In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the Golden Gate to the Santa Monica Pier: 750 kilometres of coastline where you wipe the fog off the high roof in the morning and watch whales from your pitch in the evening.
The spirit of the route
Highway 1 feels like one long exhale. Beyond San Francisco the traffic thins out, the marine layer settles over the cliffs like cotton wool, and the open sliding door lets in the smell of salt, eucalyptus and kelp. In Big Sur the road clings to rock faces 200 metres above the surf, redwoods stand in shady gorges, and at night on the coast all you hear is the Pacific. Further south the coast softens: elephant seals doze on the beach at Piedras Blancas, Morro Rock rises out of the haze, and red-tiled roofs glow in Santa Barbara. At the end the camper rolls through Malibu, where surfers wait for the last wave in the light of the low sun. This route rewards slowness: short stages, early starts and campgrounds you reserve months in advance.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: San Francisco to Santa Cruz (approx. 125 km)
- The drive
- Via Pacifica and through the Devil’s Slide tunnel onto Highway 1, then two lanes with long straights past artichoke and pumpkin fields and short winding sections at the creek mouths. A good 2.5 hours of driving, a full day with stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses on the US West Coast.
- Año Nuevo State Park: elephant seals, from December to March only on a guided walk.
- Cliffs and tide pools at Bean Hollow State Beach.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Half Moon Bay State Beach (Francis Beach Campground) on the dunes right by the sea, facilities with coin-operated showers, electricity at some sites. Alternative: New Brighton State Beach near Capitola, on the clifftop under pines. Book via ReserveCalifornia, up to six months in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Along this stretch of coast, sleeping in your vehicle is prohibited practically everywhere (“No Overnight Parking”), and Santa Cruz enforces this strictly. There is no legal free-camping alternative – plan on proper campgrounds.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Golden Gate Bridge charges a toll southbound only, and electronically only. Coming from the north, you pay via FasTrak or online by licence plate (“One-Time Payment”, up to 30 days before or within 48 hours after); with rental vehicles this usually goes through the rental company’s toll programme – check the terms beforehand.
2Stage 2: Santa Cruz to Big Sur (approx. 120 km)
- The drive
- Through strawberry fields to Monterey and Carmel; south of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve the Big Sur section proper begins, with tight bends, bridges over gorges and few turnouts. Around 3 hours of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Point Lobos: cypresses, sea otters and seals. The car parks inside the reserve are small – large vehicles park outside along the highway.
- Bixby Creek Bridge: photo spot at the turnout north of the bridge, still free of coaches in the early morning.
- Pfeiffer Beach with Keyhole Arch – the access via Sycamore Canyon Road is narrow and unsuitable for motorhomes and trailers.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park in redwood forest on the Big Sur River, facilities with showers, no hookups, length limit per site. Or Kirk Creek Campground (Los Padres National Forest) south of Lucia on a terrace above the ocean: toilets only, no drinking water, no electricity, motorhomes up to 30 ft, but the best sunset of the route. Note: after the Timber and Plaskett fires in August/September 2026, both campgrounds were closed (as of mid-September 2026) – check the current status with California State Parks or the Los Padres National Forest before booking, and if necessary stay overnight in Monterey/Carmel or south of Big Sur.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Los Padres National Forest, dispersed camping is permitted along some forest roads above the coast. Along the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, however, camping within 300 feet (around 90 m) of the road is prohibited; the road is steep, narrow, unsuitable for large motorhomes and, after the 2026 fires, closed by emergency order until probably the end of January 2027. Outside campgrounds you need a California Campfire Permit for stoves, and when wildfire risk is high there are often complete fire bans – check with the Monterey Ranger District beforehand.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up with fuel and water in Carmel or Monterey: in Big Sur diesel is scarce and expensive, and there is no mobile signal over long stretches. Highway 1 in Big Sur is repeatedly closed after landslides and fires: after Paul’s Slide and Regent’s Slide, the road has only been open all the way through again since January 2026, and in August/September 2026 it was partly closed again because of the Timber and Plaskett fires. Check Caltrans QuickMap the day before and download offline maps.
3Stage 3: Big Sur to San Luis Obispo (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- First the wildest part of Big Sur, with hairpin bends high above the sea; from Ragged Point flatter and faster, with pastureland down to the water. A good 3 hours plus photo stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park: a waterfall that drops straight onto the beach. The short Overlook Trail from the car park has been closed since 2025 for repairs to a retaining wall (as of 2026), and parking is scarce – check the current status with California State Parks.
- Elephant Seal Vista Point near Piedras Blancas: elephant seals all year round, most of them in winter.
- Morro Rock in Morro Bay, with sea otters in the harbour.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Morro Bay State Park between the lagoon and the golf course under trees, some sites with hookups, facilities with showers. Closer to nature: Montaña de Oro State Park near Los Osos, in a canyon behind wild cliffs, no hookups.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Oceano Dunes south of Pismo Beach, beach camping with four-wheel drive and lowered tyre pressure was most recently permitted, but access is legally disputed and is closed from time to time (most recently after a court case from April to May 2026) – check the current status with California State Parks. Not an option without four-wheel drive.
- Insider tip for campers
- Between Ragged Point and Cambria there are several wide, unpaved turnouts. Use them generously: in California, slow vehicles must pull over as soon as five or more vehicles are backed up behind them.
4Stage 4: San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara (approx. 160 km)
- The drive
- Via Pismo Beach on Highway 1 through the interior (Guadalupe, Lompoc) or faster on US-101, which runs right along the coast from Gaviota – wide lanes, few bends. About 2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove: from November to February, monarch butterflies hang in clusters from the eucalyptus trees.
- Mission La Purísima near Lompoc, the most completely reconstructed mission complex in California.
- Mission Santa Barbara and the waterfront at Stearns Wharf.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: El Capitán State Beach or Refugio State Beach on the Gaviota Coast: palms and sycamores right above the beach, facilities with showers, no or few hookups. Booked up months in advance in summer.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Santa Ynez Mountains (Los Padres National Forest) there are basic Forest Service campgrounds; dispersed camping is only possible to a limited extent. In Santa Barbara itself, sleeping in your vehicle is prohibited.
- Insider tip for campers
- Santa Barbara has hardly any car parks without height restrictions. Leave the motorhome in one of the large city car parks on the waterfront (daily fee) and walk or take the Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle (in 2026 only in summer, Friday to Sunday).
5Stage 5: Santa Barbara to Malibu and Los Angeles (approx. 170 km)
- The drive
- Via Carpinteria and Ventura, back on Highway 1 from Oxnard. Between Point Mugu and Malibu the Pacific Coast Highway is squeezed tightly between the Santa Monica Mountains and the beach – slow in rush hour, so drive before 7 am or at the weekend. Between Malibu and Santa Monica, repair work following the Palisades fire of January 2025 is still ongoing, with changing lane closures – check Caltrans QuickMap.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Channel Islands National Park visitor centre in Ventura Harbor; the boats to the islands leave from there.
- El Matador State Beach: rock arches and sea caves, reached via a steep staircase.
- The Santa Monica Pier, the symbolic end point of Route 66.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Leo Carrillo State Park in a canyon under sycamores, with a pedestrian tunnel leading under the highway to the beach, facilities with showers. Or Point Mugu State Park, Thornhill Broome Beach: right on the sand, basic facilities, with the sound of the surf by your bed.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the greater Los Angeles area there is no legal free camping by the sea; Malibu consistently penalises sleeping in vehicles. Fall back on the state parks or the campgrounds in the Santa Monica Mountains.
- Insider tip for campers
- Empty your tanks and fill up with fresh water before Los Angeles, ideally at a state park dump station. In the city, disposal facilities are scarce, and many multi-storey car parks have height restrictions of around 2 metres.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- On the California coast, staying overnight outside campgrounds is prohibited almost everywhere; cities and counties impose fines, often in the three-digit dollar range.
- Dispersed camping is legal on most National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, usually for up to 14 days – but not near the coast.
- Many supermarket car parks in California no longer allow overnight stays; ask in the store.
- Useful apps: iOverlander, Campendium, The Dyrt, plus Recreation.gov (federal land) and ReserveCalifornia (state parks).
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations in many state parks (some also for non-guests, for a fee) and at some petrol stations; overview at sanidumps.com.
- Tap water is drinkable; individual campgrounds post notices about water quality – read the signs.
- Never drain grey water onto the ground; empty chemical toilets at the dump station.
- Propane at U-Haul locations or propane dealers. European gas bottles need an adapter and often will not be refilled; rental motorhomes have built-in US tanks.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- With a trailer (caravan, trailer) the maximum in California is 55 mph; motorhomes follow the posted limits.
- No low-emission zones on Highway 1. Tolls: Golden Gate Bridge (southbound only, electronic) and Express Lanes in Los Angeles (FasTrak required).
- Many sites in the state parks are limited to 24–35 ft (7–10.5 m) – when booking, check the length specification for the specific site.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Levelling ramps, level 2–3 – the sites in Big Sur and on the Gaviota Coast are often sloping.
- Warm layers and a windproof jacket: the marine layer keeps temperatures down to 14–16 °C even in July.
- Binoculars for grey whales (December to April), sea otters and elephant seals.
- Offline maps, a paper map and printed reservations – there is no signal over long stretches of Big Sur.
- Drinking-water-grade fresh water hose with pressure regulator.
- Tide app or tide table for tide pools, beach access points such as El Matador, and sites right on the sand.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
