15 Best Things to Do in Big Sur

The vast coastline along with several breathtaking state parks, caves, beaches, and rugged terrains- Big Sur cannot be described in simple words. The beauty of the place is something that you need to envision your self. The diverse flora and fauna along with the marine as well as the aerial species- Big Sur lures every tourist. These are the top 15 things to do on your vacation in Big Sur.

Visit the Andrew Molera State Park

Big Sur is one of the best scenic places in CA. Not only is this place filled with huge mesmerizing state parks, but there are also some interesting beaches here. We decided to start the first day of your trip by making a quick visit to the Andrew Molera State Park.

The Andrew Molera State Park is quite an underrated one among the popular list of state parks, but its beauty is immeasurable. The beaches covered with white sands and the sand dunes along with vast meadows are something everyone loves. There are a lot of hiking trails here.

The Andrew Molera State Park is near Carmel, and you can be there by a short drive. The scenes are too pretty and there are even camping options if you want to go camping.

Have a nice day at Pfeiffer Beach

After the Andrew Molera State Park, we shall be making a trip to the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. We will be talking about this beautiful state park later, but the object of affection right now has to be Pfeiffer Beach.

The beach has a dazzling background of the gorgeous Santa Lucia Mountains, which draws thousands of people to the beach every day. It is not so often that you come across a beach that looks this good. The waves are huge sometimes making the blue ocean pop out more.

Keyhole Rock is something of a spot here on the beach. Photographers rush to this rock to get some good pictures while they are in the state park. The rock indeed shines brightly under the sunny Californian sun and when the waves crash against the rock- the beauty is immense.

Visit the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

We have already seen the beach after entering the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Now, it is time to go explore some other spots inside the state park. Most of the people come here to appreciate the beauty of the Pfeiffer beach and the blue sea, but certain other things make people lose their minds inside this state park.
The state park is blessed with some of the best scenes of the dazzling Santa Lucia Mountains. The western slope is occupied by this park. Also, the state park overlooks the Big Sur Gorge along with the mighty river- Big Sur.

There are lush green forests inside the state park filled with maples, redwoods, conifers, and many others. You might even get to see some great wildlife inside the park.

Go hiking at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

We are going to be Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park as the next destination on our list. Located quite close to Carmel, the best thing about this beach is that it handles most of the best coastlines of Big Sur.

There is another sharp feature of this particular state park and that happens to be a massive waterfall crashing from a height above 80 feet. And, there are a lot of trails here that goes through the different redwood, chaparral, and oak forests. You get gorgeous views of mountains, splendid waterfalls, and these huge forests while hiking. The Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is one of the best attractions of Big Sur where the beauty is just beyond our words.

Take a few photos of Bixby Bridge

We shall be taking you over to a destination that is well known for being one of the most photographed objects in the world. The best thing about this is the fact that this is a fine example of modern architecture and engineering. People all over the world flock to this place to take some pictures and appreciate the views. Welcome to Bixby Bridge.

The Bixby Bridge is constructed overlooking Bixby Creek. So, naturally, when you look down- you shall be getting a full view of the wild and gorgeous creek. Also, standing at a height of almost 260 meters- the bridge is too pretty

Drive along the 17-Mile Drive

How about we go on a scenic drive now? The roads of California are always bound to be beautiful. Starting in Pebble Beach and heading to Pacific Grove- the 17-mile Drive is something that everyone enjoys.

Not only is the road extra smooth, but there are the beautiful sceneries you get to see on your drive. The cypress forests that you are going to pass through are gorgeous. And, you are going to see some of the beautiful rock CA coastline of Big Sur as well. Do take a few stops occasionally to click some of the best pictures of your life.

You will be also passing through the Spanish Bay- one of the cutest places to hang out for a bit before you go. We cannot recommend 17-Mile Drive enough for it is one of the most magnificent drives in all of CA.

Enjoy the views from Ragged Point

If you are heading towards the northern part of Big Sur, there is one thing that you see to take a look at with your own two eyes. Though Ragged Point is located inside the Ragged Point Inn, the view is fantastic.

When you get into the inn, try to have a warm delicious meal before you head off to take a look at the view across the Ragged Point. The point lies 300 ft on the top of a cliff. And, when you look down- you see the seas crashing against the coast and rocky terrains. Also, the Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve is quite close to this point too.

Get amazed at the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

If you love nature or you are in love with the sea- Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is the answer to all of your cravings. A natural beauty- so phenomenal that artists, photographers, swimmers, and practically every tourist hurries to when they are on their trip to Big Sur.

The scuba diving of this spot is quite well renowned. And, we see a lot of scuba divers from all around the world making their way to this spot. There is even a bird island here if you want to go have a look at some migratory sea-birds. If you go scuba diving, you can see a lot of marine animals as well.

Have a nice day at Carmel River State Beach

Since we are around the area of Carmel Bay, we might just pop in Carmel River State Beach to have a bit of fun since its beauty is indescribable. Also, the lagoon that is formed by the Carmel River lies within this state park. That adds more to the beauty!

The Carmel River State Beach is the best place to go if you want to have a look at a few birds. Also, if you are an ornithologist or just someone who loves birds passionately that it is more of a hobby now- try to check out Carmel River State Beach earlier for there are a whole lot of different species altogether.
Check out the bird sanctuary to know more about the birds. Also, the San Jose Creek Beach is present here where divers get to have their share of fun!

Check out the Limekiln State Park

If you drive 56 acres from Carmel, you shall be driving across the pleasant Limekiln State Park. The area is huge of almost 700 acres and is one of the top attractions of Big Sur bringing a lot of locals as well as tourists around.
Giving some of the exotic locations of the coastline of Big Sur, there is another interesting aspect in this park, and that happens to be a mighty forest filled with redwood trees.

The Hare Creek Canyon is the main attraction of this spot. Also, there are a lot of trails where you can hike through the rocky terrain. The trails go through these beautiful forests offering some of the great views of the canyon. There are even a lot of camping grounds where you can camp under the starry sky for a night.

Visit the Garrapata State Park

If you want to see some of the best views of deep canyons and have some ocean fun at the same time, the best solution is to just head over to the Garrapata State Park.
The Garrapata State Park has some of the best trails. You can go on hikes through trails that lead straight to the undisturbed gorgeous beach. Or, if you want to be more in touch with nature- choose the trails that will provide you with sensational views of the Soberanes Canyon.

The best part about this state park is that it is not as much crowded as the others. You can enjoy some quiet time at Soberanes Point with some wonderful views of both the deep canyon as well as the ocean.

Explore the Los Padres National Forest

Are you planning to get to know about a real forest from up close? We have the legendary Los Padres National Forest just for you to check out. Come on, let us tell you a bit more about this vast forest.

Comprising of a huge area of 1,950,000-acres- Los Padres National Forest might be considered as one of the treasures that Los Angeles has to offer us. There are hiking trails of more than 323 miles. And, there are streams, waterfalls, and even rivers within this vast forest. The forest also goes along the Big Sur coastline covering some of the part CA cities as well. So, don’t even imagine exploring the entire thing one trip.

Go around the Point Sur State Historic Park

The Point Sur State Historic Park has a lot of spots inside that makes a lot of tourist crowd the place. For starters, there is a huge lighthouse that draws people through its historic past.

Did you know that the lighthouse of the Point Sur State Historic Park is actually on top of a rock of almost 360 meters in height and this rock used to be a volcanic mountain?

It even has its name among the National Register of Historic Places and the fun part is that this lighthouse is still in use. It is probably the last one of the States that is still functional. There are a lot of tours led by the park authorities that show you around and tell you more.

Visit the Partington Cove

The Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park has some great adventure options. There are indeed a lot of hiking trails as we mentioned before. But, we did not tell you yet about Partington Cove. Want to get to the ocean real quick? Want to hike through a canyon? Yes, the Partington Cove is your answer.

If you are a daring person and want to embark on an adventurous journey make your way to Partington Cove. At first, you have to slide across some steep trails going downhill. After that follows a large tunnel that will ultimately make its way to the calm waters of the ocean!

Pay a visit to the Henry Miller Memorial Library

The Big Sur landscape is beautiful to everyone. It is so mesmerizing that a lot of artists such as photographers, writers, poets, and artists make their way to be near nature and get some inspiration.

Henry Miller Library deals with the books and works that revolve around the beauty of the place as described by the local artists and writers.
The works of Henry Miller has been portrayed quite beautifully here in the library. Go ahead, and take a look at all the beautiful works here. You are bound to have a nice day!

As you can see by now- Big Sur is a place that is abundant with beauty spots. There is no shortage of things to see and do here. Have a nice trip!

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