Big Sur place names · stop 2 of 43, going north
San Simeon
Highway 1 was open along this coast when it was last checked. Caltrans' own Lane Closure System, as verified 2026-10-06. Today’s road status.
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo made port here in 1592 and called it the Bay of Sardines. It was a whaling station after that, and then the shipping point where everything that went into the castle on the hill came ashore. This is where the coast road stops being ordinary.
Cambria and the towns are south of here. North of here is ninety miles with four places to buy gasoline. Mind that.
Where it is
35.6440, -121.1908 — Highway 1, Big Sur coast, California.
The whole drive, spoken as you go.
Forty-three places between Carmel and San Simeon, free, and it works with no signal once it is loaded — which most of this coast has none of. Open the Big Sur guide.
Forty-three places between Carmel and San Simeon, free, and it works with no signal once it is loaded — which most of this coast has none of. Open the Big Sur guide.