Big Sur - Top 16 Things To Do 4K

hey guys this is josh from active tours and today we're in big sur we're gonna take the road trip up the highway one and do the best things there is to do big sur the name itself rings in the imagination of a rugged coastline marine sanctuaries waterfalls hikes endless empty beaches and peaceful rivers join me on a 90-mile road trip up the coast where we'll explore this timeless land on a stretch of road certainly befitting the name highway one there's so much to do in big sur so be sure to pick and choose your own adventure and remember the rest will be waiting for you on your next trip up the coast as with my other road trip videos like the road to hana and 395 i will provide symbols so that you know what to expect at each stop let's get going number one cambria cambria is a seaside village and it's the midway point between san francisco and los angeles along california state route 1. it's a great place for you to stay or pick up a coffee before your trip up the big sur coastline if you are looking for breakfast or coffee i recommend lilly's coffee house the second stop up the road is hearst castle now the hearst castle is in san simeon and was conceived of by william randolph hearst the publishing tycoon and his architect julia morgan it was built between 1919 and 1947. unfortunately the hearst castle was closed during this trip because of covid but i had an opportunity to visit during previous trips i highly recommend this amazing landmark tours run anywhere from five dollars to one hundred dollars and they offer ada accessible tours as well now the hearst castle belongs on everyone's bucket list and is a must stop on the way of highway one if you're short on time you can always skip this and tag this along with a visit to san luis obispo or the surrounding area number three the elephant seal lookout now if you're looking for a fantastic stop on highway 1 this is surely one that you won't want to miss you will see literally hundreds of elephant seals scattered across the beach line you could seriously spend hours just standing and watching these elephant seals but it only takes a few minutes to get a feel of this david attenborough-esque scene seeing elephant seals relaxing sleeping facing off against each other was just awesome it definitely is a smelly experience as well due to their molting of their winter coat but i could have watched them sun themselves and spar for hours it's so much fun and an excellent stop on your drive up highway one number four ragged point it's an absolutely gorgeous stop on the way up highway one ragged point is an inn a restaurant and a coffee shop it also has an amazing view of the california coastline the vista point jolts out on a rocky outcropping with the wind in your hair that makes you feel like you're flying if you happen to be with your significant other maybe bring a love lock to commemorate your time together there's also a short and steep trail that leads you down to a black sand beach below let me know in the comments if you stayed at the inn and if you recommend it to our active community if you guys are liking this video so far hit that thumbs up it really helps with the youtube algorithm and helps share this video with other people just like you number five the kirk creek campground there's just so much to do on the big sur road trip that you could take a lifetime visiting them all i think one of the best things to do is find a random trail off the side of the road and explore don't feel like you need to do everything and know that you're saving a little bit for the next trip that you have of highway one we explored this little campground and a trail to the beach as a completely random stop and it was one of the most special stops for kyla and i on this road trip i recommend that you stop here as well but also find your own secluded beach to do some tide pooling and explore a random trail of your own number 6 mcquay falls mcquay falls is perhaps the highlight of the central coast with his magical 80 foot falls that seems to just pour out of a fairy tale if you're heading southbound it might be worth keeping this for your sunset location as well there's plenty of street parking for this vista point as well as a 10 pfeiffer state park parking lot and there's a short walk through a tunnel to the vista point and as one of the main attractions on this road trip you're gonna have to jockey for position here to take your photo i do think now one of the best views are on the lookout point off of the highway now that part of the trail itself is closed due to becoming unstable just two miles north is partington cove now this is a short walk down a medium gradient to a beautiful cove you get to experience two sides of this cove by following the right side of the trail you see huge waves crashing on boulders the other side of the cove is through a 60-foot tunnel supported by old wooden pillars this tunnel and the old concrete foundation on the other side are both remnants from an old tan bark shipping operation from the early 1900s tan barking was used to tan leathers back in the day on this side you see lots of kelp and rolling waves and it's a fantastic stop on the big sur road trip and one of my absolute favorite hikes it's a really short hike it's only about one and a quarter miles round trip number eight is the henry miller memorial library what a treasure it's super quirky whimsical and unlike any bookstore i've ever visited the henry miller memorial library is a non-profit art center bookstore and performance venue in big sur documenting the life of the late writer and artist henry miller if you're getting weary of driving this is a great stop to unwind a little bit before continuing your journey up highway one number nine nepenthe now it's around this part of the road trip that you might start to get a little hungry i'm going to highlight three places to eat in three different price ranges and the penthe is on the higher end of this spectrum perched high over big sur coastline its commanding view makes a wonderful lunch spot delicious food gorgeous view what more can you ask for number 10 the big sur deli now if you're looking for a cheap meal on the way up highway 1 stop by the big sur deli they make great sandwiches that won't break the bank just be sure to find a good picnic spot overlooking the coast by the big sur river or in the redwood trees number 11 pfeiffer beach now julia pfeiffer burns was a lifelong big sur resident and rancher a little ways off highway 1 it's easy to miss this amazing beach with its purple beach amazing rock formations and it's certainly worth a stop on the big sur coastline now there is an entrance fee required for access here i believe it's ten dollars but this is easily one of the most beautiful beaches on the california coast number 12 the big sur river inn on the way back down the coast kyla iris and i stopped at the river inn restaurant on a recommendation by a local i'm going to call this the mid price point of the three food spots mentioned in the video with its amazing location you can put your feet right in the big sur river as you eat your meal or drink your beer i thought it was pretty cool that they put all the food in this cooler and then had us put all the trash back in the cooler when we left i can't wait to make this a staple stop on hot summer days on the way up the coast number 13 andrew muller state park this park is still relatively undeveloped and offers visitors great hiking beach coming as well as panoramic views of monterey bay's national marine sanctuary we did part of an eight mile trail called the creamery meadows and we were super happy we did we hiked over the big sur river and down trail to the beach where we had the entire beach to ourselves i definitely recommend this hike and stretching your legs a bit on the drive up the coast number 14 is the point sir lighthouse now it's only open on select days and times to the public this working lighthouse and former naval facility is a fantastic stop on your way up the big sur coastline now today it wasn't open and the clouds were so thick that you could barely even see it from the road number 15 the bixby creek bridge now one of the most photographed bridges in all of california is the bixby bridge it was opened in 1932 this iconic concrete canyon crossing on highway 1 stands 280 feet above big sur there's a parking lot to the north side of the bridge just be careful there's often a lot of photographers walking around here and not paying much attention number 16 is point lobo state natural reserve and it's an outstanding place for sightseeing photography painting scuba diving you know all kinds of just exploring nature now this is one of the richest marine habitats in california it's on my bucket list to go scuba diving here for sure in the 70-foot high kelp forest divers can explore a world of vibrant color and animals all kinds of rockfish and harbor seals and sea otters super exciting i can't wait to do it let me know in the comments if you've done it okay guys i hope you enjoyed this video i'm gonna be doing a lot more videos like this next week i'm gonna have a video on the best things to do in monterey then the week after i'm gonna have baltimore and myrtle beach and then also charleston south carolina so lots more videos coming up for you make sure you hit that like button comment below let me know that you're liking these videos and the way that they're put together and also you know if you've been watching these videos hit that subscribe button there's a lot of people watching these videos and not as many people subscribing as i'd like thanks so much guys i'm josh with active tours i'll see you guys on the next adventure

Channel: Active Tours

Views: 7,249

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Big Sur, Highway 1, Cambria, Hearst Castle, Elephant Seal, Ragged Point, Kirk Creek Campground, McWay Falls, Partington Cove, Henry Miller Memorial Library, Henry Miller, Nepenthe, Big Sur Deli, Pfeiffer Beach, Julia Pfeiffer Burns, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, River Inn, Restaurant at River Inn, Andrew Molera State Park, Point Sur Lighthouse, Bixby Creek Bridge, Bixby Bridge, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Point Lobos, Andrew Molera

Id: F2jOEXOkHxU

Length: 10min 21sec (621 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 18 2021