CA 1 · USA

Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur

California’s Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast, from Carmel past Point Lobos and Bixby Creek Bridge to Big Sur village.

Where is the Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur?

The Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur is in the USA, on CA 1. Also known as Highway 1 Big Sur, Cabrillo Highway or PCH Big Sur. The route on this page: Carmel to Big Sur village, past Bixby Creek Bridge, 37.9 km.

Why the Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur is famous

The road runs along cliffs above the Pacific, and the concrete arch of Bixby Creek Bridge, opened in 1932, is the classic photo stop.

Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur corners

Over 37.9 km Turini calls 63 corners graded 1 to 6, plus 8 crests and 6 dips. That is 85 calls in all, one every 446 metres on average. Grade 1 is the tightest, 6 is nearly straight (how to read pace notes).

Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur elevation profile

From 7 m at the start to 43 m at the finish, with a highest point of about 180 m.

Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur pace notes, first few km

The first 25 calls, exactly as Turini reads them, with the distance from the start.

That takes you to 14.42 km. 60 more calls follow over the remaining 23.5 km.

Before you drive the Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur

Open all year on this section. Landslides often close parts of Highway 1 further south along the Big Sur coast, so check Caltrans before you go.

Traffic is heavy in summer and at weekends, and cars stopping for photos slow things down. Slower drivers should use the turnouts to let traffic pass.

How to drive the Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur with Turini

Set the route before you leave and Turini saves its notes on the phone, so it works with the screen off and no signal. On the road it reads each call about 4.5 seconds before the corner, timed to your speed, and you never touch the phone. It also works through Android Auto. If pace notes are new to you, start in Simple mode (Easy, Medium, Hard) and switch to the 1–6 scale once it feels natural.

Always drive within the law, the conditions and what you can see. Turini tells you what the map says; the road is what counts.

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Sources: Wikipedia: Big Sur, Wikipedia: Bixby Creek Bridge.