Hi we are planning to drive from Carmel to Cambria in one day and want to find the best hikes and stops. Please what hikes do you most recommend and stops?

Thanks so much
Kiwianna

There are tons of stops, but with only 1 day, youll have to be selective. The drive itself will take about 3 hours. This time of year, you have about 10 hours of daylight to work with.

If you havent visited Point Lobos while in Carmel, definitely stop there for a bit. You can do some easy hiking there.

If you want a longer hike, the Ewoldson trail at Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park is a good one - its about 5 miles. This park is also where McWay falls is.

There are some good, relatively short trails at Limekiln state park also.

For beaches, Pfeiffer Beach is a good stop - it takes a bit of time because you have to drive down a narrow road for a bit to get to it. Sand Dollar beach is also good - theres a nice picnic area on a bluff overlooking the ocean, then a path down to the beach. The beach at San Simeon is great - very easily accessible.

Other stops - there are lots of overlooks and vista points. Bixby Bridge is a popular stop.

There arent a lot of places to eat along the coast, esspecially once you get south of Big Sur village, so id take a picnic lunch so you can have it whenever you get hungry.

Depending on how long you stay at Point Lobos (truly a must) will determine how much time you have for any other hikes. McWay Falls would be another must IMO. But it is a very short trail so wouldn't keep you from doing others.

Do Note that Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is closed to the public (not to be confused w/ Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park)

When is your trip? Parts of state parks along this route are still closed and may remain closed over winter https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570

Point Lobos is very close to Carmel so if you're spending any time in Carmel, you can easily visit Point Lobos on the different day if you'd like to maximize your time on the drive.

Thanks so much for your help everyone.
We are going to be doing this drive first week of December. We will be staying the night in Carmel and then driving to Cambria.

I was getting really confused with what parks are closed.
Sounds like the best plan would be to:
1. stop at Point Lobos and walk to the ocean (not sure which trail to take) do we just follow our nose to ocean or is there a best way to go?
2. Is pfeiffer beach worth trying to find - it sounds hard to find?
or
2a. San Simeon beach?
Or
2b. should we try and stop at both (I would love to get in water - even up to my waist if at all possible?)
3. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park - Ewoldsen trail (5 miles)
4. Cambria

Any feedback about this itinerary? Advice?
Thanks again
Kiwianna

Point Lobos has pretty short, easy trails. A loop of the whole reserve is around 5-6 miles. Most of the parking areas are right along the ocean. North Shore is one of my favorite trails.

Pfeiffer Beach is the first ungated paved right turn off of Hwy 1 after Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. It's a sharp right and there's a sign that says "no RVs" or something like that.

The ocean is very cold here. I doubt you'll want to get in even waist deep in December.

No, you do NOT want to go in the water, especially not up to your waist. Trust us here . You won't warm up til about Santa Monica - if then.

Will you have a wet suit???

Pfeiffer Beach is pretty easy to find - you just need to look for the road as Patty said. It's called Sycamore Canyon Rd, but doesn't have a road sign. It shows up on GPS and Google Maps though.

You definitely won't want to get in the water. The average high (air temp) in December is in the low 60s. Water temperatures will be in the 50s. Most people don't even go in the water in the summer time.

Perfect thanks for your help everyone.

Kiwianna