MotoRevRoute Scenic Staff Pick
Highway 1 Big Sur: Carmel to San Simeon
Carmel-by-the-Sea to San Simeon
- Distance
- 89 mi
- Riding Time
- 2h 30m
- Climb
- 4,793 ft
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Surface
- Paved
- Character
- Twisty
- Saves
- 0
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Road Guide
- Best Season
- Rideable all year. Spring and fall bring the clearest days and lighter traffic; summer mornings are often foggy and weekends are busy.
- Closures
- Landslides and storm damage can close sections of Highway 1 through Big Sur for weeks or months, most often after winter storms. Check Caltrans QuickMap before you go.
- Fuel
- Fuel is limited and expensive along the coast. Fill up in Carmel or Monterey heading south, or in Cambria heading north; the few stations in between keep short hours.
- Watch For
- Tight blind curves with sheer drop offs, slow RVs and rental cars stopping suddenly at turnouts, fog, wind, and rock or gravel on the road below slide areas.
Weather Along the Route
Forecast at the hour you reach each point, from the riding time. Leave Departure empty to leave now. Forecast from Open-Meteo.
The Big Sur coast is the most famous stretch of California State Route 1, a two lane road cut into the cliffs where the Santa Lucia Range drops straight into the Pacific. It crosses Bixby Creek Bridge, passes Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and the Big Sur village, and runs south past Lucia and Ragged Point to the open grasslands near Hearst Castle at San Simeon.
Stops
- StartCarmel-by-the-Sea
- FinishSan Simeon
Comments
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Big Sur Coast
Carmel-by-the-Sea to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
- Distance
- 28 mi
- Time
- 52 min
- Climb
- 2,441 ft
