Stretching 90 miles south of Carmel from Point Lobos all the way to Hearst Castle, Big Sur is one of the most memorable sections of coastline on the planet, with 5,000-foot-tall mountains rising up from the Pacific Ocean. Early Spanish missionaries dubbed it El País Grande del Sur, the “Big Country of the South,” and the rugged land has resisted development or even much of a population—the current total of around 1,500 is roughly the same as it was in 1900, and for the 3,000 years before that.
Hwy-1, the breathtaking drive through Big Sur, was finally cut across the very steep cliffs in 1937 after 20 years of convict labor and several fatalities. Named the state’s first scenic route, so dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson in 1966, it’s an incredible trip. Like the Grand Canyon and other larger-than-life natural wonders, Big Sur boggles the mind and, in an odd way, can be hard to handle; you have to content yourself with staring in awestruck appreciation, taking pictures, or maybe toasting the natural handiwork with a cold beer or glass of wine at one of the few but unforgettable cafés and restaurants along the way.
However beautiful the drive along Hwy-1, it’s also narrow, twisting, packed with sluggish RVers on holiday weekends, and often closed by mud slides and washouts during torrential winter storms. In 1983, the biggest storm in recent memory closed the road for over a year, and in 1998, 70 miles of it were blocked for over four months; sections of it are closed almost every year.
There are also very few services, and most of the overnight accommodations are booked solidly during the peak summer season. Spring brings wildflowers, while fall gets the most reliably good weather. No matter when you come, even if you just drive through in an afternoon, be sure to stop whenever possible and get out of the car; scenic viewpoints line the roadside, and dozens of trails lead off into the wilds. The best basic guide to Big Sur is an annual free newspaper, El Sur Grande, published by Monterey County and available at ranger stations and many other locations in and around Big Sur.
