranch Winery tasting room.)

Find the Piedras Blancas elephant seal viewing area, past spell beyond it

California’s seashore is simply a catalog of uncertainties, from rising tides and crumbling cliffs to backstage landowners discouraging nationalist access. But we could count connected the elephant seals of Piedras Blancas.

Elephant seals stitchery astatine Piedras Blancas, northbound of San Simeon.

Once you propulsion disconnected Highway 1 into the study area parking lot, nary matter the clip of year, you’re apt to spot astatine slightest a fewer hulking oversea creatures flopped connected the soil and skirmishing for position.

Because it’s a awesome spectacle and it’s free, location are usually dozens of spectators on the shore. But about of those spectactors don’t fuss to travel the boardwalk northbound and proceed connected the Boucher Trail, a 1.9-mile way on the bluff tops and crossed a meadow, starring to striking views of oversea stacks and Piedras Blancas Light Station.

Along Boucher Trail, conscionable northbound of the elephant seal viewing area astatine Piedras Blancas.

(BTW: Visitors request an beforehand preservation to circuit the Piedras Blancas Light Station. At property time, each tours were canceled because of the national authorities shutdown.)

At Ragged Point, that Big Sur vibe kicks in

About 10 miles beyond the elephant seals, the raw, horizontal coastal scenery morphs into a much vertical segment and the road originates to climb and twist.

Right about here, conscionable aft San Carpoforo Creek, is wherever you find the Ragged Point Inn, a useful spot to extremity for an hr aliases an evening. It has 39 rooms, level abstraction for kids to tally around, cliff-top views, a restaurant, gift shop, state position and a snack barroom that’s been closed since the road has been blocked.

Ragged Point Inn.

Right now, this agelong of the road “is a awesome spot to cycle,” said Diane Ramey, whose family owns the inn. “I wouldn’t do it astatine a normal time. But now the roads are uncrowded enough.”

To retrieve from the “frightening” driblet successful business erstwhile the roadworthy first closed, the inn has put much accent connected Sunday brunch, the gift shop and unrecorded euphony connected summertime weekends, Ramey said.

At Salmon Creek Falls, roaring h2o meets tumbled rocks

At the Salmon Falls trailhead, 3.6 miles northbound of Ragged Point, there’s room for about 10 cars successful the parking area connected the enarthrosis of the highway.

When the road is open, those spots are often each full. Not now. And it’s only about 0.3 of a mile to the guidelines of the 120-foot falls, wherever there’s plentifulness of shadiness for the weary and boulder-scrambling for those who are bold. In the hr I spent scrambling and resting, I encountered conscionable 2 couples and 1 family, each enjoying the uncrowded scene.

Salmon Falls.

If you want a longer, much challenging hike, the falls trailhead besides leads to the Salmon Creek Trail, a 6.6-mile out-and-back travel done pines, oaks and laurels that includes — gulp — 1,896 feet of elevation gain.

The yurts and quirks of Treebones Resort

Treebones, about 14 miles northbound of Ragged Point and 2 miles northbound of the rustic, sleepy Gorda Springs Resort, is an workout successful style and sustainability, producing its ain powerfulness and drafting h2o from its ain aquifer.

Treebones Resort, conscionable disconnected Highway 1 successful the South Coast area of Big Sur.

Born arsenic a family business successful 2004, Treebones has 19 off-the-grid units, mostly yurts, whose rounded interiors are amazingly spacious. Its Lodge edifice offers chef’s-choice four-course dinners ($95 each) and a sushi bar.

If you book a yurt (they statesman astatine $385), you’ll find your headboard is simply a felted wood rug from Kyrgyzstan (where yurts spell backmost astatine slightest 2,500 years). The edifice besides has 5 campsites ($135 nightly, beforehand preservation required) that travel pinch breakfast, basking showers and excavation access.

A platform astatine Treebones Resort.

“For the past 20 years, we were fundamentally 100% occupied from April done October,” adjunct wide head Megan Handy said, starring maine connected a tour. Since the closure, “we’ve stayed booked connected the weekends, but we’ve seen astatine slightest a 40% diminution midweek.”

Once you’re northbound of Treebones, formation and way possibilities look to multiply.

Sand Dollar Beach.

Stand by the separator (but not excessively close) connected the Pacific Valley Bluff Trail

Several group told maine I shouldn’t miss the Pacific Valley Bluff Trail, a level way that originates conscionable northbound of Sand Dollar Beach. It runs about 1.6 miles betwixt the roadside and the bluffs complete the Pacific. Here you’ll spot oversea stacks successful each shape, on pinch a dramatic, solitary character to the north. In about 45 minutes of stepping amid a land’s extremity panorama, I ne'er saw different soul. Plenty of cattle patties, though, and a fewer patches of poison oak, which turns up often adjacent Big Sur trails.

A small farther north, I did tally into 4 group stepping the formation astatine Mill Creek Picnic Area. I recovered moreover much astatine Kirk Creek Campground, which was booked coagulated because it has immoderate of the champion ocean-view campsites successful the area and it’s connected the water broadside of the highway.

Waves clang adjacent Sand Dollar Beach.

Big trees and a meandering creek astatine Limekiln State Park

Limekiln State Park is 1 California’s youngest authorities parks, having been group speech successful the 1990s. But its occupants, particularly the redwoods, person been about overmuch longer.

And now, aft parkland closures complete large wind harm and infrastructure issues and a reopening early this year, we person a chance to bask the spot again. Or astatine slightest portion of it. The park’s campground, Hare Creek Trail and Falls Trail stay closed.

But there’s still plentifulness of opportunity to cheque retired the uncommon overlap of type from bluish and confederate California. As the Save the Redwoods League notes, “You can’t find some yucca and seashore redwoods successful very galore parks.”

The parkland is about 4.4 miles southbound of the Highway 1 closure. Entrance is $10 per vehicle. I savored the 1.5-mile out-and-back Limekiln Trail, which is 1 of the champion ways to spot redwoods successful the area. And erstwhile again, nary chap hikers.

Limekiln State Park.

Highway still excessively engaged for you? How about an isolated lodge aliases a silent monastery?

Just southbound of the road closure, the rustic, isolated Lucia Lodge and the New Camaldoli Hermitage, a Benedictine monastery, stay unfastened for overnight guests.

But not everyone knows this. Unless personification astatine Google HQ has conscionable made a fix, Google Maps will show you incorrectly that the hermitage and lodge are beyond the roadworthy closure. Nope. They’re some connected the southbound broadside of the roadworthy closure, accessible to northbound traffic. And they’re some really quiet.

“People travel present for silent, self-guided retreats,” said Katee Armstrong, impermanent ministry master astatine New Camaldoli Hermitage. Its accommodations, precocious connected the slopes supra the highway, see 9 single-occupancy rooms and 5 cottages pinch kitchenettes ($145 nightly and up).

Meanwhile, connected the water broadside of the highway, the Lucia Lodge’s 10 very basal units are visible from the road. Four of them are cabins that spell backmost to the 1930s, erstwhile Highway 1 was new.

Some nights, location are only 1 aliases 2 guests, and those guests typically spot nary edifice employees, because there’s nary lobby and the unit is down to a skeleton crew. (The lodge’s edifice and lobby burned down successful 2021.) The nearest edifice is astatine Treebones, about 10 miles south.

“We person to person a speech pinch each impermanent who books pinch us,” said Jessie McKnight, the lodge reservationist. Many “end up canceling erstwhile they understand the situation,” she said. “You’re benignant of connected your own.”

Ad yet, she added, “it’s truthful uncommon to acquisition Big Sur for illustration this. Once the roadworthy opens, I deliberation it’s going to beryllium correct backmost to being a zoo.”

The roadworthy to Ragged Point Inn.