Driving from San Simeon to Monterey (CA) - Best route for <5 hrs
 

Hello again!

Trying to attend little details for our upcoming trip. Just wondering about about the drive from San Simeon to Monterey. My understanding is that this is the most magnificent part of the Rt. 1 trip, but we'd like to leave the Hearst Castle by noon, and arrive in Monterey for an early dinner by 5:pm. Should we take Rt. 101 instead? Is there a way to cut back in to see Big Sur/Carmel before Monterey? Or is five hours a reasonable estimate for the scenic route on a weekday?

Thanks in advance for any &quot;tried and true&quot; tips!

Five hours is fine on Highway 1--will even allow for stopping to look.

5 hours should be plenty of time to drive highway 1. If you are driving straight through w/ no stops it doesn't take much longer than 3 hours to drive from San Simeon to Monterey.
There are tons of places to pull over and stop. You might want to take a short hike to Julia Pfeiffer Burns beach. Look for it on a map and when you are driving up you'll see lots of cars parked on the side of the road at the trail head. Other good places to stop are Nepenthe and the River Inn. I don't know if the elephant seals will still there but they are on a beach just north of San Simeon.

Five hours is definitely plenty of time. I wouldn't take Hwy 101 because you will miss the spectacular scenery and there really aren't any available roads across the mountains between San Simeon and Carmel.

SAB is correct - as always! :)

It's about 100 miles from Cambria to Monterey. You can do it easily in an afternoon, and you can have several stops along the way. Please don't go inland to Highway 101. You'll kick yourself ever after for having missed Big Sur!

I forget what time of year you are planning to be here, but the sun should not set until about 7 or 8 pm at least. That'll give you 7 to 8 hours of daylight, plenty of time.

Once on Highway 1, you'll probably pull off road several times for the views.

Your first major stop should probably be at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which would be about 60 miles from San Simeon. The Park entrance will be to your right. Drive to the small parking lot, park, then look southward. You'll see a set of stairs leading down to a gravel path. Take the gravel path westward towards the ocean and McWay Falls. Fast hike: 1/2 hour. Leisurely stroll: 1 hour. That's to the vantage point and back.

Next stop is Nepenthe. This will be off to your left - maybe 10 (?) miles north of JPB Park.

(You may or may not want to stop off in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park as well, depending on time.)

Next major stop would be Pt Lobos. DO NOT MISS PT LOBOS! Pt Lobos is about 2 miles south of Carmel, so you will be very close to &quot;civilization&quot; by the time you get to Pt Lobos. Spend as much time as you can at Pt. Lobos.

After Pt Lobos, the road to Carmel and Monterey is easy.

You could have dinner anywhere from south of Carmel on up to Monterey. You do not have to dine in Monterey unless you already have a restaurant picked out. Check this forum for many excellent suggestions for dinner, depending on your budget.

Once on Highway 1 from San Simeon, there is only one way and that is northbound until Carmel/Monterey. There is no way to &quot;cut back&quot; through the Ventana Wilderness to get to the coast again, so enjoy the coast! :)

Oops! Posted too slow!

viamar and JCorrea are excellent contributors too! :)

Easytraveler, thanks for mentioning Pt. Lobos! How could I have forgotten!

Hi, viamar! It's easy to forget something along Big Sur! There are so many places to stop and enjoy! We can only touch on the highlights!

Big weekend ahead for you? :)

I'm headed down Big Sur way next week to explore yet another spot! &gt;:D&lt;

We have made that trip several times and can think of only one thing to add.

Your timing is just right for lunch at Rugged Point, the food is good and the grounds and view are spectacular. :-B

I wish we were going down to Big Sur but no. I have a feeling it will be quite crowded w/ Spring Break and all.
BTW PBS had a Living Edens special on last night about Big Sur. It was great, they should replay it this weekend. Have a great weekend.

Thank you all for your thoughtful - and encouraging - replies!

Dreamer2: You're quite welcome! come back if you have more questions.

viamar: Thanks! And you too - have a glorious weekend!

Don't miss Nepenthe. Have a casual lunch on the patio and enjoy the breathtaking views and the ambience. Ahhh....