Exploring the Big Sur Coastline

Is the Big Sur Coastline the Greatest Meeting of Land and Water?

After wintering in Palm Desert and trekking through the hot, arid Sonoran Desert, what better way to embrace spring than by discovering the stunning Big Sur coastline? While there are numerous 'epic' road trips in California, the unmatched beauty, breathtaking landscapes, coastal cliffs, postcard-perfect views, and remarkable geology of Big Sur made the decision simple.

While the Big Sur coastline officially begins in San Simeon, we opted to start our journey 25 miles further south in Morro Bay (bottom right on the map). The drive from our home in Palm Desert to Monterey takes 7-8 hours, and we worried that driving straight through would make us more focused on reaching our destination than appreciating the stunning coastline. By including an overnight stop in Morro Bay, we could begin this iconic stretch of California coastline feeling refreshed, rather than restless from a day in the car. Additionally, we had the chance to explore Morro Bay, another treasure along the coast.

Yes, A Stop in Morro Bay is Worth It

Aside from breaking the drive into more manageable segments Moro Bay offers a blend of natural beauty, outdoor activities, restaurants, and a laid-back coastal vibe. This makes it a worthwhile stop if you’re exploring the Southern and Central California coastline. But this isn’t an itinerary packed visit, it was a quick in and out.

We arrived late afternoon and after walking around the village, we grabbed a seafood dinner at a restaurant on the harbor with a great view of Morro Rock.

With a full stomach, we made our way to Morro Strand State Beach for an after dinner walk. It was a cool spring evening so the beach wasn’t crowded.

A golden hour photo.

Great Blue Herons are the most active during the hours on either side of low tide. They commonly forage alone, standing tall, and stationary waiting to strike. Great Blues are one of the most common herons in North America.

What would a Southern California beach photo be without a surfer.

Starting off out trip with a stunning sunset. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Although the beach is beautiful, the most notable feature is the 576-foot-tall Morro Rock, also known around the world as the Gibraltar of the Pacific. This massive rock originated from volcanic activity approximately 23 million years ago.

The colossal structure you see is the remnant of a volcanic plug which formed when magma solidified inside the vent of a once-active volcano as shown in this diagram. Plugs tend to be more resistant to erosion than the rock which comprised the outer surface of the volcano. Over millions of years, tectonic plate movements and erosion have eroded the softer surrounding rock, revealing the tougher volcanic plug visible today.

Morro Rock looks quite different when viewed from the bay compared to the beach side.

This bird's-eye view provides a sense of scale and position of the rock.

Morro Rock is now part of a natural preserve, and climbing it is prohibited. This restriction helps protect the peregrine falcons, which have returned to nest on the rock after nearly becoming extinct in the 1960s and 70s. Only local Native American tribes, who view the rock as a sacred site, are allowed to climb it for their yearly ceremonies.

Elephant Seals are Massive

Our first stop on the road trip was the Piedras Blancas Rookery in San Simeon. A rookery refers to the breeding areas for seabirds, turtles, and marine mammals like northern elephant seals. Although the beach was bustling, the future of elephant seals was once uncertain.

In the late 1800s, American whalers nearly drove northern elephant seals to extinction for their thick blubber, used to produce lamp oil. By the 1880s, the National Park Service reported that not a single northern elephant seal was sighted anywhere globally. However, a small colony was discovered on Guadalupe Island off the Baja California coast in Mexico. Following the implementation of hunting bans in Mexico and the United States, this colony, which had decreased to fewer than 100 animals, was able to continue reproducing, leading to a population recovery.

With the increase in elephant seal numbers, they started to reclaim some of their old habitats, gradually migrating north to the coastal waters of California. In 1990, fewer than two dozen elephant seals were observed on the beach. By the following spring, over 400 seals were recorded. Since then, the population has consistently increased each year. Currently, approximately 17,000 elephant seals inhabit this beach. Piedras Blancas has become one of the largest seal rookeries in California, accommodating about 10% of the global Northern Elephant Seal population.

Elephant seals spend only two months each year on land. During winter, they come back to these shores to mate and give birth, and in late spring, they return for molting, a process where they shed their fur and develop new skin and a coat. This is known as a "catastrophic molt," where they lose the outer layer of their skin and fur. Although the seals may appear to have a skin condition, this is a normal process; the old skin peels off in patches. This procedure is essential for preserving their insulation and health.

On our visit, the beach was primarily occupied by adult females, juvenile elephant seals, and a few pups. These animals appeared enormous. Juvenile males can measure between 6-9 feet long and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds, whereas females generally range from 9-12 feet in length and weigh between 900-1,800 pounds. It's difficult to envision the beach's appearance when adult males, measuring 14-16 feet and weighing up to 5,000 pounds, come back to breed.

This young seal, with its silvery brown fur, is likely under a year old. Newborn elephant seals are born with a black coat, which they shed after a month. After molting, a smooth silver gray coat appears, but within a year, it changes to a silvery brown.

After the pups become accustomed to the sea, they will spend the majority of their lives underwater, diving to depths of approximately 1,000 to 2,500 feet for intervals of 20-30 minutes, with only brief pauses at the surface to search for food. They are seldom observed in the open ocean, making the opportunity to see these impressive northern elephant seals up close a rare experience.

Big Sur Coastal Highway: Pit Stops and Photo Ops

The Big Sur Coast Highway (Highway 1) is the 90-mile expanse of stunning and rugged coastline that stretches from Carmel to San Simeon. It's often regarded as one of the most picturesque drives in the United States. Australian painter Francis McComas described it as the greatest meeting of land and water globally. Condé Nast Traveler recognized Highway 1 through Big Sur as one of the top ten world-famous streets, placing it alongside Broadway in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Willow Creek Beach is situated about 25 miles north of the rookery and is the first public beach you encounter on Highway 1 as you head towards Carmel. A narrow road diverges from the highway, leading to a small parking area next to the beach, offering stunning views of Cape San Martin.

There are two beach sections; the first, located next to the parking lot, is filled with cobblestones, but that didn't deter us from exploring.

To reach the sandy part of the beach, you need to cross Willow Creek where it flows over the rocky ground and meets the beach near the base of the cliff wall. This path is inaccessible during high tide, but with better timing, we could have had the beach to ourselves.

From the beach, you can observe the Santa Lucia Mountains emerging directly from the Pacific Ocean. This range features some of the most rugged and steep terrain in the contiguous United States. There are no foothills, only nearly vertical cliffs. These sea cliffs can soar up to 400 feet, though they generally rise about 200 feet high.

One final glimpse of this stunning beach.

Far off is the two-lane, double-arched Big Creek Bridge, which spans 589 feet. It was opened to traffic in 1938 and rises 65 feet above the bottom of the Big Creek Canyon.

The road leading to the bridge resembles a narrow slice carved out of the mountain slope.

With so many pull-offs, choosing which to explore and which to pass by can be challenging. However, the sign at the entrance to Saddle Rock and South Gardens Environmental Campground prompted us to stop.

The formation of these cliffs is due to several factors. Uplift: The repeated uplift of the Santa Lucia Mountains has uncovered rocks that were once buried. Erosion: Continuous erosion by waves of the softer, weaker rocks has resulted in the remaining harder, erosion-resistant rocks that create these steep cliffs. Weathering: Over time, even these durable rocks will succumb to weathering, causing the cliffs to eventually collapse. Until then, we can appreciate these views.

In Big Sur the battle between uplift and erosion has been won by uplift. The mountains rose quicker than waves rain, wind and landslides could erode them. Nonetheless, remnants of ancient sea walls and coastal rock falls serve as evidence that the erosive force of the waves still reshapes the coastline.

One of the planned excursions was to hike the overlook trail to McWay Fall in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. This straightforward, round-trip trail is approximately half a mile long. As noted in numerous online reviews, the trail ends at the viewpoint for the falls because the path down to the beach is currently inaccessible due to erosion.

Half way to the overlook, the trail passes through a short tunnel under the highway.

Shortly after leaving the tunnel, you will catch sight of the cove and waterfall. The waterfall drops either 65 or 80 feet to the beach, depending on the source. During high tide, the water flows directly into the ocean, transforming it into a tidefall.

After seeing these photos, you might ask if this brief hike is worth your time. The response is a resounding YES. Photos don't always convey the true essence of a location, but there's a good reason it's considered an 'iconic' spot along the coastal road.

Mealt Falls in Skye, Scotland, is the only other tidefall we've come across during our travels. For more information, click on this blog link.

The Partington Cove Trail, our second planned hike in Julia Burns Pfeiffer State Park, is located just 2 miles north of the McWay Overlook Trail. This trail is among the most popular hikes in Big Sur, offering three distinct routes to customize your hike's length. During our visit, we decided to explore two of these routes as indicated on the map.

The trail starts as a wide dirt road

The hills above the trailhead show signs of a landslide.

The trail begins on the remnants of a broad dirt road that descends through several steep switchbacks.

This picturesque Pride of Madeira evergreen shrub is a great plant for mild coastal climates and grows on rocky slopes in poor, dry soil. Great spiked clusters of bluish-purple flowers stand out above the long, narrow, hairy, grey-green foliage. Native to the islands of Madeira, located between Portugal and Morocco, this fast-growing, herbaceous perennial subshrub naturally grows 4-8 feet high and 4-6 feet wide. In California, it is considered an invasive species. It is removed from native plant communities as part of habitat restoration efforts in coastal parks

I thought I was lucky enough to take a photo of a California condor soaring above Big Sur, but it turned out to be a turkey vulture.

The National Park Service provides this photo to help differentiate between these two species based on their underwing markings. The bird on the left is a turkey vulture, whereas the one on the right is a California condor.

This trail showcases the abundant plant growth along the Big Sur coast including these coastal redwoods.

After navigating the steep switchbacks, the trail splits into different paths at the base of a wooden bridge. We opted for the trail on the right, leading us toward Partington Point and a boulder beach.

Within 20 minutes, we were standing in front of the boulder covered beach. Our timing was impeccable, with clear views unobstructed by fog or clouds, and no other people in sight.

As the sign warns, surf conditions can be rough.

Swimming is a no-go at this beach,

Since the tide was coming in, there was no beach but plenty of rocks to sit on and enjoy the incredible beauty.

After taking in the scenery and enjoying the solitude, we return to the main trail to take the spur leading to Partington Cove that leads to a 100-foot long tunnel.

In the 1870s, John Partington, a homesteader in Big Sur, constructed this tunnel and utilized Partington Cove to ship tanoak bark and redwoods to Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Tanoak bark was prized for its tannins, essential in leather production. Coast redwoods were popular as a building material due to their slower burning rate compared to other woods, as well as their resistance to rot and insects, making them ideal for home construction. Allegedly, during the 1920s Prohibition era, the tunnel and cove were used by bootleggers.

After passing through the tunnel to the opposite side, you'll find yourself on a path that runs along the edge of a cliff, closely following the point.

The turquoise water lets you see the rocks on the bottom and giant sea kelp swaying with the ocean current.

Gazing back at the cove.

The trail ends at a rocky ledge with a lone tree rooted in the stone.

Time to head back to the trailhead and continue our drive.

A Drive to Remember

There's no better way to conclude the coastal drive than by stopping at the iconic Bixby Bridge. It's likely the most photographed landmark along the coastal highway.

Completed in 1932 at a cost of just over $200,000 (which is more than $3 million today), Bixby Creek Bridge stands 260 feet tall and spans over 700 feet in length. At the time of its completion, it was the highest single-span arch bridge globally, and 90 years later, it remains among the tallest single-span bridges.

Among the seven arch bridges constructed along the Bur Sur coastline, Bixby Bridge stands out as the most revered, earning its place as Big Sur's equivalent to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Although the Big Sur coastal highway continues for an additional 18 miles, we ended our journey at Bixby Bridge and headed directly to our Airbnb in Watsonville. We had two more days left to explore Carmel and Monterey, and today's drive had already lasted nearly 6 hours.

When we began this road trip, we identified several reasons why Big Sur stood out as the ideal destination for an 'epic' California road trip.

✅ Landscapes

✅ Coastal cliffs

✅ Postcard perfect vistas

✅ Geology

Did it meet expectations? Absolutely. It exceeded all our hopes and provided some additional surprises.

✅ Wildlife encounters

✅ Perfect weather

✅ Secluded beaches

The journey from Moro Bay to Monterey along the Big Sur coast offers a one-of-a-kind experience, blending breathtaking natural scenery, intriguing geological structures, and ample opportunities for both adventure and relaxation.