Driving down from San Francisco to Big Sur on US Highway 1.Need to know if I am travelling onwards to Death Valley which would be the point of exit on US 1 and would I cover most of the scenic drive on US Highway 1.

Take a look at an online map, such as the one I use, Yahoo.

You can go all the way down past Hearst Castle, before you cut over on 46.

The drive south from Big Sur is spectacular. I usually drive this way home from visiting my mother in the San Luis Obispo area.

You can go down to San Luis Obispo and then cut over to Hwy 58 to begin your drive from the coast across California to Death Valley. Here's a zoomable google map w/driving instructions:
http://www.distancebetweencities.net...alley_ca/route

This is a travelogue with lots of photos of what you'll see along the coast and in Death Valley. Note the authors' "Final Thoughts" at the end of the entry.
http://danandtan.travellerspoint.com/59/

BTW, you'll see in that first photo that it's California State Route 1 along the west coast, not US Hwy 1 which runs from Maine to Florida on the east coast.

Are you planning to do this SF to Big Sur to Death Valley in 1 day????? That's a 12 hr drive?????

Stu Dudley

If you have never seen Yosemite, I would choose it over Death Valley in a heartbeat. If you really want to see Death Valley drive back to one of the San Francisco airports (SFO, OAK or San Jose) and fly to Las Vegas and rent a car there. Don't drive through Barstow and Baker.

we need clarification. If this is a one day drive there isn't time for any of this - not Carmel, or Big Sur, or Yosemite - or anything else . . .

Death Valley really? 106 there today.