Places
Big Sur from both sides of a closure
We hit Big Sur from both sides (since there was a closure), and because all of our go-to camping options were shut down. These were split by other parts of our trip, but it also led to us needing to find a hotel room — which proved the hardest thing of the trip; everyone was escaping to the same place. We also hit a new spot on the beach which was paid. We were hesitant, but ended up grilling in the parking lot and walking in (I keep a foldable insulated plate that came in handy) and caught the sunset. Didn’t get to touch any dirt in the truck.
July 4, 2024
Background
Big Sur is the stretch of Highway 1 where the Santa Lucia Mountains fall straight into the ocean, and the single defining fact about it is that the road slides — closures sever the route for months at a time, which is why you sometimes have to hit it from both ends as two dead-end legs.
If you go
This is the Big Sur reality: Highway 1 slides close sections for months at a time, which can sever the coast and force you to approach as two separate dead-end legs from north and south, exactly as we did. Pair that with a holiday weekend and the Los Padres campgrounds full or closed, and a bed becomes the scarce resource. Check Caltrans for the current closure map before you plan the route at all.