01
San Simeon
Mile 0
The only private property in San Simeon is Pete Sebastian’s store and gas station. Here one may buy anything from a pair of Levis to jade jewelry.
Guide 001 · South Coast
Take the drive from where you are.
Ninety miles of the Cabrillo Highway, stop by stop, in the words of someone who lived on it. Scroll and the coast moves with you — or press start and let it drive itself.
02
Piedras Blancas
The white rocks
We pass over the bridge at Oak Knoll Creek and soon come to Piedras Blancas — White Rocks — light house.
03
San Carpóforo
Creek into sand
One glimpses a wide strip of beach, where the creek dams up and seems to disappear, and nearly always a few head of cattle are grazing along the stream.
04
Salmon Creek
The falls
At Salmon Creek, where we make a deep horse shoe curve, we look back to see a lovely water fall.
05
Gorda
A church, no pastor
Below the road is a little church, where the residents from miles around meet on Sunday although there is no resident pastor.
06
Jade Cove
Nephrite at the tideline
Here one sees the signs pointing the way to the famous Jade Cove.
07
Plaskett Creek
Steps to the sand
Recently the forest service opened the Plaskett Creek camp and built steps down the cliff to the sand beach, which is the nicest beach along the coast.
08
Kirk Creek
King City, 49 miles
At this point the road from King City, via Jolon and the Nacimiento river, meets the Cabrillo Highway. The sign says King City 49 miles.
09
Lime Kiln Creek
Lime, 1880s
Where lime was shipped out in the 1880’s. An interesting little beach under the bridge offers jasper and rhodonite — and if one has the time, the most beautiful scenic walk in the world up the creek.
10
Lucia
Monterey, 50 miles
The lunch room extends onto an open veranda where one may eat literally over the ocean. Lucia Lodge is 50 miles from Monterey.
11
Big Creek
The artist’s bridge
Big Creek bridge is a beautiful structure and often a subject for the artist’s brush.
12
Hot Springs
Baths on the shelf
Hot Springs Lodge nestles on a shelf down close to the ocean. This well-known resort is famous for the hot mineral baths to which people come from all over the world.
13
Partington Cove
Tunnel to the landing
A dirt road leads down to a deep tunnel through the rock. At the end of the tunnel is a sheltered cove where steamers once landed. From this area tan bark was once shipped in quantity.
14
Nepenthe
Forget the lost Lenore
Soon we behold the famous ‘Nepenthe’ restaurant and we think of Poe’s lines, ‘Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget the lost Lenore.’
15
Pfeiffer Big Sur
Settled 1869
This park was donated by the Pfeiffer family who settled here in 1869. They and other old timers like the Post family were the backbone of Big Sur country.
16
Point Sur Light
350 ft, every 15 sec
The Big Sur Lighthouse perched on top of the rocky mesa. It is 350 feet above the ocean. Ever since, its powerful million candle power light has been flashing its beam every 15 seconds nightly.
17
Bixby Bridge
Otters, 1938
The highest single span concrete arch bridge in the world. An airplane has been known to fly under it. It was from this bridge the sea otter, thought to be extinct, was discovered in 1938.
18
Palo Colorado
Jeffers’ log house
Near the highway stands the old log house — three stories, redwood logs squared and jointed, blackened with ancient weathers, chinked with white plaster. Jeffers put it in a poem.
19
Garrapata
Tick Creek
We come to Garrapata Creek — Tick Creek — where the trout farm is located, on past Granite Canyon bridge where the ocean surf pounds underneath.
20
Point Lobos
The wolves
The next point of interest is Highlands Inn overlooking Point Lobos — the wolves — and China Cove. Here can be seen the gnarled windblown cypress often seen on post cards.
That was twenty of forty-three stops.
The full guide runs the whole coast with recorded narration, and keeps playing when the signal stops.
Get the South Coast guideFree at any PlaceNameGuide stop along Highway 1
or $9 to take it with you now
or $9 to take it with you now