Big Sur Coast Highway

This article is about the modern highway. For the pioneer road in pre-1920 Big Sur, see Old Coast Road.
Further information: Big Sur

State Route 1 marker
Big Sur Coast Highway
Cabrillo-San Simeon Highway; Roosevelt Highway
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length71.2 mi[1][2] (114.6 km)
Statusclosed 22 miles north of the county line
Known forscenic views
Tourist
routes		 Route One, Big Sur Coast Highway
RestrictionsNo trucks exceeding 30 feet kingpin to rearmost axle distance (Rio Rd to San Simeon)[3]
Major junctions
South end SR 1 at the San Carpóforo Creek in San Luis Obispo County
North end SR 1 at the Malpaso Creek near Carmel Highlands
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountiesSan Luis Obispo, Monterey
Highway system
Highway 1 near Ragged Point at the southern end of the Big Sur region

Big Sur Coast Highway is a section of California State Route 1 through the Big Sur region of California that is widely considered to be one of the most scenic driving routes in the United States, if not the world. It is both a National Scenic Highway and a California Scenic Highway, and was described by Australian painter Francis McComas as the "greatest meeting of land and water in the world".[4] Condé Nast Traveler named State Route 1 through Big Sur one of the top ten world-famous streets, comparable to Broadway in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The road itself is a destination for visitors.

The Big Sur portion of Highway 1 is generally considered to include the 71-mile (114 km) segment adjoining the unincorporated region of Big Sur between Malpaso Creek near Carmel Highlands[1] in the north and San Carpóforo Creek near San Simeon in the south.[2]

Prior to its completion, the California coast south of Carmel and north of San Simeon was one of the most remote regions in the state, rivaling at the time nearly any other region in the United States for its difficult access. In 1920, the 26 mi (42 km) trip from Carmel to the Pfeiffer Ranch in the Big Sur valley on the Old Coast Road in a light spring wagon pulled by two horses could be completed in about 11 hours, while a lumber wagon pulled by four horses could make the same trip in 13 hours.[5] The rough road ended in present-day Posts and could be impassible in winter. No road existed beyond Posts, only a horseback trail connecting the homesteads to the south.

The highway was first proposed by Dr. John L. D. Roberts, a physician who was summoned on April 21, 1894, to treat survivors of the wreck of the 493 tons (447 t) S.S. Los Angeles (originally USRC Wayanda), which had run aground near the Point Sur Light Station about 25 miles (40 km) south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. It took him 3+1⁄2 hours on his two-wheeled, horse-drawn cart, a very fast trip for the day.[6][7] The initial survey for the highway was completed in 1918, and its construction began in 1921.[8] The project ceased for two years in 1926 when funding ran out, and after 18 years of construction, the Carmel–San Simeon Highway was completed in 1937.[9] The route was incorporated into the state highway system and re-designated as Highway 1 in 1939.[6]

The winding, narrow road, often cut into the face of towering seaside cliffs, is a "symbolic image" of Big Sur.[10] In May 2017, a 5,000,000-cubic-foot (140,000 m3) slide blocked the highway at Mud Creek, north of Salmon Creek near the San Luis Obispo County line, to just south of Gorda. The road was reopened on July 18, 2018, but is subject to closure during heavy storms. On January 29, 2021, the land under the road collapsed into the sea due to heavy storms near Rat Creek 15 miles (24 km) south of Big Sur Village. After 30 days of debris removal and only 56 days of construction, the highway was reopened on April 23, 2021.[11] The highway has been closed more than 55 times by landslides. It was closed repeatedly during the storms of 2022-23. On January 8, 2023, the highway was closed at Paul's Slide 22 miles (35 km) north of the San Luis Obispo/Monterey county border and as of August 2024 remains closed. The Nacimiento-Fergusson Road also remains closed.[12]

  1. ^ a b Surfer Magazine (February 21, 2006). Surfer Magazine's Guide to Northern and Central California Surf Spots. Chronicle Books. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-8118-4998-2. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Chatfield, Michael (May 5, 2014). "Big Sur Magic – Carmel Magazine". Carmel Magazine. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  3. ^ "Truck Networks on California State Highways" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  4. ^ Steakley, Douglas (2011). Photographing Big Sur: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them. Woodstock, Vermont: The Countryman Press. p. 9. ISBN 9781581579413.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference wall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference cambria was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference cambriaroberts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference cambriaone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference navy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Big Sur, California: The Price of Perfection". MICHELIN Guide.
  11. ^ Woods Novoa, Kate (April 24, 2021). "Highway One opens to ceremony". bigsurkate. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  12. ^ Chappellet-Lanier, Tajha (August 17, 2023). "Paul's Slide on Highway 1 in Big Sur remains closed -- with no estimated reopening". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved October 23, 2023.