The Drive » From Bixby
Bridge, it’s about 6 miles south
along Hwy 1, rolling beside
pasture lands, to Point Sur State
Historic Park. Like everywhere
else along Big Sur’s coast,
watch out for cyclists and use
signposted roadside pullouts to
let fast-moving traffic pass by.
2 Point Sur
State Historic Park
Rising like a velvety
green fortress out of
the sea, Point Sur State
Historic Park (%831-625-
4419; http://www.pointsur.org, http://www.
parks.ca.gov; adult/child $10/5;
htours usually 1pm Wed, 10am
Sat & Sun Nov-Mar, 10am &
2pm Wed & Sat, 10am Sun Apr-
Oct) looks like an island,
but is actually connected
to the mainland by a
sandbar. On the volcanic
rock sits California’s
only turn-of-the-20th-
century lightstation
that’s still open to the
public. Ocean views and
tales of the lighthouse-
keepers’ family lives are
engrossing, especially
during spooky moonlight
tours. Call ahead to
confirm schedules; arrive
early because space is
limited (no reservations).The Drive » Lighthouse tours
meet at the locked farm gate
a quarter-mile north of Point
Sur Naval Facility. Afterwards,
drive south on Hwy 1 another 2
miles along the coast to Andrew
Molera State Park.3 Andrew Molera
State Park
With ocean vistas
beckoning along Hwy
1, you’ll be eager to put
your feet on a beach by
now. Named after the
farmer who first planted
artichokes in California,
Andrew Molera State
Park (%831-667-2315; http://www.
parks.ca.gov; Hwy 1; per car
$10; h30min before sunrise-
30min after sunset; c) is
a trail-laced pastiche
of grassy meadows,
ocean bluffs and sandy
beaches, all offering
excellent wildlife
watching. Hike for about
a mile out to where the
Big Sur River meets
the rocky driftwood-
strewn beach, whipped
by strong winds and the
surf. Back at the parking
lot, walk south to the Big
Sur Discovery Center
(%831-620-0702; http://www.ventanaws.org; admission free;
husually 9am-4pm Sat & Sun
late May-early Sep) to learn
all about endangered
California condors
that sometimes soar
overhead.The Drive » Speeds rarely
top 35mph along Hwy 1, which
narrows and becomes curvier
the further south you go. Slow
down a few miles beyond
the state park and watch for
pedestrians in ‘the village,’ Big
Sur’s hub for shops, services,
motels and cafes (see p159).
About 5 miles south of Andrew
Molera State Park, you’ll see
the entrance for Pfeiffer Big Sur
State Park on the inland side of
the highway.4 Pfeiffer Big
Sur State Park
The biggest all-natural
draw on the Big Sur
coast is Pfeiffer Big Sur
State Park (%831-667-
2315; http://www.parks.ca.gov;
47225 Hwy 1; per car $10;
h30min before sunrise-30min after sunset; (^) c).
Named after Big Sur’s
first European settlers,
who arrived here in
1869, it’s also the largest
state park along this
coast. Hiking trails loop
through tall redwood
groves and run uphill
to 60ft-high Pfeiffer
Falls, a delicate cascade
hidden in the forest that
usually flows between
December and May.
Near the park entrance,
inside a rustic lodge
built in the 1930s by the
Civilian Conservation
Corps (CCC), you’ll find a
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
1
Pacific Coast
Highways
Big Sur is just one famous
stretch of Hwy 1 along the
California coast, which
you can drive from Mexico
to Oregon.
f
Around
Monterey &
Carmel
From Bixby Bridge, drive
about 20 miles north on
Hwy 1 to Monterey for
maritime history lessons
and California’s top-
ranked aquarium.
LINK
YOUR
TRIP
CENTRAL.CALIFORNIA.
13
.BIG SUR