Big Sur

Big Sur's famous pullouts can be as busy as a parking lot, but the coast is long and most of its quiet sits away from the bridge photo stops. Highway 1 reopened through Regent's Slide on January 14, 2026, giving uninterrupted access between Carmel and Cambria for the first time in almost three years, so the emptier southern stretches are within easy reach again. Stay several nights instead of driving through, walk the redwood canyons early, and give an afternoon to the Henry Miller Memorial Library, a small literary and arts space that suits a slow day. Weekdays outside summer are calmest. Storms and wildfires can still close the road, as fires did for weeks in late summer 2026, so check road and trail conditions first.