Highway 1 – Day Trip Down The Pacific Coast Highway

A Big Sur Day Trip – Highway 1 Road Trip Itinerary

I recently drove down to Big Sur on a day trip, which is most notably known for the Bixby Creek Bridge. When someone asks, what is that Pacific Coast highway bridge? The Bixby Bridge is probably the one. Here’s a sample Big Sur day trip and Highway 1 road trip itinerary.

1. Bixby Creek Bridge
2. Nepthene – Stop for a quick bite
3. Partington Cove – Hike down to the cove
4. McWay Falls – Hike the Falls trail
5. Carmel By the Sea – Wrap up with dinner in Carmel

The Driving Experience

As a forewarning, a Big Sur day trip down Highway 1 from the Bay Area requires quite a bit of driving. If you love driving then this route is a treat. Highway 1 is a windy 2 lane road that hugs the coastline with views of the Pacific Ocean. It’s one of the iconic scenic routes that made the Califonia Coastline famous. If you have plans to take the scenic Pacific Coast Highway to LA, this highway 1 day trip will give you a good preview.  

To give you an idea, it will be a ~2.5 hours drive down to the bridge from SF. I recommend heading out as early as possible to maximize your day. As a day trip, I was able to experience the iconic Highway 1 coastal drive, go for a short hike down to a cove, grab a drink overlooking the ocean, see the sunset over a waterfall, and have a nice sit-down dinner. All at a relaxing pace.  

We left SF at around 8 am, which is a little late, but hey, what are weekends for right? We grabbed a quick bite for breakfast in the Peninsula and we were on our way. The entire way down is filled with stop-offs to take pictures. By the time we got down to the first stop, it was around 10 am.

1. First Stop of the Big Sur Day Trip: Bixby Creek Bridge

The first stop on the Highway 1 road trip itinerary is Bixby Bridge. It’s one of the tallest concrete bridges with their arches overlooking the Pacific Ocean. On your way down to Big Sur, you will notice two concrete bridges. The Bixby Bridge is the second one you see going South on Highway 1.

There is a small stop-off for about five cars when you arrive, with more parking directly across the street to the left. This is usually a quick stop for photos since there are no trails or the shoulder to walk across the bridge itself. Once you get the perfect picture in, you can continue down to take in more of the coastal scenery.

2. Nepthene – Eats With A View

For our second stop on our Big Sur day trip, we stopped at Nepthene for a quick bite. It’s about 15 min away south of the Bixby Bridge. Nepthene is a hidden restaurant & bar with a fantastic view overlooking the ocean perched on the cliffside of Big Sur.

The entrance into the parking lot is on the right-hand side of the road. The entrance can be easy to miss because of the windy roads, and the turn-in is located right after a sweeping curve. Nepthene is a great place to grab drinks or have a quick bite.

As a tip, Nepthene is a great stop just for the clean bathrooms. There is a gift shop downstairs that has public restrooms if there are lines at the restaurant lavatory.

3. Partington Cove – Take A Hike Down To the Cove

Continuing south on Highway 1, the next stop on the itinerary is the scenic Partington Cove. Once parked, you will see a trail that leads you down to the cove. The path is filled with tall trees and a tunnel to the cove. The trail is short and mildly steep, but well maintained.

The trail can be difficult to find and not well marked but keep a lookout for the pull-out where cars are parked along the road. It is in the middle of a sweeping curve in the road. This will be about 15 minutes south of Nepthene.

4. Wrapping up the Day Trip: Catch The Sunset At McWay Falls

For the last stop on our Big Sur day trip, we visited the iconic McWay Falls, with perfect timing to catch the sunset. McWay is an ~80 foot tall falls emptying into the Pacific. You can either park on the pullouts, or the opposite of the falls, inside Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. If you park in the lot, you can walk through the tunnel connecting to the Falls.

5. Traveling Back Up Highway 1: Carmel By the Sea

On our way home we stopped by Carmel By The Sea for dinner. Carmel is on the way back to San Francisco and is known for its boutique shops and fine dining that line the small town. Carmel By The Sea is an attraction by itself, and you can spend an entire day in this charming town. Many of the dining establishments will likely be booked and require you to make reservations in advance. Here are a few recommendations from Eater. For more information on Carmel, read our write up here.

Tips

Highway Pull Outs On Highway 1

While driving down Highway 1 there are frequent nooks where you can pull off to make a stop. There are usually spaces for anywhere from one to three cars. Sometimes there are trails that you can meander on, but for the most part, people stop by to take pictures. It’s tempting to pull out to the first few you see but as a tip, there are going to be a lot of these opportunities on Highway 1. All of them more or less have the same views. Rather than compete for parking at the first spot you come across, there will be stops all the way down Highway 1.

No Celluar Reception

There is no cell reception for parts of the drive past Carmel and into Big Sur. If you are not familiar with the area, a tip would be to download maps on Google Maps to use offline.

Gas Stations

Once you travel further south of Carmel, there are no gas stations on Highway 1. Have a quick check for the out and back down to McWay Falls. If you are low on gas, Carmel would be a great place to fill up.