THE EARNEST TRAVELER
The classic Carmel-to-San Simeon coast run is still not possible — the south end is closed below Kirk Creek. But the September 2 reopening gives you the drive through Big Sur village back as an out-and-back from Carmel. These first two itineraries use only what is verified open.
Nobody drives Big Sur end to end this month. But there are two genuinely good days still on the table, one at each end of the closure, and neither is a consolation prize.
Day one — the north end, from Carmel
Everything here is open and verified as of September 6, 2026 — road status re-checked against Caltrans and Ready Monterey County that morning.
- 8:00 a.m. — Point Lobos. Be there at opening. Parking caps at 150 vehicles and there is no reservation system to save you. $10 per car. Walk Cypress Grove and China Cove first, then Sea Lion Point.
- 11:00 a.m. — Garrapata State Park. Free, no kiosk. Park at a numbered gate. Soberanes Canyon inland for redwoods, or the southern gates for the beach. Keep your Point Lobos receipt — it transfers to other state parks the same day, though Garrapata charges nothing anyway.
- 2:00 p.m. — Rocky Creek and Bixby bridges. Fog usually burns off by midday, so this is the right slot. Expect a flagger at Rocky Creek — one-way control runs 24/7 there through November 30. Do not park along the highway at Bixby; a 12-month parking ban is in force.
- Turn around. The road ends at the closure a few miles south. Back to Carmel for dinner.
Day two — the south end, from Cambria
- Morning — Hearst Castle. Open for tours, no wildfire or road advisory. Reserve ahead through ReserveCalifornia.
- Midday — Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery. Free, open every day, no reservation. Fair warning: September is a low-population month, between the spring molt and the late-October juvenile haul-out. Bring binoculars and adjust expectations.
- Afternoon — Ragged Point. The southern gateway, reachable from Cambria. Under an evacuation warning, not an order. Check ReadySLO the morning you go.
The full coast run — for whenever Highway 1 reopens
North to south is the right direction, because the turnouts are on your side of the road. Budget a full day; this is 90 miles that behaves like 200.
- Point Lobos at opening.
- Garrapata — bluffs and Soberanes Canyon.
- Rocky Creek and Bixby bridges.
- Point Sur Light Station — docent tours only, when running.
- Andrew Molera — $10, walk-in camp, beach trail.
- Pfeiffer Big Sur — redwoods and the campground. No ocean access here, despite the name.
- Pfeiffer Beach — separate turnoff, federal, $15, 65 spaces, unsigned road.
- Nepenthe for the terrace.
- Julia Pfeiffer Burns for McWay Falls — a viewpoint, not a beach.
- Limekiln, Kirk Creek, Sand Dollar Beach.
- Ragged Point, then Piedras Blancas and Hearst Castle.
Three things that will wreck a Big Sur day
- Fog before noon. Front-load the walks, back-load the viewpoints.
- Assuming you will find fuel or signal. Neither is reliable past Carmel. Gas on the coast has hit $9.99 a gallon.
- Trusting a business website. On this coast, in this year, they have been consistently wrong. Caltrans and CAL FIRE first, always.
Early start, long drive, no signal, changeable weather.