Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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California Pacific Coast Highway
America's most Scenic Drive

Driving from San Luis Obispo to Half Moon Bay on California SR-1 and US-101 through Big Sur and Monterey

If you are a fan of the scenic American pacific coast road trips, then this driving video tour are for you.

It takes place on the scenic ocean cliffs with endless ocean views on the nice weather California day.

This road trip starts a bit inland, in the city called San Luis Obispo, and gradually gets more scenic and scenic, with endless ocean views and ocean cliffs with perfect visibility on the sunny day.


SR 1 splits from US 101 at Santa Rosa Street in San Luis Obispo

It rejoins the coast in Morro Bay, running through that city as a freeway, where it crosses Morro Creek at the site of a prehistoric Chumash settlement dating to the Millingstone Horizon.

From there, SR 1 proceeds north to Cayucos until it again becomes a winding, two lane road with occasional passing lanes.

It then continues along the coast through Cambria and San Simeon, and past the elephant seal colony at Piedras Blancas Light Station.

SR 1 provides access to Hearst Castle in San Simeon in Northern San Luis Obispo County.

Big Sur

Main article: Big Sur Coast Highway

Looking south, showing the McWay Rocks, about 16 miles south of Big Sur

The Bixby Creek Bridge in Big Sur

SR 1 then enters the Big Sur region, crossing San Carpóforo Creek just south of the Monterey County line.

For about 72 miles (116 km) from San Carpóforo Creek to Malpaso Creek, the road winds and hugs the cliffs of Big Sur, passing various coastal parks in the area, with no connection to the other side of the Santa Lucia Mountains except for Nacimiento-Fergusson Road.

The road briefly leaves the coast for a few miles, passing through a redwood forest in the Big Sur River valley.

The Big Sur segment of the highway, built between 1919 and 1937, also crosses a number of now historic bridges, including the scenic Bixby Creek Bridge, a reinforced concrete arch with a 320-foot (98 m) span that passes over the Bixby Creek gorge, the Rocky Creek Bridge,  and the Big Creek Bridge.

Monterey Bay Area

After crossing the Carmel River, SR 1 turns inland and runs along the eastern boundary of Carmel before becoming a freeway in Monterey.

After bypassing the immediate coastline of Pebble Beach and the rest of the Monterey Peninsula, the freeway heads north along the coast of Monterey Bay through Sand City, Seaside, and Marina.

At the interchange with SR 156 near Castroville, SR 1 continues north as a two-lane rural road to Moss Landing.

SR 1 becomes a freeway once again just before entering into Santa Cruz County. This four-lane freeway continues up the Monterey Bay coast through Watsonville to its interchange with SR 17 in Santa Cruz.

(This trumpet interchange is locally known as The Fishhook due to its tight loop ramps that resemble a fishhook when viewed from above).

After a short expressway section, it skirts downtown Santa Cruz as four-lane Mission Street, regaining the Cabrillo Highway designation (local/historic name is "Coast Road") after it leaves the city and continues north-west as a two-lane road (with occasional four-lane sections) up the coast.

San Francisco Bay Area


Scene from SR 1 near Half Moon Bay at Tunitas Creek Beach

Entering San Mateo County, SR 1 follows the west coast of the San Francisco Peninsula, passing by the marine mammal colonies at Año Nuevo State Park, and the historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse, before reaching Half Moon Bay.

Between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica, the highway bypasses a treacherous stretch known as Devil's Slide via the Tom Lantos Tunnels.


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