PCH: Big Sur Self-Guided Audio Tour from Monterey & Morro Bay

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is a state park in Monterey County, California, near the area of Big Sur on the state's Central Coast. It covers approximately 1,006 acres of land. The park is centered on the Big Sur River. It has been nicknamed a "mini Yosemite." Redwood trees are known to live up to 2,200 years. NOTE: This 125+mile-long tour covers the essentials of Big Sur in 2 - 3 hours Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

We'll continue driving past Carmel and into the natural wonder of Point Lobos Natural Reserve.

Next, we enter the world-famous Big Sur portion of the PCH. The Pacific Coast Highway, popularly known as PCH, Highway 1, or Route 1, is one the most scenic roadtrips in the US.

Small, remote inlet & rugged beach reached by a dirt trail, wooden bridge & tunnel.

The scenic drive takes us through Garrapata State Park, where we'll have the chance to stop and check out the Garrapata Beach. As we drive, we'll learn about the wildfires that often rage through forests like these.

Our self-guided drive now brings us to Bixby Creek Bridge! This is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, graceful architecture, and magnificent setting. It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge.

We'll continue driving, while admiring and learning about Point Sur and the Point Sur Lighthouse.

Our tour then takes us through the Andrew Molera State Park, another natural wonder of this drive. We'll also learn about Big Sur's literary fame.

Bixby isn't the only beautiful bridge in Big Sur; Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge has it's own charm.

Pfeiffer Beach in the Big Sur area is definitely off the beaten path, but well worth the detour. Just south of Big Sur Station on Highway 1 is unsigned Sycamore Canyon Road which winds its way down to the shore.

Grimes Point Scenic Overlook has got one of the best views of the Big Sur coastline. It's easy to see what brings people to a place like Big Sur.

Our self-guided drive takes us to Seal Beach Overlook where -- you guessed it! -- we'll be able to spot some sunbathing seals.

Another must stop is at McWay Falls. This stunning 80-foot-tall waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in central California that flows year-round.

Next, we drive over the Big Creek Bridge. This is a 589-foot-long, open spandrel, concrete deck arch bridge connecting this scenic, mountainous coast.

Big Creek Cove Beach is under the Big Creek Bridge on Highway 1 along the Big Sur Coast. Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve is the land area adjacent to the creek and the California marine protected areas named Big Creek State Marine Reserve and Big Creek State Conservation Area.

Our tour continues to Limekiln State Park, featuring beaches, forests, and more.

As we cross the Pitkins Curve Bridge, we'll learn all about the landslides, mudslides, rockfalls, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that continue to threaten the PCH infrastructure.

Jade Cove features a beach full of nephrite jade.

Nathaniel Owens Memorial Redwood Grove is one of the largest redwood stands for miles. Did you know that the coastal redwood is the tallest living thing on the planet? It's true! These behemoths can grow to around 350 feet, which is as tall as a 35-story building!

The stretch of highway between San Simeon and Ragged Point is some of the most picturesque in the world. The roadway follows where the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains meet the Pacific Ocean, with jaw-dropping views around every twist and turn. As you drive, plenty of turnoffs offer moments for taking in the region’s grandeur. As you drive to Ragged Point, you will feel like a star in your own private car commercial on Highway 1.

As we drive past the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, we'll have the option to stop and detour for a visit.

Nothing beats the Elephant Seal Vista Point. The largest seal in the northern hemisphere, the Northern Elephant Seal migrates to the rookery, twice each year. While offshore, the elephant seal spends eight to ten months diving up to 5,800 feet deep for up to two hours. The remaining months of the year, they mate, birth, molt, and rest onshore between trips.

As we drive through San Simeon, we'll have the option to detour to Hearst Castle. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, it was built between 1919 and 1947.

Moonstone Beach Drive, a beautiful detour along Moonstone Beach. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to get back on the highway easily enough!

The one with the blue paint and all the terraces? That’s Nitt Witt Ridge, a peculiar landmark here in Cambria. You might not be able to tell at first glance, but a lot of that house is built from trash. Seriously! It was built by an eccentric artist named Arthur Harold Beal who had an odd fascination with garbage. He actually worked as a garbage collector in the mid-1900s and used some of what he collected to build his home. There are beer cans, car rims, washer drums, you name it, built into the structure of the house. **

Finally, we'll reach Morro Bay, San Luis Opispo, and Pismo Beach, where this segment of our PCH tour ends. You've now experienced the beauty of Big Sur!